Join Pastor Grant Castleberry of Capitol Community Church located in Raleigh, North Carolina, as he answers challenging biblical and theological questions from his church family. Maybe these are questions you have too. For more information about the Christian faith, Pastor Grant, or our church, please visit capitolcommunitychurch.com. Enjoy the Q&A. Good evening and welcome to our worship service tonight at Capitol Community Church. Tonight we're doing something a little unique. Normally we do lots of hymn singing and we have Bible teaching. Tonight we're doing something that we haven't done in quite a number of months. I realized, I think Kenny and I were talking the other day, we haven't done a Q&A here in probably about a year. And so we wanted to kick off the Sunday night worship services with a Q&A. And the reason why we do a Q&A periodically is not to play let's stump the pastor, you know, with some genealogy coming down to Noah. That's not the intention of this. You can go look that up in a Bible encyclopedia. The purpose of this is to fill in the gaps in your own sanctification and in your own theological development. You know, we're all being renewed in the mind of Christ according to the Word of God. That God the Holy Spirit is conforming and renewing your mind as you study the Word of God and you are seeking to honor Him and we're all at different phases in our development, right? You remember Paul told the Corinthians that they were still babes in Christ. And the goal is to arrive at an element of maturity. So Paul says in Colossians 1, we preach him that we might present everyone mature in Christ. So there's this picture of growing. And my hope and our hope is that this will help fill in some gaps and jumpstart some of your spiritual growth. Where we got this idea, One of my favorite things at a Ligonier conference, has anybody ever been to a Ligonier conference before? One of my favorite things at a Ligonier conference was the Q&A. You know, the sermons were great. Loved them. But one of my favorite things was the Q&A, where Sproul would sit down, answer questions. And before that, at the Ligonier Valley, he would do what's called a gab fest, where it was just an open conversation, a dialogue, to talk more informally about theology, about the Bible. and about things that just spurs everybody on in their sanctification. I also have seen this in John MacArthur's ministry, doing Q&As periodically, so I think it's really helpful for the church. And yeah, so let me pray for us, and then we can kick it off. Heavenly Father, we pray, Lord, that that you would help fill in pieces for us tonight through the Word of God and through the scriptures. I pray, Lord, that you would give me wisdom in seeking to answer these questions to the best of my ability. We ask all of this for your honor and your glory. Amen. So we have a microphone here, front and center. And y'all can, so there's, if you want, what we can do is you can just form a line behind the microphone. And when you come to the microphone, state your name, say your name, and then succinctly your question. So don't take the opportunity to begin teaching, but just succinctly state your question. So with all that being said, the microphone's yours. How do we reconcile Starvation and the things that come with the fall with the promise that these things will be provided does that make sense? Matthew 6 25 to 34 Let me read the the passage in question that way you can hear the answer Jesus is therefore I tell you do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink and nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather in the barns, and yet our Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, how they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so closed the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, Will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. sufficient for the day is its own trouble. So the question, as I understand it, Jimmy, is how do you reconcile this verse with the reality of starvation in the reality of sickness and in those types of things? I think what Jesus is laying down here is a general principle that God provides for his people. That's the general principle that God will provide. that when you have a need, you can go to the Lord in prayer, and He promises to meet your needs. That's the general principle. That being said, are there Christians in the history of the church that have been starved, that have been executed, that have had horrible things happen to them? Of course there are. Do those things violate the general principle? No, they do not, because Hebrews 10.25 says, it is appointed that every man die once and then comes the judgment. So there's a reality that we're all going to die. We're all going to die of something that's part of the curse. So the curse is not lifted. We're still under the curse. I was talking to a gentleman today who's facing a cancer diagnosis. You know, we're living in a fallen world and the curse, Paul says in Romans 8, isn't removed even though we're Christians. So the general principle is that if you're a Christian, you don't need to worry about the months ahead, your clothing, your food. The general principle is God provides, and often he provides through the church, through the hands and feet of Christ. Given that general principle, we still live in a fallen world. We all still will die unless Christ comes back before. My name is ginger shields. I have a question. I'm probably gonna you're gonna answer it or the word pipe already answered it for me But what does the Bible say about tithing versus debt? Like I know we're supposed to give 10% and I know that He that's the one thing we can test God on is tithing and he will provide But what about the debt that we have like how do we balance that or what should we do? Great question So the question let me let me tackle the debt part first Because I think that part of the question is really simple. This is in Romans. This is Romans 13, 8. Paul says, Oh, no one anything except to love each other for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. So there's a principle, I think, where Paul's saying the new covenant believer, to the best of his ability, should strive to not owe the government taxes, right? You're supposed to pay your taxes. That's the general context that God has appointed governing authorities, and those governing authorities are appointed by God. So you do, as a Christian, have to pay your taxes. Jesus modeled that, remember? He paid taxes. So we aren't to owe anything to the government, but applying that general principle, I don't think that, as best as you can, you should strive to not owe anything to anybody. Now, I understand and I think, you know, when you talk to Christian financial advisors, you know, talking about a housing mortgage, for example, well, basically be impossible in this country for anybody to buy a house unless they went into some type of mortgage debt. So generally speaking, I think Christians, by and large, agree that a mortgage debt is somewhat different than owing massive amounts on a credit card, for example, or owing, you know, money all over town. So, paying off debt really is important, and it's an important part of stewarding the gifts that God has given us, because if you owe somebody money, and you're not paying the money that you owe, that is a poor reflection on the kingdom of God. a very poor reflection on the kingdom of God. I mean, that's just basic, basic principles. So Paul says, be in debt to no man. And I think every Christian should strive to abide by that, to eliminate the debt that you have. Eliminate the credit card debt that you have, the car loans. Try not to take out a car loan. Try not to buy a depreciating asset, a boat, whatever it is, where you're taking money out to do something like that, and strive to live within your means. And that's one way. I mean, I was looking at statistics the other day. I mean, the credit card debt in America is absolutely insane. I mean, I want to say between student loans and credit card debts, the average household is $30,000 or $40,000, $50,000, somewhere in that. And that's not mortgage debt. So one of the ways that we can distinguish ourselves as Christians is simply by paying our bills and not being in debt. Now regarding giving, regarding the tithe, when you go through the Old Testament, The purpose of the tithe was to maintain the Levitical practices. So you had one tribe in Israel, the tribe of Levi, that had no inheritance in the land. Their inheritance was God. They were given the privilege of stewarding the sacrificial system. Their line was the priesthood, the Aaronic priesthood, all of that. And so the tithe was given, the 10% from the different tribes. And in some places in the Old Testament, it's even more than 10%. So one of the sticky questions is, what is exactly a tithe? And scholars debate about what actual percentage is the tithe. But the tithe would go to the Levitical priesthood as basically support, sustenance, so that they could minister to God the way that they were supposed to minister. Now, we are now in a different covenant. So we are not under the Mosaic covenant anymore. And the tithe is a command from the Mosaic covenant. And the reason I say that is because when you read the New Testament, you don't see the apostles. re-institute the tithe. You'll never hear them say that. What they say, though, is they say, you give out of the abundance that you have. And, you know, Paul's instructions are, and I'll turn to 1 Corinthians here to read them to you, but Paul's instructions are to give over and beyond what we've been given in Christ. This is 2nd Corinthians. Chapter 8. Paul says this is. Verse one, he says we want you to know brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy in their extreme poverty of overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. So he's talking about their generous giving for they gave according to their means. as I can testify, and look at this, and beyond their means of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. There was a famine all over the world, and particularly in Jerusalem. And the Christians in Jerusalem were isolated and shunned from jobs by other Jews. They became outcasts because they had decided to follow Jesus. Other Jews basically put them on the blacklist. So there was a real need to meet the needs for the saints in Jerusalem, and that's why the purpose of this collection was going out. And he says, Verse five, and this not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. Accordingly, we urge Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. So basically he says, look, they gave within their means and then they gave above and beyond their means. And then if you look, verse eight, He says, I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter, I give my judgment. So let me just give you a couple guidelines on giving. What I've understood is that as New Covenant believers, we've been given so much in Christ that though a 10% tithe is not mandated in the New Covenant, that that basically functions as a baseline of giving because we've been given more in Christ. We've been given more in Christ. So I think the question is not how much little can I get away with in terms of my giving, but as the Corinthians here did, how can I give within my means and then even beyond my means in terms of advancing the kingdom? Because he's saying, look, the model is Christ. Though he was rich, he became poor. That's the model. That Christ modeled this, so we should model this. So that's the general principle. You want to give generously, give abundantly. And if I might also add, you want to give with a kingdom perspective. You want to see the world as it really is. And I was thinking about what Paul says just a few verses earlier. This is 2 Corinthians 4. He says, this is verse 18, We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal You know jesus lays it out in the sermon on the mount. It's that the kingdom is real and You're giving how you steward your talents matthew 25 all of that determines the reward and position that you will have in the eternal kingdom. So very important things. Giving is a kingdom issue between you and the Lord. And it's not something to, you know, Jesus talks about not parading what you give before other people. That's not the point. The point is, is to advance the kingdom as best that you can and give sacrificially and give generously. One of the things that I think has been really special about Capital is just seeing how generous the people here are. I mean, it really is an incredible institution, and I don't look at who gives what. I don't know who gives what, unless somebody comes up and says, I gave this. But other than that, I don't look at the giving. I don't know who's giving. But what I do see is that the Lord is abundantly providing over and beyond to meet needs, and people are giving here very sacrificially. People are giving with that kingdom mindset, and God's blessing that. God's using that. You're seeing the fruit of that giving. I mean, this morning we just hired two individuals to help oversee students and college young adults. That is the fruit of your giving. You know, we couldn't do that if you were not giving generously. So, so many benefits are coming because the people here at Capitol are giving generously. And I would encourage you, if you haven't yet begun that discipline of giving in your life, start giving. Because God, you're actually holding yourself back from God's blessing by withholding money from God. Start giving, and you will find that the Lord will bless you. Give to the church, that should be your first priority, but then also give to other ministries. You know, there's so many great ministries that are advancing the Word of God, missionaries and all sorts of things. And I know that people in this church support missionaries and parachurch organizations. I mean, it's really exceptional to see how this church is giving. But let's keep on in that regard because it's a strength of our church, but we need to keep on keeping on. So. Great question, Ginger. I'm Levi, and my question is, how are Christians today to view the imprecatory Psalms? So the question is, how are Christians to read imprecatory Psalms? With two views in mind, with two views in mind. An imprecatory Psalm is a Psalm you read through the Psalter, and David is praying for judgment upon his enemies. You see it in the Proverbs as well, where Solomon is invoking God to bring discipline on the fool. And in a sense, on the one hand, we always pray for the lost. And our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. You know, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2 that the lost person is under the prince of the power of the air. So there's a spiritual element where the person who opposes God is deeply deceived. That is true. And we should be praying for everyone's conversion, right? I mean, the people that oppose God, I am praying that they be converted. So that's on the one hand. I'm praying that they be converted. On the other hand, as people oppose God, and you think about the people that are shaking their fist at God defiantly, Is it appropriate to pray an imprecatory psalm? God, if they don't repent, would you bring righteous judgment upon their head? I mean, you think about the Christians in Germany, you know, who were being persecuted and, you know, sent to the gallows, whatever, put in prison, or in communist Russia, I mean, of course they're going to read Psalm 2 and pray for Christ to bring judgment on this wicked nation that is punishing them. Of course they are. Also praying, 1 Timothy 2, that the authorities would come to know Christ. So I think you can pray both and. And as long as somebody is still alive, as long as they have breath in their lungs, I always have hope that they will come to a knowledge of the truth and a knowledge of the gospel and be saved. Hey, my name is Jerry, Jerry, Jerry. I have a question regarding election. Um, I believe it with my whole heart, but I struggle to understand it, especially with regard to man's responsibility and God's sovereignty. Um, and no man can come to the father, except the spirit draw him. So it, it, it seems like a paradox to me. And I wondered if you could explain that a little bit better. Jerry, that is a paradoxical question. I think you hit the nail on the head because the Bible affirms man's responsibility. You know, Paul says, and when he opens up the book of Romans, he says that we must bring about the obedience of faith. and that God commands everyone to repent and believe. That is a reality that we call sinners to repentance, that we call sinners to believe. The gospel is to go forth to everyone, and we aren't to distinguish who we preach the message to. We're to go to all the world preaching the gospel. So there's that reality that that everyone is responsible for their own sin. I was reading actually Ezekiel 18 earlier today and Ezekiel was emphasizing this point. Let me just read you a couple verses. He says, This is Ezekiel 18, 5. If a man is righteous and does what is just and right, if he does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman in her time of menstrual impurity, does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with a garment, does not lend at interest or take any profit, withholds his hand from injustice, executes true justice between man and man, walks in my statutes, and keeps my rules by acting faithfully, he is righteous. He shall surely live, declares the Lord God. Then he says, If he fathers a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of these things, though he himself, the father, does none of these things, who even eats upon the mountains, defiles his neighbor's wife, so on and so forth. He says, then that son, he says, he shall not live. He has done all these abominations. He shall surely die. His blood shall be upon himself. So there's this reality that if anybody goes to hell, it's on them. They are responsible for sinning against God. and rejecting ultimately God's revelation of himself. God has revealed himself, Paul says in Romans 1, that the things of God are clearly seen, clearly perceived, but people exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship the creature rather than the creator. That is true of all men outside of Christ. So we're all culpable before God. We all stand condemned, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. we've all broken the law of God. So there's that element of human responsibility and the responsibility to believe the gospel. Yet, God says that before the foundation of the world, he chose to impart grace and mercy, not upon all, but some. And let me read from Ephesians. Perhaps this might be one of the clearer articulations of this. This is Ephesians chapter one. Paul says, verse three, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us. That means He This isn't just oh I God looks down the the the quarters of time and see something in the future. This is God preordaining something. He says God preordained God predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ. According to the purpose of his will and and what's all of this for? He says it's for the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved. So the point of revealing to us this doctrine of election is to understand how deep the grace of God is for us. How deep the grace of God is. That God chose you before the foundations of the world. That you would be saved. That you would be adopted. That you would have this, bear this grace out in your life. And I think there's been this whole debate where people say, I don't believe in the doctrine of election. My great-grandma told me that, who lived in Louisiana. She said, I don't believe in the doctrine of election. And I almost read her this verse, but out of respect, I just nodded and smiled at her. But people are cutting themselves off from really understanding how deep God's grace is for them. And it's important, I think, to understand, especially as the church becomes persecuted and endures suffering. That's Peter's point in 1 Peter chapter 1. Peter says, to those who are elect exiles, to those who are chosen exiles, of the dispersion in Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ, and for sprinkling with his blood." And then he goes on to address their circumstances as exiles and as those enduring suffering, but What he anchors this whole epistle in is this reality of God's sovereign election. That the reason why you're enduring this, you know, why am I enduring this? Why did I become a Christian anyway? He's saying the whole reason you're enduring this is because you are God's chosen exiles. God puts you here. And that is a very sobering reality to think about. But when you understand this, Let me add one more thing that Paul said in Ephesians when you understand this you really understand that God gets all of the glory It's not oh I did my part It's no even even the faith that you Expressed towards Christ Paul says in Ephesians 2 a is a gift from God It's all a gift Paul says in In 1 Corinthians, this is 1 Corinthians, I think chapter 5, 4, 1 Corinthians 4, he says to the Corinthians, what do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? It's a rhetorical question, meaning nothing. There is nothing that you have in the spiritual life that you did not receive from God. Even the faith in which you believed in the gospel is a gift from God. So therefore, you can't boast in it. There's no boasting at the foot of the cross. There's no boasting that you're better than the heathen. It's all God's grace and mercy. So I think that's the benefit of coming to an understanding of the doctrine of election, is you understand it for God's glory, you endure suffering, and it keeps you humble. You understand that your salvation, your Christian life, is all of a mercy and grace from God. with God being just and people still being responsible to believe. Great question. Hi, my name is Allison, and I was just wondering if you believe that baptism is a requirement to be saved. Great question, Allison. The question is, is baptism a requirement to be saved? And it is absolutely not. And the reason why I know that is because the New Testament teaches over and over and over again that it's faith alone that saves. And I'll just give you a quick example of that. This is in Galatians. This is chapter 2. Paul's talking about how somebody is justified before God. He says, verse 16, Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we also have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law. because by works of the law, no one will be justified. You believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and then you are baptized. But justification is clearly, clearly on the basis of faith alone in Christ. And if I might flesh out some historical examples, This is Acts chapter 10, the conversion of Cornelius and Cornelius's house. Verse 44, while Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. So I want you to notice here in hearing that, that the Holy Spirit came to the believers as a result of faith. You know, they repented and believed. Then they received the Holy Spirit. And then they were baptized. The reason why we baptize people is because Jesus commanded it in the Great Commission. You know, where Jesus said, go therefore into all the world, making disciples of all nations. So you make a disciple. And then he says, you baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. And then you teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. So the disciple is made through faith in Christ, right? The thief on the cross I mentioned this morning when I was doing the baptism. Jesus said today you will be with me in paradise. Because he repented of his sins and he professed faith in Christ. So it clearly his soul went to be with the Lord. So baptism. Is a command that Jesus gave to identify believers publicly with the church, with Christ, and as a symbol of their new life in Christ. Let me give you one other example. This is Acts chapter 16, when Paul and Silas are in Philippi. Verse 14, One who heard us was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God." So in some way, she was already a Gentile proselyte. She already feared Yahweh. But while they were preaching to her, this is an amazing verse, the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. There's the faith. There's the faith. and after she was baptized in her household as well. Then if you you keep reading after they're thrown in prison, they were thrown in prison, they were singing hymns, this is verse 25, about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. While the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, look at this, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your whole household. So the criteria for salvation clearly is belief, faith. And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And after they had believed, and he took them the same hour of the night, so this is in the middle of the night, and washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. And then that man, the jailer, he brought them into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. So clearly there, the belief is what precipitates the baptism. It's the belief that saves. It's the faith that justifies. And then the baptism followers as that outward symbol that you have entered the kingdom of God. At some point along the way, the infant mortality rate was very high in the ancient world. And people begin to be afraid that if their child died, or somebody that they knew had died, that had not been able yet to express faith, that maybe if they baptized them, that would impart faith. And that's literally what Roman Catholic theology teaches. Roman Catholic theology teaches that you are regenerated in the waters of baptism. So when a child is born in a Roman Catholic family, they're not really baptized, they're christened, drops are put on them. But Roman Catholics believe that at that point, that baby is a Christian. And then, if the baby commits a mortal sin, then they forfeit their salvation. So that whole mindset of baptismal regeneration was rolling around for for nearly a thousand years. And even Luther, as good as he is on the doctrine of justification by faith, is still bringing Some sort of baptismal magic into the equation in his top when he's discussing baptism. Does the Holy Spirit strengthen people's faith through baptism? Sure, but that doesn't mean that people are regenerated in baptism. It's a symbol. It's a sign, just like the Lord's Supper is a sign. It's not a, the Lord's Supper is not a physical partaking of the body and blood of Christ. There's not a transubstantiation that's taking place, just like there's not a magical regeneration that is taking place in baptism. And I think that's why there's been so much confusion on the issue of baptism, because for so many hundreds and hundreds of years, people in Christendom thought wrongly about it. But with the recovery of Sola Scriptura and really returning back to the Scriptures, I really think that the Baptists are right on this, that baptism is what follows faith and has no saving efficacy whatsoever. It's a symbol. It's an ordinance that Christ has given, but it's not a requirement for salvation. Now, All that being said, I have so many Presbyterians that I love, respect. Anglicans like John Stott that I love, respect. Many people have practiced infant baptism and those people, though I think are wrong on the issue, I love them. I learn from them. If, you know, anybody who professes Christ here at Capitol is able to partake of the Lord's Supper, We don't limit the Lord's Supper to Baptist only, but that's the place that we put on baptism. It's something that I think that you should do, but we're not going to withhold fellowship from you, you know, the table, if you were baptized as a child and not after your conversion. I know that's a little bit of an add-on to your question, but I think that all these questions are swirling around with the topic of baptism. Now, just one more thing here. The Church of Christ and disciples of Christ, sometimes they're called Campbellites because there was a gentleman in Kentucky named Alexander Campbell. This was 1850s, 60s, basically. They were a movement called a restoration movement that said we need to go back to the New Testament and throw out really all the Protestant theology that has been handed down to us from the reformers and really go back to the New Testament and study what baptism is. And they wrongly came to the conclusion that baptism and faith basically save you. And they get there from a couple New Testament texts that link baptism very closely with salvation. But one of the principles that you have to practice when you're interpreting the New Testament is you interpret the hard text in light of the clear text. It's called analogia scriptura, that the best interpretation of Scripture is Scripture. So when Paul says that you are justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law, you're justified by faith alone, apart from works of the law. When you see over and over in the Acts of the Apostles that faith is what justifies, faith is what brings the Holy Spirit, and then you're baptized after that. Well, clearly, baptism is not a requirement for salvation. All right. I think I murdered that dog. Here, let's form a line. Catherine, come stand behind Jay, so that way we can just start rattling these off. Jay, Jeff, go get at the end of the line. All right. So, that verse, I mean, I'm an ex-Roman Catholic, so I want to play the devil's advocate, and I want you to work hard, because baptism, we agree. But the scripture says, baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you. It says that. It says baptism saves you. I totally agree with you. But there are some people here that don't understand that. So I want to work you to be more articulate. I'm throwing you a softball. What kind of baptism doesn't save you, Grant? It's easy. What kind of baptism? I love that Jay's here to try and keep me honest. If you turn to Romans 6, this is a great point. There's a spiritual baptism that the New Testament talks about. There's a physical baptism in the water. That's the ordinance. And then there's the spiritual reality that the ordinance pictures. And in Romans 6, Paul addresses this. He says, verse three, do you not know that all of us have been baptized into Christ Jesus? We're baptized into his death. So the, you know, baptizo, that word means to immerse. If you were a garment seller in the ancient world and you wanted to dye a garment, you would baptize it in the dye that you wanted it to be. It means to put into something. So what Paul saying in the theology? Really, this is the theology of union with Christ. Is that through faith? You are so united to Christ in such a way that you are essentially baptized into Christ. So that when God looks at you, he no longer sees you as a sinner. He sees you with Christ righteousness, his righteous life. that the old you is now gone, and now what he sees is Christ. And Paul's point in all of this then is, how does that affect the Christian life? If we've been baptized into Christ and baptized into his death, Then he says you've been given a new life verse four He says we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as christ was raised from the dead By the glory of the father we too might walk in newness of life For if we have been united with him in a death like his we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection Like his and he keeps on going on. I mean, this is one of the great chapters on sanctification on putting the old self to death because you really are dead. Your old you is dead in Christ, and you have been raised to walk in a new life, and that's the spiritual baptism. And yes, that baptism does save. The ordinance doesn't save the water baptism, which is the ordinance doesn't save, but this is the spiritual baptism which unites you to Christ through faith. It's the spiritual reality behind your faith, what's taking place. Hello, my name is Catherine Smith. My question to you tonight is the possibility exists that we may have a COVID-19 part two where we are required to wear masks and vaccine mandates lockdowns. What sort of advice can you give to the flock to prepare and respond to this possibility? Great question. Wow, you know, I think we've we've been through so much the past four years. And I do want to say at the outset, Catherine, you know, Paul's instructions in Romans 13, and what Peter says, is that as much it depends upon you to obey the governing authorities, right? That we are to obey the governing authorities that God has given over us. Now, the governing authorities, in the New Testament have a jurisdiction. There's a limit to what a governing authority can tell you to do. And that jurisdiction has to do with punishing evil and promoting good. It has to do with protecting a country from foreign armies who would rule over that country. This is Romans chapter 13. He says. Talking about the magistrate, he says for. Verse four, for he is God's servant for your good, but if you do wrong, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain. He's talking about punishment. People who break the law for he's a servant of God and Avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore, one must be in subjection not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this, you also pay taxes for the authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing. pay all to what is owed to them, taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, so on and so forth. So the point there is that government leaders do have authority, but that authority is limited. And by God's grace, we live in a country that is under a Constitution, which has a Bill of Rights, which establishes certain freedoms on behalf of the individual. And what happened in the last COVID nightmare is that the government basically crushed the Bill of Rights, and they restricted worship in a number of states. By God's grace, here in North Carolina, you know, that was vetoed. But all sorts of unequal weights and measures were placed against the church and against people's personal freedoms. I mean, ridiculous things of people not being able to visit dying parents and grandparents in the hospital where government overstepped people's constitutional liberties, where the government started to meddle in things that God has not given them jurisdiction to meddle in. And so I do think it's important, one, as Christians that we strive as best as we can not to have a rebellious spirit. I did see some Christians that kind of had a rebellious, you know, that do have a rebellious spirit. Anything that the government says, I don't want to do. Well, we're not supposed to have that spirit. But just because we're also not supposed to be, you know, just because the government says, you know, jump six feet and turn around and touch your toes, doesn't mean that we jump six feet, turn around, touch our toes. We need to make sure that whatever the government is telling us to do, that it's according to God's law. And here in America, it's not violating the freedoms that we are supposed to have. One of the things that I think is interesting, the way that the Constitution is designed, if there is an unconstitutional law, How has it changed? Let's say that Congress passes an unconstitutional law or the president gives you an unconstitutional mandate. The way that it's changed is one Congress can repass the law or you can elect a new president or and this is what happened all throughout COVID. You purposely break the law and then what happens? It goes into the court system. And then it goes up the court system, and then the courts declare the law what? Unconstitutional. So sometimes the only way to, in this country and the way the system is designed, if there's an unconstitutional law, sometimes the only way to get it overturned is to intentionally break that law. And then it's designed to go up to the, you know, if needed, to the Supreme Court and for that to be overturned. And that's happened again and again, right, since all this COVID stuff has happened, where now all these constitutional infringements are coming to light and are being struck down. So, yeah, I do think we need to be very careful. You know, it's kind of fool me once, shame on me. or fool me once, shame on you. Fool me, that's what I meant to say. Fool me, you know, fool me twice, shame on me, right? I mean, so we need, I mean, I think we are on the cusp of a major work of God in this country. I really do. I mean, that's what I'm praying for. Maybe I'm just optimistic, but I'm praying that God would do what he's doing at Capitol all over the country. And that there would be a major work of God where people are repenting and believing. And I'm sure that Satan would love nothing more than to shut trying to shut down the churches through some sort of ridiculous COVID mandate. We have to gather and and you know if something comes down from the government. I'm going to be here preaching the Word of God no matter what. No matter what, and I'm going to do that till the cows come home. And I don't care if they arrest me or whatever, but that's that's what I intend to do. Jeff, OK, I'm going to he's got his glasses on. I'm going. Oh, I love you. Oh, OK. Tonight. Oh. My question concerns Matthew chapter 6. You know, you mentioned that the Sermon of the Mount is for right now, and I don't disagree with that, okay? But in here in the model prayer, I'm not going to call it the Lord's Prayer because Jesus does not actually pray this prayer. That's good. But in verse 10, it says, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I kind of struggle with this from the standpoint because, you know, I believe that, you know, I thought about what you said this morning. In one sense, yeah, I agree. There is an already in the sense that Christ is reigning and ruling in my heart. But I look around me and I look around this world, the physical kingdom of God hasn't come yet. Now, if it has, why are people still dying? Why are parents still having their kids diagnosed with cancer? You know what, you see where I'm going here? You know, so my question is this. What's he saying here when he says your kingdom come is this petition saying hey people You know get people to come become saved and then also the kingdom of God to come in its full Eschological details. What's your thought on that? Yeah, I mean Jesus says to Pilate and in John 19 says my kingdom is not of this world otherwise my people would be fighting so that I would not be arrested and So the kingdom now, I believe, and this is, you know, the kingdom is a massive scholarly debate and there's all sorts of positions on the kingdom because Jesus never defines the kingdom. He just talks a lot about the kingdom, right? There's never, you never see a definition of the kingdom. It's Jesus began preaching that the kingdom of God is at hand. I mean, that was his message. That was John the Baptist message message that the kingdom of God is is. At hand, it's it's coming. It's here in in a very real sense. You know, Jesus says my kingdom is here, but it's not of this world. So I believe that the kingdom is a spiritual realm right now that it's a spiritual realm. That the way that you enter the kingdom is through faith and repentance. Let me read Colossians 1. He says, this is verse 13, He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. What Paul's saying to the Colossians is he's saying, if you are in Christ, you right now are transferred into the kingdom of Christ. You are in the kingdom. You already possess the kingdom. And this comes through, verse 14, through redemption, the forgiveness of sins. What happens to the Christian who receives the forgiveness of sins and is transferred into the kingdom of God? Well, that's where I understand the entire Sermon on the Mount to come into play. That the Sermon on the Mount is the kingdom ethic for the Christian. The Sermon on the Mount is the ethical manifesto that we are all to live out. This applies to the Christian now. So when Jesus says, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He's saying, look, you begin to pray. that the ethics of Christ, what is manifested here in the Sermon on the Mount, will be seen in your life, that you will live out these virtues, that His will would be done. Another sense of this is the New Testament says that Christ reigns until He puts His enemies under His feet. Satan is called the God of this world in 2 Corinthians 4. There's a sense where Satan, though limited in terms of his ability to deceive the nations, there's a sense where Satan is still deceiving people. He's called the God of this world, the God of this age. And Christ is advancing his church over time through all the nations, all the peoples, I'm an optimistic amillennialist, that all of the nations, people will hear the gospel, be converted, the gates of Hades will not be able to stand against the church, and that God's purpose of bringing in the full number of elect will come in. So in that sense, what he's saying is absolutely true. Your kingdom come, your will be done in our lives and on the earth. You bring about the kingdom. But you have to balance this with this understanding that the nations, in terms of the political entities, in terms of the earth itself, is still fallen. Until Christ returns, the world is still cursed. I mean, this is Romans chapter 8. He says verse 18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. That's the the the angels for the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because him who subjected it in hope. that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. So the freedom of the creation will not come until Christ returns. No matter what, no matter how hard we pray, the curse will not be lifted until Christ comes back. Death will not be removed until Christ comes back. First Corinthians 15. Sin will not be removed until Christ comes back. So those realities, we can pray all day long, but God has ordained that those realities will exist until the second coming of Christ. So we pray for God's kingdom to come in the advance of the gospel in our hearts, for people to come to Christ, for the worship of God to advance across the whole earth, but we also understand that there is a timing and a sequence to when the kingdom will fully be ushered in. And that's why this morning I gave you that grid of the already and the not yet. There's the already aspect of the kingdom that's already here, that's seen in the forgiveness of sins, that's seen in the ethic of Christianity. that's seen in the spiritual realities in which we take part in. But then there's the not yet, which is the final removal of the curse, the final removal of death, the resurrection body, and so on and so forth. And we live in that tension and we pray. And this is probably another aspect of what Jesus is talking about. Our prayer is come Lord Jesus, right? Our prayer is for Jesus to come and rid sin and death forever. and for his kingdom to be fully established. I mean, I'm longing for that day. I know you are as well. So great question, Jeff. Finding the right balance among worship, work, and play. My name is David Kittleson, and a couple of verses to bracket the question. If we think of Ephesians chapter 2, it's clear that our salvation is by faith, not by works, lest any man boast. And then for us to put food on our tables, we know that 2nd Thessalonians says in verse 310, if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. So on one hand, we know that salvation is not by works. And on the other hand, we know we must work. But it seems like there's often a gap that's left where the church does not have clear what we should be doing spiritually. So the question then is to get that right balance, worship, work and play. Somebody said Americans worship at their work. work at their play and play at their worship. So the question then is, what can we be doing to encourage ourselves as Christians and to be able to not be found guilty of spiritual laziness? Great question. Well, Paul gives so many guidelines regarding work, care for people. I think of, let me just give you all some guidelines. This is in 1 Timothy chapter 5. One of the the principles that operates is, as Paul says, you know, I think you quoted, if you don't work, you don't eat. Because God designed work in the garden. Work is a good thing. And as part of that work, we are to provide for ourselves, and we are to provide for those in our care. So in 1 Timothy 5, He says, verse four, he says, if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents. For this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplication and prayers nights and day. but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives." So he says, verse 8, if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. So there is a responsibility for the men here, and that's who he's talking to. He's saying, look, in your household, if you're a man, you have a responsibility to provide for them. And you have a responsibility if your mother is widowed, you have a responsibility to help provide for her. Paul says, make some return, right? I mean, think about how much a mother pours into the life of a baby. There's no amount of financial compensation that can make up for a woman giving birth to you and bringing you into the world. He's saying that's your responsibility to provide. Now, you look at work in the garden. Work is pre-fall. Work is something that God designed us to do. Now, work is cursed as part of the fall, that there's thorns and thistles in what we do. And the work that we, the wealth that we accumulate, you don't get to keep it. Right you have to you when you die and leave this world you go to be with the lord you leave all your wealth here So that's one of the things that Solomon talks about in Ecclesiastes that this is a folly unto men that a man works hard And then doesn't enjoy the the fruit of his of his labors So provide for your family But I also think, in thinking about work, I think it's important that you learn to do something that you love, something that you enjoy. I think that's something that one of the ways that you know that you're supposed to be doing something is God gives you an aptitude to do it, and God gives you an enjoyment of it, and God gives you skill in doing it. And, you know, there might be some things that you love to do. You might love to play dominoes. You're probably not going to get paid for playing dominoes unless you're really good. But, you know, there's other things that if you're really good at something and they'll pay you to do it and you love doing it, go do it for the glory of God. You know, that would be another principle that Paul lays out first Corinthians 1031 Whatever you do do all for the glory of God whether you eat or drink. So whatever you do You do it for the glory of God you work heartily unto the Lord not for men you work before an audience of one and you provide for your family and And then you serve the Lord You know, you minister in the body of Christ. This is something we're going to talk about next Sunday, is you have a responsibility to minister in the body, to use your gifts in the body. The Bible doesn't talk all that much about leisure and free time. And I'm all about enjoying a run and going to the gym. So don't hear me. There's nothing wrong with leisure and free time. But the Bible doesn't speak too much to that because it's not like people in the ancient world had that much free time. You know, they didn't have indoor plumbing and they didn't have washing machines. They didn't have a lot of free time. This is more of a 20th century novelty. The time that they had, it seems like they spent studying the Bible. and, you know, maybe enjoying family life. So, you know, you do everything you can for the glory of God. If the Bible doesn't forbid it, then, you know, it could be an issue of conscience whether or not you can partake of it or not. But if you can, and you can do it for God's glory, and again, it's not forbidden in your free time, then I think that you can do that, partake of that, enjoy it, as long as the glory of God and His glory is the main thing. So I know I've kind of said a lot of things. Dave, where's Dave? Oh, right over here. That was a very good question, and I think it's a question to to think about. But the glory of God, that's the big thing. And one other thing, one other principle, this just came to my mind. What Paul says about our identity in Romans 6, again turning to Romans 6, is he refers to the Christian as a doulos or a bondservant of Christ. And this is something that has impacted me so much personally. So much. Because it reframes how I think about my entire life. He says in verse 20. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things in death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, The fruit you get leads to sanctification, and it's in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life. Christ Jesus, our Lord. The reason why this has been so revolutionary for me as a broad principle regarding work, play, everything, is because it's helped me understand that my life is not my own, and my life belongs to Him. Everything I have belongs to Him now. And so that's one of the questions, you know, when you're playing some dumb game on your phone or whatever you're doing, is this what God wants me to be doing right now? When he comes back, is this what I want him to find me doing? And if you can answer that in the affirmative, if you are enjoying a cherry limeade from Sonic to the glory of God, all to you. All to you. So I'm not saying don't have fun. I'm not saying don't enjoy what God's giving you. Just make sure that you understand that you're like, you know, Paul says you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God with your body. So that's the glory of God. Your life belongs to him. You're a slave. You have responsibilities as a man to provide for your family. That work is good. Find something that you love to do. That's a real blessing when you can find something that you love to do. I would do this even if they didn't pay me to do it, because I love doing this. I love doing this. I love teaching the Word of God. So find something you love to do and do it for His glory. I think we have time for one more question. Hey, y'all. I'm William. I need your help chewing through this one, sir. So this really comes, you know, we've referenced, We've referenced Paul a lot, you know, as we've been answering some of these questions, because we look to Paul for really black and white explanation. You know, Paul speaks the truth. And so in regards to that, my question is in 1 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 2 through 16, Paul pretty clearly lays out the fact that men, we should uncover our heads during prayer, which we do do. It states that women should cover their heads during prayer, which we don't. And then it goes even further and says that men should keep their hair short, women should keep their hair long, and to do otherwise is disgraceful. And I understand this is a delicate subject, and that's why I'm curious to what you have to say on it. How do we interpret this? So much of what Paul says is so black and white, where this is something we kind of tiptoe around. I just want to get your thoughts on that. Man, William, that is a... Man, you are swinging for the green monster at Fenway. So this passage, you know, I could do and have done. I did it at a conference in Detroit last year. I did a whole message on this passage. And to be honest, I'm not sure I even did it. I spoke on it for 50 minutes, and I'm not sure I did it the justice that it's due, even in 50 minutes. And we have about two. So let me just talk real briefly here to what Paul's saying, because this is important. It might seem it's not important, you know, head coverings and stuff. You're like, oh, you know, do we really need to talk about this? Well, Paul thinks it's important, and he says in verse 2, I commend you because you remember me and everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you But he says this, he says, I want you to understand something Corinthians and and this is the big thing and and you know the head covering thing. I'll just I'll just state state my position here on the head covering thing. I think it's a matter of conscience. I think the head covering was a for sure in Judaism, a cultural symbol that represented the fact that every woman was under the headship of either her father or her husband. In Judaism, that is indisputable. And the women would wear head coverings all the time as a symbol of that fact, as a symbol of the fact that the man was the head of the home, the head of the family. And apparently, this was the custom in the ancient church, is not all the time. But the custom in the ancient church as a symbol of that headship was, Paul says, the tradition is that they wear head coverings. So I think that there's, you know, if in your conscience, if a woman thinks, I really need to have a head covering to show that I am under my husband's authority, go for it. But I really think it's a cultural symbol of this reality. But what I'm fearful about is that as the american church we've lost the reality this is this is the reality he's talking about verse three he says i want you to understand that the head of every man is christ christ is over the man the head of a wife is her husband words kefale it means the leader of the wife is her husband and the head of christ is god so here we're talking about relationships of intimacy And within these relationships of intimacy, there's also authority and submission. There's also, there's leadership. And there's debate about whether that reference to Christ is talking about the pre-incarnate Trinity or talking about Christ and his humanity as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Son of Man. But here's the point. In the Gospel of John, Jesus over and over and over again, he says, I came to do my Father's will. I, I, my bread is to do what the Father sent me to do. Jesus is God. And Jesus is the object of our worship. But yet Jesus submits to the Father. Submission is not a dirty word. Jesus submitted. Jesus was in perfect relationship with the Father. And Paul's point here is, this is the principle, he says the man in the relationship is under the authority of Christ. Men are to submit as well. You're to submit to Christ, but then he says the head of the woman is the man that the wife is to submit to her husband. And you think, oh, well, you know this whole thing is is a cultural thing. Well, you know, Paul doesn't say that. He says no, this goes back to nature. This this goes back to how God designed men and women. He says if you pray or prophesy, If a man does it with his head covered, he dishonors his head. But every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. And by head there, the second head in verse five, I think it's talking about her husband, that she is praying or prophesying would be basically analogous to reading scripture today. uh without her head covered it was it was like she was doing it outside of the authority of her husband and um you know paul says verse seven for a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God." Talking about Adam was the first one that's created, right? Adam's the first one who is created. And then Eve was created from Adam. The woman is the glory of man. And then he says, this is the argument. This is why we understand headship and submission this way. He said, for man was not made from woman, but woman for man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. The woman was created to be the man's helper, not the other way around. That's what Paul's saying. This is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head. And then he says, you know, I don't understand what this means exactly. But he says, because there's some sort of symbol of authority that the angels have, because of the angels. So then he talks about how men and women are ultimately dependent upon one another through childbirth and all these things. And then the point that you ask is, does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair, it is a disgrace for him? But if a woman has long hair, it is her glory, for her hair is given to her for a covering. And so he's saying, essentially, that universally throughout history, the glory of a woman has been longer hair, in that it has been understood as a, he says, a disgrace. It's something that's shameful for a man to have longer hair. It's disgraceful for a man to look like a woman, is what he's saying. And it's disgraceful for a woman to look like a man. And in this day and age where there's so much, I mean, just gender fluidity, this sounds like we're talking about aliens or something. But Paul's laying out these principles and these are new covenant principles. So, you know, there's all sorts of issues to be taken into consideration regarding hair length. You know, we're not going to be legalists regarding hair length. And, you know, part of that has to do with age and, you know, chemo. And, you know, there's all sorts of things that can go into play here regarding somebody's hair length. But the principle is, is that a man shouldn't look like a woman, you know, shouldn't, Paul says, shouldn't have long hair. What constitutes long hair? You know, that's, you know, I would say something beyond their shoulder length. You know, in the Marine Corps we used to say, you know, touching your ears. But you know it when you see it. You know it when somebody, you're like, oh, I thought that guy was a woman. You know, oh, that's it right there. You know it when you see it. And so Paul's just saying, look, men should look like men, women should look like women. And that's the general guideline here. And that's part of the argument that he's using for head coverings. Now, again, coming back, hear me say this. I'm not saying that I think that all the women should wear head coverings. Because I think that there's an element where nobody even knows what that means in our culture. In our Western culture, nobody knows what that means. But if in somebody's conscience they feel like they should do that, I say, go for it. But the most important thing is the principle to understand that the woman is under the headship of her husband and that the man is under the headship of Christ. That's the most important thing. And that's what we've forgotten in the church. That's what we've forgotten in the church. I mean, the church has completely abandoned 1 Corinthians 11 in terms of that. But it's right there. And Paul says it's in nature. It's in the design of how men and women were created. So great way to close. Heavenly Father, thank you, Lord, for your word, your truth. And Lord, may it be a light to our feet and a lamp into our path. Be diligent slaves of Christ, bondservants of Christ, all for your glory, whether in work, or play, or leisure, or in our service to Christ in the church. Whatever we do, may it be done for the glory and honor of Christ. In Christ's name, amen. Thank you.