But experts say it can offer opportunities for leaders and congregations to grow. Conflict had become the norm at Trinity Church in Redlands, California.The lead pastor left in 2022 amid a wave of disgruntled attendees. Following his departure, some church members remained upset at the congregation’s elders. In all, there had been at least a dozen situations that came up over a 14-year period.When Doug Baker arrived as interim pastor, he knew the conflict had to be addressed. Trinity called in Peacemaker Ministries, a group that mediates conflicts from a biblical perspective. Over a weekend in March 2023, Peacemaker held 15 meetings with people embroiled in the church conflict, put together a plan, and peace began to emerge.Healing started. Many conflicts were resolved. Some people forgave. Some left the church. Trinity, which now averages 500 attendees in Sunday worship, began to change.The conflict resolution process revealed that the congregation didn’t feel as if the elders valued their opinions. The elders began to listen humbly, and they have kept listening. Two elders stand at the welcome booth each Sunday to hear people’s opinions about church matters. According to Baker, “conversations have opened back up.”The situation at Trinity has “been better—much, much better,” he said. “There is a peace. There is a graciousness, a unity, a love for each other and for the lost. People are reengaging with ministry. We are seeing specific ministries thriving a whole lot better because people are not worried about the struggle. They are more concerned about the kingdom.”According to church conflict researchers, Trinity illustrates some broader trends. Conflict often provokes pastors to leave their churches or at least consider leaving, researchers ...Continue reading...

But experts say it can offer opportunities for leaders and congregations to grow. Conflict had become the norm at Trinity Church in Redlands, California.The lead pastor left in 2022 amid a wave of disgruntled attendees. Following his departure, some church members remained upset at the congregation’s elders. In all, there had been at least a dozen situations that came up over a 14-year period.When Doug Baker arrived as interim pastor, he knew the conflict had to be addressed. Trinity called in Peacemaker Ministries, a group that mediates conflicts from a biblical perspective. Over a weekend in March 2023, Peacemaker held 15 meetings with people embroiled in the church conflict, put together a plan, and peace began to emerge.Healing started. Many conflicts were resolved. Some people forgave. Some left the church. Trinity, which now averages 500 attendees in Sunday worship, began to change.The conflict resolution process revealed that the congregation didn’t feel as if the elders valued their opinions. The elders began to listen humbly, and they have kept listening. Two elders stand at the welcome booth each Sunday to hear people’s opinions about church matters. According to Baker, “conversations have opened back up.”The situation at Trinity has “been better—much, much better,” he said. “There is a peace. There is a graciousness, a unity, a love for each other and for the lost. People are reengaging with ministry. We are seeing specific ministries thriving a whole lot better because people are not worried about the struggle. They are more concerned about the kingdom.”According to church conflict researchers, Trinity illustrates some broader trends. Conflict often provokes pastors to leave their churches or at least consider leaving, researchers ...Continue reading...

? Temple Baptist Church - 2-25-20241 Chronicles 29:10-13? Introduction:? When mentioning the sovereignty of God, because of the Calvinistic Movement of our day, I always give an opening disclaimer.? We totally reject the damnable heresy of Calvinism, also called Reformed Theology.? Theology has never need reformation!? Theo – God? logy – knowledge or study of.? A.? God is ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN!!? He does what He desires, when He desires, where He desires.? He answers to nothing or no man.? 1.? God stands alone, the pinnacle of all existence, self-existing (Jehovah God – LORD), all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient),? everywhere present (omnipresent), creator of all things, ruler of all things, sustainer of all things, He needs nothing, and He needs nobody!? 2.? God is Absolutely Sovereign:? ? completely, entirely, totally, utterly sovereign!? HE TRULY STANDS ALONE!? ? 3.? God has no comparison. God has no competition.? ? B.? The word “sovereignty” or “sovereign” is not found in your Bible, but neither are the words “trinity” or “rapture” found there either.? Since the word “sovereignty” is not a bible word, let us look at its definition for clarification:? Sovereignty? – Free from all external control; reigning or royal authority; the dominion of a monarch, the complete authority to govern a state; exclusive in right to control one's thoughts and actions; autonomous; greatest in status, authority, and power; supreme; exceptional in quality.? C.? The doctrine of the “Sovereignty of God” is one of both the least understood and the most misunderstood.? Many believe that things happen by chance instead of through divine providence.? I do not believe in luck.? I believe in the providence of an all-knowing, thrice holy God!? D.? Sovereignty is a doctrine that we have allowed the Calvinists to “hold hostage.”? Every time I use the word, I feel that we must give a disclaimer concerning Calvinism.? ? E.? By the sovereignty of God, it is to be understood that—as Creator of all things both visible and invisible—God is both owner or and ruler over all things. There are many verses in the Bible that show God's absolute sovereignty and I have listed some for you if you receive or want to receive this sermon in print.? Deuteronomy 32:39? See now that I,? even? I,? am? he, and? there is? no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither? is there any? that can deliver out of my hand.? 1 Chronicles 29:11? Thine, O LORD,? is? the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all? that is? in the heaven and in the earth? is thine; thine? is? the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.? Psalms 115:3? But our God? is? in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.? Isaiah 45:9? Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!? Let? the potsherd? strive? with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?? Ezekiel 18:4? Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.? Daniel 4:35? And all the inhabitants of the earth? are? reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and? among? the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?? Matthew 6:13? And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.? Matthew 20:15? Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?? Romans 9:20? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed? it, Why hast thou made me thus?? Colossians 1:16? For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether? they be? thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:? Revelation 4:11? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.? F.? Because God is sovereign:? 1.? He Requires No Counsel -? Romans 11:34? For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?? 2.? He Seeks No Advice -? 1 Corinthians 2:16? For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.? 3.? He Lacks No Wisdom -? James 1:5? If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all? men? liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.? 4.? He Asks No Permission –? Job 33:13? Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.? 5.? He Answers To No Man -? Romans 9:20? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed? it, Why hast thou made me thus?? G.? In our text, 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, for this morning, we have another Full Mention Principle of Bible Interpretation.? If there had been no other of the afore mentioned verses in the Bible, THESE VERSES SAY IT ALL.? 1.? Verses 10.? God is Sovereign in His Person.? “Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.”? 1 Timothy 6:15-16? Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ? (16)? Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.? There was none before Him, there will be none after Him, and there is none like Him! You cannot do anything about Him.? You cannot change Him.? You cannot circumvent Him.? You cannot ignore Him.? And you had better not die without Him!? 2.? Verse 11.? God is Sovereign in His Power.? “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty”? Matthew 28:18? And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.? 3.? Verse 11.? God is Sovereign in His Possession.? “for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;”? Colossians 1:15-16? Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: ? (16)? For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:? 4.? Verse 11.? God is Sovereign in His Position.? “thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all”? 1 Timothy 1:17? Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.? 5.? Verse 12.? God is Sovereign in His Performance.? “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.” ? ? Psalms 75:6-7? For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. ? (7)? But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.? 6.? Verse 13.? God is Sovereign in His Praise.? “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”? Revelation 4:9-11? And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, ? (10)? The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ? (11)? Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

DAY 9 Matthew 27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was [...]The post Words of Hope (Day 9) appeared first on Ashland Avenue Baptist Church.

by Phil Johnsonot this question today in more than one Tweet (regarding the Grace Church elders' statement "Christ, Not Caesar, Is Head of the Church"), so I'll answer it here:Thanks for the question. I'll answer candidly. Speaking for myself alone, I'll acknowledge that yes, my thinking on the question of the COVID-19 quarantine and Romans 13 has changed somewhat—or at least been refined, illuminated, qualified, and enriched. I've been forced by circumstances to rethink and amplify my answers carefully because of the government's relentless attempts to keep churches closed despite the fact that months have passed without the apocalyptic quotas of death and disease that were originally predicted. My original concern about the virus was clearly overblown. At the time, I needed to be cautious, because we could not possibly know how serious the threat really was. My concern now is for people whose need for fellowship and pastoral care is going unmet. I do have firsthand knowledge of how critical this emergency is.In the weeks since March several things happened that affect my perspective. For one thing, the California Governor's edicts have become increasingly onerous.He has told churches they should not have congregational singing.He wants to limit church attendance to 100 (even in a massive 3,000-seat auditorium).He says churches are "nonessential" while insisting that marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and casinos are vital businesses that must be kept open.Although he briefly showed signs of backing off the policy of church closures, he then immediately doubled down to try to force the mandatory re-closure of all places of worship "indefinitely" (even though there's no evidence churches have been hotspots for passing the virus).Meanwhile, government officials have not only permitted but actively encouraged mass demonstrations (including riots) for political causes.With all of that going on, I was forced to rethink my position on Romans 13. The elders of our church also realized the need for us to answer in greater detail the question of who has the authority to govern the doctrine, worship, and polity of the church. The elders' statement that was affirmed on July 23 and made public the following day is the result. It's a clarification and qualification of everything we have previously said about the duty imposed on us by Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. Without denying that duty, we're endeavoring to explain biblically why those passages don't call for blind, automatic acquiescence to government overreach into church business.It is of course still the case that in a real and impending health crisis, the elders and pastors of a church may wisely decide to follow the recommendations of health officials with regard to protecting against dangerous contagions. That's precisely what we did at the start of the quarantine. Circumstances have changed, however, and we have adapted (and explained) our response accordingly.An observant person who has been following me might have noticed subtle shifts in my position since the quarantine began. I knew from the start that things might change if politicians began to use the health crisis in an opportunistic way. When explaining our position on Romans 13 several weeks ago, I wrote this: How long until the government-ordered quarantine is undeniably excessive, or we conclude that it's targeted persecution against our worship and therefore an illegal attempt to make us disobey Hebrews 10:25? That time may come, and when it does, we may have to implement the principle of Acts 5:29. The question of whether we have already passed that point is another subjective issue

by Phil JohnsonNote (31 Aug 2021):I wrote this post last year to answer some evangelical critics who insisted that our church could easily follow all government-mandated shutdown protocols without sacrificing our freedoms or compromising our worship. Almost as soon as I posted it, the attorneys handling the church's court case asked us to refrain from discussing the case online—to make sure the legal argument they were making did not get clouded by a social-media debate. So I removed the post. Now that the legal case has been settled, here is that information. Internal links will take you to documentation that proves what an impossible burden the government-mandated restrictions imposed on the church.(This is kind of long. Pack a lunch.) For the past eight weeks or longer, Sunday morning worship services at Grace Community Church have been open to anyone who wants to attend. John MacArthur and the elders made that fact as public as possible in a statement they issued on July 24, saying they would continue to have normal worship services despite a July 13 edict from the California Governor ordering churches to close again after a brief respite from the original quarantine.

by Phil Johnson (and friends)ome friends and I collected common questions that have been raised regarding the recent statement from John MacArthur and the Elders of Grace Community Church, titled "Christ, Not Caesar, Is Head of the Church." Here's our FAQ in its current form:1.Why did you consent to the original government order, citing Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2?

by Phil Johnson do of course, wholeheartedly affirm the principles of Romans 13:1-7 ("be in subjection to the governing authorities") and 1 Peter 2:13-17 ("Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution")—while recognizing also that those commands are limited by the principle of Acts 5:29 ("We must obey God rather than men").If you believe the threat to public health is real and deadly, you'll probably be inclined to submit to all the governor's orders. If you suspect politicians are milking the entire thing and exaggerating the threat for partisan purposes, you're more likely to conclude that the duty of Hebrews 10:25 outweighs any obligation to kowtow to the governor's latest whim.Circumstances surrounding the current quarantine, riots, and mass political demonstrations have greatly blurred the question of whether Acts 5:29 applies in this case. Good, Bible-believing Christians have landed on both sides of the question. If you believe the threat to public health is real and deadly, you'll probably be inclined to submit to all the governor's orders. If you suspect politicians are milking the entire thing and exaggerating the threat for partisan purposes, you're more likely to conclude that the duty of Hebrews 10:25 outweighs any obligation to kowtow to the governor's latest whim.During more than 16 weeks of quarantine (with the death toll just a sparse fraction of what experts originally predicted) the elders and staff of Grace Community Church observed every order related to the quarantine. But the rules change almost daily and are being applied unfairly. Statistically, people are far more likely to get the virus in a gym or a bar than in a worship service. (Of 3+ million cases in the US since March, only 650 have been traceable to churches.) Yet bars, gyms, gambling casinos, and even massage parlors have been given freedoms that are withheld from churches. In fact, as these and other businesses are finally being permitted to reopen, restrictions targeting churches are becoming even more onerous. The California Governor has gone so far as to tell churches they must cease all congregational singing.Governor Newsom: Unclear on the Concept.(It's supposed to be a mask, not a chin strap.)Our elders and security team cannot in good conscience become enforcers of rules that 1) we believe unfairly target the church, and 2) the government itself has declined to enforce. Owing to the arbitrary, capricious way these regulations are made and changed, combined with the fact that authorities did nothing (and are doing nothing) to enforce the masks-and-social-distancing rules on political demonstrators who gather regularly in downtown L. A. in crowds of thousands, it seems only right to leave the question of how far to go in observing social-distancing recommendations up to each individual. The degree to which we permit masks and social-distancing recommendations to impinge on our worship in the congregational context ought to be seen as a matter of conscience. "Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind" (Romans 14:5).In other words, the degree to which we permit masks and social-distancing recommendations to impinge on our worship in the congregational context ought to be seen as a matter of conscience. "Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind" (Romans 14:5). And don't be quick to condemn believers who hold a different opinion, no matter which side of the issue you have come down on.Grace Church's elders have made it possible for people with scrupulous consciences to obey every government-issued regulation to the letter. The church provides masks and hand cleanser at stations around campus, and there are ample outdoor seating spaces where people can hear the sermon, participate in the singing, and still practice careful social distancing if they are bound by conscience to do so.On the other hand, for those (like me) who are not fearful of exposure to the virus, or those who are deeply skeptical of the motives behind this level of government intrusion, they can likewise do what their conscience dictates and gather in the auditorium for worship as usual—with or without masks. If government officials choose to single those people out and enforce rules they aren't enforcing at political demonstrations, let them do so. I for one am willing to suffer the consequences if it comes to that.

by Phil Johnsonne of the questions prompted by the quarantine is about "virtual communion." After all, in lieu of regular worship services, we are listening online every Sunday while our pastor preaches from the pulpit of the church. So why not have a kind of virtual communion service, where we all take the elements simultaneously in the privacy of our homes?Five times in Paul's instructions regarding the Lord's Table, he uses the phrase "when you come together as a church" or its equivalent (1 Corinthians 11:17, 18, 20, 33, 34). In verse 34 he expressly contrasts "eat[ing] at home" with the act of eating the bread and drinking the cup as a church body "when you come together." Clearly, the communion ordinance is supposed to be shared by the gathered assembly of the church collectively, not taken by individuals in solitude. It is not a private sacrament.We might sometimes serve communion with a small group of 5-10 church members gathering at the bedside of someone who is homebound or permanently confined to a nursing home or long-term health-care facilities. But there's a significant difference in a case like that—because you have a subset of the church in genuine communion together, contrasted with isolated people in quarantine who serve themselves (which destroys the symbolism of the Supper).I agree that extraordinary times do sometimes call for extraordinary measures, and I understand the desire to be flexible in a time of emergency, so although I don't approve and wouldn't participate, I wouldn't necessarily inveigh publicly against a church that offered a "virtual communion service." There may be some well-meaning church leaders who sincerely believe some kind of makeshift online Eucharistic ceremony (sans any actual communion among the saints) is better than none at all. They are wrong about that. But if done anyway, such dramatic revision to the sacrament needs (at the very least) to be carefully and thoroughly explained, along with clear instructions telling participants that this is a temporary measure only, a one-time exception to the normal practice, and it should not change how the church normally observes the Lord's Table or regards its significance.In practice, however, "virtual communion" services do confuse people—or worse. Saddleback Church, for example, has embraced the idea of "virtual communion." In an email message to church members during Passion Week, Rick Warren wrote, "Last weekend, thousands of our members participated in this tradition at home in our first online Communion in the history of this church. Many people just used what they had: cheese crackers, pancake bits, and various juices. It's hilarious seeing on social media all the things our members used!"They have literally made a mockery of the Lord's Table—the very kind of thing the apostle was rebuking the Corinthians for in 1 Corinthians 11.So the best course of action—and what Grace Community Church's elders will be doing—is to wait to serve communion until the church can legitimately assemble. Better to forego the ordinance altogether during the quarantine rather than risk confusing people about the meaning of the Lord's Table and how it is normally to be administered.

DAY 9 Matthew 27:12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, "Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?" 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was [...]The post Words of Hope (Day 9) appeared first on Ashland Avenue Baptist Church.

You remember that the virtuous woman’s husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. If we revere our husband others will too. If we revere him in the home, our children will. If we treat him as though he knows what he is talking about [...]