Local Churches in Unity & Cooperation

Thank you Bibles and go to Matthew chapter 9 confess up front. This is going to be something of a foundation stone to look at a number of things as we kinda seem to grasp what I call a systematic a biblically systematic overview of the truth of local churches in unity and cooperation. Something we just cut always done, and in all segments of evangelical Christianity there's always been a group were connected with an overwhelmingly so. Most of us connect with a certain local church that's connected to other local churches in the purpose and admissions because that's what our fathers did and that's what their fathers did and that's what their fathers did, my dear, dear friend brother John MCMs at the shippable Mills Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee. I believe I'm saying this right it's many I think he said he's 1/5 generation Southern Baptist, but there not so much. So the bed to smile in his conviction and opinion. But he said that's just what I come from, but some it's the nature listen to me.

If you study church history, it's the nature of everything that one man puts a system together is not bad is not wrong in very very obviously so many of them started with godly men and good intentions, but as the years in the decades and the centuries go by. The becomes a bureaucracy and institutionalization of things. The central doctrine begins to erode away and the whole system can begin to function. The own things and for things that have nothing to do with sound biblical Christianity. We have great denominations, Methodist Presbyterians and now quite a few Baptist denominations who have listen folks, not just struggling here and there. They woefully lost the path of being true churches, and now we are not coming to you is some new profit. I'm not a prophet nor the son of a prophet. I'm just a bad preacher Baptist preacher and conviction unnecessary denominationally speaking but back to stick in the sense of what the history what that disbelieving stood for. My point is, the trend is they just seem to get on the downgrade and they begin to connect together and unite together around things that have nothing to do with why they existed in the first place. So we find ourselves much like John Wesley, the father of Methodism in George Whitfield, the father of Calvinistic Methodism of a few centuries ago where they were Anglican Church of England and they begin to exegete the Bible and preach the word of God and called all those infant baptized dead Anglicans to repent and come to faith in Christ the Lord's cash in your counterfeit religion cash in your church membership and really find Christ.

They had no concept of starting anything new, but it didn't take too long before the Anglican church hierarchy said you guys gotta go, you gotta get outta here messing everything up.

We got us a system going here and people are comfortable in it and it's financially okay in the end and we just don't need you to mess it up with this doctrine of you must be born again. And so it ended up new movements came out of that to a significant extent. A lot of our Baptist forefathers were powerfully influenced by their preaching. An example even the Methodist Church that, by the way, corporately and denominationally speaking has woefully lost its way. I love my Methodist brothers and sisters, and there's some Methodist pastor still trying to preacher straight but on the whole the system in the hierarchy are apostate, but just our folks listen to me. You can't debate about whether or not homosexuality is a set will to God and not be off-track. I mean just jumping think about it for a moment.

Churches are debating that this is a time the left wing of the Democratic Party, churches, denominations, so it brings us who are far from perfect but who are striving to be faithful, repent theirs and striving to walk in biblical truth. What do we unite with and who do we cooperate with not be honest, I've been studying, praying, reading history for literally decades on that issue and this is not new to many of you anyways in the most obvious is drawn out of some things that I talked in my classes in the pastor training Institute, but I wanted to teach you guys with it are you listen to me this morning us equipping pastors and thus partnering with pastors and mentoring pastors in and continuing to support them as they revitalize their churches ends and plant new biblical churches that work is first of all it's flavorsome and difficult and expensive, but it's not my work and it's not brother Steve's work in brother Tim's work about the matter any of us but were all in various degrees involved is not our work.

It's all of our work each year. Look, you listen to me grace laughter to the shows God's called us to this I don't mean some special unique calling we might not be, but we may be one of the few really doing it that we are one of the few really doing this.

Then to make a specialist just old Bible stuff people to start to be doing it. You just crazy enough to follow me and do it. I say crazy only in the context of.

So if you're doing it. We look weird or odd, but we have gotten significant affirmation and commendation for what were about from people in high places, as if people in high places matter to God.

Are you listening to me just because he is Prof. so-and-so and Pres. so-and-so of so-and-so institution did many gods impressed at all.

And I thank God for that. You don't listen if they miss them good brothers who are professors in good brothers or presence of schools, but there's nothing in Scripture about their blessing or affirmation makes us good or right that it's good when we get it. Amen. We appreciate that. And we've gotten a lot of that when we were first putting the pastors training is to together and a brother Tim begin to organize and lay out everything we agreed that were not worrying about the accreditation of the world, but if we can achieve what we we know needs to happen and still get that accreditation. That's okay. And so with Samson out our stuff to one of our accredited graduate schools of theology and they almost immediately said will give your gospel credit for everything the standards or They were they were in price is good when people affirm what you're doing. The hunt shall I say that Tom there. There's a world full of pastors who have degrees and PhD's. A lot of things who are not very faithful effective pastor. Well, I'm connotation a rabbit but you catch that rabbit to be pretty good thing. So who are we to cooperate with sore and tired of this local church is in unity and cooperation. All right local churches in unity and cooperation. By the way, that order is essential. There has to be a true unity and then there can be cooperation, which trying to be forced today is forces into unities are into cooperation. Rather, we don't have the unity as the foundation were spelled out. The Lord God is the one who makes us unified. We don't try to be that we can build on the unity he gives us, we can work at the unities established but we can't make the unity does that and then we work at cooperating together because of the unity he gave us where here's the foundation stone. I want to pick up pick up on and go from Matthew chapter 9 verse 35 and go through 38. All right, Matthew 935 and Jesus was going about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness would not of been up amazing to of been there in that day and watch that experience that verse 36 and seeing the multitudes, he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. I Also just give your son note, I'm convinced part of Jesus concern part of his burden for all these people coming to listen to me was because overwhelmingly so they were coming for the next free meal because he was miraculously feeding a lot of overwhelmingly so they were coming for miraculously been conceived and lots of that and that's not bad but that's not the main reason he came, he was burden because they don't realize the sinful wretchedness of their souls.

They don't realize that they're under the wrath of God and they can't get their hearts and minds off of temporal blessings to see things that really matter. Nothing that's all of his burden, but I think that's the main reason he's burdened about all these people coming verse 37 then he said his disciples, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest that we have to study the balance of Scripture to know okay what does God say real workers are where they look like, what must they believe what must they do before we can get very serious about sending them out. Not every person that gets excited and has a deep emotional sentiment about serving the Lord is a good or true worker when he qualifications beyond the sentimental rail you and I live in an age when all of a sudden sentimentality is the final truth.

I feel like I'm really a girl though I was born a boy what I feel like I'll have sex with all these different kinds of people will fill out and we go on and on and on and and politicians fall all over themselves to embrace and promote and encourage all of this stuff that folks.

There is no limit to the kind of war, perverse feelings that can come out of the fallen, depraved human heart. We do not live by our sentimentality's we do not live by feelings or emotions we live by the objective truth God has given us in this word that's the only way to have any kind of decency, our sanity and it in a society aren't a culture there was a day in America. Though there were many non-Christians but overwhelmingly the populace held to a Christian consensus that the Bible contains the moral absolutes and the truce men and culture should live by.

We call that a a a godly worldview are God centered worldview. Sometimes you could call it the Judeo-Christian ethic held us altogether. Talk to a man who was an avowed agnostic years ago and he would basically agree with the moral principles of the Bible being the basis for our loss for our culture because he said without that what will just be in chaos and anarchy as the Bible says whether know what no judges in Israel ever mended what was right in his own house.

About going full-circle. Now back to church life now only be involved in helping men be good pastors and build sound churches we got to go beyond what I just feel like that's best. Well on some things. That's okay because some things the Bible is not clear only just have to discern.

I think this is best. There's nothing in the Bible. This is Jeff Knobloch shall begin doing an exposition of second Timothy in two weeks but I feel like that's what I need to do, but when it comes to churches and the leaders of the past of the churches. There's an abundance of rock solid, biblically systematic truth were to base that on and function out of a man and when I church I denomination or whoever clearly departs from clear bid, nor talk about things that are difficult to understand when I talk about things that good and godly men who know the Scriptures could have a little difference.

A viewpoint on when I talk about those things were told about things the Bible is really clear on we trust the word of God well Lenny I talk about the creator of our unity and oneness use the word cooperation in the alley on the screen. Same idea that the creator where does this come from his brothers and sisters Christian unity didn't come from you and I drawing up out of our natural fallen abilities and gritting our teeth and saying working to learn to serve and love together – the bad this way right there fleshly empowered and just trying to do the best they can in the powers of their natural fallen flesh. No no no power unity is a supernatural thing gifted to us in God's grace that we have to work at it, but it's the foundation come from you. We have to grow in it, but it originally come from him a few things to think about one shepherd and one flock us is something I want to talk about for just a moment, one shepherd and one flock John 10 seven so Jesus said to them again, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of definite article the sheet are you to be comes from the fact that we all, to God through one door and I say this to you. I'm going to say it to you. No one no one Jesus said, comes to the father but by me. There's only one door. There's not a best door are better door. The most encouraging door there's only one door and his name is Jesus automatically. We are radically connected one to another. When we turn to Christ as Lord and Savior because we've all denied all the other doors the world would put before us and we turned and we chosen one door.

The door Jesus Christ. So you better get used to me you better get used to that brother sister around you because we've all gone into the same house and we just like live together. A man I don't have you noticed I don't know that you notice this, have you noticed in this house called the sheepfold. Have you notice when you went into the door.

There's some peculiar sheep and there are some strange, some strange birds in their yeah but went even though their little peculiar little goofy little odd baby and by the way, you probably are, to some, nevertheless, what we have that unites us is greater than all that other stuff. God did this. John 1011 there so many things we could use what I just found this in John about this is a good foundation stone. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for definite article the sheet going into all the theological concepts of universal atonement views our particular redemption or particular atonement, and all those kind of things were brothers and sisters there's a unique sense in which Jesus died to secure the sheep definite article there however you want to slice it and I know there are some textbooks we struggle with and I struggle with, but you'll never convince me that Jesus died saving Lee for all the goats you don't get to heaven. If Jesus died, the eternal son of God to vicariously atone for their sins, their sins are vicariously phone for a bill be in heaven.

Here's what I'm saying this separates you out there that mean you're supposed to leave your union. Nothing useful to leave your employment business must mean you can't be part of a social club in town, though most of my work in a part of that mean you can't sing your kids to the school and play ball with the other kids what it means that what's most important and foundational to what I am and what my family is is that we Christ died to say and bring into the fold. So you establish this oneness establish this unity.

John 1014 through 16. I am the good shepherd and I know my own definite now my own and my own know me, even as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold in the context of Jew and Gentile stone but Gentile sheep and I must bring them also and they will hear my voice he said, and that was shocking news to the Jews of this date, I thought the Messiah was coming or just Israel Savior just come address what is the way the timeout I've got this. The folks you can't you can't you can't comprehend how mind-boggling and how in angering the word how it angered the Jewish religious authorities to have the concept in their minds that non-Jews could be accepted in the covenant elect family of God, but I think they are, because I don't know about any burner church that some Jewish descendents. I'm not.

I don't know you but well Gentiles, and she said I'm not Gentiles I'm bring into the fold, that he said even though in the world's concept, Jew and Gentile are radically opposed to one another. He says the fold that I've got. That's out of the Jews will hear my voice those I've got Gentiles will hear my voice notes. The last phrase.

John 10 verse 16 and they will become one flock with one shepherd. Powerful unity there knows the actor in all of this is Jesus Christ.

The initiator want to accomplish is this is Jesus Christ. He forms this glorious unity is the creation of God through the work of his son Jesus Christ. Ellis think about churches as a whole. All these local churches we know that the word church effortlessly as it is in the original Greek that we found throughout our New Testament. What is it almost 100 times is used in an almost every time it's clearly talking about a local visible body of baptized believers, not some great big universal church. No one talks about church. It means that group us today in this room that meets together can. Thanks, each other, they can serve each other. They can love each other.

They can correct each other. They can help each other. That's what the Bible is talking about overwhelmingly in the New Testament when it uses the word church.

The churches of Galatia. The churches of Antioch. The church at Jerusalem specific identifiable visible bodies of believers.

However, though every local church is an independent, autonomous body with no hierarchy or authority other than Christ in the word of God. We are in God's eyes steel one flock with one shepherd that we don't experience that in this time and space history setting that were in now where we had to function local church is something you can't get up in the morning and say I'm a member of the great big universal church, the bride of Christ, fold over to Tennessee and worship a couple weeks and I might float down the Chattanooga Tennessee and I worship the chief of the time I go down to Birmingham for a month because I'm just a part of all the people of God. You know what you but you will be a worthless Christian, how can you ever get God's work done with that kind of independent, frivolous, shallow, childish view of serving God. God stuff the God of irrationality and and confusion. He wants you to join a local church you not together under the elders of that church and covenant together in that one local church to serve God and get his work done now were talking about were one shepherd with one flock.

God created this amplify all that concept was talk about Jesus prayer for our unity.

This is a powerful thing is the Lord Jesus is getting close to the cross in his earthly ministry and he's gives a lot of energy and interceding to the father about Christians being united, being one John 1711.

For example, I no longer in the world is praying to the father, yet they themselves are in the world and I come to you. Holy father keep them in your name, not the whole world dies on, keeping people to buy, church and the world keep that group in your name.

The name what you've given me that Harry comes to the end of that so that they may be one even as we are one.

He said I want you to keep them. I think you could add the concept. I want you to keep growing them as individual Christians so that they grass how they are radically gloriously supernaturally one together one to the other brothers and sisters, your oneness with true brothers and sisters in Christ and in the New Testament concept in your local church. Your oneness to those folks are stronger than your oneness to any blood relative who does not know Christ absolutely a good mean you don't love them and still live with them and care for them.

Of course we do as you mature, you begin to see my intimacy with my spiritual brothers and sisters stronger than any other connectivity.

Any other intimacy, any other connection I could have while I'm on the earth it's experiencing. I don't know why but my mind goes back to the Township of Soweto in South Africa. This was years ago.

This was right in the height of the park.

Todd, a revolution if you will, or the revolution against the apartheid doctrine of South Africa as the likes of South Africa regain the governance and authority over the that that that part of the country and I was in the Township that was pretty much the centerpiece of violence and uprising in South Africa. You will read some history, some very violent, difficult days and they still have a lot of that. But it was very violent and difficult in those days, and like always we listen to me. It wasn't as simple as black colored skin and white colored skin that was righteous and godly loving Christians together of all skin colors in the groups I administered with by going this church in the Township Soweto and in South Africa and I'm quite aware that it's fairly common for machine guns to come out in the city and they begin to sing the songs of the faith in you know how they did it.

The pastor's wife said about halfway back on one side and she starts thinking about sing with. I've never been in a church setting. I believe I was the only white skin person. There I've never been a church setting that was more blessed suite spiritual and encouraging than that city. I thought I don't know any of these people are not Kindt and these people I don't I don't come from the background like I don't know either, but we are one God did that just not it did just walk down there and sublime a progressive and I'm going to have a new approach to life is and will have this big new unity movement in the earth, and I'm anointed God save me and got saved. Then we dissent by their worshiping of that day. That's what baffles me about all the racial issues in our country today.

I think when I get the Christians. It simply doesn't matter. She's not an issue. It dumps I'm telling you did not issue if you're in Christ in us what Jesus prayed for that there's this powerful oneness that he has put together. I need to preach longer because you only get one dose a day Sunday and I know how you are.

You leak I leak we all leak. John 1721 through 23 Jesus is continuing his prayer to the father that they may all be one that goes again even as you father and are in me and I knew that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you sent me these are there something powerful in the world sees all of us from all these backgrounds and we shouldn't get along together, but we love each other and we realize where one together for time and eternity to just super special in God did it in the world looks at it and they they they marble over that because you know why the world can't do that work and produce that unity. Only God can do that the glory which you have given me.

I've given to them that they may be one, just as we are one of that, but in prompting in this oneness on them and you and me, that they may be perfected in unity. That's a powerful phrase.

Jesus is not Lord up the same father in heaven. I wanted to be perfected in unity, so the world may know that you sent me and loved them even even as you loved me of the phrase perfected in unity has the idea of site spiritual maturity which has unity as its chief fruit. Listen now.

Be careful, don't miss it. Unity is not the goal.

Unity in truth is to go unity in Christ is the go wasn't a preacher you know preachers have all these illustrations so budget, no printer. I am but you can tie to catch tails together and throw them over close line, and you got togetherness, but you don't have unity overwhelmingly so in our churches. They do not know the unity of the Spirit in Christ there is no perfection there's no maturity in the body so that they enjoy the sweet spiritual unity that only God can provide. It's been many years were approaching being able to say, decades not quite there year but were approaching a grace letter to the Shoals to be able to say we have not had even a small blemish on our suite unity in this church in a long long long time and there's only one reason for that. You will out you will not allow worldly fleshly selfish emotionalism things to form a group to cause a problem in God's church is not a matter of the passion that the elders and the deacons aim the small group leaders keeping it put down but aiming that's our job. The Bible commands us to do that but just the membership at large. Just won't tolerate anybody coming in will start some sort of sector faction or movement. Why because there's mature weeks pay any of you been here for a few decades we've seen that we've experienced that and we prefer what were enjoying now. Now the unity as we expand expand out the unity that were to have as individual churches now see it wrote another level individual local churches now if unite together and cooperate together to get God's work done by the way, we have to do that it so I'm abundantly clear the New Testament that that's just expected that local churches will connect together, unite together and do God's work together all right, but unity among individual local churches is not an absolute equality but based on the likeness of the churches. In other words, one church is been at it for 20, 30 years there just a little different than a brother whose faith what it would eliminate a loosely five years in his church, you can't say what will they can't be united with us because we count look where they are in and look where we are. That's not the point. If their convictions are right in their hearts are right and they're striving to get there than either united with us. Amen we taking baby Christians and we take him just like they are in baby Christians make messes and baby Christians are immature and baby Christians get back in the flesh a lot and baby Christians go by their feelings of emotion and that's okay. We been there to world growing stale and those of us who been around a long time if were not careful can backslide and start acting like babies ourselves. So what were looking for is a genuine intent that their own track biblically and spiritually. And hey, if they are there, one with us. Amen. So is not absolute equality concerning application experience because that takes time, but it's the likeness between us can come together in unity James E Carter I don't know where I found this quote I don't know who he is but he said this churches cannot be without one another, even though they are distinct from one another. You're not a part of the anchored in truth family of churches know you're part of grace letter to the Shoals, which is connected with the anchored intrafamily churches all right. I will belong here, but there's an essential foundation. I call them pillars essential pillars to this unity and cooperation that we have essential pillars. Now you could say this. Different ways you could/about different ways, but I'm convinced based on Ephesians 4 and the balance of biblical teaching those three things have to be united based on the important aspects of those things.

If your doctor needs to be alike to be empowered by the same spirit needs to be a striving of faithfulness and true discipleship. And by the way, if one of those is real. The other two's always going to be there so if were going to unite and work together with other churches. We, there's got to be in agreement on Dr. not talk about the cold hard doctor and you put down on a statement of faith. Obviously many more than a cold hard doctor.

That's just stale called legalism. But this got bigger so disunion or not.

I mean, if a person doesn't agree with us on the nature of the end of the person of Christ. We can't work together we can love them but I'm not going to ask you to give give give the support missions so that you can support somebody to go out and preach that Jesus really wasn't the divine son of God, got agree on doctrine got agree on the part of the spirit and we got agree on that. These churches are all alike striving to live out true discipleship in the things the Bible is clear on the things that matter. Paul said in Ephesians 4127 they talking to one local church but the principal certainly apply out to local church is, therefore, the person of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling which which you been called to talk about living out something, something that continues on that continuum verse two with all humility and gentleness, with patients showing tolerance for one another in love with Paul about the grace letter to the Shoals. We've known many many years of sweet harmony in this church for one simple reason that you as individual members have matured to the place were generally speaking you do verse two you want with humility you deal with one another with gentleness somebody is a knucklehead but you have patients and you shall tolerance and love, and love look only the spirit of God puts that, love and you you have a new lab capacity with those peculiar sheet drive you crazy you still love them and you still tolerate and understand were all peculiar somebody don't think I'm picking you out know you are strange, but so I'm a you are peculiar, but so I mind someways here's my point. But it's that love element we see something of God's work in their lives. We see something of the regenerating power of the Spirit in their last we see something how they love our Savior love his work like we do and so we have a humility and a gentleness and a patient that some Sunday school teacher gets in their class next Sunday and begins teaching that works salvation is all the way to God that will will get active on that real quick so what you meant, but if you jump on that, then you're gonna cost this unity will divide the nominal I'm removing the disunity.

Are you with me unifying truths that would be the removing of the disunity lot will again a lot.

Most most of what follows called today even in church settings is unity listen is not the unity of the Spirit is the toleration of the flesh that tolerate fleshly steps all gotta keep the you're not keeping unity or dishonoring God and forming a false church with antichrist spirit and it so the shepherds have to know the pastors have to know when something has to be silenced and cut off to maintain the true unity on truth that is the into the spirit one running all over the process only get to but I just can't hardly help now. Ephesians 4 again. 137 let's go to verse three being diligent that's talking about a process again this is an active continuous action expression here being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit that's the Holy Spirit who gives a strength in the bond of peace is the foundation stone. There is one body and one spirit is also your called in one hope you for calling one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all who is over all and through all and in all but to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ gift. Now let's take these apart. These three things for Suboxone if were going to have unity churches to churches who are the churches will have unity with. First of all those churches that are number one first pillar grounded in true doctrine grounded in true doctrine. I think that's part of what's emphasized what he says there's one Lord if they don't embrace Christ and what the Scripture teaches about this and make he's not the Jesus of what you feel like he would be like. As CS Lewis said he's not a tame lion you you bow before him and yelled to who he says he is and what he's like you to listen. Are you listening this morning you how many times this past on the night groping church time or two with some but I didn't grow up learning much. By the way there some benefits to that in the what church you grew up in. You know how many you know how many hundreds of times. I guess you have to say thousands of times I've been in the biblical text, and I had to repent of my natural inclination of who Jesus was and what he would do and how you do it, and repent of what I really felt he would be like turn aside that embrace what he says he's really like to get a man that's what we have to do every week in church is what you do every week in your Bible study or what were constantly embracing one Lord, the Lord, as he revealed himself to be in there some essential doctrines about Christ and salvation. We must embrace one Lord, one faith now in the context that's probably referring to the fact that they all in the Ephesian church, believed on the same Lord is told about the moment of faith, but listen to the context. Everything preceding that is a continuing action exultation. This is something you didn't just believe you started being a believer you kept on believing and walking because if you just believe in it go anywhere else. This note unity. Now there's a basis for you to but you're not go live it out because you're not growing at all. But if were not together on sound biblical doctrine. There can be no unity. One of the dangers of cooperation in modern modern evangelicalism, and in modern denominations know listen to me one.

The dangers is that we tend to drift into a lowest common denominator is almost like yeah we know we don't agree here. And yes, we know some don't agree with that. Yes, we also agreed this, but at least can we get together for this right here wicket. We should be looking at the high points of doctrine to come together on looking for the lesser things that don't matter and think that's our unity. For example, in southern Baptist life and by the way, there are good godly men in southern Baptist lot good godly women brothers that I will love to dance and I will associate with today. I'm talking about in the system and the bureaucracy that is southern Baptist. Today, there is been the mantra for years that says well we do not together for mission.

What we ought to keep cooperating together for mission's brothers and sisters how we going to missions was someone who doesn't even know what the gospel is missing for someone who doesn't understand biblical repentance and biblical faith, how to missions was someone who has a radically false if not very weak shallow view of the nature of the atonement. These doctrines matter. They matter how okay let's just cooperate to get the permissions are safe so we got to the mission field with her all our money and something and there's a real solid brothers and sisters out there but there's a mixture of others are teaching about not harassing and sometimes is not because they mean to you got are still a lot of our folks come out of terribly weak, shallow churches. As you can cooperate with that to. So one of our businessman just caught my second go. He's got a business.

They produce a product if he had a sharp, slick, persuasive guy come in this business but I can't want to sell this product over here and he spent 30 years developing this kind of product is because I love you man your sweet God, you're very effective but you're not on board, we can't work together doctrine matters will always be the struggle with what things are essential was nonessential, but I would say this to you the things that are essential are quite obvious and clear got to be together on Dr. what we see today in southern Baptist life and in many modern denominations. Same thing. I saw hundred years ago the same thing they saw 200 years ago. Same thing is happening 300 years ago. It's always been in this continual of denominations falling away and then rising up of new groups who were striving to reclaim the old truth and walk in it we have today is the institutionalization of compromise.

The institutionalization of compromise certain compromises Crip and over generations and these government listen to these compromises didn't come out of the wicked file false teachers they came from.

I think sincere man who got a little sloppy with the Bible and begin to put into practice certain things to make their work more effective and make it more successful and then they begin to focus more more on that works that works people like that and then when I got over here. They could start almost no resemblance with the truth that used to stand on on 100 years ago and it's slow when it's subtle. I think that's been one of the easy things for me not growing up in churches when I walked into the church and open the Bible talk what's going on why you just you wouldn't believe the trouble calls as a young minister, and God knows I didn't mean to but go knock on the pastor's door somewhere and I will sit down thing. Why do you do this and what you do this and was disallowed and was disallowed was this allowed I've got a small witness to this day I've never had one on to say you're wrong to say you're right that will work half that cause problems. People get that way people we know. I know I know it's an older historic statements of faith. I know our forefathers really lived that but you just can't do that sit myself of something hero because I'm not. I was just young and stupid and amazed at how many of you are in here young don't raise your hand. We know your nephew you are you listen to you pastor this morning.

You know I'm kinda sarcastic and halfway tongue-in-cheek, but this is true if you're young you're stupid. I hear me and every young person to hear you don't look in your mirror every morning and say I'm stupid because I'm young, I'm thankful for the things I have learned so far, but I'm still young. I'm still stupid that's why you parents are double stupid if you file your children in important areas like where to go church and things like that but I just understood this rocksolid truth, you just are. That's not being funny is not being crude.

That's truth.

The Bible says foolishness is bound up missed a lot of it crammed in there and it's tight. Foolishness is up in the heart of a child and it says, but the rod discipline will drive far from the point is, were all growing as a young pastor I had way more zeal than I had was the more common sense and I would just kept pushing because folks I was seeing things in the churches I started attending after my conversion that were way over here kind of difficult narrow you know Michelle had to dislike the Scriptures and find out what you might cost. These were glaringly obvious compromises and we always have some of those but it was the embracing and allowing even almost bragging that we have the.

The institutionalization of compromise, along with the institutionalization of false doctrine. Listen to this statement, I think they used to put this on the screen before the service. The work of missions should be the object of cooperation among local churches doctrinal truth must be the base of cooperation among local church. Did you hear that missions is the object we can get together a list of missions. We must get together what is truth because the were taking to the world.

The psalmist wrote send out thy light and thy truth.

We cannot take a lot to the world. We must know the truth. That's why Paul commanded his young understudy pastor Titus to guard sound doctrine. What a suggestion it was a command church you listen to me this morning.

Your pastor is passionate about guarding sound doctrine for this flock. I mean I'm patient with young guys.

It may mess up something here and there because I know the heart but if anything, the list to make in the tiniest way. Looks like it's about to be taking root, I will come at it, trying to think of the biggest bomb on think of with an atomic bomb that a just made an eye my words not only are you hearing me now again understand the balance we learn to be patient sweet and kind every way we can.

This sometimes you got a good brother and he lost his mind. When vacation bought Beth Moore's book and he comes in he starts talking stuff and me and the elders are going, but he's a good brother. We don't just run out there and get them in a headlock brought into the ground.

We pray we watch a couple weeks later he's bumped into two, three of the brothers who said have you lost your mind and he says yeah that was kinda goofy what and when and if it goes on is that that's what happens in a mature church. You had to run beat everything up all the time but you still have to be vigilant. Well want to talk about if were going to unite together with other churches. They have to be all grounded in sound doctrine and by the way that rules out a bunch immediately. Unctuous website that even rules out a bunch of churches with good men as pastors who tried to do their best but you know what these pastors are fighting today.

I'm in the good brothers are trying to do or not they faxed they have such mountains of obstacles against so that we would love that pastor. We may not can do missions with him because the embodiment of what is actually about is so contrary to sound doctrine it would pollute what were about. So we love him and we would help him individually but can't cooperate information has to be enough of an embrace in the body on sound doctrine that we can work together. Last time I looked, and it's been a while. We had over 200,000 viewers of my small treatise on while we were leaving the Southern Baptist convention.

200,000 some of those viewers will buy groups so I don't know. And by the way that was not premeditated. I didn't even know I was gonna say what I said when I went to church that morning. God just got only with it and I couldn't let it go and I knew we as a church family had long long long long ago disassociate ourselves in the real active waiver so the venison cannot backup from that long, long ago. They disassociated from us and we would ask why won't you associate with us they would pick up something that's absolutely false and didn't matter. We all have a plurality of elders will so did Paul's churches in the New Testament, and so did our Baptist churches of 100 hundred years ago, but think they would divide one thing they divide of the things it don't matter since the Bible has something special they pushed us out.

Finally, we said okay since you pretty much push this out.

You don't associate with us.

We decided we love you we know there's good brothers and sisters out there that love the Lord. We love you, but we're just not will send our money more will send our money to the mission work God's forgiveness today so we've had a lot of interest in our position on why we don't think we should cooperate with a great big machine called Southern Baptist well if you just went to the churches and set down and looked at the doctrine that was being taught and embraced sometime some good brothers are to do the best I can but nevertheless the doctor is very unsound, you'd understand why. And since of already picked on. Beth Moore wants an and I love Beth Moore but she's a woman out of control. She's a woman out from under godly authority. She'll be sent now with godly elders and saying am I missing know my doctor here because she's missing it bad you listen to me when Beth Moore becomes the most popular preacher in your denomination you got serious trouble. Not that we don't love her. Nothing God is never used her first of all, she has no business preaching and got church that's the office given to me and only secondly her doctrines are very in error, her view of God's guidance and direction is is way out of balance. If you view God leading you the way she does every one of us could come up with. God said, God said, God's a godsend. Everything we want in life. Still going to the book. This is what God said right here so not all that's old news to us.

We been there for a long time but I'm going talk about the pastor training is to probably next week and tie this all together. I want you to be reaffirming with your pastor will be kind to be loving will be compassionate and were going to understand that some real sincere and genuine brothers and sisters who were called in something that privately they wish they were called and just be honest but to do missions, we must know those local churches are grounded in sound doctrine to get a middleman