42261

SERMON TOPIC: One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism - Part 2

Speaker: Ken Paynter

Language: ENGLISH

Date: 19 May 2019

Topic Groups: HERMENEUTICS, SOUND DOCTRINE, BIBLE

Sermon synopsis: Doctrine and Unity are both important.

Ephesians 4:2-3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

2 Timothy 2:15-19 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

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One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism Part 2.

Ephesians 4:4-6.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.

Is Unity important?

Ephesians 4:2-6.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

This passage emphasizes the unity that should exist in the body of Christ as we are indwelt by “one Spirit” (verse 4).

In verse 3, Paul makes an appeal to humility, meekness, patience, and love, all of which are necessary to preserve unity, and are virtues that are based on the free will and are a matter of choice.

Is Doctrine is important.

2 Timothy 2:15-19.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

So Doctrine and Unity are both important.

If every believer would dutifully study the Bible in prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit’s illumination, things would be very different.

Doctrine and Unity are both important.

Ephesians 4:11-16.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God

and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Doctrine and Unity are both important.

Ephesians 4:11-16.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

The five-fold ministry.

Apostle – Leads

Prophet – Speaks

Evangelist – Proclaims

Pastor – Cares

Teacher -Equips

The five-fold ministry.

Apostle – Governs/ Goes

Prophet – Guides

Evangelist – Gathers

Pastor – Guards

Teacher - Grounds

The five-fold ministry.

Apostle – Governs/ Goes

AGF background

Grace/ Good News Assembly

Witbank

Roodepoort Assembly

Springs AGF

Today at Tsakane there is a delegation from the AGF to sort out a problem that has arisen in the church, that if not dealt with, will bring disrepute, not only on the local church, but on the AGF and more importantly, on the name of the Lord.

Overseers are important to ensure sound doctrine.

Titus 1:1-8.

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

Overseers are important to ensure sound doctrine.

Titus 1:9-11. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group.

They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

Doctrinal soundness in vital areas, must not be sacrificed for the sake of a superficial unity.

Unity.

In essentials: Unity

In non-essentials : Liberty

In all things: Love

Most division is caused by the non-essential category.

Style of worship (songs, instruments etc)

Length of service

Care of children (Children must be entertained)

and the list goes on.

But at times division is caused by deliberate sin and false doctrine.

Sound doctrine.

2 John 1:6-11. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.

Sound doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:16.

Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Overseers are important to ensure sound doctrine.

1 Timothy 1:1-11.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies.

Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work, which is by faith.

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.

Overseers are important to ensure sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:1-5.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Why do doctrinal interpretations differ?

According to 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.

the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God (verse 11),

which He reveals (verse 10)

and teaches (verse 13) to those whom He indwells.

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

Why do doctrines differ?

Why are there so many different Christian interpretations?

Many Christians don’t listen to the Holy Spirit and don’t know God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:30.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

One reason for multiple interpretations is do not listen to the Teacher, the Holy Spirit, but here are some other reasons for the wide range of beliefs among those who teach the Bible.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

Unbelief.

Lack of training.

Poor hermeneutics. (The science of interpreting Scripture).

Ignorance of the whole Word of God.

Selfishness and pride.

Failure to mature.

Undue emphasis on tradition.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

1. Unbelief.

The fact is that many who claim to be Christians have never been born again. They wear the label of “Christian,” but there has been no true change of heart. Many who do not even believe the Bible to be true, presume to teach it. They claim to speak for God yet live in a state of unbelief.

Most false interpretations of Scripture come from such sources. It is impossible for an unbeliever to correctly interpret Scripture.

Unbelief.

1 Corinthians 2:14.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

An unsaved man cannot understand the truth of the Bible.

He has no illumination.

Even being a pastor or theologian does not guarantee one’s salvation.

Unbelief.

Symbolism over substance.

Episcopalians in Washington DC headed by James Kelly, say they do not believe in God. James Kelly said “We all love the incense, the stain glass windows, the organ music, the vestments and all its drama, it’s the ritual. I don’t want to give up all of that just because I don’t believe in God.” No wonder that the Episcopal church has elected a practicing homosexual bishop, which is a clear violation of Scripture, yet these are the people that sail under the Christian banner.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

2. Lack of training. Peter warns against those who misinterpret the Scriptures and attributes their spurious teachings in part to being untaught.

2 Peter 3:15-16. Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 2:15. Timothy is told

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

3. Poor hermeneutics. (the science of interpreting Scripture). Much error has been promoted because of a simple failure to apply good hermeneutics

Taking a verse out of its immediate context can do great damage to the intent of the verse.

Ignoring the wider context of the chapter and book, or failing to understand the historical/ cultural context will also lead to problems.

2 Timothy 2:15 “rightly dividing the word of truth” Means interpreting the biblical text correctly, it means to have good hermeneutics. Jesus chided the Pharisees of His day for their poor hermeneutics, saying:

Mark 12:24. You do not understand the Scriptures.

General principles of Biblical interpretation.

Interpretation must be based on the author’s intention of meaning and not the reader.

Interpretation must be done in the context of the passage.

Interpret the Bible literally allowing for normal use of figurative language.

Use the Bible to interpret itself, interpreting difficult passages with clear ones. This is sometimes called the law of non-contradiction.

Interpretation must be distinguished from application, as culture has changed in 2000 years, but the principle still applies.

Be sensitive to distinctions between Israel and the Church and Old Covenant and New Covenant requirements.

General principles of Biblical interpretation.

7. Be sensitive to the kind of literature you are reading. The Bible contains many different types of literature:

Law

Narrative

Wisdom

Poetry

Gospel

Parable

Epistle

Apocalyptic

Each of these types of literature has specific features

that must be considered when interpreting a text.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

4. Ignorance of the whole Word of God.

Apollos was a powerful and eloquent preacher, but he only knew the baptism of John. He was ignorant of baptism into Jesus, so his message was incomplete.

Acts 18:24-26.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

5. Selfishness and pride. Sadly, many interpretations of the Bible are based on personal biases and pet doctrines. Some put themselves on a pedestal, promoting a “new perspective” on Scripture.

Jude:3-5.

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Selfishness and pride.

Jude:17-23.

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.

They said to you, In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.

These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

6. Failure to mature.

When Christians are not maturing as they should, their handling of the Word of God is affected.

1 Corinthians 3:2-3.

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly.

An immature Christian is not ready for the “meat” of God’s Word.

Note that the proof of the Corinthians’ carnality is a division in their church (verse 4).

Worldliness is a choice, a lack of appetite for the things of God brought about by not dealing with carnal desires.

Why are there so many different interpretations?

7. Undue emphasis on tradition.

Some churches claim to believe the Bible, but their interpretation is always filtered through the established traditions of their church.

Where tradition and the teaching of the Bible are in conflict, tradition is given precedence. This effectively negates the authority of the Word and grants supremacy to the church leadership. On the essentials, the Bible is abundantly clear. There is nothing ambiguous about the deity of Christ, the reality of heaven and hell, and salvation by grace through faith.

On some issues of less importance, however, the teaching of Scripture is less clear, and this naturally leads to different interpretations

Undue emphasis on tradition.

The important thing is to be dogmatic where Scripture is and to avoid being dogmatic where Scripture is not. Churches should strive to follow the model of the early church in Jerusalem:

Acts 2:42.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

There was unity in the early church because they were steadfast in the apostles’ doctrine. There will be unity in the church again when we get back to the apostles’ doctrine and forego the other doctrines, fads, and gimmicks that have crept into the church.

Undue emphasis on tradition.

Mark 7:6-9. He replied, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.

And he continued, You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe

your own traditions!

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Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV: Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.




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