There's a matter that's been on my mind and on my heart for a good length of time. It has been bothering me for a couple of years, the little hints and gestures about some matters. But, uh, there's something I think we need to be aware of. I'm sure we are, but it just, I've been impressed by the Lord to bring this matter forward. And it's not a disciplinary matter, OK? Don't think it's anything of that nature. No problem. But it is along the lines of what Mark preached the last Sunday I was here pertaining to the move that is so prevalent among Baptists today. and more particularly the younger Baptist preachers today, that they seem to be wanting to change some things or to call into question some things that have been accepted and understood. But now we have some new light, some new ideas. About a week or so ago, there was a brother that posted some things on Facebook that concerned me. And it motivated me to look into some things. So if you would, I'd like you to open your Bibles to the book of Mark, chapter 9. And while you're doing that, also stick your finger at Luke chapter 9. I've been trying to work up a good title for this message. Perhaps I have preached it before. And I've settled on this title. There is still an us. And let me tell you right from the beginning, Erin told me last Sunday after preaching this, when I first got started, she was wondering where I was going. Our key word this morning is going to be us. I think us is a very important topic to consider. And the fact that in 2024, there is still an us. And I do not believe that is a light matter, nor do I believe that it is an accident. It is what our Lord promised us when he was here on this earth. So begin our reading in Mark chapter 9. We'll read verses 38 through 41. Mark chapter 9 verse 38. And John answered him saying, Master, We saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us, and we forbade him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not, for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall give a cup, give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because he belongeth to Christ, or because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. Now Luke chapter 9 verses 49 and 50. And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he follows not with us. And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us. Our Father, now we pause to approach unto your throne, seeking, Father, your strength, your wisdom, your direction, your encouragement, seeking, Father, from you all that we need. For indeed, you are the source of all things that we require. You know better than we what we need. And we know, Father, you will provide those things. So be with us now, Father, as we have been fed physically. We've previously been fed spiritually. May now, Father, we, through the preaching and the reading and the hearing of your word, be encouraged Be confident and be assured that what you say, you shall do. What you want, it shall be. And there's none that can say unto thee, what doest thou? May we never do so. For Christ's sake, amen. I was going to say quickly, there has always been an us and them. There's always been two sides of a coin. There's always been opposition. And when it's not opposition, it's just a different idea or a different way of looking at things. There's an us and there's a them. There are three us's and three them's in this audience. Three different churches, three different groups, We're us, we're Sovereign Grace, your tabernacle, your faith. But today, there seems to be a move to discredit some things, some peoples. As I mentioned before, a few days ago, a little while ago a brother posted some things on Facebook and he used these two portions of scripture and he used some others to show what I believe is what he thinks is there needs to be a re-evaluating of the church's duties and functions in today's world. This brother had in mind the Great Commission. And I'm going to quote him in one of the statements that he made in this article, it's post. In the Great Commission, which I'm sure we all know, go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptize them in the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, and teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. We're all familiar with that. Well, he stated, it is nothing about being a police of the churches or of groups, God did not call any spiritual police officers, popes or councils in God's kingdom, nor in his churches, which is true. The commission does not give room or space for anyone or anybody or any group to set themselves up as the police to monitor, to control, and to dictate what any church says, does, or believes. But the scriptures do. The scriptures are the police. The word of God is our real police. We have police in the world today. And I'm sure if you talk to Mel very often, or any link, He was sure and very clear that the workings and the abilities of the police is greatly hindered, is greatly hampered, but they're needful. But when it comes down to the things of faith and practice, when it comes down to the things of God's word and God's work and the way that God will work, It is the Spirit of God that leads, motivates, and directs through God's Word. Again, I agree there is no police force in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. But I do see this, a marked departure from the historic Baptist Church principles. And I think each of the bodies represented here carry not proudly, but thankfully, the title of Baptist Church. It is nothing to be proud of. It is nothing for us to glory in. But it also is nothing for us to shrink back from. Those previous scriptures that I just read, they reference a two-letter word, and I try to emphasize them as I read them. Us. Us. Us. And the individual that John speaks of was an individual that did not unite himself with the Lord Jesus Christ and the group of disciples that he had with him. He functioned independently. It is also noted that Jesus Christ admonished his disciples not to forbid that individual from doing what he was doing. This man was casting out devils in the Lord Jesus Christ's name. And Christ said, do not hinder him. Do not stop him. To sum it up, if he is doing what he is doing, he is not doing it against us. He's not preaching against us. He is not hindering us. He is just working outside of us. And I will admit to anyone that there are and have been cases, and I am one of them, and I know one, that heard the gospel from a man that was not of a church, of like faith, and order of any of these three that are here. It is the gospels, God's word. It is not the people. I've never saved anyone. If I've saved them, they're going to bust hell wide open unless the Lord sends someone, sends a spirit to enlighten them and save them in truth. Salvation does not lie in any one of us. It is the gospel, the power of God unto salvation. Preaching the gospel is the first thing that needs to be done. If a man does not hear the gospel, he'll never come to Christ. The proclamation of the gospel states God is perfect and holy. God requires and demands perfect and holy obedience. Perfect and holy living. Folks, we don't have that ability. None of us do. So God in his wisdom determined to send his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the flesh, to live among us in the flesh, to be touched, to be handled, to be seen, and to live a life totally and completely pleasing unto God. He himself said, I do always that which pleases the Father. No one else can say that. I can't. I can't even say that I always do what pleases me. You know, you'd think I'd be able to please me. I don't even please myself. The Gospel of Christ. The good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. Coming in the likeness of flesh. Dying in the likeness of flesh. being buried in likeness of flesh, but rising three days later victorious over death and the flesh. That's a miraculous thing. And I hope that more people today that are celebrating and observing Easter practices are taken to heart. We're talking about an empty tomb. that for three days possessed a body that was lifeless and yet rose again and ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for all those the father gave him So now, my question, and all that I've said thus far, who is the us that this man is not following with? Who is not going with us? My answer, who that us is, is the church that Jesus built. He said in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18, I will build my church, my assembly, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That's who the us is. That's who the us was at that time. Those men that the Lord Jesus Christ personally handpicked and called to be with him. I want to interject something here. A quote from another man, another brother. One that I know very well. And when those words, these words came out of his mouth, it troubled me greatly. Because he said to me, the church is not the only thing. And I wondered, only thing what? I'll admit the church is not the only thing in the scriptures. There's much more in the scriptures than just the church. But yet you will find that the church is tightly intermingled and joined with what is being done. Again, this statement caused me a great deal of discomfort. And I began to see a great danger on the horizon. A movement away from what I will refer to as the Baptist dynamic. The Baptist dynamic is based in the authority of a church to do what must needs be done. The church is not the only thing, but the church is the only thing given expressed authority by the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm looking back now at Matthew chapter 28. Again, verse that we're all familiar with. All power, all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Christ sets that statement first and foremost. I have been given all authority in heaven and in earth. Now based in that authority, I tell you now, go, teach all nations, baptize And then teach them or make disciples, baptize those disciples, and then teach those disciples. Christ gave that authority to only one group. And he said that group would not ever be prevailed against by hell. Nothing is going to destroy it. Nothing is going to alter it. Nothing is going to change it. And ladies and gentlemen, I fear some people, some men that I regarded very highly are becoming a part of a movement to go directly against all of that. In all honesty, to the first brother I referred to that made the post on Facebook, he limited his argument to the gospel. He limited his argument to this man casting devils out of another person. He limited it to that. I had another one. I made a statement for the pulpit at a conference I attended. He used an analogy of a father or an owner of a company, sending someone else out to do something that he already has someone else doing. And I took that as saying, well now, if God wants to send someone else, another group, to preach the gospel, so be it. And if God wants to do that, so be it. But that does not change. God's Commission. Christ, I'm sorry, not Christ, but the Apostle Paul alluded to this very fact. In the book of Philippians, we won't turn there, but in the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul spoke of this fact. There are some people that preach the gospel, in fact, let me, let me, let me, I got a little, I'm like, like Mark was this morning, I got a little ahead of myself. But look at Philippians chapter 1. Let's just go to Philippians chapter 1, verses 12 through 18. Philippians 1, verse 12 through 18. But I would, you should understand brother, the things which happened unto me, have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel. So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace and all other places. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy, and strife, and some also of goodwill. The one preached Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposed to add affliction to my bonds, but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. What then? What is the end of all of this? Notwithstanding, every way Whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice. Yea, and will rejoice. This brother pointed to these verses. The gospel is at the heart of what he's talking about here. There's more than one place that can preach the gospel. God allows what God wants to. I can't dictate to God, well God you said we gotta do this, nobody else can do it. No, no, no, no. Do not forbid them. Do not hinder them. But this by no means diminishes the Baptist church appointment to do the work which God has given it to do. Make disciples, baptize, and teach. If you take off and go down that road to say if others can preach the gospel, others can baptize too. Others can teach too. Others are authorized to do so. I'd be headed down a very dangerous road. And again, I see that to be what's going on today. Let's consider baptism. There was only one person on the earth at the time of the Lord Jesus Christ that God authorized. to baptize. Only one. You will find him in John chapter 1. And there, verses 29-33. The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not, but that he should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore am I come, baptized with water. And John bear record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and an abode upon him. And I knew him not. But he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he that baptizes with the Holy Ghost." John was the only one that God sent to baptize. But not long after that, you find in the fourth chapter of the book of John, the first three verses, something's happened. When therefore the Lord, knowing how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, though Jesus himself baptized not, but a disciple, He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. There's another company. There's someone else who is making disciples and who is baptizing. Who is another something? Who is another group? It is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples. the nucleus of the church that Jesus built and left here on this earth. This distinction is given only to the Baptist church, the Baptist assembly that Jesus built. Remember the commission. He spoke to those that were with him. You go. I have authority to send you. You know, if the day ever came, Wyatt's 15 years old, and I say, Wyatt, Go to the store and buy me a pack of cigarettes. First of all, that's crazy for me to do. But secondly, I'm not Wyatt's parents. I'm really not authorized to tell Wyatt to do anything if they didn't trust me with him. We cannot take authority upon ourselves. We cannot authorize ourselves to do things that we're not authorized to do. Now some may be sitting here wondering, why are you making such a big deal out of this? Because in God's word, he says, I have the authority. And on the basis of that authority, go ye therefore and do this. Get that done. After you do that, you baptize them. Then when you baptize them, you sit them down in assemblies like this on Sundays, and Mondays, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and you teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And Lord, I am with you until the end of the age. Folks, that means something. If anything, Mark said this morning, it pertained to the Word of God and the surety of what God does. This is it. God's word does not change and it will not be stifled. Does God need me to stand here this morning or this afternoon and say all this to you? No, he doesn't. He doesn't need me to do anything. He may use me, he doesn't need me. I'm insignificant in that respect. In the grand scheme of things, what am I? Nothing. But I'm a vessel that God uses. And for the strangest reason, I feel compelled to drive this point home. That, though we live in an age that desires to do something new, bigger, better, faster, that doesn't work in God's world. You know, a thousand years is a day and a day is a thousand years as far as God is concerned, it means nothing to Him. Mark alluded to time being set by God. Okay, hey, if you make time, you control time, and you do what you want to in time, when it pleases you. But we don't have the prerogative. of changing it. We can't change what God has established and what God has set forth. In the book of Matthew chapter 16 beginning verse 15 Matthew 16 beginning with verse 15 and down through including verse 15 read if you would I'm going to go back and start reading verse 13. When Jesus came unto the coast of Caesarea of Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon bar Jonah, for flesh and blood have not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also that thou art Peter. And upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That word church, properly stated, is an assembly. I will build my assembly, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Peter is a little rock. Peter is a stone. The rock that Christ is talking about is a mammoth stone. I like to liken it to Plymouth Rock and the Rock of Gibraltar. That's just a good connection to me. A much larger, a much greater rock. I will build my church. And guess what? I'm going to give them the keys to the kingdom of heaven. That entails the gospel. We're still, the church is still the body that is predominantly entrusted with the preaching of the gospel. Again, do this. This needs to be done. That's what we're here for. We have missionaries that we support that are doing just that in different parts of the world. That's what we do. That's what we're supposed to do. That's why we're here. We're not here to change the system. We're here to work within the system that God has given us. Again, when the Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist. I'm going to turn back to Matthew chapter 3. Matthew 3, where the Lord Jesus Christ comes to John the Baptist to be baptized of him. Unless I wrote my notes wrong, it's going to be Matthew chapter 3, verse 13 through 15. In Matthew 3 verse 13, Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? Jesus answered, and said unto him, Suffer it to be so now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But suffer it to be so now. For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Christ must needs to have been baptized. Christ must need to have come to John the Baptist to receive that baptism. John said, Lord, I need to go to you. John, you don't understand something. Righteousness is at stake here. Authority, power, obedience is at stake here. John, You must needs suffer this to be done because this is the Father's plan and purpose. John, you can't change that. It was true then. It is true now. Authority to baptize is very important. Now, am I saying that we're the only people in the world that know Christ? Am I saying that only Baptists are saved? No, I am not. Because I was saved for a long time before I became a Baptist. Long before. But, authority is important. Mel can't practice law unless he has satisfied all the requirements. that the state sets for it to meet. Authority is important. Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. In the book of 1 Timothy, chapter 3, probably the verse of scripture that have the most profound effect on me in my service to God. Because the longest time I wondered what the church was, and where it was, and whose it was. Well, in 1 Timothy chapter 3, the Apostle Paul Right into Timothy. We get to verse 14. These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, if I don't get there that soon, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth. The Church is not a fly-by-night organization. It is the House of God. The Church of the Living God. It is the Assembly of the Living God. It was duly authorized and commissioned by the very Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. when Timothy. Look at 2nd Timothy chapter 3. They are pretty much the same verses. 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. Paul speaking to Timothy, kind of encapsulating Timothy's growing up He says in verse 15, that from a child, thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Look at verse 16. All scripture is given the inspiration of God, is in-breathed by God. And it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for destruction. righteousness. The Word of God is the truth. John 17 and 17, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed to his father, sanctify them through thy word, that thy word is truth. Who is given the solemn, authorized responsibility to uphold, support the truth, the house, the church of the living God. The church that Jesus built has a singular appointment to uphold the truth, which is God's word. Not the truth in God's word, the truth of God's word. the truth, God's Word. We are to uphold and support the Word of God. I'm trying to drill this to a close pretty quick, Steve, but it's not going to take you much longer. I'm going to let you get on the road and get going. But in 2 Peter, if you would, notice 2nd Peter chapter 1 that's right, so I can cut this down a little bit I really can't Let's go in verse 12 Wherefore I'll beat I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things I though you know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think and meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able, after my decease, to have those things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunning devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For we received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory This is my beloved Son, whom I am well pleased. And this voice, which came from heaven, was heard when we were with Him in the Holy Mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well that you take heed, as if the light is shining 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 men, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." The unbreathing, the inspiring, the giving of God's word to the Old Testament prophets was divinely given. Peter, in his writing of these two books, 1 and 2 Peter, John's writing, the Apostle Paul, these were embraced. These are things that we have to hold on to. At the time of this writing, all they basically had was the Old Testament. But in 2024, we have both the Old and the New Testament. We have the foretelling and we have the completion. We're told this was going to happen, hey, that it might be fulfilled, this took place. This happened on this day because it was foretold. God, I am convinced, is jealous of His Word. is jealous of his authority. And I do not believe he takes lightly anyone attempting to usurp or to supersede his authority. Ladies and gentlemen, the church that Jesus built is still here. We're living testimonies to it. or we deceived ourselves. And I don't believe we're deceived. You know, Mark spoke this morning about the people that suffered loss because they bleed and they talked about the resurrection. There are men and women in history who gave their lives for teaching like we're talking about here. the singularity of authority that Christ's church has over that thing that's based in Rome. Or that thing that comes up any place else. Any other body that calls itself a church of Christ is a liar. I'm sorry. Now what the name of the church was, the Church of Philippi. But because of its practices on baptism, It was basically distinguished by its enemies as being re-baptizers because they wouldn't accept the authority of any other baptism. That hasn't changed. And we can't allow it to change. In closing, Christ said in the book of Matthew, chapter 24, verse 35, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Erin mentioned to me over dinner last Sunday, that her mind went to not one jot or one tittle, but my word shall pass away. Folks, I'm convinced there is a purposeful effort to diminish the validity of the church that Jesus built and the validity of the words that the Spirit breathed into the writers both of the Old and the New Testament. It is a purposeful concerted effort to do this. We need to understand We don't need new authority. We don't need a new Bible. We don't need a new church. We have everything that we need. Our God has given us the tools we need. But again, I'm afraid that there are men and women that are going down a road being deceived by that deceiver, the real deceiver. The bygones are lies. But Christ said, the gates of hell should not prevail against it. So us is still here. Us will always be here. until Christ calls us home to be with Him.