Best NOT Preach This

Last time in our Saturday Post series on Doctrine (of and for the Church) we examined some DISTINCTIONS of D. Martyn Lloyd Jones on the Christian Life from a Jason Meyer biography, DOCTRINE AND LIFE AS FUEL AND FIRE.

Distinction between the Kingdom and the Church of Christ

This Saturday we will not only continue with some of those distinctions, but I will introduce some Scriptures your Sunday gathering will never hear in YOUR church – the kinds of Scriptures you’d best not preach to a culturally-constructed church freed from bondage of a Holy Bible.

Our Two Main Headings (for today & our NEXT Saturday Post):

1. Preaching Church Doctrine to the Preacher AND
2. Preaching Biblical Doctrine to ourselves (the ‘church’)

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“Failure is being successful at the things that don’t matter.”

.. There is a category of saved fool–of those who are saved by grace, but whose lives were not well spent.

Rico Tice, Faithful Leaders and The Things That Matter Most

Pastor, You’d best NOT Preach THIS!

a letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth 3:

And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to fleshly men, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, for you were not yet able to receive it..

10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.

For no one can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

• Pastor, you’d best not preach this to the fleshly infants gathered to your church.

14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

But I’m winning the world to JESUS.

“WE’RE NOT REFORMED! ” a pastor once added as an apologetic for his preaching?

‘So you’re NOT Protestant, then?’ I thought, as I wondered why this evangelist in the pulpit suddenly counterattacked the doctrine of the church in his own sermon.

‘NOT like Luther or Zwingli, NOT like Wycliffe or Wesley, NOT like Bunyan or Newton, NOT like Spurgeon of Edwards?

But of course, they suffered for their Christian faith and for the Doctrine of the Church. A 21st century church is built on a different foundation for a fiscally well-heeled audience.

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Continuing in Lloyd-Jones' four key distinctions of the Doctrine of the Church:

The kingdom of God [*] is “wider and bigger than the Church”..

*[‘God‘ the Father, Son and Holy Spirit’]

because it is the “the rule and reign of God [*]” over everything.

The Doctor’s Doctrine, p.104 + [*] my trinitarian reminder – RH

The church is an expression of the kingdom “wherever the Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged as Lord.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Great Doctrines of the Bible

ONLY CHRIST?

• Do YOU, dear PASTOR of Christ’s church, preach and acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord?

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“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I am commanding you.

Deuteronomy 4:2 LSB

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3, KJV + from the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

• Are YOU wise, dear proclaimer of God’s word in the pulpit of Christ’s Church?

ONLY SCRIPTURE?

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Galatians 1: [Version of the King]

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Galatia 1:6-9 Version of the King (James)

..for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:10b-12, King James Version [under the heading: Perversion of the Gospel + Let the Preacher beware.]

• NO version of this rebuke from any Bible will tickle the ears of my growing church–best NOT preach this.

A Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to the church at Corinth:

Recall that in his first letter the Apostle called them 'fleshly men, as to infants in Christ.'
NOW Paul addresses them as 'saints' or 'holy ones.'

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even to live.

• Pastor, if THIS is the ‘Christian‘ LIFE—you’d best not preach affliction, burden and despair of this life..

For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:17 Legacy Standard Bible

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ 2 Corinthians 4:

2 but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation [visual evidence] of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.

Christ Jesus as Lord, the Shepherds of Christ as bond-servants or slaves; metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:11

• I can’t preach that all must be judged by Christ–ALL judged by the clear evidence of our good deeds or bad. So best NOT preach THAT life with judgment by Christ. (I need much more GRACE than that for THIS life.)

Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel 

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the teacher of the law?[scholar] Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?

It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us ​— ​our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, in order that, as it is written: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1:20,30-31 Christian Standard Version
[at one time written on the wall behind your preaching,
a gospel for all to see that you ‘are not lying’ (to borrow from Paul)]

“Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

– The Revelation of Jesus Christ to the Apostle John 2:5 CSB + writing to the church at Ephesus from Patmos

DOCTRINE

+ a line in the sand for the evangelical CHRISTIAN preacher

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TO BE CONTINUED, God-willing, + with a line in the sand + for THE CHURCH...