Culture vs. Doctrine- Fundamental Grace Part IV

“Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.” (Gal. 2:1-6)

As we previously stated, Paul was dealing with false doctrine in the church at Galatia. One of the problems he had to address was the fact that obedience to the law was being mingled with faith, or that one had to have the law in addition to faith in Christ. Another facet of this was the teaching that the believer was kept perfect by keeping the law.

In essence, the law was being taught as a means to salvation and a part of salvation. To counteract this, Paul began the second chapter of Galatians by pointing out some things from years before in his early ministry that had to be settled before the council in Jerusalem, as depicted in Acts 15 and 16.

Consider the phrase “false brethren” in verse 4. Was he referring to saved men or lost men? Look at Jude 4. “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” This passage shows us that ungodly men will slip into the church body from time to time to try to turn it from Jesus Christ. I believe those are Satanic plants – lost men sent by the devil to a church. He would love to take a good church or a young church and corrupt it through someone who claims to be a seasoned Christian but is far from it. I don’t know if the people Paul mentioned in verse 4 were saved, but we know that what they were teaching was wrong.

Some of these men were teaching that Judaism was necessary for salvation, which should not be a great surprise because it was all that they knew before they were exposed to the real gospel. They had been brought up culturally as Jews their entire lives and even after they were saved, they were still trapped by that culture, taking things that were ingrained in them and giving them as gospel. This is what Paul wanted to straighten out, as he had been forced to do in his early ministry.

Let’s consider a few examples of culture vs. doctrine. I prefer the King James Version because I speak English and I think it is the best translation for English-speaking people. If I go to Ecuador and use the KJV, it will do me no good because the people do not speak English. Is the inspiration and preservation of the Word of God a doctrine that we believe, for ourselves as well as the people of Ecuador? Of course it is. That is the real doctrinal issue; the KJV issue by itself is not relevant to non-English speakers (which, by the way, make up more than 90 percent of the world’s population).

We believe in separation from the world. Nearly all of us would agree that Hollywood is more bad than good, but Hollywood is not mentioned in the Bible. It is a cultural phenomenon. If someone preaches a sermon that rails against Hollywood, the doctrine being espoused is not Hollywood itself but rather separation from evil and worldliness.

We would not dispute that soul winning and evangelism are Bible doctrines, but whereas I might encourage you to witness to your neighbor or the guy you meet at the grocery store, that is not a method we would recommend for a missionary in a Muslim country or an underground church in China. The doctrine is the same, but the cultural method is different.

Christ-honoring worship is stressed throughout the Bible, but there are so many different styles that could be included in that. Most of us love Southern gospel, but it is not the preferred style in many parts of this country, let alone other nations around the world. The type of music used in many Northern churches is not my cup of tea, but all of it is honoring and pleasing to God.

Doctrine must be protected from culture, but culture cannot be preached as doctrine. True doctrine will always be right, but how you preach that doctrine will often be in a cultural manner. The true test of doctrine is whether it can be transferred from place to place, regardless of where you are.

In Paul’s case at the start of the second chapter of Galatians, he was dealing with good men who were Jews and knew virtually nothing else. Notice in verse 3 that Titus was not circumcised because he was a Greek. That practice was important to the Jewish people but not to the gospel. It was a cultural issue, not a doctrinal one.

To get a clearer picture of what had happened previously with Paul, look at Acts 15:1-2. “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.”

This is what Paul referred to in Galatians. He was telling them, “Look, we have already nailed down and settled what is doctrine and what is preference. We had a big meeting years ago in Jerusalem to do exactly that.”

We must have a SETTLING OF DOCTRINE. Too many preachers and churches today are swayed with every wind of doctrine that comes along. They are swayed by the size of a church or the ability of a speaker and they have no idea what they believe or why.

One thing that has separated Baptists from other denominations over the years is that we have known what we believe, because we didn’t just take someone’s word for it but we got out or Bibles and studied it for ourselves. Sadly, today we often do not follow the admonition of II Tim. 2:15, which says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” That is why we are a Biblically illiterate generation, prone to being confused by every cult that comes down the road.

The Bible says in Col. 1:23, “If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

None of us should be afraid of Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons who might knock on our door. We shouldn’t fear a casual encounter with someone from the Church of Christ or the Roman Catholic Church because of what the topic of discussion might be. You need to know what and in whom you believe so that you can talk to anyone about your faith on the basis of the Word of God. Often we are intimidated by the world not because of what they believe, but because we are uncertain about what we believe.

To be sure, we have to know our SOURCE OF DOCTRINE. Look at Acts 16:9. “And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” This is the first opportunity for Paul to present the gospel to the Gentiles, which he did under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Further evidence of our source of doctrine is found in II Pet. 1:16-21. “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Peter’s message here is that he saw the risen Christ, but we have the written Word of God and that is even better. His “sure word of prophecy” is the same one you hold in your hand on Sunday morning.

Our source of doctrine is the scriptures. Doctrine is never built upon commentaries, or biographies, or anything else written by man. You must build doctrine upon the Bible and nothing else.

The Bible says in Ps. 119:89, “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.” Doctrine cannot only be transferred to other cultures but to other eras of history. From the beginning of the church down through the centuries, as men like Spurgeon and others from years gone by have proven, the truth of God’s Word has never changed. We have the same gospel. If Christ tarries His coming for another two or three hundred years, our descendants can preach and teach the same gospel we are promoting today because it will never change or be altered by culture or time. We do not change it; we allow it to change us.

Look at Isa. 28:9-10. “Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

How do you learn Bible doctrine? It is not easy. It takes study and work. Solomon wrote in Eccl. 12:12 that “much study is a weariness of the flesh.” There are no shortcuts to spiritual understanding, and that is not something our fast-food generation wants to hear. We want to know it all right now. I have been in Bible-believing churches for 40 years, and there are some things I am just now beginning to learn because a foundation has to be built first.

I am more excited every year to find other people who can teach me new things. Those people are also smart enough to know that they do not know everything. If you claim to know it all, I am not interested in anything you have to say. If we read the Bible every day, we will learn something from it every day.

The reason we have Sunday school and three main services a week, ladies’ Bible studies and all of the other teaching opportunities at this church, is not because we don’t have enough to do. As the prophet said in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” The Bible teaching in this church is to equip you so that you can make it through life – so that you don’t get so discouraged that you take your own life; so that your marriage does not disintegrate; so that your children and grandchildren have a fighting chance in this wicked world. If the things of God are not a priority to you, they will never be a priority to your children. If you can take it or leave it, they will leave it and never take it.

We also get our doctrine from the Spirit that teaches us. John 16:13 says, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” An unregenerate person will not learn anything spiritual from the Bible because it requires the Spirit of God to be the teacher. A young person can win an older and much more educated person to Christ because facts and information alone do not work without proper application guided by the Spirit of God, who illuminates what is already there in the Word of God.

Another source of doctrine is a pastor. The third chapter of I Timothy outlines the qualifications for pastors and deacons, concluding in verse 16 with these words: “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” The mysteries of God must be proclaimed, and He does not want just anyone to proclaim them. The ones who do that must be qualified.

God has put our pastors here in this church not to make people happy, but to teach them the mysteries. I want us all to be happy most of the time, but we need to be very unhappy at times so that we will become dissatisfied with the status quo and make some changes in their lives.

Teachers are to be a source of doctrine. We need teachers who will make an effort to give their students something worth hearing, and we should have students who are ready to listen with an expectant heart.

Remember the words of Eph. 4:11-12. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

We all learn doctrine from the church. You don’t learn it from someone you just happened to see on television, because you have no idea where that person came from. We need to be learning from people we know and see week in and week out – people whose lives we can see. If I live like an idiot the rest of the week and you see that, it is a lot more important than the 25 minutes I spend up here every Sunday morning.

One reason the local church is so important is that we don’t just fly in for a weekend to give you a seminar and then take off again. The people in your local church are there day after day, week after week, month after month. That is God’s institution for this day and age, not some radio preacher who asks you to send in your money. People need to stop running around and getting their doctrine for places that are not scriptural in nature. It should be coming from the Word of God, through the Spirit of God and in the church of God.

Notice the SINGLENESS OF DOCTRINE. We referred earlier to the confrontation of sorts that was recorded in Acts 15 over the insertion of cultural issues, particularly those relating to Judaism, into the gospel. From there, we return to the second chapter of Galatians and read verses 5-6. “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me.”

Paul made it clear that he and the other apostles were not changing their minds, but they met privately with some of the leaders to discuss these things. What he is saying in these two verses is that it doesn’t matter who they were; it only matters who God is. Paul and his associates wanted to make certain they were right, but they emphasized that God is the only authority on these matters. The final phrase of verse 6, “added nothing to me,” is another way of saying that the peripheral cultural issues do not change the gospel.

Culture stops and starts based upon boundaries and locations. The gospel can be transferred to any time and place. I can go to any country on this planet, walk into a church that has never seen or heard of an American missionary but has a copy of the Word of God in their own language, and we can be on the exact same page regarding our doctrine.

Bible doctrine is not American doctrine. It is worldwide doctrine. Preferences are cultural and time-sensitive, but the Word of God is applicable worldwide for eternity.

We need to know Bible doctrine. You should understand and be able to explain what a Baptist is and what he or she believes.

Obviously, we should also practice Bible doctrine. Our biggest problems are that we don’t know what the Bible says, and when we do know it we fail to do anything about it. Apathy is killing the church in America.

Let’s maintain cultural standards that protect and promote Bible precepts and doctrine. Hollywood and pop culture are not getting any better. Most secular music being recorded today will not help your spirit. We need to be in the world but not of the world. Too many of us, in reaction to the way we were taught in the past, have thrown out all of our cultural preferences because we hate “legalism.” There are still some things we need to stay away from. The words of Ps. 101:3 are still important: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”

Give room to others who do not share our background. In some churches in other parts of the world, if you wore a suit and tie they would look at you like you came from Jupiter. We even have slight differences in various parts of our own nation that can make people take notice.

Too many have no room for others who do not do everything exactly as they do it. What a sad commentary on Christianity. By the way, we are now fighting again battles that have already been fought and settled. There are things here we do not have to reestablish every time a new wind blows through. We must simply reaffirm our commitment to them. We are established in those things, so we don’t have to spend a lot of time on them. We can go on to other things to draw us closer to the Lord so that He might work on us, in us, and through us.

Fundamental Grace- Part III

“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? 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. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.” (Gal. 1:10-24)

Notice Paul’s words in verse 10, where he differentiates between pleasing man and pleasing God.

Paul understood, first and foremost, that he served at the pleasure of an audience of One – the audience of the Master. He knew his responsibility. He did not take a survey or put stock in the whims of the day. He was not trying to figure out what the crowd was in favor of so he could make everyone happy. In fact, he didn’t even worry too much about what the people in the church cared the most about. His mission was to please God.

We need to get it seared in our minds that, while we may do things publicly or participate in exercises that are seen by others, our only audience that matters as far as eternity is concerned is an Almighty God. We have far too many preachers and populists who are too concerned about what the crowd wants, and that is why they are hesitant to pull the trigger on solid Bible preaching. They are afraid of offending someone, but in their attempts to please men they are displeasing God.

By the grace of God and to His glory, I have never stopped to consider that I should not say something because of whom it might offend. To be honest, there are many things I could have said better or more wisely, but I have never sought to please anyone or been afraid to displease anyone through preaching. If it is in the Bible, I am responsible to tell people what it is. After that it is between them and God to handle the fallout. We cannot compromise the message based on the feelings of a few.

In verse 11 Paul explained the authority of the message. “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.” When something is certified, like a letter, it carries with it an exceptional level of importance. The apostle stressed in this passage that men had no right to change the message of the gospel because they did not invent it, as verse 12 illustrates. “For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The gospel is the main message of the scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament shows us our need for a redeemer and a substitute, and the New Testament reveals to us that Jesus Christ is that substitute. Many people believe that one can sincerely trust in another way to Heaven, but that is impossible because man did not determine how one gets to Heaven. God did it. As Jesus said in Matt. 14:6, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

You say, “Brother Stancil, is everyone who does not trust Christ going to Hell?” That is the truth, on the authority of God’s Word. In my flesh I would probably change it if I could because I feel bad for people whose loved ones have died without Christ, but I cannot do anything about it. There is no way I can change it because it is not my message to begin with. I am just the messenger. That is why Paul spoke so strongly here about the authority of the message.

 We have a problem with authority in America, especially the younger generations. I am in my early forties as I write this, which is not very old, but I am even concerned with the way younger adults and their children conduct themselves. When I see a small child misbehave in a restaurant, I want to take that little one aside and correct him or her so that the parents can see how their authority should be respected. That could never happen in today’s society because if you dare to say something to another person’s child, that parent will get mad at you and tell you to mind your own business. That attitude spills over into other areas of society, which is why there is no respect for law enforcement, the judicial system, teachers in the classroom, or anyone else.

This has even come into the church. An “authoritarian” preacher who stands up and proclaims, “Thus saith the Lord,” is looked upon with disdain. I do not necessarily command respect because of anything I am or have done, but I represent the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I would rather preach the rest of my life without wearing a tie, but I stand in the pulpit with a suit and tie because of whom I represent. That is the kind of respect for authority I am talking about – it is not about me, but the message. The older I get, the more bothered I am by the way so many people do not respect the holy things of God.

In the next several verses, Paul gives an accounting of his ministry. This begins in verses 13-14 with his RELIGION. “For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”

In his early work, before he met the Lord on the road to Damascus, he was very fervent. You know from reading his epistles that he excelled in study and was a very learned man. He was not just a casual Pharisee or religious person, but he sat at the feet of the greatest religious teachers of that time.

You could go a step further and say that he was fierce. Many people in today’s society would describe him as a zealot or a far right-wing radical.

Someone in my church recently told me, “My friends are starting to think I’m taking this church thing a little too far.”

“When you become a follower of Jesus, all of your old friends will think that way,” I replied. People don’t mind if you are a follower of religion, but they hate it when you are a follower of Jesus because that requires a totally different level of commitment.

Paul had been so intense in his persecution of Christians that he became famous for his hatred of them. We know from the scriptures that when Paul initially wanted to join the church, other Christians were afraid and skeptical of him because his reputation preceded him. Knowing how he had imprisoned so many and had others put to death, and so shortly after he sat at stoning of Stephen, they wanted to take it slowly and see if he was for real.

But for all of his fervor and fierceness, the religion espoused by the man known as Saul was false. Our world today has gorged itself on religion, and millions of people around the globe have allowed themselves to become indoctrinated and controlled by a church that does preach the true gospel. Those who sincerely put their trust in religion alone will die and enter into eternity lost.

Religion is the great numbing tool of Satan, who loves nothing more than for people to sit back and rest on the false security that they are all right because they go to church. It is possible that more people enter Hell through the doors of the church and than any other way, because they believe that church attendance is enough. When a lost person hears, “You must be born again,” that sedative we call religion is activates and soothes the soul into thinking, “I’m OK.”

I am so thankful that I will not have to take part in the Great White Throne judgment of God, but I am afraid that we who stand there witnessing that event with Him will see many people we knew as active members of churches just like ours, but they never individually confessed their own need for Christ because they bought into the idea that religion by itself was enough.

You can go to church from the time you are born until the time you die and not become a Christian – just like living in a garage does not make you a car, as the old saying goes. You listen to preaching week after week and Satan slips in spiritual Novocain to make you relaxed and comfortable in your condition. That is not of God, and any religion not of God is false religion.

In verses 15-16 Paul talked about his CONVERSION. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.”

Notice how he referred to God’s movement in life in verse 15. Do you realize that, in order for you to be saved, it must be God moving toward you and not you moving toward God? I hope you don’t take that statement the wrong way, because I do not have a Calvinist bone in my body, but you had better respond when the Spirit of God quickens you. People who talk about how they will get saved “some day” are playing a dangerous game, because the Lord said in Gen. 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

There is a time in every person’s life when the Holy Spirit moves as if to say, “Today is the day. The time is now.” The Spirit of God makes alive that which is dead so that a lost person can respond to the gospel. If you do not respond, the Holy Spirit might leave you alone. After that you might search for a place of repentance but never find one.

Paul’s conversion required separation. God wants everyone to be saved but also knows who will eventually accept Him and who will not. When Paul mentioned that the Lord “separated me from my mother's womb,” he did not mean that he was predestined. God knew Paul would one day trust Him on the road to Damascus, and He had a plan for his life all along. We do not know who will eventually be saved, so it is our responsibility to tell as many as we can and let them have that opportunity.

His conversion resulted in service. He immediately attempted to join himself to other believers, and he repeatedly wanted to know what the next step in his Christian life should be. A good sign of genuine conversion is a desire to be obedient in baptism and church attendance, along with a yearning to know Him better and live for Him.

I believe Paul’s attitude could be expressed this way: “I gave fervent service to ‘religion,’ so now that I am born again I can do nothing less than give fervent service to Jesus Christ.”

Someone once said that if you win a good Catholic person to Christ, you will produce a great Christian. Such a person who has been indoctrinated for years in duty, religion and methodology now has the grace of God shining in the heart and has the opportunity to serve Him not out of obligation or to try to earn a ticket to Heaven, but out of grace and love because Heaven is already assured.

Paul’s conversion was reinforced by the Spirit. He knew that God had moved inside of him, and as he wrote in II Cor. 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

When God moves in and takes up residence in a person’s life, some things change immediately. I cannot know another man’s heart, but at times I can determine his lost condition by the evidence in his life, because “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matt. 7:20). If there has never been a desire for spiritual things in someone’s life, that is a big problem.

Paul talked about his EDUCATION in verses 17-20. “Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.”

His teacher was the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t seek out anyone else, as we see in verse 17, but he spent three years on the backside of the desert studying one-on-one with Jesus.

Paul was an apostle, and the requirement for being an apostle is to have seen the risen Lord in person. If you see a billboard or an advertisement about a revival meeting with Apostle So-and-So, just disregard it. Unless he has seen Jesus, he is just using a biblical term because it sounds cool.

Consider the time involved in his education. We know that Paul already had an extensive knowledge of the Old Testament, having learned at the feet of Gamaliel. Now think about the three years he is talking about in this passage. That is the same length of time Jesus spent in His earthly ministry training the disciples. That is probably what Paul was learning during this time, and there could be no better teacher.

There is no shortcut to meaningful education and service. A lot of times we want the abridged version when we just need to sit down and take the time to learn what we need to know.

His testing is noted in verses 18-19. He saw no one for three years but then visited Peter and James. Why those two? Peter, as we all know, was the vocal leader of the early church, while James became the senior pastor of the church at Jerusalem. Those men were the authority figures of the early church movement, and Paul visited them so they could prove him. He had learned enough to know that he should not be sent out on their behalf without a proper vetting process, so that Peter and James could put their stamp of approval on his ministry.

That is a principle we should continue to apply in our churches today. Individuals do not start churches; churches start churches. A situation arose in Texas where a man began a ministry a few blocks away from our church, reaching out to the homeless and people struggling with substance abuse. One day he announced that it was a church, and it wasn’t long before the lawsuits and complaints began to surface. I followed it in the local media, and when he was asked under what authority he was established, he said, “None. I just started a church.” He got himself into a mess because of the unscriptural way he started his church.

Notice in verse 20 Paul’s truth. He understood the importance of being true to the Word of God. If I were to stand in the pulpit and say something contrary to the Bible, the problem would be with me, not the Bible. The same goes for any other preacher.

In verses 21-24 he outlined his VOCATION. “Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.”

We see in verse 21 that he went right to work. In the beginning he was unknown to the churches. In fact, early passages in Acts refer to “Barnabas and Paul,” not “Paul and Barnabas.” Make sure that your motive for service is not to be known by others, because that is fleeting praise. I would rather be known by God and not known by anyone else in the world. If you are known to God, you are in good company.

He had unction to preach. If God stirs you to do something, just go to it. If you wait until you think you have everything ready, you will never do it. There is a need for training and preparation, but there is a time when you have to step out by faith and just do it. Where God leads, God provides.

A great truth in verse 24 is the ultimate glory to God that was given in his life and ministry. What will your epitaph be? For what will you be remembered? The best thing that could be said about you is that God was glorified through your life.

Too many of us live for ourselves or for the moment. Let’s live for what God can do through us.

Why I Have Not Left The Independent Baptist Church

At one time or another over the years, I have been tempted to leave my position as an Independent Baptist and take the title of Bible or Non-Denominational pastor. I have seen what goes on in the circle, movement, or fellowship that is known as the Independent Baptist world and have  wanted to distance myself from it as far as possible. The attitudes and actions of some have made me sick to my stomach and have caused me to deeply evaluate why I am an Independent Baptist. I think many times it would be so much easier to no longer identify myself as an Independent Baptist and just start from scratch. But I haven't left yet; and the truth be told, I never will.


Now I am the first to admit that there are great problems in the Independent Baptist world. For those that do not know, I was born and raised at one of the flagship churches of the movement when it was at its hay day in the 1970's, the Forrest Hills Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia under Dr. Curtis Hutson. My father was a staff member there from its early days until it was recognized as the fastest growing church in Georgia and was home to one of the largest bus ministries in the nation. In 1977, we moved from Atlanta to Murfreesboro, Tennessee where we attended Franklin Road Baptist Church. At that time, the church was home to both The Sword of the Lord, which is where my father worked for the late Dr. John R. Rice, as well as the home to The Bill Rice Ranch under the leadership of Dr. Bill Rice. During those years, the Sword was the voice of the movement with no equal. I attended three Independent Baptist Colleges, Maranatha, Tennessee Temple, and Midwestern. Now for the past 17 years, I have been an assistant and pastor at three Independent Baptist Churches in Michigan, Texas, and now Florida. I have sat on boards of colleges and other ministries and have seen the inner workings of it all. So for many of my 44 years, I have been in, around, and behind the scenes of churches, colleges, and ministries of the Independent Baptist movement. I give you all of that background to simply tell you, I know things I wish I did not know. I know which famous evangelist never paid for his Bible orders. I know which pastors preached one thing in the national meeting and lived another thing at home. I know the preacher who stole a copyrighted book and made it his own by changing a few words. I know who hates who, who will not speak to who, and who is jealous of who. I know which ministries live on the verge of bankruptcy, and which pastors and leaders have red flags about their personal finances and how they use the ministry's finances for their own wants. I know about the adultery, the cult accusations, the mistreatment of members, the egos, megalomaniacs, and the preaching that is more psychology than Bible. Now many of you may know much more than I know, but the point simply is that I am not a novice when it comes to being an Independent Baptist.

Some will read all this and say that one, a few, or all of the above are the reasons why they left or are leaving an Independent Baptist Church. They will say that since I have seen all this, I too should leave the movement and join a different one. The reason I do not do that is very simple. All of the things I have listed are behavior issues not belief issues. The vast majority of Independent Baptists I know still hold the the same doctrinal position our forefathers fought and left denominations over in the birthing of the independent movement. Our forefathers did not leave the Northern and Southern Baptist Conventions over behavior, they left over belief (doctrine). Our colleges and the great majority of our churches still teach and preach the cardinal doctrines of the faith. We still practice the authority of the Scriptures, the autonomy of the local church, shepherd leadership, the winning of souls, the worship of God and so on. If I were to join a new fellowship, make new friends, or join a new denomination it would not be long before I am confronted with behavior issues not unlike the ones I would be running from. If men are involved, sin will be involved. The reason I stay is not because of behavior but because of belief. If I ever did find a group that is closer to New Testament Christianity than a solid Independent Baptist Church, I will be the first to join; and I will beg you to come with me. But if I leave because of the behavior of some, it will not be long before I would have to leave again.

In truth the great number of Independent Baptist Churches are filled with pastors and people who love God and genuinely want to help people come to Christ and live for Him. I choose not to abandon the great beliefs of the Independent Baptist Church because of the carnal and cult-like behavior of some of its pastors and members. I do choose to distance myself from those men and ministries. While I am not the enemy of those men and ministries, I will not be silent on their behavior as it affects our church or my friends. For far too long, we have sought to defend all things Independent Baptist instead of protecting those being hurt by these cult-like men and ministries.


I stay an Independent Baptist because of belief in the Bible not because of the behavior of a few of the brethren.

Fundamental Grace Part II

“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.” (Gal. 1:6-9)

Belief is expressed by behavior. Your actions tell the world whether you are coming from a point of belief or going toward a point of belief.

Everyone you know believes something, even if we don’t all believe the same thing. What you believe will determine the way you act or react in certain situations. This means it is very important that your belief be right, because then your behavior can be dealt with scripturally.

If you have a belief system that is contrary to the Word of God, it will reveal itself through your actions and how you react to circumstances in your life. Circumstances will put pressure on you, and your response does not cause a certain belief but reflects what you already believe. Life does not make you the person you are; it reveals the person inside you.

It is vital that we understand this as we study Galatians. This is a church that had a belief problem, and the Apostle Paul knew it needed to be corrected first, after which the behavior correction would follow. In our independent Baptist churches over the years, we have focused on behavior so much and spent so little time teaching on belief that our people’s actions became what they believed. Some received the truth and made it their belief system, but too many simply conformed to outward actions.

What do you believe? That is the mark of your spirituality. So many people go to church for the wrong reasons – they like the pastor, or the music, or the location. We have a generation of young Christians who have not been grounded in their beliefs. If you go to enough people in your church and ask them questions about what they believe in certain areas, you would be shocked by some of the answers you get. These are the people who have spent years conforming outwardly but have never nailed down a good core belief system.

We need to be preaching about the holiness of God and His demands. If you see God as Isaiah saw Him, “high and lifted up” (Isa. 6:1), your behavior will take care of itself.

I can tell in many cases what you are reading and who you are listening to by the way you act. I can look at what a particular church is doing and often know who that church is following or patterning itself after. You are either operating from a specific belief system or moving into another one.

With that in mind, notice in verse 6 THE ASTONISHMENT OF PAUL. “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.” He was astonished at the Galatians because of the speed of their departure from the faith.

I was talking one day to a missionary who visited my church, and we discussed how often a missionary can come back to the United States after four or five years on the field and visit a supporting church that is very different from what it was before he left. A veteran missionary will see that several times over the course of his ministry.

Your church and mine are only one generation from liberalism and compromise. We have often heard it said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” It would be simpler, but just as accurate, to say, “Everything rises and falls.” Look at the founding of our nation and examine the colleges and the churches that proclaimed the truth in those early days but are now the epitome of modernism and liberalism. A church that stays the same through multiple generations is an anomaly, more the exception than the rule.

Churches change because people are involved in churches. God does not change, and neither does His Word or His Spirit, but people are another matter entirely. Paul was amazed at what the people at the church in Galatia had done. He had planted this church on a previous trip and gone away for a few years, but he discovered some incredible changes in that time.

Verse 6 reflects Paul’s astonishment at the source of their salvation. The phrase “removed from him” refers to the church’s abandonment of Jesus Christ. Paul essentially said, “It doesn’t matter whether you listen to me, but the fact that you have turned away from Christ and His message of salvation is amazing to me.”

It is interesting to hear people talk about why they leave certain churches. Often it is because they are sick of a particular man or movement (which was created by men). Those who abandon the Lord’s church because of men have the wrong source of salvation. A man doesn’t save you; neither does a movement or a church. Keep your eyes on the Savior.

I tell my congregation that they should follow me as long as I follow Christ, but once I stop doing that they should keep following Christ, not me.

The final words of verse 6 reveal Paul’s astonishment at the seduction of another gospel. Other men had come in and made some major changes, placing too much emphasis on the law and telling people they must do this and that, until Paul finally said, “Wait a minute. You just came out of that kind of heresy. Why are going back into it?” He had taught them about salvation by grace through faith, and now they were turning away from that and being drawn back into what they had believed in the past.

This passage does not tell us why the Galatians were motivated to do these things, but I can speculate about it somewhat. For one thing, man at his core is filled with pride, and it is hard for many people to accept the fact that they cannot do anything to earn their own salvation or to assist God with their salvation. Religious things often appeal to people because they want to do something they can feel good about, thinking that they have helped make their salvation happen.

In the past few decades we have seen a number of battles on salvation-related issues such as “lordship salvation” (through which hardly any of us would be saved) and the importance of repentance from every sin you have ever committed (I can barely remember all of my sins from the past two days). I believe that repentance and faith are like Siamese twins; you can hardly separate them. You repent from your sin, recognizing your lost state, and trust by faith in Jesus Christ.

The newest issue is Calvinism, or the question of who can even be saved. Is it true that “whosoever will may come,” or is it just a select group? Did Christ die for the sins of the entire world? Here is an easy way to look at it: Whenever you see the word “all” in the Bible, it means “all.” It’s that simple.

I haven’t even gotten into issues from other denominations such as water baptism, speaking in tongues, etc. How do we manage to fight about all of these things regarding the gospel? It all boils down to pride. People think to themselves, “I know more than the average person. I’ll straighten everybody out.” Because of that type of thinking, thousands of people are drawn into these seductions.

My philosophy is this: “Keep it simple, stupid.” I just want to know what the Bible says, not what somebody says. Instead of worrying about whether I am one of the elect, I will just remember that the Bible says, “For God so loved the world.” I am part of the 100 billion or so who have lived on this planet since Adam and Eve, and Christ died for every single one.

Verse 7 shows us THE ADVERSARY OF THE GOSPEL. “Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.” Not every person who shows up in your own church is automatically on Jesus’ team. Some could even be sent by the Evil One to deceive people and disrupt the work of the gospel. Part of the pastor’s role as shepherd is to guard the sheep against the enemy.

Always be wary of the person who is too good to be true. When you hear about all the great things So-and-so did at the past eight churches he attended and how he wants to jump in and start teaching your folks, slow down for a minute. Paul wrote in I Tim. 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” You need to watch him for a little while to be sure.

I am not responsible for any other church except my own. There is no place in the Bible that says I am to be the Holy Spirit for any other person. I am only the shepherd for those in my church. I think we would have a lot fewer problems if every Christian worried more about his or her own church and less about everyone else in this regard. Guard against those who would come into your church and advance another gospel.

There are dozens of churches in the Tampa Bay area, where I am a pastor, that are crazy where their doctrine is concerned. I don’t get in my pulpit and rail against most of them because my congregation does not know who they are anyway. If those false preachers are on radio or television, however, I will warn my people because of the possible effect those broadcasts could have on my church.

What are some of the adversaries of the gospel? One of them is pluralism. It troubles me to think about how few of our young people have a firm grasp of the concept of Biblical salvation. So many of our unlearned teens have been taught by their parents and other churches that doing good is the main requirement to get to Heaven.

The opening phrase of verse 7 says that this other gospel “is not another.” It is not another gospel, but a false teaching. It saddens me that millions more will be condemned to Hell by religion than by paganism. Pluralism says that all roads lead to Heaven, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus is not a good way to be saved, or the best way. He is the only way.

False preachers are adversaries. They are the ones Paul wrote about “that trouble you.” I am not talking about the ones you see on television; I am referring to the ones who would work in your church. That is why we are so careful at our church about who would teach a Sunday school class to our adults or our children.

Dr. Harry Carr, one of my mentors and a man I consider a hero of the faith, was pastor of a church and discovered after some time that a sweet lady in her seventies or eighties, who had been teaching Sunday school for many years, was teaching Jehovah’s Witness doctrine. He was stunned by this and realized that he needed to give more consideration to what his teachers were doing in Sunday school. Every one of our classes should be learning the same things from the Word of God that we are preaching from the pulpit.

My father-in-law, while on the mission field, had a man come in who began teaching that baptism was necessary for salvation. This can easily happen on the mission field, and it can happen in our churches here if we are not careful. We must be clear about what our people are teaching and make sure we all are on the same page.

Perversions of the gospel are adversaries. It would be easy to spot a lie if it walked up to you and announced, “I am a lie.” False teachers would be easy to identify if they wore signs around their necks. But perversions come into our lives disguised as truth. “We’re not going to change a lot, just a little bit.”

This is one reason our church only preaches and teaches from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible. We don’t want a bad translation to get into our midst, and this is the best way to guard against that. When a verse reads “a young woman conceived” instead of “a virgin conceived,” that is a perversion.

We don’t jump on the bandwagon of every new thing that comes down the road. We want to wait and see if it is proven. That is a Biblical principle. David went to war with men who were proven in battle, and he liked to go with what he knew. He certainly could have killed Goliath with Saul’s sword if the power of God was upon him, but he was unsure about the sword himself. He knew he could count on the stones and his sling because he had put down a lion and a bear with them. Those instruments were proven in his eyes.

If the foundation is unstable, it won’t be long until the structure crumbles. When an organization starts mixing doctrine, sooner or later something will have to give. There is one thing that is certain about compromise: the stronger position will always give in to the weaker position. When liberals and conservative compromise, it means conservatives will have to go toward the liberal side, never the other way around. This is true in politics as well as Christianity, because the conservative side is viewed as too narrow.

If the devil walked into your church this Sunday, he would be attractive. He would be talented and articulate, and you would possibly leave thinking, “Wow, what a great sermon!” A person with spiritual discernment would notice that he said 99 things that were great and one thing that was just a little bit questionable. That’s how it starts.

I have heard a preacher say something and thought to myself, “What a great thought.” A few hours later and I would consider it again and think, “But it’s not Biblically correct.” It might sound awesome, but it is not grounded in truth.

When I was in Texas there was a local event every year that brought evangelical teens to a theater for a concert with preaching and other activities. People told me how fantastic it was, so I checked it out and discovered that I could not agree with the doctrinal statement and several other aspects of the program. For twelve years, at the same time every year, I heard the pleas from people in my church and answered, “No.”

I could have let our group participate in this event and it would not have destroyed the church – at least not the first time. But it’s not the big catastrophic things that bring down a church. It’s the little slides here and there over a period of time. You let your guard down here and there, and one day you realize that everything is different.

Let’s look at THE ACCURSED WARNING in verses 8-9. “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.”

Paul repeats himself in these verses, which we know is a sign that God wants to make this point especially strong. It is as if He is saying, “Listen up. This is extremely important.”

We must be aware of the source of the message. “Oh, we know Brother Stancil. He is a good man.” Good men can change. In fact, I am amazed at how many good men have compromised over the years. A good friend of mine, who has been in the ministry four or five decades, told me recently that he had quit preaching about certain things “because I just got tired of fighting the same battles year after year.” He just decided to let it go, and many other preachers have done the same.

You may recognize the name of a preacher and assume everything is fine, but you have to make sure he is preaching from the Word of God. If I stand up in the pulpit and start talking about my own philosophy or some dream I had as if it is our new direction, my church needs to direct me someplace else.

We must be aware of the substance of the message. Is it the true gospel? Aside from the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is no gospel. We have to protect our message. Whenever you stand up to proclaim it behind a pulpit or in a Sunday school class, make sure you have searched the scriptures and know it is there.

A man came up to me recently after a service and asked me about a particular point. “Where in the Bible did you find that?” he asked. I love it when my people ask those kinds of questions. What I say must always be in line with what the Bible says. I love to hear topical messages and preach one from time to time, but I believe the duty of the pastor is to explain, verse by verse, the Word of God.

We must be aware of the sentence of a false messenger. If someone preaches a false doctrine, what should we do? The word “accursed” in these verses is pretty strong, and we should not take such a thing lightly.

The false messenger should be ejected from the ministry and degraded from the office. We need to make it clear that we do not endorse those teachings, because someone could spread that heresy in another place and then say it had previously been preached in your church. You don’t want that kind of reputation for your church. If you leave a church where I am pastor and you do so in the wrong way, you will not get a good recommendation from me. I have a responsibility to protect the integrity of my church.

If a false teacher does not get right, he will have to be cast out of the church. Would it be wise to let him stay and contaminate others? No, the word “accursed” means “out.” He is to be abhorred by men. You should not have fellowship with unfruitful workers of darkness, who espouse doctrinal error and open rebuke to the things of God. He is accursed by God and will be judged one day for his actions.

“Doctrine divides. Let’s not quibble over doctrine. We need to come together in unity.” These kinds of statements have been made hundreds of times in the past few years, but nothing could be further from the truth. If we are not built on doctrine, we have nothing. I want everyone to get along, but we must do it on the basis of the Word of God.