• Death is not natural (Gen. 2:17; Rev. 21:4). Just because it happens to all of us does not mean that we should accept it as a natural part of life. It is not. It is an unwelcome intruder. It is a distortion of the way things are supposed to be. It was not part of God’s original creation, and it will not be part of His renewed creation.

• Death entered the world through sin (Rom. 5:12). God warned Adam that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. But Adam disobeyed God anyways and, as a result, death entered the world. As our representative, his rebellion meant death for all of mankind.

• Death comes to everyone (Eccl. 7:2; Ps. 89:48; Heb. 9:27). This is common knowledge and has already been stated. But it bears repeating. Every person who lives will face death. We are all going to die at some point. It is common to our human experience.

• Death is the wages of sin (Rom. 6:23). Death proves that we are sinners in need of grace. Just as we work and earn money, so we sin and earn death. At birth, we all inherit a sinful human nature that is wholly corrupt and bent toward sin. Therefore, we are sinners and death is what our sin deserves.

• Death is an enemy (1 Cor. 15:26). We should not speak kindly of death, or shrug it off as normal, or worse, joke about it. Death is our enemy. It’s an adversary that stands in the way of God’s original intentions for human life and his blessing. Satan tries to use death to scare us, but the reality is that, in Christ, it is a disarmed enemy and has no power over us. This is true to the point that Paul can say that “to die is gain” because through death he goes to be with Christ forever.

• God is sovereign over death (1 Sam. 2:6; Matt. 10:29; Eph. 1:11). Nothing happens apart from the perfect will of God, even death. This includes heart attacks, car accidents, medical malpractice, natural disasters, etc. Death cannot defeat his purposes or frustrate his plans. We may not understand how this is so, but it is so nonetheless.

• The day of our death has already been determined (Ps. 139:16). We will all die on the exact day that God has determined for us, not a minute sooner and not a minute later. It is true that God does sometimes grant us more time (see King Hezekiah), but even this is ultimately part of his plan. His will is always done.

• God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:32). It is God’s expressly revealed will that all would acknowledge their sin, repent, and turn to him and be saved. While his justice is served in the death of his enemies, his pleasure is found only in the salvation of his saints.

• Death is sad (John 11:35; 1 Thess. 4:13). It separates us from our loved ones. It’s a reminder of our sinful condition. Death is a time to grieve. We shouldn’t pretend that it’s no big deal just because we’re Christians. We don’t grieve as those who have no hope, but we do still grieve.

• Jesus did not want to experience death (Matt. 26:39). Even our Savior, being fully human as well as fully God, thought the prospect of dying on a cross, albeit for the sins of the world, was something he would rather avoid, if it were possible. Aversion to death is normal to the human experience.

• Jesus’ death paid for our sins and reconciles us to God (Rom. 5:10; 6:10). His death satisfied the wrath of God against our sins forever. He suffered in our place. He died our death and gives us his righteousness in order to reconcile us to God. The fear of death has to do with facing God in our sin, but in Jesus, we no longer stand condemned.

• Jesus has conquered death (2 Tim. 1:10; 1 Cor. 15:56-57; Rev. 1:8). The grave could not hold him. He has risen and he reigns and he lives to intercede for his people. Therefore, he is able to save us to the uttermost. Death is our enemy and we must face it, but it is a defeated enemy. In Christ, it’s like a bee without a stinger. If we know Jesus and belong to him, we know the one who has authority over death.

• Death cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:38). God’s love for us is not tied to this physical reality. It transcends it, and nothing can sever us from it, not even death. In Christ, we have eternal fellowship with God. Death cannot break that relationship because death is not the most powerful force in the universe, God is.

• Believers who die go directly into the presence of Jesus (Phil 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8). Though our bodies may die, our souls (or spirits) continue in a conscious existence. And the testimony of Scripture is that, for believers, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Wherever Jesus is, that’s where we will be.

• Death is sleep for the Christian’s body (1 Thess. 4:13). Paul speaks of believers who have died as those who have fallen asleep. Their bodies rest in the grave while their souls (or spirits) are present with Jesus. The Greek word for “cemetery” literally means “sleeping place.” The implication is that one day our bodies will “wake up.”

• Jesus will raise our bodies from the dead (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:16). One day, when Jesus returns, he will cause our bodies to rise from the dead and our souls (or spirits) will be reunited with our bodies. But these bodies will be transformed into new glorified bodies that will never die again, nor will they be able to. They will be uniquely fitted for the new heavens and the new earth. And we will forever live with Christ there.

• Death should motivate us to live for Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). Every person who ever lives will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For believers, saved by Christ, that judgment will consist only of rewards for work accomplished. For unbelievers, it will also be a judgment of works, but only of sinful deeds deserving of wrath and punishment. Both realities should motivate us as believers to be about the work of sharing the good news that God has provided a Savior in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

• Fear of death reveals a lack of faith in God and his promises (Matt. 10:28; 2 Tim. 1:7). When we fear death, it usually signals that something is amiss in our relationship with God. For the unbeliever, it’s simple; he must be reconciled to God through faith in Christ. But for the believer, it usually means that we’re not thinking rightly about God or his promises or his gospel. Either way, we need to cry out like the man in Mark 9:24, “I believe, help my unbelief!” Weak faith is enough to save as long as it clings to Christ.

• Death will not exist in the renewed creation (Rev. 21:8). When God makes all things new, heaven and earth will be joined and we will live there with God forever in new glorified bodies. It will be something like a return to the Garden of Eden, but better. Death will be no more. Life will finally be enjoyed in fellowship with God and man in the way in which it was originally intended.

• Death is the path to life (John 12:24-25). This world is passing away. It is not our home. Those who choose to cling to this world will lose their life forever, but those who give their lives to Christ, trust him, and are willing to die with him will gain their lives forever. By faith, we walk through the door of death and gain Christ on the other side.

The bottom line is this: Jesus is the answer to the death problem. He says, in John 11:25, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” What an encouragement to know that the one who said these words is the one who died on a cross for our sins, rose three days, and now lives forever as our Savior and Lord. He has conquered death and cancelled our condemnation and he is coming back soon. Amen. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

 This effort flows from a challenge given by Dr. John Hammett to my Baptist History class while I was in seminary, and I have come to see the practical value. It has been incredibly helpful for me to think through the importance of these various doctrines, not only for my own understanding but also in helping me assess how I should engage others who differ with me on these various doctrines. For example, if another Christian believes that all the spiritual gifts are in operation today and I disagree, that’s okay, because that is a doctrine that we can discuss within the pale of Christian orthodoxy (i.e., accepted Christian beliefs). But if I encounter someone who claims to be a Christian while denying the essential doctrine of the full deity of Christ, then I know that I must seek to win that person to the true knowledge of the gospel.

 This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of doctrines, but it’s a start. I would also say that I invite critique and dialogue. I strongly believe this is something worthy of our thoughts and reflections. One thing that I realized upon reflection is that I couldn’t neatly categorize these various doctrines into just two groups, i.e., essentials and non-essentials. I had to expand the categories.

 So, here’s how it works. I have identified five categories to classify these various doctrines. Category I and Category II, Essentials I and Essentials II, respectively, both relate to ultimate salvation. The difference between the two is that the former must be affirmed immediately while the latter must never be ultimately denied. Essentials I represent the most basic truths of the gospel message. Essentials II are related but usually are affirmed and understood later in the Christian life. Category III, I have labeled Vitals. These doctrines represent what I believe are vitally important to the spiritual health of the believer, but they are not “deal breakers.” Every Christian should affirm and defend these, but someone may be wrong or inconsistent in regards to these matters and still may be a genuine believer in Christ. Nevertheless, to deny any one of these puts the professing believer on a slippery slope. Thus, these doctrines should be taken very seriously and denials should send up “red flags” resulting in a careful reengagement with the central truths of the gospel. Category IV represents the non-essentials of the faith. These doctrines are important, but genuine believers take many different views on these issues. As long as the truths of Categories I and II are affirmed, these believers may enjoy fellowship with one another even though they differ on their understanding of these various doctrines. Category V represents the particular distinctives of Baptists, the denomination to which I belong. Other denominational distinctives could be included, but the point is that none of these denominational distinctives rise to the level of a Category I or II essential. Nevertheless, even though denominational distinctives are non-essentials for salvation, they are still important in distinguishing and clarifying the beliefs of a particular denomination.

CATEGORY I: ESSENTIALS I: What must I believe in order to be considered a genuine professing believer in Christ? (One must affirm and believe these essential truths of the gospel or one cannot be considered a genuine Christian.)

• God as Creator (to whom we are morally accountable)
• Sinfulness of Man
• Full Humanity of Jesus Christ
• Full Deity of Jesus Christ
• Sinlessness of Jesus Christ
• Penal, Substitutionary Atonement (i.e., Christ died “for our sins”)
• Bodily Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus Christ (in a “transphysical body”)
• Personal Repentance and Faith
• Justification by Faith Alone (sola fide)

 CATEGORY II: ESSENTIALS II: What must I eventually affirm and never ultimately reject if I am to maintain my status as a genuine professing believer in Christ? (Ultimately deny one of these and one cannot be considered a genuine Christian.)

• God as Trinity, i.e., one God who exists as three co-equal, co-eternal Persons
• Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God
• Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ
• Second Coming of Jesus Christ

 CATEGORY III: VITALS: What must I believe in order to stand firm and protect myself from falling? (These are vital to spiritual health. They should be affirmed, fought for, and defended; however, denial does not necessarily mean one is not saved. Still, deny one and it puts you on a slippery slope.)

• Inerrancy of Scripture
• Authority of Scripture (Special Revelation)
• Canon of Scripture
• Exclusivity of the Gospel
• Doctrines of Grace (i.e., Calvinism: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints)
• Indwelling of the Spirit at Conversion
• Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
• Bible Translations
• Lordship Salvation
• Eternal Punishment in Hell
• Existence of Angels/Demons/Satan

 CATEGORY IV: NONESSENTIALS: What are the issues considered acceptable differences within the sphere of Christianity? (Believers may disagree on these issues and still be considered brothers and sisters in Christ.)

• Eschatology
• Spiritual Gifts
• Baptism and Lord’s Supper
• Ecclesiology
• Old Earth vs. New Earth Creationism
• Covenant Theology vs. Dispensationalism
• Women Deacons
• Worship Styles
• Use of Alcohol
• Sabbath Observances
• Missiology
• Church and Culture

 CATEGORY V: DENOMINATIONAL DISTINCTIVES: What must I believe in order to be considered, in this case, a Baptist? (Believers should hold to these with passion, but humility. None of these rise to the level of a Category I or II essential.)

• Authority of the Bible Alone
• Believer’s Baptism by Immersion
• Regenerate Church Membership
• Autonomy of the Local Church
• Separation of Church and State
• Priesthood of All Believers
• Congregational Church Government

 In sum, again these categories represent just one humble attempt to classify some of the various doctrines of the Christian faith. I realize this document may be controversial, and I do not expect everyone to agree with me. I also realize that I did not defend my reasons for placing a particular doctrine where I did. (That is way beyond the scope of this post.) Nevertheless, it was just good for me personally to think these things through and put them on paper, and if this document has motivated you to think about the importance and priority of these doctrines more critically as well, then I believe this has been time well spent. The bottom line is that the essentials start and end somewhere, and if the essentials represent the gospel, we better have a good idea what they are. It’s just too important.

You Are Invited

Providence Church invites you and your family to join us this Christmas Eve as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Christmas Eve Service

Our church family typically meets at Varisty Lakes Middle School, but due to the school’s holday schedule we have partnered with Gunnery Road Baptist Church to use their venue. We are thankful for this local church to help us celebrate this year in a special way.

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 How important is church unity to you? Not just theoretically, but practically. I have no doubt that you will nod in agreement that church unity is important. I mean, really, who wouldn’t? I don’t know too many believers who would argue against unity. I can’t imagine someone saying something like, “No, I actually enjoy a little sinful conflict every now and then; I like dissention in the church.” Nobody would say that. But how important is it? What priority do you give it? How far would you go to preserve it?

Paul goes so far as to write a letter. In that letter he begs the church in Corinth to mend the divisions that have taken place and reunite as brothers. The ESV records it as an “appeal.” The NASB says it was an “exhortation.” The NKJV says he “pleaded” with them. But I really like how the Moffatt Bible translates Paul. It says, “I beg you.” I think that was the tone of Paul’s words. “I beg you, please, end the divisions and agree together in the Lord!”

This issue is so important to him that he exhorts them “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”! Thus, not only is unity consistent with the character and will of Jesus, but Paul is willing to speak in the compassionate authority of Jesus. The unity of this church was not a matter of indifference; it was a matter that required urgent attention and apostolic exhortation.

Now, let’s get back to the original question. How important is church unity to you personally? If there was conflict in your church, would you be willing to go “beg” people to find unity, as Paul does? If you’re in a conflict, are you willing to pursue reconciliation? How far are you willing to go to pursue peace or be an instrument of peace? Would you write a letter? Would you go visit someone? Would you humble yourself? Or, would you just ignore it and let life move on?

Paul says elsewhere, using similarly strong language, “I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called . . .  eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3). Paul wants us to be zealous for unity. It seems to me that too often we don’t feel the weight of Paul’s instruction. If only we were as passionate about unity as we are about evangelism or discipleship or fellowship!

Now, this isn’t unity at all costs. We certainly can’t have biblical unity in doctrinal heresy or rebellious sin. James 3:17 says, “The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable…” So, we can’t have unity with those who refuse to repent of doctrines that deny the essentials of the biblical gospel. And we can’t have unity with those who refuse to repent of behavior out of step with the ethical teachings of Scripture. In such cases, church discipline is necessary and separation is appropriate.

But even in these times, we should continue to pursue reconciliation. We should never have a “good riddance” attitude. We should never be content with broken relationships in the body just so we can have some semblance of peace. If we are truly a family of believers, then we must pursue our brothers.

I believe the essence of our unity is in our relationships as a people with a common Lord. We agree together in the gospel. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and thus we should act accordingly. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to “agree” together and not allow “divisions.” In their case, they were allowing sects to form, each rallying behind their favorite leaders in opposition to the other leaders. Paul reasoned that their divisions were illogical, arguing, “Is Christ divided?” If we serve the same Christ, then we should not be at odds with one another.

This wasn’t the only time Paul had to call a church to unity. In the Philippian church, they apparently had some disunity issues too because Paul calls them to be of the “same mind” (2:3) and specifically urges Euodia and Syntyche “to agree in the Lord.” The Roman church experienced problems over the issue of Christian liberty, with the strong separating from the weak and the weak judging the strong. Paul calls them also to “be of the same mind,” reminding them of their common relationship as brothers and their responsibility to “pursue peace” and “walk in love.” Where broken relationships in Christ exist, we must seek to pursue reconciliation.

On a bigger scale, when dealing with denominations, differences in doctrines of secondary importance may divide us in practice, but they should never prevent our fellowship as a common people under one Lord. As a guide, we should follow the old maxim, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.”

So, as we consider divisions among brothers, we must value biblical unity the same way that Christ did, and we must pursue it the same way that Paul did. As far as it depends on us, it is not optional. We should work hard to achieve it, even if it means getting our hands a little dirty in the process.

This issue is too important. The reality is our unity is in Jesus. The church is His body. There is only one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of every true believer. Thus, we act inconsistently when we allow divisions to occur in our midst. May we acknowledge our oneness and strive for unity with the zeal of Paul and motivated by the glory of Christ.

Lord, help me to be as passionate for the unity of the church as Paul is, and show me what I can do to seek to preserve unity where divisions have occurred. Give me the strength, courage, and wisdom that I need, Lord.

Don’t address spiritual threats with man-centered solutions. The Assyrians were a huge threat to the people of God; they were ruthless warriors who would destroy anyone who stood in their way. They were big, mean, and brutal in battle. When threatened by them there was a strong temptation for the people of God to flee to Egypt and seek protection there. But God reminds them through the prophet Isaiah, “The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.” (Isa. 31:3)

When threats come against the church of God we must not resort to man-centered tactics. Rather we must trust in God, he is strong and mighty to save, and he loves the church more than we ever could. There will be a temptation to neglect prayer, fasting, self-examination, and gracious confrontation. We will be tempted to forsake brotherly love and a commitment to live according to the Scriptures. We will be pulled in the direction of focusing only on human strategy, running to people that we think can protect us rather than running to the Lord.

We must be ready for trouble, because it will certainly come upon the church. “The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8), but we must remember that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12) When we face troubles we must remember that the problem is always sin and the solution is always the gospel. We do not need to resort to worldly tactics but we need to trust in the power of the gospel to transform the lives of individuals. In the end, it is enough to remember that whatever the threat, whether it is a threat to you, a friend, or something that endangers many people… God alone can rescue.

Isaiah 31:5 “Like birds hovering, so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it.”

Genesis 3:15. In this early verse of Scripture, we read what is commonly referred to as the “proto-evangelium,” or the “first gospel.” It’s named such because this is the first place in Scripture where the Messiah is prophesied to come. What makes this a clue to our thesis is that this first mention of a Redeemer for man includes a word of judgment for the serpent. (In fact, the promise of a Redeemer comes in the very context of judgment on the serpent.) Thus, our redemption is tied closely together with the crushing of the serpent. From the very beginning, we are told that the cross will spell the end of the dominion of Satan and his dominion.

Job 1-2. What I find fascinating about the story of Job, chapters 1-2 in particular, is that all that happens to Job in the earthly realm results from a dialogue between God and Satan in the heavenly realm, completely unbeknownst to Job. Satan comes into God’s presence, and God offers up Job to Satan, almost as a challenge. The challenge seems to be, can Satan get God’s servant to curse God? So, Satan kills his family, takes away all that he owns, and inflicts Job with a painful illness, but God’s servant Job never curses God. In the end, God blesses him with twice as much as he had before. So, there are three main, general characters in this story: God, angelic beings, and men. The clash in heaven between Almighty God and the demonic angel Satan is played out on earth in the life of Job, with God being vindicated, Satan being defeated, and man being blessed.

Matthew 25:41. What I see significant in this verse is the fact “the eternal fire” is not prepared primarily for sinful man, but is “prepared for the devil and his angels.” Certainly, those who forsake God and reject Christ will be cast into the eternal fire as well (the text clearly states this), but Hell is prepared first and foremost for the cosmic rebel (and his angels )who deceived man, initiated his fall, and continues to blind his eyes and hold him captive in this world. When God prepared the eternal fire, he prepared it for the devil and his angels.

Mark 1:23-25. The clash between Jesus and an “unclean spirit” is another hint at the cosmic struggle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. With the coming of Christ, we see the beginning of the overthrow of Satan’s dominion on earth as Jesus exercises His authority and casts out demons. We also get a taste of what the kingdom will be like in its fullness at the consummation of the ages. It will be a kingdom devoid of demons and their influence where Christ will reign and rule as King.

Mark 3:27. Before one can plunder the strong man’s house, one must first bind the strong man. This seems to be precisely what Jesus does to Satan in His incarnational ministry. First, he disarms him. Then, he plunders his kingdom by redeeming and rescuing those He came to save, those who were previously lost and held captive in the “domain of darkness.”

Colossians 2:15. The cross of Christ was not only the place of forgiveness for man with the payment of a debt; it was also the place of victory over “the rulers and authorities” in the heavenly places. In fact, the former seems to have led to the latter. By paying our debt at the cross, Christ “disarmed” and “triumphed over” the demonic rulers and authorities which never ceased to harass and accuse us before God. The cross thus had a heavenly element of victory in it.

Ephesians 2:7; 3:10. These two texts are most telling. In the first, we see the purpose of God’s grace toward us, and in the second, we see the purpose of God’s wisdom in His Church. Both seem to involve a display or exhibit for the angels (and demons?) in the heavenly places. In 2:7, God puts His grace on display. We, the objects of His mercy, become like trophies in a trophy case, living examples of His great love and mercy, testifying throughout the ages to the angels who worship Him. The angels look on in wonder. And in 3:10, God uses the church as an instrument to make known His manifold wisdom “to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” So, God purposes to use reconciled men on earth to exhibit His wisdom to angels in heaven. These verses seem to suggest a bigger story than our restored relationship with God alone. The cross of Christ has cosmic implications.

Hebrews 2:14-18. “Through death,” Jesus destroyed “the one who has the power of death, this is, the devil” and delivered those He came to save. So, Jesus overcame death to destroy the devil’s power over us. Our victory came through the devil’s defeat.

1 John 3:8. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” Here it is stated plainly. Christ’s purpose was focused on crushing the enemy of both God and man.

Revelation 12:10. Lastly, the kingdom of God seems to come in its fullness when the “accuser of our brothers” is finally thrown out. One kingdom, Christ’s, comes with the destruction of the other, Satan’s.

CONCLUSION
In sum, Scripture seems to support the idea that our redemption is wrapped up in the devil’s defeat. The cross of Christ has cosmic implications. This should cause us to ponder anew the glory of Christ’s redemption. It not only rescues us and blesses us, but goes beyond us to impact angels and demons in the spiritual world. It spells the end of Satan’s kingdom, and it signals the triumph of the kingdom of God. And it should remind us that we are key players in God’s great story of redemption. It is through God’s church that He has chosen to put His wisdom on display. This reality should make us pause, wonder, and look around us because the reality is that angels are truly watching.

We find ourselves celebrating one year as Providence Church. Just a short 12 months ago we gathered for the first time to worship the Lord together. We have seen his faithfulness in more ways than one and we would be wise to take time to reflect and praise God for what he has done. In Luke 17 ten lepers are healed by Jesus and only one returns to give praise after his healing. Jesus shows by his response, “Where are the nine?” that he expects those who have been healed to give praise to God. May we learn from this story and become the kind of people who say, “Thank you Jesus”. Our God’s faithfulness is all around us if we take time to look.

One danger in being part of a new church is to overemphasize “what we have done” and “what needs to be done”. Rather, we must continue to look to “who Jesus is” and “what he has done”. Psalm 28 (above) says, “The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.” Do we have any strength apart from our God? No. Maybe just a little? No. None. Not a hint. We are helpless, unable to lift a sheet of paper much less be a faithful witness to the gospel of Jesus.

Unless the LORD builds the house those who build it labor in vain (Ps. 127:1). May we not be those who labor in vain, rather let us be those who fall to our knees at the door of heaven and ask our strong God for help. As summer now turns to fall we have year 2 before us. There will be new challenges, new situations, and Lord willing new life as people respond in faith to the gospel. May we celebrate and praise God for what he has done over the past year. Yet even more so, let us celebrate and praise God for what he did 2000 years ago at the cross. As we move into year 2 let us praise God for his goodness and ask for his help to continue to be a faithful witness to him and his gospel.

As I sat preparing the music for our first service this weekend I came across this song.  As I sang it over and over again a deep sense of awe came over me.  This sense of awe was accompanied with a sense of loneliness that had both an element of sweetness and an element of fear.  Much of this loneliness was attributed to the fact that yesterday morning my family and I were prayed for and sent out from Summit Church.  To add to that experience we had a commissioning service last night at Grace Baptist Church where all the people that make up Providence Church were prayed over and sent out.  Now sitting all alone on a quiet Monday morning in a new town with dear friends feeling far away it was a beautiful thing to be reminded that soon I will sit in eternity and “join to admire the feast” with Christ, and there will be many brothers and sisters to celebrate along side.  That was the sweet part.  The aweful part was the realization that there are many who would “rather starve than come”, and here we are as a church plant to call them to come and we are completely powerless to convince them not to starve.  Yet, we serve a God who has all power to bring about that transformation…  that is an “awe filled” feeling.  Because Christ has not returned yet we are confident that God has more that he will have at his feast, and we are here to be agents that he uses to spread the gospel so that by its power many more will come.

I pray that at Providence Church in the months and years to come we will always remember two things that this song so clearly portrays.  First, we are in the family of God solely by the grace of God.  And secondly, we are here to go out in the power of the gospel and call many more to come.

The song declares in the third verse, “Why was I made to hear Thy voice and enter while there’s room?” Verse four answers that question, “Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in.”  We are in the family of God by his grace and his grace alone.  Yet we are not simply a group of individuals who are only celebrating that we are going to the feast, we are a people crying out to our merciful Savior that he would save more, we are a church with our eyes to the lost, praying to God, “Pity the nations O our God, Constrain the earth to come, Send Thy victorious Word abroad and bring the strangers home.”

May we realize at Providence Church that we are saved solely by the amazing grace of our God and King, and may we always be a people who “long to see Thy churches full” of the ransomed, singing the praises of our God with one voice.

As we sing this song at our first service this Sunday morning may God receive the glory due his name.  I pray that it will be a sweet reminder of how we got here, and why we are here.

Here is a link to the chord chart and song

HOW SWEET AND AWEFUL IS THE PLACE

VERSE 1

How sweet and aweful is the place

With Christ within the doors

While everlasting love displays

The choicest of her stores

VERSE 2

While all our hearts and all our songs

Join to admire the feast

Each of us cry with thankful tongues

“Lord, why was I a guest?”

VERSE 3

“Why was I made to hear Thy voice

And enter while there’s room

When thousands make a wretched choice

And rather starve than come?”

VERSE 4

’Twas the same love that spread the feast

That sweetly drew us in

Else we had still refused to taste

And perished in our sin

VERSE 5

Pity the nations, O our God

Constrain the earth to come

Send Thy victorious Word abroad

And bring the strangers home

VERSE 6

We long to see Thy churches full

That all the chosen race

May with one voice and heart and soul

Sing Thy redeeming grace

Jared Longshore

We had a great second preview service of Providence Church on August 15^th.  It was a sweet night of worship where we got to see a glimpse of what we believe Providence Church will look like in the future.  We were blessed to have many people from Summit Church come out to support this new work.  It is a beautiful thing to see churches from neighboring communities come together to worship King Jesus.  It was encouraging to see that there were many churches from the community represented at this preview service.  We truly felt a wave of support from all of the people that came to celebrate what God is doing in East Lee County.

We had a beautiful time of praise as we sang songs together, and it was great to have people serving in the worship team from both Grace Baptist Church and Summit Church.  We spent time in prayer and were encouraged from the word as we looked at who the people are that God uses to plant a church.  We ended the night by taking the Lord’s Supper together.  This was a special time as we gathered to eat and drink in remembrance of what Christ has done for us.

We are looking forward to what God is going to do at Providence Church.  He is providing in many ways and we are beginning to form some relationships with people in the community.  Recently we have been able to move into an office space that has been provided at a very generous price, this has been a huge blessing.  God is also providing through many people who simply want to serve in any way possible to see this church established and strengthened.

We are looking forward to our 3^rd and final preview service coming up on September 12^th at 9:30 a.m.  This will be an exciting service because it will be on Sunday morning rather than Sunday evening, which means that we will not have Grace Baptist or Summit Church with us.  It is going to be a great opportunity for the people who are calling Providence Church home to gather and thank the Lord for what he has done so far.  Please join with us in praying for Providence Church, we are confident that Christ is at work building his church and in that we celebrate.  We want to treasure the gospel and trust in its power.  Pray that we would have boldness to proclaim this good news clearly and depend on its power to convert the lost and strengthen his church.

Jared Longshore

In many ways, the time period before the birth of a new church is much like the gestation period of an unborn baby. As with a rapidly forming child in his mother’s womb, there are many milestones that must take place for a church to be born.

Sometime after Hurricane Charley swept through southwest Florida on August 13, 2004 and aggravated the building plans of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, pastor Tom Ascol began to seriously considering the providential timing of the hurricane and how God might be positioning Grace to plant churches before continuing any further building plans.

During an evening service on May 6, 2007, in a moment when God was once again providentially intervening on the church’s future plans, pastor Tom Ascol called on Lehigh Acres resident Jamie Bowlin to pray for God to give wisdom and clarity on the church’s future plans. In that prayer, Jamie believes God compelled him to pray that He might help Grace start a new church in Lehigh Acres. For some members who had been driving 45-minutes to attend Grace Baptist, they recall Jamie’s prayer as the first time the idea of planting a church in the eastern part of Lee County was mentioned at a public church meeting.

On June 29, 2008, Grace Baptist installed Tim Brister to serve alongside pastors Tom Ascol and Ken Puls as one of the churches pastors. Tim shared Tom’s passion for church planting, and his conviction that local churches should do what they can to plant churches. For several years Tim had envisioned himself as a church planter, and spent his days in seminary studying church planting and developing a blue print for how local churches can network together to plant new churches. Quickly upon joining the Grace Baptist team, Tim began assisting the church to prepare the soil for planting a church from Grace in East Lee County.

From November 2008 to February 2009, members of Grace who were residents of Lehigh Acres and the Buckingham community (eastern Fort Myers), began meeting monthly with the pastors to pray and discuss plans for a new church. In March 2009, the group decided to begin meeting weekly in Lehigh on Sunday nights in the home of Jamie and Kelly Bowlin.

Over the course of this same time period, I was meeting regularly with Tom Ascol regarding research I was doing for a doctorate I began pursuing in 2007. Over many lunches, Tom would give me counsel from his vast experience in research and writing, while I would offer whatever I could from my past church planting experience. On January 9, 2009, Tom invited me to address the group who had been gathering monthly in the Bowlin’s home, and to share a word with them about starting a new church.

Once again God providentially intervened in Grace Baptist’s aspirations of planting a new church. On Wednesday, February 4, 2009, Tim Brister inquired of my interests to lead the church he referred to as “The Church of East Lee.” I expressed my desire to assist in any way I could, but shared with him that unless God radically changed my thinking, I was going to remain in the local church I had been serving for the past 20 months. I was confident God put me where I was, and I was content on remaining there until God placed me elsewhere.

Eight days later, on February 12, 2009, I was unexpectedly relieved of my responsibilities at the local church I served. The hard economic times our area had been facing led to the church’s decision. It would seem God was providentially “changing my thinking.” I began to attend meetings at the Bowlin’s in March 2009 while praying earnestly with my wife Mary about where God would place us next. By the end of March, I was convinced he wanted us to join Grace and serve in leading their church planting efforts in East Lee.

On May 13, 2010, in a random meeting I had with Jared Longshore, God revealed in a conversation over breakfast the idea of him joining the efforts to start Providence Church. Jared is currently a pastor at Summit Church in Fort Myers, a church devoted to planting churches. Jared also leads the worship music at his church. Summit has agreed to partner with Grace, by commissioning Jared to join the efforts to start Providence by becoming one of the churches first pastors. Jared helped plan Sunday night’s Preview Service and, along with his wife Heather, led the music portion of our worship.

For nearly two years Grace Baptist Church has been dreaming of and seeking God for an opportunity to start a new church in the eastern part of Lee County. During that entire time, God has filled the hearts of His people with the vision of advancing the Gospel beyond the worship facility at Grace to the degree that new churches would be started. God has providentially led people from various places and circumstances to be in the position we are today, to start a new church. And I do not believe He is finished leading His people in this way.

The forming of this church has been one amazing story of God’s providence, hence the name “Providence Church.” I believe we can expect many more people, as the gospel goes forth, to join this movement in the days to come.

This first Preview Service was the first of three exciting “check-ups” before the “birth” day of this brand new church. Sunday night at Varsity Lakes Middle School, 201 people joined us in worshiping Jesus in East Lee. Most of those who were in attendance were members of Grace Baptist expressing their support and encouragement. It was indeed an encouraging night.

Two more “check ups” or preview services are schedule before the official launch of Providence Church. The next preview is schedule for August 15 at 6:00pm at a location yet to be announced. If the first preview was a chance to hear the heart, we pray the second will generate the excitement new parents have when they get to see the ultrasound. We plan on inviting Grace, Summit, and the many prayer supporters we are fortunate to have in the area to join us in celebrating who Jesus is, what He has done, and why that matters!

Then, on September 12 at 9:30am we will have our third and final preview service. This service will be our first morning service with out the presence of Grace and Summit and other believers who are committed to their local churches. This “check up” will serve as a reality check for Providence because we will be without the physical presence of our partners. It will also serve as one last preparation before our launch on October 3, 2010. We press on encouraged by our short history, knowing that we have a great Gospel to proclaim, and we exist for the glory of our great God.

Shawn Bergen