| JANUARY | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 01/03/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 1 | Baptist Origins & Baptist Beliefs - Distinct |
| 01/10/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 2 | The Bible - The Sole Authority |
| 01/17/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 3 | Salvation - grace, faith & Christ's finished work |
| 01/24/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 4 | Regenerated Church Membership |
| 01/31/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 5 | Eternal Security of the Believer |
| FEBRUARY | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 02/07/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 6 | Only Two Ordinances Given To Church |
| 02/14/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 7 | Independent Autonomous Church |
| 02/21/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 8 | Priesthood of All Believers |
| 02/28/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 9 | Biblical Chain of Command |
| MARCH | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 03/07/2010 | Baptist Distinctives - Part 10 | Biblical Separation - false teachers, apostates |
| 03/14/2010 | Question & Answer #1 | Who was before Adam & Eve? (replenish) |
| 03/21/2010 | Question & Answer #2 | What happens to those alive at the rapture? |
| 03/28/2010 | Question & Answer #3 | Where did Cain get his wife? |
| APRIL | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 04/04/2010 | Question & Answer #4 | How do I study the Bible? |
| 04/11/2010 | Question & Answer #5 | Was Phebe a deaconess in the church? |
| 04/18/2010 | Question & Answer #6 | Who were the Sadducees? |
| 04/25/2010 | Question & Answer #7 | Who were the Pharisees? |
| MAY | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 05/02/2010 | Question & Answer #8 | Why do we not use the Apocrypha? |
| 05/09/2010 | Question & Answer #9 | Did the body of Moses not return to dust? |
| 05/16/2010 | Question & Answer #10 | How can I get the most out of services? |
| 05/23/2010 | Question & Answer #11 | Why are we called Cozaddale Baptist Temple and not Cozaddale Baptist Church? |
| 05/30/2010 | Question & Answer #12 | Why is it important to learn Baptist History? |
| JUNE | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
| 06/06/2010 | Question & Answer #13 |
Are the beatitudes literal, are they written to the church or generally.
Especially verses 5, 8, and 30? |
| 06/13/2010 | Question & Answer #14 | What are the seven seals in the book of Revelation? |
| 06/20/2010 | Question & Answer #15 | Did God create Eve on the same day as He created Adam? |
| 06/27/2010 | Question & Answer #16 | Why does our church not remember the Sabbath to keep it holy? What word tells us to worship on Sunday? |
| JULY | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07/04/2010 | Question & Answer #17 |
Are all ghosts of the devil?
Could friendly ghosts be that of a passed away family member?
Two other questions about friendly ghosts are covered by this answer
| |
| 07/11/2010 | Question & Answer #18 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 07/18/2010 | Question & Answer #19 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 07/25/2010 | Question & Answer #20 | *** coming soon *** | |
| AUGUST | SELECTOR | DESCRIPTION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/01/2010 | Question & Answer #21 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 08/08/2010 | Question & Answer #22 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 08/15/2010 | Question & Answer #23 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 08/22/2010 | Question & Answer #24 | *** coming soon *** | |
| 08/29/2010 | Question & Answer #25 | *** coming soon *** | |
BAPTIST ORIGINS & BAPTIST BELIEFS - DISTINCT
The next several weeks we are going to look at what are called Baptist Distinctives. Two things separate us from all other denominations - our origins and our beliefs that are distinct to us.
As to our origin
"We believe that Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the Reformation... We never came from the church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves." — Charles Spurgeon
As to our distinctives:
THE BIBLE - THE SOLE AUTHORITY
Throughout the centuries men have accepted the Bible and many other authorities as their rule of faith and practice (to name a few: Church Authority, Creedal Authority, Cultic Authority, Charismatic Authority, Cranial Authority, Conscience Authority, Critical Authority). This morning I would like to suggest to you four reasons why we as Baptists have always stood for “SOLA SCRIPTURA” simply meaning “THE BIBLE ALONE”.
SALVATION - GRACE, FAITH & CHRIST'S FINISHED WORK
Even before the completion of the New Testament there were false teachers coming into the churches teaching a false gospel. The New Testament writers warned of false teachers. One of our distinctives as Baptists is that we have always taught that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone and by the work of Christ alone.
REGENERATED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP
So far we have looked at sole authority (the Bible alone is our only authority for faith and practice), and grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone for our salvation. This week we are going to look at regenerated membership. To be a member of a Baptist church there must be a time when you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to be your personal Saviour. In a day when many churches are trying to boost their membership by almost any means, it is important that we understand that the Scriptural mandate for membership is baptism; and the prerequisite for baptism is regeneration.
Six Reasons Why We Practice Regenerated Membership
ETERNAL SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
Seven Reasons Why We Believe in Eternal Security
ONLY TWO ORDINANCES GIVEN TO CHURCH
We believe there are only two ordinances given to the local church. Lets read I Corinthians 11:2, I Corinthians 11:23, and I Corinthians 15:3. The Lord’s Supper reminds us of His broken body and baptism reminds us of the gospel. (Circle “delivered them unto you.”)
CHURCH GOVERNMENT - INDEPENDENT, AUTONOMOUS CHURCHES
Independent, autonomous according to definition is self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws only.
When we say that we as Baptists believe in an independent autonomous church it is because of the following
pattern of church government found in the Scriptures. Matthew 16:18-19 Christ founded the church and gave it its authority.
PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS - DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD
This is the belief that all born-again believers have the privilege of direct access to God. It is not necessary to go through any other human channel. Because of the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we can go directly to God as a result of our right standing before Him. Let us see a brief history of the priesthood.
BIBLICAL CHAIN OF COMMAND - GOD'S AUTHORITIES
As we saw in our first distinctive the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice.
The Bible does give a chain of command for our protection and well being.
These authorities draw their jurisdictional boundaries from the Word of God and are subject to the Word of God.
BIBLICAL SEPARATION FROM FALSE TEACHING AND APOSTATES
WHO WAS BEFORE ADAM & EVE? (REPLENISH THE EARTH)
Who was before Adam and Eve? In Genesis 1:28 God told Adam and Eve to replenish the earth. Great question, when studying the Bible always remember the Bible is written correctly in the English language, (we have the benefit of looking up words in the original language.) In this case we looked up both. As always the answer was there.
The Hebrew word male from which God correctly preserved into our English language is the word replenish. The Hebrew definition of male is to fill or to be full.
An examination of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) shows that the word was used to mean “fill” from the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries. In no case quoted in these five centuries does it mean re-fill. The OED defines “replenish” as having 10 meanings through-out its history:
Replenished (adjective):
WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE ALIVE AT THE RAPTURE?
Since Enoch and Elijah were taken to heaven but are going to die later, what about those taken at the rapture? Here is another great question. I believe Paul had been asked many questions from the church at Corinth and this was one of them.
He seems to answer this in I Corinthians 15:51 — “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,”
Mystery — Something previously hidden; God is about to reveal a previously unknown truth to the church at Corinth and to future believers through Paul.
But — a conjunction that shows contrast.
We shall all be changed. Because (I Corinthians 15) verses 50 and 53 tell us that flesh and blood cannot enter into heaven, here is where the mystery comes in. Paul reveals a truth that believers who are alive at the time of the rapture will not have to pass through the door of death, but will be “changed” in a moment in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump.
Since the bodies of Enoch and Elijah will not be among those that are alive and remain at the time of the
rapture they will still need to keep their appointment. The mystery applies to those who are alive and remain
according to I Thessalonians 4:15 and 4:17.
WHERE DID CAIN GET HIS WIFE?
This week’s question has been asked by many skeptics. The question was asked at the infamous Scopes trial in 1925. “WHERE DID CAIN GET HIS WIFE?”
The only conclusion one can draw when studying this question is that Cain married his sister.
HOW DO I STUDY THE BIBLE?
Question of the week, how do I study the Bible? When studying the Bible I believe there are eight simple things to do.
WAS PHEBE A DEACONESS IN THE CHURCH?
Romans 16:1 – “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”
Question:
WHO WERE THE SADDUCEES?
The Sadducees: Religiously, the Sadducees were more conservative in one main area of doctrine. The Pharisees gave oral tradition equal authority to the written Word of God, while the Sadducees considered only the written Word to be from God. The Sadducees preserved the authority of the written Word of God, especially the books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). While they could be commended for this, they definitely were not perfect in their doctrinal views. The following is a brief list of beliefs they held that contradict Scripture:
WHO WERE THE PHARISEES?
The Pharisees:
In contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen, and therefore were in contact with the
common man. The Pharisees were held in much higher esteem by the common man than the Sadducees. Though they were a minority
in the Sanhedrin and held a minority number of positions as priests, they seemed to control the decision making of the
Sanhedrin far more than the Sadducees did, again because they had the support of the people.
Religiously, they accepted the written Word as inspired by God. At the time of Christ's earthly ministry, this would have
been what is now our Old Testament. But they also gave equal authority to oral tradition and attempted to defend this
position by saying it went all the way back to Moses. Evolving over the centuries, these traditions added to God's Word,
which is forbidden
Deuteronomy 4:2),
and the Pharisees sought to strictly obey these traditions along with the Old Testament.
The Gospels abound with examples of the Pharisees treating these traditions as equal to God's Word
(Matthew 9:14;
15:1-9;
23:5;
23:16;
23:23;
Mark 7:1-23;
Luke 11:42).
However, they did remain true to God's Word in reference to certain other
important doctrines. In contrast to the Sadducees, they believed the following:
WHY DO WE NOT USE THE APOCRYPHA?
“The reasons assigned for not admitting the Apocryphal books into the canon, or list of inspired Scriptures are briefly the following:
For these and other reasons, the Apocryphal books which are all in Greek, except one which is extant only in Latin, are valuable only as ancient documents, illustrative of the manners, language, opinions and history of the East.”
-- copied
DID THE BODY OF MOSES NOT RETURN TO DUST?
Scripture References:
Deuteronomy 34:5
—
Moses died in the land of Moab before the children of Israel crossed the Jordan River to go in to possess the land.
Deuteronomy 34:6
—
Moses was buried by the Lord, and the place of his burial was kept secret from all men.
As you can see, the Bible is very clear that Moses was buried.
Jude 1:9
—
The reference here seems to be at the burial of Moses. Satan was trying to secure the body;
we are not told why, just that he was and that he failed.
Matthew 17:3
—
We see that Moses appears on the mount of transfiguration with Elijah.
We believe from the above scriptures that Moses did die, was buried by the Lord,
and at the burial the Devil tried to take away the body of Moses but failed.
It is therefore natural that the body would have begun to decay.
We see him on the mount of transfiguration clothed upon with a temporary body for this appearance.
HOW CAN I GET THE MOST OUT OF SERVICES?
As always we need to go to the Word of God for each of our answers and this is no exception. Proverbs 18:1 gives us the answer and we see the illustration of it in Proverbs 2:1-5
FIRST QUESTION:
Why are we called Cozaddale Baptist Temple and not Cozaddale Baptist Church?
SECOND QUESTION:
In the Bible doesn’t the temple refer to the meeting place of the Jews and believer’s bodies only?
First Question
We are called Cozaddale Baptist Temple because the Loveland Park Baptist Church (which gave birth to us)
and the 11 charter members present at the organizational meeting voted on and approved that name.
Second Question
Yes, the Bible refers to several different temples in relation to the Jews and their history.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO LEARN BAPTIST HISTORY?
God’s word gives important principles on remembering.
Here are five biblical principles why we as believers should remember our days of old and teach them to our children.
ARE THE BEATITUDES LITERAL, ARE THEY WRITTEN TO THE CHURCH
OR GENERALLY.
ESPECIALLY VERSES 5, 8, AND 30?
Matthew 5-7 records the Sermon on the Mount and contains what we call the beatitudes.
The word beatitude is not found in the Bible, it simply means “blessing” and comes from the Latin word for blessed.
Matthew 5:3-11
are referred to as the beatitudes.
Are the beatitudes literal?
Yes, the purpose of the beatitudes is to show the disciples what true righteousness produces.
We know our righteousness is as filthy rags, but Christ’s righteousness imputed to our account
allows us the blessings we see here.
2 Corinthians 5:21.
Are they written to the church or generally?
According to
verses 1 and 2
He was teaching the disciples.
The disciples were the first church; the kingdom of heaven refers to all born again believers alive
at that time (at that time all members of a Baptist church).
Verse 5.
We have an inheritance because of Him.
Verse 8.
We will see God because of Him.
Verse 30.
Showing the severity of these sins, handle it quickly and decisively.
Knowing what we have in Christ let us allow His righteousness to flow
through us so others may see Him.
WHAT ARE THE SEVEN SEALS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION?
Daniel 9:24-27
prophecies eight separate events that were yet to take place.
Of those eight, four have been fulfilled already, one is being fulfilled up until the second coming of Christ and
three will be fulfilled during the 70th week of Daniel.
Revelation chapters 6-19
describe the events of Daniel’s 70th week (3 sets of judgments, the seals, the trumpets and the vials).
Each set will grow worse as Daniel’s 70th week (the tribulation period) draws to a close.
The seal judgments are the first set of judgments that are recorded.
DID GOD CREATE EVE ON THE SAME DAY AS HE CREATED ADAM?
Genesis 1:27 & 31
27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.”
31 “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.
And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Genesis 1:1-2:3 records the seven literal 24 hour days of creation.
WHY DOES OUR CHURCH NOT REMEMBER THE SABBATH TO KEEP IT HOLY?
WHAT WORD TELLS US TO WORSHIP ON SUNDAY?
The Sabbath day has been the topic of many questions ever since the early church.
Looking into Scripture we learn the following truths: first that the Sabbath was a special day
between God and Israel (Exodus 31:16); secondly we see that although God instituted the Sabbath in Gen. 2
it was God’s rest, not man’s. There is no record of the Sabbath being kept until the command is given to
Israel in the wilderness.
Here are a few Scriptures why we as believers worship on Sundays and not on the Sabbath.
FIRST QUESTION:
Are all ghosts of the Devil?
SECOND QUESTION:
Could friendly ghosts be that of a passed away family member?
OTHER SIMILAR QUESTIONS:
There have been two other questions about friendly ghosts; this answer will cover them as well.
The Bible refutes the idea that the spirits of our deceased loved ones whether believers or non-believers
remain on earth and “haunt” or “watch over” the living.
For believers the result of death is seen in
2 Corinthians 5, verse 6.
“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:”
verse 8.
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
(Instantaneous)
An example of death for the non-believer is given in
Luke 16:22-23.
“…..the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,…..”
(Instantaneous)