September 10, 2019

Addressing the Root Cause of the Mass Shootings

Tragically, our nation’s attention has been gripped again this summer by two mass shootings. As victims’ families are still grieving, as investigators are still trying to figure out the motives, as lawmakers are searching for answers, and as citizens ask the question “why,” it is good for us to turn to the Scriptures to understand what is at the root of mass shootings.

Many have accurately described the shootings as pure evil. But where does this evil come from? Is there hope to combat this great sin and wickedness? Jesus tells us clearly in Matthew 15:16 where these things come from: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders . . .” At the root of every murder is a sinful heart. This is drastically different than mere mental illness. There is no pill or medicine that one can digest to change a sinful heart. Laws are good. Laws are necessary. Laws might even restrain some sinful behavior. But laws cannot change a sinful heart! God is the ultimate Law-giver and He commanded, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Yet even God’s law hasn’t prevented murder. When man’s laws or proposed laws neglect the root of the problem, they run the risk of making a bad situation worse.

Some would say that education or more counsel will prevent the next mass shooting. But again, the best counsel in the world cannot change a sinful heart. Consider the first human murder. It is recorded in Genesis 4. But just before Cain killed Abel, God Himself gave counsel to Cain: “So the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’ Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” Some would argue that if we legislate the elimination of guns, then violence and murder would cease. But a brief look at history shows that even in a world without guns, violence and murder still abound. The account of human history continues in Genesis 6 noting that the wickedness and violence of mankind grew in abundance (Genesis 6:5, 13). Violence and murder abounded and this was before the days of guns. The reason was the sinful heart of mankind; “every intent of the thought of his heart was only evil continually.”

So if the root of the problem is a sinful heart and if medicine, laws, education and even the elimination of guns can’t change a sinful heart, is there any hope? The answer is a resounding yes! The Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior, came to deliver us from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4) as He died for our sins, was buried and rose again. It is Jesus Christ alone that can change our sinful hearts! Some might be thinking, “Well I’m not a mass murderer because I’ve never killed anyone.” Jesus said that if you have been angry with your brother with-out a cause or if you know your brother has some-thing against you and you refuse to make it right, then you already are guilty of the command, “you shall not murder” (Matthew 5:21-26). The Apostle John wrote, “whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Before mankind sinned, there was no death, there was no murder. But when mankind sinned and join in the rebellion with Satan, the murderer from the beginning (John 8:44), we all stood in need of a Savior. All of us have needed our sinful hearts to be changed. And only through Christ can one become a new creation (1 Corinthians 5:17).

God’s law is necessary because it is a tutor to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). What has our nation done with God’s laws? When did the 10 commandments cease being a part of the required school curriculum? God’s law is designed to reveal our sinful hearts and show us our need of Christ and what he did for us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But again, we no longer promote that as a nation. Christmas break is now winter break. Good Friday and the Resurrection of Christ is now Spring break. Christian, our mission is to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. These national tragedies provide a logical reason to proclaim this message, because Jesus is the only one who addresses the root cause of the mass shootings.

July 9, 2019

Not by Works

One of the battles that the Apostle Paul had to face was with false teachers who taught that a person was saved or justified (declared righteous by God) by their works. Galatians 2 and Acts 15:1 clearly teach that there were false brethren who taught that one must be circumcised in order to be made right with God. There is nothing new under the sun. Today, there are many people blinded to the true gospel as they believe that they can be justified by their works. One of the great truths of Scripture is that a man is justified by faith alone in Christ alone apart from our works. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly proclaims, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” And Galatians 2:16 states, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

Consider several biblical and logical reasons why we can’t be saved by our works. First, works reveal our need of Christ. Galatians 3:24 states, “therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The reason why the law was our teacher or tutor was because it revealed God’s holy standard. As we compare ourselves to God’s holy standard, we learn that we all fall short because the law reveals our sin. When we recognize our sin, we know that we are guilty before a holy God. Romans 3:19-20 reads, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

A second biblical reason why our works can not save us is Christ would have died in vain. If man can do enough good works to be saved, then there would have been no reason for Christ to die. The heart of the gospel message is “Christ died for our sins” (Galatians 1:4). Galatians 2:21 reads, “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” In other words, the Apostle Paul is saying if you can keep enough of the commandments by doing enough good works, then Christ would not have had to die. Paul knew Christ didn’t die in vain, because he knew that Christ came to save sinners and he knew there was no other way for a man to be justified other then by faith alone in Christ alone (1 Timothy 1:15). If man could be saved through his own works, then man would be his own savior and there would not be a need for the saving work of Jesus Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.

Although there are other reasons to consider, I will just share one more for this article. If man is saved by works, then he would be able to boast or take glory in him-self. Paul’s conclusion to the book of Galatians is a powerful conclusion in Galatians 6:14: “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And again he told the church in Ephesus that our salvation is “not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:9). To learn more about the glorious gospel Christ join us on Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. as we study the book of Galatians.

May 14, 2019

The Resurrection & Prayer

On the first day of the week, nearly 2,000 years ago the Lord Jesus Christ rose victoriously from the grave. Just a few short days ago, we at First Baptist Church of Ham-burg had a resurrection celebration as we shared a wonderful meal and then participated together in a joyful worship service. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the corner-stone of the gospel and without it everything falls apart. For the church of Jesus Christ, the resurrection impacts everything!

One specific area that the resurrection ought to impact the church is how we pray for one another. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and he told them his prayer request for them. How are you praying for your brothers and sisters in Christ? That can be a convicting question. Maybe you haven’t been praying for your church family. Maybe you have been praying some selfish requests. No matter how you answer that question, consider the apostle Paul’s request for the church at Ephesus: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and rev-elation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened” (Ephesians 1:17-18a).


In summary, Paul’s request for the church is that they would know who they are in Jesus Christ. Then, Paul provides three specific areas in which the believers would know Jesus Christ. First, that they would know the hope of His calling (vs. 18b). Second, that they would know what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (vs. 18c). And then he concludes with these words, “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (vs. 19). Did you catch that last request? The resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that is at work in us who believe. And Paul wants the church to have their eyes open to that power. He wants them to know Christ and His resurrection power in their lives.


This becomes vitally important when we get to the practical section of Ephesians. We are called to put off the old man and put on the new. This is not something we can do in our own strength, but only through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. The book concludes with this admonition, “Finally my brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10).” The resurrection of Jesus Christ declares the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe. In His power we as believers find our strength to stand and fight temptation.


So even though our wonderful Resurrection Day celebration is behind us for 2019, remember that for the believer it is far more than a day to celebrate. The resurrection of Jesus Christ impacts everything, including how we pray for one another. The resurrection is a cornerstone doctrine for the church; prayer is a vital discipline for the church. And in Ephesians 1, prayer and the resurrection go together. So when you pray for yourself, your family and your brothers and sisters in Christ, make it your request that they will know Christ and the power of His resurrection.

April 9, 2019

Given to Hospitality

Given to hospitality! That is for people who live in the South where they are known for their Southern hospitality, right? Others might look at the phrase, “given to hospitality” and think that is only for married people who own their own homes. And many times men might be guilty of thinking that hospitality is what ladies do! According to the Word of God, all Christians are to be given to hospitality! In Romans 12, “given to hospitality” is found in a list that has this heading in my Bible, “Behave Like a Christian.” In other words, given to hospitality is what ought to mark all Christians no matter their age, gender, marital status, or where they live.

However, being given to hospitality is a lost pursuit today. Some have no idea what it even means to be hospitable, because they have never seen it modeled or explained. Five different New Testament books address the reality that believers need to be given to hospitality (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; 1 Peter 4:9 and Hebrews 13:2). The two related Greek words that are used to describe hospitality is philoxenia or philoxenos. They are compound words; philos meaning love or fondness and xenos meaning stranger. They literally mean a love of strangers. For the believer, this means we love people that we do not yet know and/or we love people who are different, in that they are not yet believers. This love of people means that we are willing to entertain them and welcome them into our lives, homes and gatherings. In Hebrews 13:2, we are commanded to not forget to entertain strangers (philoxenos), for some have unwittingly entertained angels. That is likely a description of Abraham when he welcomed three men (angels) whom he had never met before into his home (Genesis 18:2). Abraham welcomed them into his home and ministered to them so that they were refreshed both in their hearts and in their stomachs. Then Abraham sent them on their way. In other words, Abraham loved them, welcomed them, and ministered to them even though he had never personally met them before.

Our ministry emphasis for the month of April will be hospitality. The reason why you should participate is not because it is the ministry of the month, but rather because this ministry is clearly taught in the Scriptures for all believers. Let me give you two practical ways to fulfill this ministry.

First, when the church gathers consider how you can welcome “strangers” and minister to them. It is easy for us to reach out to those with whom we have things in common, but stretch yourself by reaching out to “strangers.” By strangers, I don’t mean that the people are strange, but rather they are people you do not know yet and, in that sense, are strange to you. Before you talk with whom you are the most comfortable, reach out and introduce yourself to a guest that might be attending for the first time. Or introduce yourself to someone whom you have seen many times, but have not personally met.

Secondly, when the church scatters, consider how you can love strangers. Here the stranger might be the neighbor that you barely know or the new co-worker or student in school. Often times the stranger is an unbeliever. Make it a goal to welcome someone outside of the body of Christ into your home or life so that you can “refresh” them by providing a meal and encouraging their soul. One practical way to do this is to partner with another Christian friend or family and together reach out to an unbeliever as you are given to hospitality!

The church calendar is a little lighter this month, so plan an evening to reach out to an unbeliever and invite them into your life and/or home. Refresh their soul and enjoy a meal together. If you see someone in the church family that you don’t know really, reach out to them as well! 1 Peter 4:9 states, “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.” And remember Romans 12:13: “be given to hospitality.”

March 5, 2019

To Every Nation

Approximately 7.5 billion people live on the earth that God created. Of those 7.5 billion people, we can really divide them into two categories. They either believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or they do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:36). The church, comprised of believers from around this world, has been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ with a two-fold task. The first task involves their assignment with the unbelievers. They are to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). Someday the gospel will be proclaimed to all the nations (Matthew 24:14) and people from every nation will be present in heaven (Revelation 7:9). But how does this important task affect us in 2019?

Assuming you are a believer, you have been given an assignment with the people in your world who do not yet know the Savior. You are to be the one who faithfully displays and declares the gospel of Jesus Christ to them. The New Testament gives several specific examples. First, ask yourself if all of the members of your household are believers. If not, then a primary assignment for you is to share Christ by your life and by your lips in your home. 1 Peter 3:1 describes how a believing wife by her joyful submission will be a powerful testimony to her unbelieving husband. 2 Timothy 1:5 and 1 Timothy 3:15 relate how a godly grandma and mom lived and shared their faith with their grandson and son by teaching him the Holy Scriptures. Be careful when you think about the great commission that you don’t neglect the people in your own family.

Second, realize that there are other people in your world outside of your family that need to know the Lord. Again the emphasis of missions in the New Testament begins on a local level. Every nation includes our local community. The early church began in Jerusalem and their first assignment was to be witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1:8). One missionary has commented that the best sending churches are those who are faithfully carrying out the great commission in their local community. In other words, if we are fulfilling our task on a local level, we will probably be serving our missionaries well on an international level. I’m thankful for the missionary emphasis we have at First Baptist Church of Hamburg. To hear people praying for missionaries on Wednesday nights, reaching out to them when they visit our church, communicating with them, encouraging them, and giving financially to them are all huge blessings to acknowledge. Just this last month Pastor Filipe broke ground on the new edition for their church building. Praise God that the gospel is for every nation and we have the privilege of participating in that task, both here in Western New York and around the world.

There is another task implied in the great com-mission and that is our relationship to the believers. Matthew 28:19-20 continues with the work of the church in baptizing believers and teaching and encouraging believers. Again the emphasis in the New Testament focuses on our local relationships starting with our own families. Parents are to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:1-4). Husbands are to nurture their believing wives with the Word (Ephesians 5:25-28). Those local relationships continue as we en-courage one another in the body of Christ. Regular participation in the meeting of the saints is a vital component in fulfilling the great com-mission (Hebrews 10:24-25).
Someday we will have the privilege of being with the redeemed from every nation as we worship our Lord in heaven. Until then, may we be found faithful as we seek to make disciples and be faithful disciples from every nation!