RBC Pastor's Pen

RBC Pastor's Pen: "Pastor Haley's Blog" Monday, April 11th, 2011 Praise the Lord for a great day yesterday at R.B.C. Sunday Morning I preached on "The Old Rugged Cross". We looked at the Region of the Cross, The Reach of the Cross, The Reproach of the Cross, The Rejection of the Cross and the Reward of the Cross. Amen for Calvary! Sunday Night I preached on "Doctrinal Separation". We are in a mini-series of messages I am bringing about the need for separation in our local churches. There are 3 main areas of separation for the christian to learn. 1. Moral Separation - this is separation from sinful practices and then to replace that with a surrendered life to the Lord. 2. Doctrinal Separation - this is separation from false teachers and teachings. 3. Practical Separation - this is separation from others who are walking disorderly. I said in my message that doctrinal separation is what keeps are local churches right doctrinally so that we do not allow false teaching in the Church. I said that Paul the Apostle wrote that we are to 1. Mark them, 2. avoid them, 3. Shun the teaching. THis could be a denomination or even an individual whose teachings are contrary to what the Word of God teaches. There are degrees of loyalty. Our highest loyalty is to be to God and to His Word. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God..." If our first loyalty is to God and to the Word of God, then the rest of our loyalties will have no problem falling in line where they need to be. I gave several doctrines that we MUST in this day stay loyal to: 1. The Doctrine of the Deity of the Son of God. In short - Jesus is God! He is the ONLY begotten of the Father. 2. The Doctrine of the Blood of Christ. A sinner is saved by and through the blood of Jesus Christ. Without the blood "there is NO remission for sins". 3. The Doctrine of the Gospel of Salvation. Salvation is through and only through the blood of Jesus and the sinner is saved when they 1. Realize they are a sinner and lost and headed for Hell 2. Understand that Jesus died for their sins and rose again. That He and He alone can save them. Not their church, baptism, good works or money 3. To then call upon the Lord for salvation by grace through faith! 4. The Doctrine of Future things. We at RBC stand firmly upon a PRE-Tribulational Rapture of the Saint before the Tribulation time can begin. Our Lord only gave 2 Old Testament examples of what it would be like at the time of the Tribulation. 1. Noah 2. Lot If you study this, you will notice that BOTH of these men and their families that were saved were removed from the judgement from the place before the judgement came. In Revelation we see that the division of the book is the "things that thou hast seen", the "things that are" and the "things that shalt be" Chapt 1 is the things John the beloved saw on the Isle of patmos. Chapt. 2-3 are the things that John wrote to that are (7 real churches in Asia Minor) and then the rest of the book 4-22 are the things that shall be. Between chapt. 3 and the rest of the book we find the words "come up hither" As we know, the 7 churches were 7 real churches in John's day. But, they also represent 7 either types of churches that would be present in every church age or the more taught and believed position 7 "ages" of the church in the church age. We are right now, this very moment in the church age. When the Jews rejected the Savior and were set-aside and God turned towards the gentiles to evangelize the lost through the local assembly, ecclesia, church. So between 3-4 we find a type of the rapture. And also in II Thess. 2 we find a great storehouse of truth about the rapture. 5. The Doctrine of the Church. The Church is the "pillar" and "ground" of the truth. We are to hold up truth "pillar" and to stablize and steady "ground" truth. Truth is Truth! but, if there is no church to hold it up to the World and to then steady and stablize the new convert it can fall in the street and be of no effect! 6. The Doctrine of Holy Living. Holiness is not an option for the christian. It is a command "come out from among them and be ye separate" is a command and not a request. We do not preach a social gospel at RBC. Neither do we expect anyone to be perfectly sinless. We are however to yield our members, mortify our members, sanctify our members (member meaning bodies). This is progressive. I did not know allI know about personal separation when I was first saved. It took time for me to learn and grow. BUT! If I never learned, I could never know and then grow. Preacher friends - It must be preached, Yes in love and care, but, preached that chrisitans are to walk in holiness. NOT to be or stay saved, but, to honor the Lord and to shine as a light for the Lord, to be a vessel "meet for the master's use!" 7. The Doctine of the Word of God. II Tim. 3:15-16. The Word is inspired, it is preserved, it is infallable, it is innerant. The King James Bible is all we use at RBC. THis is not a preference, it is a conviction. Why? Becuase of the manuscripts used in the translation process and the fact that those men were not changing or taking taking or adding to, but, rather were translatiing from one language to another. We had 3 first time visitors yesterday. A lady named Mary and her 2 children that my son Trevor and I met out soulwinning 2 weeks ago. She really enjoyed the church and plans on returning next sunday. Pray for this family that we can be a blessing. I close with a thanks to my faithful, loyal assistant - bro. Kennedy. I my years in the ministry, he is one of the most faithful, consistent and God-honoring men I have known. He helps me in so many ways. I do not know that I could do, or that our church could be all that it is without his love and care for the Word, the Preacher and for his Ministries in our church. He works a full-time job and still finds time to skillfully serve as our Music and Youth Director. He goes soulwinning every week, he works hard to win the lost and has a great family. He knows the Word and loves the Word. He is a credit to this work! Thank you bro. Kevin! Pastor Haley.