This past Sunday, we looked at 2 Timothy 2:1-13, where the Apostle Paul says in verse 9 that "the Word of God is not bound!" It's interesting to note that over the past few days, we've seen media examples of this in the wake of the events going on in Ferguson, MO.
Dr. Voddie Baucham, pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, TX, was on a ministry tour in Africa with his family this past August at the time Michael Brown was shot by an officer in Ferguson. America, playing into the hands of media hysteria, was in an uproar over the incident. Baucham began receiving messages to respond, some even condemning him for not yet doing so.
Yet he had no idea what they were talking about: "Who, what, or where was Ferguson?" he said. I wish many others would have followed his lead -- with silence until all the facts could be laid out. Since the case is over and the investigation has been released to the public, there are many things the media and reactionaries clearly had wrong and are still getting wrong.
Baucham has since written a poingiant article, saying, "'God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap' (Galatians 6:7). Moments before his death, Michael Brown had violently robbed a man in a store. A man doing the best he could to make a living. Minutes later, Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth."
Because of the level of attention his article received, Baucham was invited to appear on Fox News. Watch Heather Childers attempt to cut off Baucham as soon as he started giving an answer that leaned toward sharing the gospel...
Baucham has been in this position before. He handled himself like a pro. As soon as he started talking about the cross, the true hope for a nation, Childers cut him off. The media will be of no help to Ferguson or any other matter. They're only out to create hysteria, not relieve it. In that exchange, Fox News looked like the fool, Baucham the Christian gentleman.
The guy is a pastor. He's been a news guest specifically for his biblical expertise. Did Fox seriously think they were going to get through a segment without him talking about Christ? For them to not know that is just bad journalism! "Okay... I'm sorry... muh... eh... beh... thank you. We'll be right back." Terrible. Have some tact.
CNN is just as bad (big shocker, I know). Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints, wrote some thoughts down on Facebook about Ferguson which were read by millions. So CNN had the footballer on for an interview with anchor Brooke Baldwin, and they did the same thing to him as Fox News did to Baucham...
That's just a short clip. Watson shared his faith extensively in that interview, which lasted almost twenty minutes. Unfortunately, you can't find it. CNN took it down perhaps embarrassed by the mishap. You'll find edited versions of it minus the gospel and the abrupt conclusion. In the minute prior to "losing" Watson, he said this:
However, Baldwin's nonchalant, "Oh, just like that, we lost him," and the touch to her ear just isn't convincing. Again, the point of what Watson wrote was that "the gospel gives mankind hope." Did they really think he was going to come on CNN and not share his faith? The pro was just answering the questions he was asked. Tactless and bad journalism. CNN has yet to apologize.
Earlier this week, Katie Couric tweeted that she learned a new word in church, "eschatology," and asked her online followers what that meant. It's the study of end-times. She's a journalist! She has Google! What in the world, people?!
We can't expect the media to "get saved," though. As long as they remain disconnected from gospel truths, we can't expect the media to be completely truthful with us, either. Or even hopeful, for that matter. The only truth and the only hope for this world is Jesus Christ. Nothing the media can do to silence that message will thwart the gospel from being proclaimed.
We're told in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the church, not the media, is the pillar and buttress of the truth. Know the scriptures. Even in the face of rude behavior, act like gentle-souls, as Baucham and Watson have displayed. The sermon this week will be over 2 Timothy 2:14-26, which talks about being a good worker and correcting opponents with gentleness. Study ahead, and we'll see you Sunday!
Tonight's Fellowship Meal
Our Wednesday night activities resume this evening beginning with the fellowship meal at 5:00. On the menu is sloppy joes, tator tots, corn, and pudding. It's $2 per child, $4 per adult, or $8 will feed the whole family. AWANA and adult co-ed Bible study begin at 6:00. In our adult study, we're continuing to go through the book of Leviticus. All adults and high schoolers are invited.
Potluck and Members Meeting This Sunday
Hey, I hope you're looking forward to our Holiday Potluck this Sunday. Prepare a dish and bring it to share! We'll get together for some good Southern Baptist cooking in the fellowship hall downstairs right after the second service (approximately 12:15, depending on how long I talk). Then we'll have a members meeting around 1:30, or whenever we finish up eating.
The main purpose of this meeting is to review and vote on our new church constitution. If you are a member of the church, your vote and your input matter. Please plan on attending! Part of the new constitution involves establishing a plurality of elders. We'll be able to talk about that process and answer any questions at the meeting.
Christmas Eve Service
Our Christmas Eve Service is going to be on December 24. I know, you totally didn't see that coming, right? That's a Wednesday. The candlelight service will start at 6:00. We should finish the service by 7:00, and will have cookies and punch downstairs. Please come to sing carols and worship together, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Final Thoughts
The sermon from this past Sunday is currently online. You can find it at our website, www.fsbcjc.org. We have about 5 more weeks in 2 Timothy. This Sunday's sermon is entitled "A Worker Approved." Yup, the AWANA theme verse will make it into the sermon this week. Consider yourselves blessed in all things, and I look forward to worshiping with you again!
Dr. Voddie Baucham, pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, TX, was on a ministry tour in Africa with his family this past August at the time Michael Brown was shot by an officer in Ferguson. America, playing into the hands of media hysteria, was in an uproar over the incident. Baucham began receiving messages to respond, some even condemning him for not yet doing so.
Yet he had no idea what they were talking about: "Who, what, or where was Ferguson?" he said. I wish many others would have followed his lead -- with silence until all the facts could be laid out. Since the case is over and the investigation has been released to the public, there are many things the media and reactionaries clearly had wrong and are still getting wrong.
Baucham has since written a poingiant article, saying, "'God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap' (Galatians 6:7). Moments before his death, Michael Brown had violently robbed a man in a store. A man doing the best he could to make a living. Minutes later, Brown reaped what he sowed, and was gunned down in the street. That is the sad truth."
Because of the level of attention his article received, Baucham was invited to appear on Fox News. Watch Heather Childers attempt to cut off Baucham as soon as he started giving an answer that leaned toward sharing the gospel...
Baucham has been in this position before. He handled himself like a pro. As soon as he started talking about the cross, the true hope for a nation, Childers cut him off. The media will be of no help to Ferguson or any other matter. They're only out to create hysteria, not relieve it. In that exchange, Fox News looked like the fool, Baucham the Christian gentleman.
The guy is a pastor. He's been a news guest specifically for his biblical expertise. Did Fox seriously think they were going to get through a segment without him talking about Christ? For them to not know that is just bad journalism! "Okay... I'm sorry... muh... eh... beh... thank you. We'll be right back." Terrible. Have some tact.
CNN is just as bad (big shocker, I know). Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints, wrote some thoughts down on Facebook about Ferguson which were read by millions. So CNN had the footballer on for an interview with anchor Brooke Baldwin, and they did the same thing to him as Fox News did to Baucham...
That's just a short clip. Watson shared his faith extensively in that interview, which lasted almost twenty minutes. Unfortunately, you can't find it. CNN took it down perhaps embarrassed by the mishap. You'll find edited versions of it minus the gospel and the abrupt conclusion. In the minute prior to "losing" Watson, he said this:
"It's not the skin, the issue is sin. And I firmly believe that the issue is that internally, we are flawed. Internally, we need salvation from our sin. Internally, our sin makes us prideful. It makes us judgmental. It makes us prejudiced, which leads to racism. It makes us lash out at people that don't look like us. It make sus look past evidence to protect people that look like us. It makes us do all those things. It makes us lash out in anger. It makes us point fingers."Baldwin said "Alright," and then the rest is as you see in the clip. CNN apparently had enough, so when the clock ticked 3:00 (view the clip again and watch the clock in the upper right-hand corner), that was the perfect time to pull the plug on his preaching and make it look like an automated error.
However, Baldwin's nonchalant, "Oh, just like that, we lost him," and the touch to her ear just isn't convincing. Again, the point of what Watson wrote was that "the gospel gives mankind hope." Did they really think he was going to come on CNN and not share his faith? The pro was just answering the questions he was asked. Tactless and bad journalism. CNN has yet to apologize.
Earlier this week, Katie Couric tweeted that she learned a new word in church, "eschatology," and asked her online followers what that meant. It's the study of end-times. She's a journalist! She has Google! What in the world, people?!
We can't expect the media to "get saved," though. As long as they remain disconnected from gospel truths, we can't expect the media to be completely truthful with us, either. Or even hopeful, for that matter. The only truth and the only hope for this world is Jesus Christ. Nothing the media can do to silence that message will thwart the gospel from being proclaimed.
We're told in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the church, not the media, is the pillar and buttress of the truth. Know the scriptures. Even in the face of rude behavior, act like gentle-souls, as Baucham and Watson have displayed. The sermon this week will be over 2 Timothy 2:14-26, which talks about being a good worker and correcting opponents with gentleness. Study ahead, and we'll see you Sunday!
Tonight's Fellowship Meal
Our Wednesday night activities resume this evening beginning with the fellowship meal at 5:00. On the menu is sloppy joes, tator tots, corn, and pudding. It's $2 per child, $4 per adult, or $8 will feed the whole family. AWANA and adult co-ed Bible study begin at 6:00. In our adult study, we're continuing to go through the book of Leviticus. All adults and high schoolers are invited.
Potluck and Members Meeting This Sunday
Hey, I hope you're looking forward to our Holiday Potluck this Sunday. Prepare a dish and bring it to share! We'll get together for some good Southern Baptist cooking in the fellowship hall downstairs right after the second service (approximately 12:15, depending on how long I talk). Then we'll have a members meeting around 1:30, or whenever we finish up eating.
The main purpose of this meeting is to review and vote on our new church constitution. If you are a member of the church, your vote and your input matter. Please plan on attending! Part of the new constitution involves establishing a plurality of elders. We'll be able to talk about that process and answer any questions at the meeting.
Christmas Eve Service
Our Christmas Eve Service is going to be on December 24. I know, you totally didn't see that coming, right? That's a Wednesday. The candlelight service will start at 6:00. We should finish the service by 7:00, and will have cookies and punch downstairs. Please come to sing carols and worship together, as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!
Final Thoughts
The sermon from this past Sunday is currently online. You can find it at our website, www.fsbcjc.org. We have about 5 more weeks in 2 Timothy. This Sunday's sermon is entitled "A Worker Approved." Yup, the AWANA theme verse will make it into the sermon this week. Consider yourselves blessed in all things, and I look forward to worshiping with you again!