What is a Baptist Church?

2Cor 6:14-17

I.         Introduction

 

A.      Why stand out? Why can’t we all just “get along?”

 

1.        God has always drawn a line in the sand and said choose your path (Josh 24:15)

2.        Stay on the narrow way

3.        Who is on the Lord’s side

4.        There are so many different opinions

5.        There is just one Bible

 

B.       What is at stake – what difference does it make how particular you are?

 

1.        People need to get the ONE message of the Gospel.

2.        With all the variations, there is confusion, and damnation

3.        Stay simple, and Biblical (See 2Cor 11:2-4)

 

C.       How distinctive is the Bible? So much so that the majority of people won’t take it (2Tim 4:2-4)

 

II.       Lesson

 

A.      The Body of Christ is the group of all saved individuals

B.       The Church is an assembled (linked) group of saved individuals

 

1.        It is Assembled

 

a.        Not just a club

b.       It is an assembly, not just a gathering

c.        Assembled with:

 

1)       Purpose

2)       Glue, or bonding

 

2.        It is Active – not apathetic, or passive

 

a.        Evangelising the lost

b.       Equipping the saints

c.        Endeavouring to please the Lord in all they do, both individually, and as a whole

 

3.        It is Particular – not vague - doesn’t just believe anything that seems right, or good

 

a.        Careful in what it as a group believes

b.       Careful in how it as a group acts and lives – standards

c.        Careful to stay doctrinally pure (Rev 2 & 3)

d.       Not traditional though – just doctrinal

 

1)       Traditions come from man’s ideas

2)       Doctrines come from God’s word – what saith the scriptures

 

C.       There are eight Baptist Distinctives, that are more than just the basics of what a person must believe to be born again

 

1.        These eight things do not determine if someone is saved or not – it just determines if you are a Bible believer or not

2.        There are only two things you must believe to be saved

 

a.        That you are a sinner, headed for a devil’s hell

b.       That Jesus will save you and change you if you just surrender to His grace – His work in your life

 

3.        All of that implies

 

a.        A belief that God’s word is right

b.       An acceptance of God being right in all He does

c.        An understanding of Jesus going onto the cross in the place of the sinner

 

4.        All that means that people need a lot more teaching than just about the “love of God” which without context, has no meaning, and no worth!

5.        The list

 

a.        B – Biblical Authority Only

b.       A – Autonomy of the local church

c.        P – Priesthood of the believer

d.       T – Three Ordinances

e.        I – Individual Soul Liberty

f.         S – Saved and Secure Membership

g.       T – Three Church Offices

h.       S – Separation of Church and State

 

6.        When you take ONLY the Bible as your authority, you will comes out believing these 8 great truths

 

III.     Conclusion