John 15:5
Church Covenant
this this is things that I know a lot of times seem seem like we were Lord I had in preach and they just made some things on our heart tonight just maybe that we just wanted to maybe teach or talk about it here tonight but but just just had some some things you get to see in the day and hour that we live in and I've watched I've watched and Lord's kind of just been having this on my heart a lot lately I've watched a lot of churches and I've watched things change so much from from what I once knew as church you know as I've got over and since I was just a kid I remember the way things were and and and the you know even going back to even the respect that the house of God that church and and the people of God had in the communities and all these different things and I've watched I've watched church and I've watched the leaders in our churches and and the different things and and and I've watched a lot of it going different ways and I guess it's time for my heart was that we see a lot of churches today that that really drops any type of commitment you can you know they don't have any affiliation with any denomination they don't have any the normal hearts that's not in the covenant but they don't have any type of anything that you enter into when you come and there's it's really the same way that our people are today because when they go into anything they don't want to have to commit they don't want to have to to to obligate themselves to anything it's it it it carries right over in the to marriage it carries right over just into regular relationships even right down into those type things people don't want to get too close or too committed to anybody because at any point they want to be able to leave that they want to be able to to to to just this and all everything and just run off you know but but I guess I guess that's kind of where my heart was in this is I've been thinking a whole lot on on our church and thinking on different different parts of our church right from myself as your pastor down to the deacons to the teachers to the to the things of this church where God's placed me and and and like I say I got to think and and I want to start out maybe I want to read over in Timothy and I know this is all familiar I know we went through here just not long ago we went through our our declarations of faith those articles of faith and and a whole lot of this comes right back to some of those things but but but like say it might be just a little bit different but this what Lord laid on her heart tonight and I just I just want to kind of touch on maybe just a few things here let's see let me figure out where I won't start reading that here before I do anything I guess I said second ten first to him be there in the third chapter and and I say I know all this is familiar but I'm gonna read through this chapter here just bear with you I know I know I'm not a great reader but just want to read through this said this is a true saying if a man desired the office of a bishop he desired a good work a bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker not greedy of filthy Luger but patient not a brawler not covetous one that ruled with well his own house having his children in subjection with all bragging for if a man knows not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of God not a novice let's being lifted up with pride and he fall into the condemnation of the devil moreover he must have a good report of them which are without let's he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil likewise must the deacon be grave not double-tumb not given to much wine not greedy of filthy Luger holding the mystery of the of the faith in a pure conscience and let these also first be proved then let them use the office of a deacon being found blameless even so must their wives be grave not slanderous sober faithful in all things let the deacons be the husband of one wife ruling their children in their own house as well for they that you that have used the office of a deacon well purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus these things right I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly but if I carry long that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to but behave thyself in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of angels preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the world received up in the glory and I guess that fifth-naked verse and I know it's familiar to us he says he said that but if I carry long that thou mayest know how how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth and and I guess that's that's kind of where I'm at in my thoughts is as I realize we have we have several young people that are coming up under us right here at this church and in that there's been men that stood before me as I come up that that thought enough of me to teach me to show me and how to behave myself down at the house of God this is as it said right there you think about that I know I know I know there's spiritual everything's got some spiritual things that we can bring out of it but we have to also understand there is some very literal things that God has told us in his word of how to behave ourselves and how to handle ourselves at the house of God and in this you understand because he said knowing how to always be to behave thyself in the house of God and and that's right here where we're at which is the church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth and in that I say my heart kind of kind of went to some things and I got to think and I've been thinking for a while even even on back to when Gerald and Jonathan was even preaching in revival here they just seemed like the church covenant just kept coming out to me and and since then you know my heart my mind I've been thinking a lot on it and and and what we what we enter into and and even going right back right here into to this very church I know we've talked about the articles of faith and and those things and we went through those but right here's the very this is something this church and I meant to ask Sir Lean I can't I couldn't go back to a date of William Harold Cable established and had had had this church established as a as a missionary by this church and it's established on some principles established on some declarations established on some things that that are are are some good grounds to be found it out it's all biblical it's all backed up by the word of God and and and I thought on that and I've been told Chandy not long ago I I meant to ask Sir Lean exactly when it was this is what year or whatever but that that leads or here or there but it's but but but but it was and Harold when he come there again another example of a good man of God that cared for the church that cared for what the church looked like in this life so they wanted to be established on something and the same with us just like what I read about a bishop or about a deacon about these things like this that they're supposed to rule their house well so what does the Bible teach us to do as men of our houses were to train up our children and as women train up our children in the way they should go and when they're old they'll not depart from it because that's the same founding that God wants his church established on it's some good instruction some good training and and and some good education in the things of God I know that seems a lot of times but what you just preach won't you just well they've never been there if you're looking for my read that it says that a bishop is to be asked to teach and there's some things that that I think a whole lot of times in our in our churches that we've kind of got away from and that is some of the the instruction and some of the things that we should be doing at the house of God and that we entered into when we when we made a covenant which is an agreement which is a a vow if you'll have it and there again I want to read this over to Ecclesiastes and I know it's from here you're also but it says to keep that in the fifth chapter of Ecclesiastes says to keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that they do evil be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few for a dream coming through the multitude of busyness and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words and just think about that I had a little thing I used to tell Jake when he was younger you know a lot of times as we're growing up more young we don't know when to shut up and a lot of times you know we'll stay in there some grown man it's been through some example or been through some hardships and they or they know what's going on about things now they trying to explain to us some good instruction about learning how to do something on the job or anywhere else and and they've got experience they know what they're talking about while they're trying to talk a lot of times is young me and I've been right there you stand there you go trying to get in on their conversation and you go trying to act like you've been there when you've not but I always told Jake I said you look a lot smarter if you just shut up sometimes same way and I'm not saying that to be mean or nothing like it but but but saying it in this way a lot of times what he said when we come to the house of God to be more ready to hear then had the sacrifice of food it's not all about us saying oh yeah I've been there oh yeah I know what I'm doing cuz me honestly you know one of us knows what we're doing this word instructs us that spirit leads us it ain't me God is set me aside as as as a vision and set me aside as a as a preacher of the gospel but that doesn't come through my direct knowledge that comes through the leadership of the spirit and the study of the word same as it comes to anybody else but but in that it said it said for a fool's voice is known by multitude of words when thou vows to vow unto God defer not to pay it for he has no pleasure in fools pay that which thou hast vowed better is it that thou shouldest not vow then thou shouldest vow and not pay suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the angel that is was that it was an error wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the work of thy hands we're in a multitude of dreams and many words there are also diverse fanities but fear thou thought and that's where I kind of want to get around to in this as as even before we enter into any kind of agreement before we enter into any kind of a covenant it will be something that's prayed over something that's solved out after God I mean with with with great earnestness and and there's enough to know what God will is in that and moving forward and and doing anything with what without the leadership of God is is is a danger saying we need to fear thou God and in that that's why I wanted to read maybe some some things here and this I'm gonna read here instead right there but I play I am if I can read it good but this is when we enter in to the church we enter in to an agreement a covenant one with another and this says having been led and then you can read it right up there it's the same thing every time a lot of times I can remember setting back I'll say this I can remember setting back before I was pastoring and even before I had ever been a deacon of it because that's it and every time it was just it didn't really strike me when when we bring in a new member Herman Wilson was very adamant but when we brought in the members by by which every way about his by letter by statement of faith however they came in when when they come into to the full fellowship of the church as a member Herman always read the covenant and I've set back and really didn't register like it should I guess with me of what I was in agreement with with that church and and I think we need to be reminded of those things and and and and so we know how we should behave ourselves down at the house of God I mean that's why that's why Paul wrote that in the Timothy there it wasn't just you know to kill a few pages in the Bible this was down there for a reason and and for a meaning and for him to understand it that see it's just like what Paul wrote to him I want you to really take a person to say he's one else down to the youngest one there's a second in here take it personal if you're born again child God at the Paul wrote that to him he said because that way if I'm not there you'll know how to handle yourself in the house of God because Paul that took took this very serious tooth in in what he said listen to that again he said that may us know how to they'll ought us to behave myself in the house of God which is the church of the living God the pimmer and ground of crew and we'll get into some of this as we read this covenant this church God's church is a city that's set up on a hill that works when you see a city on a hill it's something you view about says take the heat it's a lie under the work call it Josh young men young women old men old women the world watches as the church there's sanders in our life as the church we've got to realize that we're representing the church of God and in particular this church that we've entered into a covenant one with another and what we do affects one another in here but but dirty and I just want to read this and I want us to really just think about it says having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and own the profession of our faith having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost we do now in the presence of God angels and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant one with one another as one body in Christ so the Lord has this set up here as as one body I know there's other churches there's different assemblies there's different people that together it's not the same the community chapel is the only Christians in Leicester or in North Carolina but we are this body of believers and God has led us to meet together one with another so we enter into this covenant one with another and end up he says we engaged our fore and again I know maybe I looked up more just because I wanted to make sure I said I'm right but when you engage in something that means to unite and bind by contract or promise so we're entering in to unity in this covenant in this agreement one with another and it says we engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love to strive for the advancement of this church now listen in knowledge holiness and comfort to promote its prosperity and spirituality to sustain its worship in an argument I want to tell you what that word sustained that word means to uphold to support we're entering into the agreements of this right here in this church to sustain its worship uphold support its worship ordinances right again ordinances is a rule established by authority and the ordinances of this church are all established by the authority of the Word of God everything in our declarations and everything in our faith that we believe are established on the authority of God they scripture to back up every belief that we have and it says discipline and doctrines to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry the expenses of the church the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel through all nations and then it moves on we also engage those there's some more uh... uniting and binding by contracting promise it just it just gets a little bit more deep in it as we go on in this covenant says we also engage to maintain family and secret devotion to religiously educate our children to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances to walk circumspectly in the world to be just in our dealings faithful in our engagements and just in case there's confusion confusion there engagements is obligation to contract so whatever we're doing out in this world we got to realize we got to handle those things in the godly manner and it says it says to be faithful in our engagements and exemplary or again I won't make sure I get these things right exemplary means worthy of invitation and if you look a little deeper into that that is something that's something that can be looked to as an example so exemplary in our deportment deportment be in our behavior or conduct so as we walk in this life we should be able to be an example to this world of of what a Christian is a Christian is Christlike and and and in that it said to avoid all tackling back button and excessive anger to abstain from the cell and use of intoxicating drink as a beverage and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior we further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love to remember each other in prayer to aid each other in sickness and distress to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech to be slow to take offense but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay and I've noticed one of the things in just even my years of being in church not at this one thing that usually will cause a problem is a lot of times somebody taking offense real quick and a lot of times in doing so it's not that there's really something wrong there I told my wife when we first got married I said when we lose communication I said when we don't openly talk I said we've got problems and most of the time that we've ever had any real conflict with each other it's called she thought I thought something and I thought she thought something and we never had truly talked about and and if we keep things open that's one reason I'm doing what I'm doing tonight because I realized and I look back and I let some thought follow follow them do I truly do because there's been some things maybe that I haven't explained very well in our churches and in our business and in a lot of other things that took place and maybe it has caused some confusion sometimes and and I don't want that the very last thing that I as your pastor want to do is ever cause one bit of confusion in this church I always want things to be open and clear and I think and and and I know that that's one reason that we should because we should be able to explain ourselves to others when they asked why do you believe this that's why I wanted to go through our our our declarations of faith because I won't I wanted everybody I want everybody to have a copy when you join this church you get a copy of that and and it's up to you to study for yourself it's up to me it's the pastor to go over these things here's what we believe here's why we believe that and as pastor I have to believe that as much as you do I have to be able to back that up in my faith in my belief in where I stand and sometimes it may it everybody's got different opinions everybody's got different things but when we come into agreement you're agreeing I'm agreeing to the doctrines of this church we're coming in in one agreement in that cover and then that way there shouldn't be any confusion in anything we believe does that make sense so so I can't teach them to do something I don't believe I can't preach under you something I don't believe or I shouldn't anyway not improve spirit I can't preach it and I can't teach it but but there again that's why in or in in in a covenant is so important and I know sometimes this gets a little itchy or however you want to say it hey but uncomfortable when you go to talking about things like this but I think it's important you know that we understand who we are and why we are what we are but but it it says we more over engage that when we remove from this place we will as soon as possible unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word and and there again it's important I think and God wants us to be part God wants us to be useful in his house and do things for him and I say I just wanted to I got to think in a whole lot about that and probably the burden that was on him how okay when he came here to make sure and I could I could take you to some other churches I know that that was in some of the same situation that never had really been established and it you need to be established you need to have a ground we are the pillar as the word of God said the church of the living God we're a pillar in this world that people needs to be able to look to when I when I seek means prior you say well they've been the church and this is enough they will be able to call on the church to pray you know we need to be here one for another and we need to uphold the standards of God one with another and and and and and in these things and and the doctrines that were established under and and you just bear with me this may not make a whole lot of sense but I'm already it's part of what this church was established on it says the this is in the this looks like this paper here come from this was I think I'm gonna give this to me when I first come here but it was a paper that Harold had that he taught this church on on the the establishment of this church and the doctrines and the decorations so I want to read this it says the doctrines of a church it is a it is proper for any organization to set forth clearly what its members believe there are several reasons why this is true it is fair to others it lets all men know what are the principles actuate actuating those thus organized why we do what we do it is in harmony with the pack with the passage which says ready always to give an answer to every man that ask if you a reason for the hope that is in you and that's first Peter 315 if an individual may tell his faith surely an organization organized church may and if it may be told surely it may be written or printed with equal or greater property it is just to the members themselves they have a right to do what they can to be properly understood in other words it's up to each one of us nothing can prevent misunderstanding misinterpretation and unjust persecution better than a clear statement of the system of doctrines and principles upon which an organization is found so understanding it says it says nothing can prevent misunderstanding misrepresentation and unjust persecution better than a clear statement of the system of doctrines and principles upon which an organization is found that's the best way to prevent misunderstandings misinterpretations and problems is to have a clear understanding of it and it promotes harmony and cooperation founded on intelligence this is a day of cooperation and every good man hopes for its increase until it becomes worldwide and gives to all men an opportunity to become universally helpful in other words we want this spread in the right way it says there is no well-founded hope of this blessed condition apart from worldwide intelligence no words you don't you know a lot of times when we say a man don't know we need to say till he sees he's lost how does the man see his lost how can they hear without a preacher how can they preach except they be sent man's got to know that he's lost and the man's got to know how he gets saved and if we get outside of the the parameters of the word of God and get into our own thinking and we create our own doctrines and we create our own things then then we we we've got out of the the way to Christ we got out of the church being able to lead people and be an example but if a religious body would intelligently promote its principles and work both its doctrines and its purposes should be given the widest most impressive publicity with these reasons guiding them bad discs from time to time have published declarations of faith they have not been identical but have been in approximate harmony with each other the one which follows was framed by a committee of which Jay Newton Brown was chairman and was adopted by the new Hampshire Baptist Convention and we went over that before when we went through our decorations of faith that committee now listen at this this wasn't just something that was pulled out of the air that committee labored two or three years and submitted the declaration of faith which has been adopted by more Baptist churches than any other declaration in the world it is not a creed to be binding but but a declaration of what we believe the scriptures teach the scriptures only are binding upon Baptist that is what we enter into as the Baptist Church our church has adopted these particular things and that's what we enter into agreement that and and I urge each one of us to go through these decorations of faith and what we believe why we believe it and why it's so important and I say I know it may be a little bit different tonight but I just I just have really had that heavy on me lately I won't I won't these young people to understand a few more things but it was that mark when we started into the decorations of faith you said you had never heard of us that's what our churches are founded on it and like I say it's not just a man's word but these things are taken from scriptural things I'm not teaching you anything that's been added to the Word of God or anything that's been done any other way all of these things have been been backed up by Bible and as we taught on them here a couple years ago I guess or whatever you can find scripture to back up everything that's in our faith but it's important that we know these things and why we are who we are why we believe what we believe and then when you're asked of anyone now you know we ain't smartest in the crowd and I have a hard time explaining and and sometimes for me as you pastor it's good for me to have these things that I've got written down and where I can go back to the scripture and I can show you know here's where it said that because a lot of times I can't just I can't just quote so I think it's important that we know these things and realize what we entered into and I agree here at this church but that's like say maybe that's a little different maybe and and that's all right that's that's what the Lord laid on the heart and I've come to find out he knows the whole more than I do of why that he has has things on your heart and why he has you do what he does and and and and and as you pastor I don't feel that I'm nothing great I'm not trying to lift myself up there but I feel it's my responsibility to to to stir up our mind sometimes and bring in to remember some of these things and and if we if we get united in in in what we're walking in that's what it takes for a church to operate is being in one mind and one accord understanding and but big way that's what the Lord laid on the heart