The Most Offensive Thing One Can Preach

Many people find themselves offended when the preacher or teachers speaks on a topic that is in direct opposition of the audiences theological or traditional position. For instance, people become angry when you challenge the idea of the "sinners prayer" or the "altar call."  But these two in themselves are minor in comparison to other subjects of interest.

The real go-getters include the gospel, spiritual gifts and tithing.

THE GOSPEL: I can say the gospel of God's Grace is not found in the four gospels, and there is an immediate collision.

"How can you say that?!!" "No one has ever said that to me! "

Question: What does the Bible say?

Luke 18:31-34
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.    For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:    And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.  And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

They didn't even know about the cross; they were not preaching the cross as the gospel. We do (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

SPIRITUAL GIFTS: I can say that God has efficiently started the body of Christ and that He has preserved His perfect Word, and people will agree immediately. But when I pose the question, "If God has preserved His Word and we know how to operate because of that, what is the purpose of spiritual gifts?", there is a gut wrenching panic attack that takes place.

Question: What does the Bible say?

1 Corinthians 13:8-11
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

1 Timothy 5:23
Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.(Why is Timothy sick??? No healing?)

God used the "spiritual gifts" for a time to establish and complete His instruction to the church and for a sign to unbeliever and doubting believers, but past that, gifts were and are no longer needed.

TITHING: I can say we should be cheerful givers,  and most believers, even if begrudgingly, would concur. But the moment I say that tithing is obsolete in the dispensation of grace, you would think I was Frankenstein hiding in a windmill from an angry mob of farmers. Why?

Dropping tithing, besides being dispensationally corect, does a few things:

1.) It takes away some of the emotional swing church leaders have over the congregation.

2.) It brings out the true colors in the individual believers; when people find out that giving is no longer mandatory,  all to often they stop giving altogether.

3.)(This is the Big ONE) It takes away the salary of the "paid employee" Who does all the work. What fulltime pastor is interested in getting a job? What part time pastor wants to endeavor into other career options?

It's sad that the giving stops in many cases, but what is even sadder is the ambition of pastors to put their church attendees under the law.

Question: What does the Bible say?

2 Corinthians 9:7
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (You are DEAD TO THE LAW!)

GOSPEL,  GIFTS, AND TITHING are all heavy hitters,  but here's the heaviest every man must answer:

Galatians 1:10
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.

Are you so interested in sticking with tradition and habit that you are literally willing to ignore the truths of God's Word?

Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar..  

So what's the most offensive thing one can preach?

Answer: The Bible's authority trumps that of tradition and denominationalism.

Preacher Phrases about Spiritual Hype

"Holy Spirit,  show up and show out." "Holy Spirit,  fill this place! "

1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Thessalonians 5:19

The Holy Spirit has placed us into the Body of Christ,  given us all Spiritual Blessings,  dwells within us, and is possible to be quenched by our behavior. But as for showing up, this sounds a lot like Acts 2 talk... the Holy Spirit does not "show up" today.

Another thing to consider is that the Holy Spirit seals us and remains with us, whereas in the old testament and even in the new testament, the Holy Spirit "rested on" or "dwelt in" individuals for certain purposes, but never  stayed within individuals longer than the necessary amount of time it took to accomplish whatever task was given.

For instance,  David in Psalm 51:11 was fearful of losing the Spirit that rested on him or Jesus, in John 20:22, breathing the Spirit on His disciples to empower them, but we know by Acts 2, they received the Holy Spirit "again." God used to dwell in the tabernacle,  but in the past, "removed" Himself from man. Even Hebrews 6:4, pertaining to the New Covenant participants, shows the future event of remnant believers experiencing the Holy Spirit's power, yet being cut away from the covenant and the impossibility to renew them again unto repentance.

The Holy Spirit is always present in a Body of Christ member!  We do not leave Him and He does not leave us. He is our seal and He lives inside of us.

Saying things like "We pray the Holy Spirit shows up" is Spiritual babble that constitutes as "God, we want some hype in this place!"

We want consistent sobriety, not short-lived hype.

Ministry Objectives for 2015

Grace Bible Fellowship
Ministry Objectives for 2015 (Audio)
click on link above to listen

Ministry Objectives for 2015

2 Timothy 2:1-5

 “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

1. Strong In God’s Grace

1. We are saved by God’s Grace- Ephesians 2:5-8, Titus 3:4-8
2. We are kept by God’s Grace-  Ephesians 1:13, Romans 8:35-39
3. We should find our strength and endurance in God’s Grace- Ephesians 6:10, Philippians 4: 9-13

     2. Learn the Doctrine

1. We must learn to personally study. Are you able to study without a teacher? 2 Timothy 2:15
2. We need to use our time together wisely. Ephesians 5:16
3. We do not need to get caught up in vain teachings and pointless debates-
   1 Timothy 1:4, Titus 3:9,  1 Timothy 6:20-21

     3. Find and Teach Faithful Men

1. We must first be faithful. Where is your passion and energy? Are you consistent? Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:10
2. We must learn to teach. God instructs us to use our natural position in life as a teaching platform. All ages, positions and physical/spiritual maturity level- Titus 2
3. We must be patient and gentle. 2 Timothy 2:24-26

     4. Endure Hardness
           2 Corinthians 4:6-18

1. What is hardness? Momentary, temporal
2. Are you cut out for the task ahead? Renew your mind…
3. If you are not prepared to “endure,” make sure our time spent together is giving you the proper training. We come together to remind each other of our hope. 1Thessalonians 4:17-18

    5. Set Your Mind On Things Above

1. We must remember our purpose as ambassadors for Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20
2. We cannot get bogged down with worldly agendas; we should have spiritual appointments covering our daily planners. Colossians 3:1-3
3. Your feet follow where your eyes are set.

    6. Know Your Role and Operation

1. Who are you in Christ? Saved, Forgiven, Redeemed, Righteous, and a Saint!
2. Who are you in daily life? Parent, Grandparent, Family Member, Friend, and Acquaintance.
3. Who are you in ministry?  Preacher, Teacher, Soul Winner, Encourager, Edifier, Worker and/or Soldier?

Preacher Phrases that Used to Haunt Me

“Praying for forgiveness,” “committing one’s life to Jesus,”“ this is what God has called me to do,” and “saying a sinner’s prayer” are just a few of the phrases that used to haunt me as a preacher.

• I would preach to others, sharing the necessity of praying for forgiveness, but would later ask myself “How is it possible to ask for forgiveness for sins already forgiven?”. How can we be sealed, yet have a tainted “relationship” with God. That’s the slogan, right? “Confess your sins to God so you can restore your relationship.” Where there was a lack of Scripture references came an influx of denominational metaphors and illustrations. I was constantly questioning myself and my denomination.
• I would talk about how important it was to “commit your life to Jesus” and the necessary procedures of follow-up, such as baptism for and outward sign and a public profession before you were a “member” of the local church; how can we make up such standards when Scripture makes it clear that we are righteous before God by faith(Romans 4:5, Ephesians 2:8-9), not by acts or "commitment?"
• I am guilty, in the past, of using the phrase “This is what God has called me to do” or God’s will for my life is ______.” Mostly good intentions are mixed in with these phrases, but once again, these are habitual responses formed by denominational jargon, not dispensational bible study. We know God's will today because of His Word, not because of our emotions or circumstances. For a long time, I had a mental block in bible study; I was reading principles and instructions that sounded wonderful, but I knew for a fact that I was not "experiencing" or witnessing the things I was reading. I was often angry because I could not fill in the gap. I was desperate for understanding, but yet I preached as I had always been mentored to: "Spiritualize the literal and you can make anything fit."
• I clearly remember preaching one night on how we are saved the moment we trust the Gospel; I did not offer an “altar call” or “hymn of invitation” at the end of the message and by the looks on the faces of some of the older individuals, you would have thought I had committed sacrilege. Maybe the message was not as understood as hoped for. I listened to a Calvinist Professor at NOBTS speak on altar calls about a year ago. He reasoned that the “elect” would be saved regardless of the message or the protocol that followed. Although I disagree with Calvinism, I do point out that a person is not saved when he or she “prays the prayer,” but when the individual believes the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 4:25) and trusts (Ephesians 1:13) in it alone for salvation. Also, the elects are not individuals of the church, but always Jesus or Israel.

All of the things listed above are, without a doubt, issues that came up in my life because I was ignorant and unaware of how to study my bible. I was constantly paralleling everything, but never viewing Scripture within its dispensational context. There were moments of absolute chaos in my head during preaching because I felt as if I was expounding in areas that I had no clue about.


Sadly, I must admit that many of my sermon outlines were coming from other preachers and other ministries because I was all dried up. My desire and passion for preaching and teaching had subsided to finding outlines online and putting a personal twist on each point. This dilemma was due to my inability to make scripture match 2000-whenever. I felt as if I were reading a history book, but watching the church act out a play with pretend props and stage lights, using the bible as the rehearsal script. Nothing was genuine. I was literally a pawn in a spiritual game of fake chess.


I had questions...


I asked these questions to a variety of people: pastors, friends, deacons, seminary professors, Sunday school teachers, online sites and even read books thicker than a courthouse column. I was stuck. What is worse than being confused? The answer is being confused and finding out you are not the only one. By that I mean, no one had the answers to the question I asked either. I studied, quite literally, day and night. Every moment of free time I had was absorbed in my bible or a type of commentary.


I found direction...


I had not only talked to my denomination's men, but had entertained conversations on a regular basis with local ministers who were, in all terms of the meaning, doctrinal "enemies" of the theological atmosphere that I had grew up in and surrounded myself with. The main group of ministers I had found myself interrogating were "Church of Christ." This particular belief pattern differed from that of my own in so many ways. Some of the ideas included baptism, works, church membership, loss of salvation, repentance, but there is one thing that stuck out beyond the rest; the one thing that was not separate or different, but the exact same as "almost" every other Christian denomination on planet earth. That one item of interest can be described by this phrase: "The church, the body of Christ, started in Acts chapter two."


That was it!!! That was the missing piece. EVERYONE I had ever met who studied their bible for any length of time concluded that the church start-up was pinnacled in early Acts. My gears were not only turning, but something unexplainable was taking place. For the FIRST time in my "spiritual" life, I was about to actually do something that I always taught. I was about to ask myself a
question, concerning that very passage of Scripture. The question now, I submit, has changed my life:


"If today's church started in Acts 2, then does that not mean EVERYTHING moved from God working with Israel to God operating with Jews and Gentiles alike, because that is the definition of the body of Christ?!"


---cricket sounds and pen drop---


That was it!!! I had figured it out! That was the answer to the biblical riddle... I had to pay attention to the audience. No one can understand the rush of emotion and joy I had. I, by asking one question, had entered into a whole new arena of personal understanding. I, for the first time ever, understood the distinctions that were in my bible.(I knew the distinctions were there, I just could not handle them. Without being dishonest that is...)


Am I crazy and alone?


As excited as I was to make this personal discovery, I needed to know if I was the only one seeing this... I asked the question to seminary peers, professors, and even a few local pastors. Here is the crazy part: every single one of them saw the distinction. I was excited, but they were stagnate. Their reaction, in unison, was one with question. "I see your point, but what is this supposed to mean?"


Well... it means a lot, actually. It changes everything. It addresses the confusion found in every denomination. We are not in Acts 2. Something more intense than that statement would be the fact that I would also say we are not in the four gospels. If that is not enough, I began to conclude that even some of the epistles and other parts of Acts were not body of Christ instruction manuals.


"Am I the only one that is seeing this?" I found myself Googling for answers to my question. Surely I was not crazy. There has to be someone else seeing this! I simply typed in "Gentiles not in Acts 2" into the search engine. The search pulled up many different sites. Some of which it only took me a minute to see that this was not it. I then typed in "the church did not start in Acts 2." From that search, something I had NEVER seen of or heard of popped up. The top few search results had the phrase "Mid-Acts Dispensationalism." I browsed a few of the pages and light bulbs began to go off!


I then went back to the search bar and entered in "Mid Acts Dispensational Questions and Answers.."


This was the one. It immediately brought up exactly what I had been searching for. Oh, to answer my question from before: "No! I was not the only one." It was from that website, Graceambassadors.com,
that I realized I was not a "complete nut." I was a "complete in Jesus Christ, nut(Colossians 2:10)."


I realized that I no longer had to spiritualize the "hard parts" of scripture, because there really was clarity to be had. I did not know that my life was about to change in the way that it has, but I do know one thing for sure: the Bible has no errors, but many contradictions. The bible from page one, on, is filled with accounts of changing instructions.


It is important to be biblical, but it is more important to be dispeansationally biblical. You have to be in the audience for the instruction to apply. Dear friend, if you have questions, just know that rightly dividing the Word of truth has answers.


Thanks for reading,
Alan Jaynes.

 

 

The Ealry Life of Jesus- Matthew 03

Click Link Below to Listen:
The Early Life of Jesus (Audio)

The Early Life of Jesus

Matthew 2

The wise men's search after Christ. (1-8)

• Jesus was born, as prophesied, in the town of David.
• A large family was there, the inn was not a stable, and it was not a silent night.
• It was later on that that the wise men came to worship a baby Messiah of Israel.
• “Wise men from the east?” Who were these “wise men?” Much speculation is shared, but we only know one thing for sure; whether it be astronomical, or an angel(Revelation 1:20, Matthew 2:9-“went” and “stood over” most likely and angel), God had made the birth of His “only begotten son” known to these men. Only begotten, not only-Exodus 4:22, Acts 13:33-34
• Note: Christmas songs label these as “3 kings,” but we do not know the number and they are not called kings. Greek is used today by many to try and change biblical words or contexts for personal agendas. Magi is the Greek word usually debated over, but do not lose the emphasis of the reason of their coming; wise, being also wealthy, Gentiles from another country were receptive of Jewish promise, whereas Israel would continuously reject their King.
• Herod was set on killing the “competition.”

The wise men worship Jesus. (9-12)

• “And when they were come into the house,” gives us clarity that the wise men were not present at the birth of Jesus, but had come possibly up to 2 years later. (Matthew 2:16)
• They present Jesus with 3 gifts of much value, but once again, we do not have biblical reason to give the purpose or meaning of the gifts given to Him. Speculation needs to be left out of bible study, especially if you are teaching a lesson as truth. We know that these men, being from the context, Gentiles,  had as in many other references- Blesses Israel (Rahab, Canaanite woman, and Cornelius)
• The wise men never went back to report to Herod.

 Jesus carried into Egypt. (13-15)

• Although we know, due to the revelation of the mystery, God’s purpose to bring salvation to the world by means of the cross, God had to maneuver Joseph by dreams to fulfill His purpose. Ephesians 3:4-6
• There was also a necessity for Jesus to die for the New Covenant, but it all had to be according to God’s plan and purpose. Hebrews 9
• This was all according to the plan though- Hosea 11:1

Herod causes the infants of Bethlehem to be massacred. (16-18)

• Even the slaying of the children had been predicted.

 Death of Herod, Jesus brought to Nazareth. (19-23)

• Despite the rapid travel of the early years in the life of Christ, coming to Nazareth fulfilled another prophecy.
  The events in the early years of the life of Jesus show nothing less than the wisdom and purpose of God!

Timeline of the Early Years of Jesus’ Life

                                                                              Matthew    Luke     John

Pre-existence of Christ								1:1-18
Genealogy of Jesus through Joseph		1:1-17
Genealogy of Jesus through Mary						3:23-38
Gabriel announces John's birth						1:1-25
Gabriel visits Mary						1:26-38
Mary visits Elizabeth, John's mother						1:39-56
Birth of John the Baptist						1:57-80
Angel visits Joseph in a dream		1:18-25
Birth of Jesus in Bethlehem						2:1-7
Shepherds visit Jesus						2:8-20
Circumcision of Jesus						2:21
Jesus presented in the Temple						2:22-38
Wise men bring gifts		2:1-12
Joseph's family escapes to Egypt		2:13-15
Herod's wrath on Bethehem's children		2:16-18
Joseph's family settles in Nazareth		2:19-23				2:39

How Can You Say Jesus Wasn't Talking to Me?

Please take the time to read these verses before reading the text below:

Romans 15:8
Romans 9:5
Matthew 10:5-6
Matthew 15:24
John 1:11

All of these verses illustrate who Jesus was sent to "in His EARTHLY ministry."

This is the whole purpose of me always talking about the "mystery."

The mystery explains how God is directly with everyone today,  and not just Israel. The mystery (salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike- by grace through faith) was not known until is was revealed. This revealing does not take place until at least Acts 9, via the Lord Himself to the Apostle Paul.

Look at 1 Timothy 1:16.... What does this verse mean. Read Ephesians 3:3-6... What does this mean?

This is the whole reason for me saying that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John do not contain information that applies to the Body of Christ. The Church, the Body of Christ,  did not even exist yet, except for in God's "hidden" purpose.

Romans 16:25
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,"

2 Timothy 2:15 & 3:16- All scripture is for us, but not all scripture is to us.

1 Thessalonians 2:13- Jesus did speak to you friend, just not all of His dialogue to you is in the color "red."

Ephesians 3:9- Paul had a goal set before him, whereas many today do not even acknowledge the "fellowship of the mystery. "

Bible Study Prep Questions:
Who's the speaker?
Who's the audience?
What's the content?
Does it apply to the church in the dispensation of grace?

For more insight into these biblical truths please check out:

Who is Jesus (Part 2)
http://thegracelifeplace.blogspot.com/2014/12/who-is-jesus-part-2.html

Thanks for reading,
Alan

Who is Jesus (Part 2)

Who is Jesus (Part 2)
Click the link above to Listen

The focus of this message is to make the clear distinction between Jesus' earthly ministry to Israel only, versus his ministry to Jews and Gentiles alike, through the Apostle Paul.

 Who is Jesus? (Part 2)

-Jesus, according to His earthly ministry to Israel vs. His ministry to the Gentiles, through Apostle Paul-

1.) Jesus: A Minister of the Circumcision

• “WWJD?” This is so cliché, but the question carries a lot more impact than most would consider… It’s actually one of the most important questions to ask if you want to know how to understand your Bible.
• Jesus Christ came as the fulfillment of prophecy to be the Messiah for the nation Israel.
• Rom 15:8 & 9:5, Mat 10:5-6, John 4:22 Mark 7:26-27, Mat 15:24  
• All of the books in our bible, except for Paul’s 13 epistles, are for our learning, but not for our direct participation, as the body of Christ. There are some topics that even Paul covers that are not for us because he

1. sometimes addresses Israel (Romans 9,10, and 11) and
2. he was operating in a time where spiritual gifts were either flourishing, fading or had faded. (1 Cor. 14:18, 1 Cor.13:8-10, Eph. 4:12-13, 1 Timothy 5:23)

2.) Jesus: Ministering through His 12 Apostles

• What was happening in Jesus’ earthly ministry?
• He chose twelve men… why? - Mark 3:14
• What would Jesus do? He said go only to Israel - Matt 10:5-6, 15:24
• He promised the twelve men that they would rule in the kingdom - Matt 19:28
• Peter was waiting for this restitution and regeneration; he was encouraging others to do the same - Acts 3:19-21, 1 Peter 1:13, 3:15- You should consider Titus 1:9 as your defense verse.
• Jesus said go to Jerusalem and stay there – Luke 24:47-492
• Peter says: Ye men of Israel – (12 tribes) - Acts 2:22, Acts 3:21, 24-26
• Hebrews are Jews – the new covenant was with them - Heb 8:8-10
• James 1:1 – written to … (not the church)

3.) Jesus: According to the “Revelation of the Mystery”

• Due to the Revelation of the mystery, there is a mountain of doctrinal change as compared to the Old Testament, and even the New Testament.
• Jesus began to minister in a whole new capacity after revealing the mystery to Paul.
• Eph 3:3-5, Col 1:26-27, 1 Cor 2:7 & 4:1, Col 2:2 Rom 11:25 & 16:25, Gal 1:11-12, Eph 6:19, 1Tim 3:9

4.) Jesus: Ministering through the Apostle Paul

• After the change from the prophecy program to dispensation of grace began to take place, the operation of the 12 apostle began to decrease as the Apostle Paul became Jesus’ main mode of operation and ministry: Rom 15:16, 2Cor 5:16, Titus 2:1

• 1Cor 4:16 & 11:1, 1Tim 1:16, Phi 3:17 & 4:9 1Thes 4:1, 2Thes 2:15, 2Tim 2:7

5.) Jesus: Offering Salvation Not of Works

• Any person that ever has or ever will be saved has been so due to faith. Salvation has always required Faith. The salvation in the dispensation of grace is different from the salvation offered before, because in the dispensation of grace, works are not necessary for salvation.
• Salvation that requires Work- Jam 2:24, Acts 10:35, John 5:29, 1Pet 4:18, Luke 10:25-28,
   Rev 22:14, Deut 6:25
• Salvation without ANY WORKS- Rom 4:5, Titus 3:5-7, 2Tim 1:9, Eph 2:8-9
• Rom 3:24 & 5:8 & 6:14, Gal 2:16