Question and Answer Program No. 78

Old classics with that segregated the old people 830 on Sunday morning and let's be kind along the way and allow God to bring us along as a kind unit. Every church is going to be a little different. Those pastors, elders and deacons need to make these decisions because again, this is a moving target, but remember it for following Christ. It's going to unite us.Vitas and that means I gotta be kind to those little younger than me Bible question line.

It's really become one of our more popular shows that we care. We do this on the first and third Friday of every month. If you ever have a question that you want Stephen to answer on the air. You can call our Bible question line at 910-808-9384 and we have some good questions for you today. Let's get started. Adam, thank you so much for calling and it was great to hear from you and Steve and I think that might be the first time we've heard from a child.

I think it is and it's a great start to something new. So Adam, thank you for calling in and in fact I want you to know that you're asking a very profound question. This is the question that just a seven-year-old might ask, but I five heard it from 3757-year-olds and this is a very very good question. Why did God create Satan if he knew that Satan would turn bad.

Well let me give you a couple of things to think about Adam and all the listening family. Not sure what an answer as well. The simple answer is this God created Satan even though he knew he'd turn bad for the same reason he created you and me and he knew we would turn bad as well. Fact he knew Adam and Eve would sin, this didn't surprise him but he created them anyway. In fact, I'm glad he did. Aren't you because if he only created people that he knew wouldn't turn bad. Well guess what, I wouldn't of been created either, nor would you God made Satan and in mankind.

Even though he knew it would bring sadness. It would cost the life of his son to redeem us, but he also knew it would reveal his grace and his goodness and his mercy and his power. In fact, the apostle Paul. Great text to look at Adam's Ephesians chapter 3 verses eight and nine where Paul gives a little bit of his personal testimony and he also answers this question is, what it says to me. Paul writes the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things, here is so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in heavenly places. This was all in accordance with the eternal purpose which he carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's a great text to consider God is telling us this was part of his plan from eternity past. Now we also know by the way that Jesus when he died on the cross. Part of his reason for dying was to make a public display of his victory over Satan. Colossians chapter 2 in verse 15 soda sort of summarizes God created Satan although we knew we would turn bad as you said Adam and God created human beings. Starting with Adam and Eve and you and me, even though he knew we would turn bad so he could show who he is, to those who love them and to the glory of all his creation, Adam thanks again for calling it was really great to hear from you today and were so thankful to know that you as a seven-year-old are listening to Weston for the heart and that you're a faithful student of God's word at a young age. I also want to mention that if this is a topic you'd like to go a little bit deeper into Stephen has a great resource that might help you. He's written a book entitled angels, demons and other flying creatures where he explores the angelic world, including Satan. All of the angelic world, angels, demons all about and it's a wonderful resource and we haven't available in our resource library. So Adam, go ahead and grab your mom and dad's credit card.

That's got to talk to your mom and dad but but head over to wisdom online.org that's wisdom online.org and when you go to our online store. You'll find angels, demons and other flying creatures in the section with all of Stephen's other books. What a great start to our broadcast so far today Stephen here's your next question. Great Kathy, thank you so much for calling in with your question, Stephen. What you think.

Well, I think the short answer Academy is yes, in fact, please do now understand I don't have any background I don't know why the divorce occurred in the first place.

If there was adultery or immorality in any way I would want to make sure that that has been repented of. Clearly, responsibility taken whatever dissolve that you know fellowship, shall we say and I say fellowship in that marriage because in the eyes of God are still married anyway. And that's is ideal for you, but you've broken that covenant.

I don't know why that took place but I want to make sure that before you go to the justice of the peace, restate your valves or whatever you're going to do to make this marriage again take place that you have counseling you meet with your pastor or a counseling pastor.

Make sure you both have learned from the past, and you've biblically dealt with whatever caused you to separate in the first place because I don't know what the background was, but I do know that that kind of separation is sinful and there's so there's probably some kind of sinful attitudes, behaviors, patterns may be immorality. I don't know. Make sure you deal with that first and then I would highly encourage anyone to pursue the ideal we only have one chance to meet God's ideal and the ideal is one man one woman right back. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. They are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate. Matthew 19 versus 46 that's the ideal. Yes, sin gets involved in God makes allowances for sin and we talk about that at some point and and given the fact that I don't know the conditions that led to the dissolution of your fellowship. Make sure you dealt with don't sweep it under the rug just because this fella comes back to you Kathy and says hey I want to get married again. Take this as slowly as you should have taken it before you got married in the first place. Steve and I find it really encouraging that when her former husband approached her.

Her reaction is I want to know what God's word says yeah now Stephen staying on this theme of divorce. Here's another question for today more older reach or file shares married preachers obviously. Here are the right person from the church. What's your take hi Mark, thank you so much for calling Stephen. I think we have dealt with this topic or something similar in the past, but it's been a while so what advice and help. Can we offer to Mark today. Thanks for: and you correctly identified Titus as a key passage you can add to that first Timothy chapter 3 and there needs to text we find the qualifications for the elder and of course that would represent the pastor or the vocational elder as well. If I could break this down.

We really have fog to three issues. One is the issue of of qualifications. That is what is the literal meaning of these phrases above reproach and elder must be above reproach. Well, if that means perfection. None of us should qualify. So it can't mean sinlessness or perfection. I like to think of it is relating to the direction the man is facing. These are his goals.

This is the direction in which his toes are pointing. This is his attempt through life.

The Greek phrase without reproach literally means no handle. In other words there is in a way that someone could grab this man because of his failure that so consistent that that it's a handle on his life doesn't mean that he can't fail, but it means that there is not the repetitive pattern of failures relates to, for instance, dissipation, or in hospitality or being self-willed, stubborn, or being pugnacious so you have these qualifications. Now the question you got as it relates to your own qualification to the pastorate is that of marriage and divorce, so let's go to the phrase where it says must be the husband of one wife. I don't think that means that an elder has to be married, but as a relates to being married.

If he is same thing by the way with children. I don't think it means an elder has to have children. But if he does in this manner he ought to be leading them so as a relates to being married. He must be the husband of one wife in that if he is married he's committed to her. This literally translated means a one woman man. He is identified as being clearly committed faithfully to this one woman and I think then he's not necessarily talking about divorce.

I don't think he's talking about the fact that a man can't have been married more than once. It's just clear that whoever it is, to whom he is married he is committed to her sees a stable of it sounds like you're saying that he could be married to one woman at a time.

Well, I suppose it could be, but he wouldn't be above reproach because it is multiple divorces he would be clearly uncommitted to his wife. It would be shallow. It would be trivial and I don't think Paul has that in mind.

So now what is it mean as a relates to divorce Mark and Anna and I think that's where we have to become practical and you might not like the word pragmatic, but I've heard all the opinions and I know all the different viewpoints and a lot of it comes down to practical wisdom. If a man is pastoring and his wife leaves him, she becomes unfaithful to him.

He is what we would call the innocent party. I believe he's biblically remarriage about. I think that Paul makes it clear. First Corinthians 7 that if the spouse leaves an abandonment or adding adultery, and with the words of Christ that a marriage could take place following the divorce of this unfaithful spouse. But practically it might be wiser if he leaves that church. Take some time and then promotes a faithful reputation with his new wife. That's just a very practical point of advice that I would recommend keep in mind as a pastor you're shepherding people. Your example, your integrity is paramount and I think that's why we have the qualifications in our own church where I pastor. We don't have divorced elders or deacons.

We might one day we don't now and it has to do with this practical element. Of example, before the body.

A divorce is is tangled as a relates to a wife or husband and children so I would recommend it be a different ministry a different church in plenty of time to prove that this man is indeed a one woman man highly committed faithfully bonded to the wife that he has. Thank you Steven and thank you Mark for calling in the epistle of Titus is the apostle Paul giving pastoral wisdom to a young pastor named Titus helping him understand not just this, but all of the qualifications of being a pastor and an elder Stevens written a book entitled Titus.

It's a beautifully bound hardback book. If you're a pastor or someone who's thinking about the pastorate or you just want to know more about what it means to be a godly Shepherd in today's culture. You'll want to have a copy of Titus on your shelf. You'll find that book in our online store@wisdomonline.org Stephen, here's your next question.

Florida Bible study a couple weeks ago and some I mentioned, I never heard of it before, and they couldn't collaborate and I wondered you could comment on this. Thank my thank you so much Marty for calling and with that question, Stephen. I don't know about you but did your mind go to a him when you heard that question come the fount come, thou fount of every blessing here. I raise my and Ebenezer right and what does that mean that people for years been singing that song probably have no idea what what what they're singing many many times throughout hiragana we can clear up the mystery friends. He heard it right here on wisdom for the hearts.

This is taken from first Samuel seven. By the way, Samuel has has led the nation of Israel and a revival they have removed all the idols of the land.

Samuel is calling an assembly. The people offer sacrifices to God and in the Philistines who been defeating them at every turn.

They gather their gonna come and attack them during this time, so the Israelites cried to God and ask Samuel to to keep interceding.

Samuel does that the Philistines drop for battle and the Lord miraculously routes the Philistines and that defeats them. It's a wonderful victory and then Samuel. Here's what it says took a stone and set it up and named it Ebenezer, saying, thus far the Lord has helped us know that Hebrew word translated Ebenezer Evan hey is there means a stone of remembrance. So what and Ebenezer is this simply stone a memorial stone to help the people of Israel.

Remember, their victory has come from God having a having a stone of remembrance in our calendars to celebrate significant events in our tradition related to the birth of Christ, the death resurrection of Christ, and even as a church we might have an anniversary celebration as a country we might have a memorial day recognizing those in our Armed Forces who served for the sake of our freedom.

So I think these are our wonderful things that have frankly and historically they would track back to the original stone of remembrance which would be the Ebenezer that stone raised to signify the Lord's victory thanks Stephen and Marty. I hope that helped you today were so thankful that you called in with your question. The Bible question line is 910-808-9384 Stephen, here's your next question Mr. Bard and North Carolina and really appreciate your faithfulness in thinking the tree care concerning your thought. I'm concerned about the management of having all contemporaneous worship services to attract the law*churches with the worship service, being more like concert and worship. Going this route thing to just about anything going to Colossians 316 which contains the wording spiritual song and master the prey needed here. Incorrect teaching or inadequate teaching and outcry. I can't recall. In any event, I have heard. That there is any admonishing award for teachers about our accountability. I've seen may not have devastating consequences in churches, especially white students, senior members of the churches when they this movement in our place. This label is yielding to the splash and only wanting their own way. Can you help me with my concern. Thank you for any help in this area. Thanks for calling Stephen she has maybe opened up a can of worms, but she's definitely read along question for us to consider and it and it has a lot of layers.net and it is a very, very difficult issue and it is difficult for number of reasons, but let me just stop your and and identify some things that that are embedded in her question she's mentioned what I called the attraction will church philosophy that is were going to design a service to make the unbeliever comfortable or to attract the unbeliever, the seeker will me just tell you there's only one seeker. And that's God I would never want to create a service designed to make the unbeliever comfortable. What kind of church services that isn't even the reason we meet, we can't invite unbelievers to worship God.

And that's the reason we meet were to encourage one another as we see the day approaching the writer of Hebrews is.

That's why we meet were to edify the sink. That's why we meet fact I could argue that the church isn't even intended to meet for the purpose of evangelism. It is to meet for the purpose of edification. We exist in the world for the purpose of evangelism were witnesses in the world.

But when we gather were believers gathering around a body of truth to grubbing Christ and honor the Lord. In fact, our audience when we gather is God. It is even us when we leave the church was age like the church service were asking the wrong question wasn't whether or not we liked it. It was whether or not godlike so I don't like this concept of attraction will churches should also mention weak theology only audit we audit discern the lyrics of whatever we sing. Are they true biblically. She mentions the idea of age disparity and I do have a problem with that music was never intended to divide the congregation but to unite the congregation, so I am troubled by churches that you know advertise a traditional service in a contemporary service.

What is that mean I know that means it means all the old people go to one service multitone people go to the other service we need to be teaching music to older people that have been written in the last five, 10, 15, 20 years and we need to be teaching music to a younger generation that was written 300 years ago, so I kinda like to think of the fact that you know a good music program in the church that you leaves everybody slightly irritated. The older people because he had learned some newer and the younger people because he had learned some older let's do it all really well that she also mentions this idea of modern music and I got a little problem with that phraseology because music is is always changing somebody that says, well, a way to second will think about it.

If you go back in history musically and as a pianist trained classically. I I have studied music history.

There was a time a few hundred years ago that dotted quarter notes created the bump bump bump bump bump when I was a scandal we sing it today all the time and don't even think about it. Go back even earlier to Isaac Watts in the 1600s Isaac Watts grew up in a generation that saying out of the psaltery that is the Psalms, no one was writing the lyrics.

The idea that somebody would write lyrics and you'd sing as a church that wasn't inspired Scripture that was a scandal will Isaac Watts kept complaining to his dad who was a pastor and his dad finally said look, if you think you can do better writing him or write a text and he did. They taught it to the church the following Sunday.

The church loved it so much that he ended up writing 600 more and you would sing a hymn by Isaac Watts and never think of it as modern, but it sure was back then. The difficulty with this issue is simply because the target is always moving. It instruments what we could argue that instruments that's always been an issue of debate division. Spurgeon allowed no instruments in his church. He was committed against them. All the singing was a cappella fact, he had a friend in Joseph Parker, who pastor in London and Joseph Parker invited him to preach for them. On one occasion after the service because of a brand-new organ had been installed in that church. He asked Spurgeon what did you think of the organ and Spurgeon Ito rather slyly responded well I think it brought glory to its maker. In other words, he slammed it well. I don't have a problem with an Oregon will he would have. We also have in our upbringing.

Frankly, I I was raised in more of a traditional classical church and I was trained classically as a pianist. I love bock I love Beethoven I love the docks is of that music section in the hymnal in a joyful joyful we adore the I just love it and you know I'm tempted to say oh wow that was great. I really enjoy the worship today because we sang that one will really this is the heart song that takes me back to my childhood in my upbringing and I have to be careful that I don't equate true worship with joyful joyful we adore the so let's be careful. A look let me tell you this but be humble. Let let's let's be gracious. Let's teach the younger generation those old classics. Let's not segregate the old people. The 830 on Sunday morning and let's teach the older people.

Some newer music.

And let's be kind along the way and allow God to bring us along as a congregation in every church is going to be a little different. Those pastors, elders and deacons need to make these decisions because again, this is a moving target. But remember if her following Christ. It's going to unite us, not divide us and that means I've got to be kind to those who are a little younger than me along the way, thank you so much Steven and thank you Roberta for calling and with that question. I know it's on the mind of many of our listeners.

So thanks for calling hope that was helpful. The number that Roberta and all of our colors used today is 910-808-9384.

I hope that you will use that number any time that you have a question so that we can play your question on a future broadcast Stephen can provide an answer from God's word. If we can help you today our number here at the wisdom office is 86 648 Bible. I've mentioned many resources throughout this broadcast all of those resources are available in our online store or you can call us and our staff and team of volunteers can help you right over the phone that number once again is 86 648 Bible were always encouraged. When we receive a card or letter from our listeners, we'd love to hear from you, and learn how God using the teaching that you here to bless and encourage you drop us a note today and address it to wisdom for the hearts.

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