HARDECKER: Disciplines for New Believers (paperback)

HARDECKER: Disciplines for New Believers (paperback): " Disciplines for New Believers " ($5.00 + s&h) is now available in the paperback format besides the Kindle format.  If you would like to purchase a copy of this discipleship book, contact Pastor Hardecker at "hardecker-at-google-dot-com" please include your name, address and qty. You can click on the link above or contact me and I will give you further instructions. I have begun reading this book, and it is excellent!

"A Lot of Flavors Out There"

Recently a visitor from out of town stopped in to our church. That visitor was sharing his testimony with me how that he was saved many years ago, but was not a Baptist at that time. He shared how that through studying the Bible, he realized that it is the Baptists who traditionaly have stayed closest to the Word of God. As a result, he had recently been baptized and had become a Baptist. He shared with me that while searching for a church, he quickly learned that "there are a lot of flavors out there of churches called 'Baptist.'" My response was, "Sadly, yes."
I believe the Bible teaches the autonomy of the local church. There are no examples in Scripture of a board, convention, or fellowship ruling over a local church. Our Lord even gave us the highest level of authority here on earth in His teaching on discipline. The highest level of authority found in Matthew 18 is when we "tell it to the church."
While the Bible does teach that we are to warn others of false teachers and prophets, one must never over step his bounds in doing this. While we may not agree with the faith and/or practice of another church, it still is not our business what other churches have decided for themselves. The problem is: FUNDAMENTALISM. Let me explain:
You see, it was an idea of the old Fundamentalist to start colleges to train their young men in the fundamentals. These colleges gather our nation's young men and ladies training for the ministry. Most of these colleges have already slidden into error or at least what another 'Fundamental Baptist' has decided is error. That man must now warn all the churches and families sending their young people out to be trained about the errors of these pastors/churches that are doing the training. We are left with our modern day 'Fundamentalist' colleges that are training the majority of our future pastors across this nation. Each young person now has been taught to defend 'the mother'...I mean college they attended, and 'camps' are formed (ie. Hyles, Crown, West Coast, Fairhaven, PCC, BJU, and the list goes on and on).
Should someone warn about the errors that arise when these institutions 'influencing so many people' start practicing such? Well, the problem is that this all the fruit of the problem. The problem is that we swallowed the fundamentalist way of thinking and need to get back to a more Biblical stance...that of local churches and pastors training their own. Only in the local church will there ever be true Biblical unity!
If we would just go back to a Biblical methodology in training future pastors and missionaries, well, exposing error would be as it is exampled in the Bible...done within the local church.
So what about all those flavors? Can I fellowship with them? I believe in ecclesiastical separation. There are some churches that our church cannot fellowship with. I believe there ought to be no church that I am not willing to sit down with their pastor and share what I believe, but should these differences be judged as a possible detriment to my church, I cannot fellowship with that.
That doesn't mean that other church is not a 'church.' That is all God's business. That's why the Lord 'sets the members as it pleases Him' (1 Cor. 12). There will be differences from church to church, and many of these differences should be seen as just that-differences of opinion. Examples of such are whether you want to use mission boards, microphones, special singers, or a projector. You may want to have circus day at church, I choose not to. So what?!
True fellowship is the ability to sit down with someone from that other church and discuss these things without getting angry or having to ignore 'issues' to preserve unity. BLAH!
Now there are some things that are beyond opinion and there is no give and take there. Such things as salvation by grace through faith, modern perversions of Scripture, charismatic movement and 'gifts', polygamy, etc.
So we are left with the result of a lot of flavors out there. Some Baptist have super standards, some lack them all together. Some Baptist use canned music, others do not. Some Baptist use screens and projectors, others don't. Some have 45 minutes of special singing, some have none. Some have zoo Sundays, some don't run busses. Some pray for an hour at prayer meeting, some 10 minutes. Some have all men praying aloud during prayer time, others have one person lead in prayer, while others have quiet individual prayer time.
Point is, we are spending way too much time trying to figure out and appease our false premise of 'having to fellowship' with other churches. I don't believe in isololating ourselves, as in Scripture churches helped each other and fellowshipped. But these things were natural that like minded churches will always do. Just be sure you are where God wants you-and that will only be in a place that is Biblical. Have a walk with the Lord and an ear for the Lord. Be faithful and let God bless!
Who can you fellowship with? For most, it just depends on what flavor they like.

Yes, this really happened to me in the ministry.

Being in the ministry is such an adventure!! There is a new blessing around each corner. It has been my intent the last few months to share things that have happened to me that are humorous. I truly believe the Lord wants us to enjoy life and as He said, life more abundantly. In this world today we have too many christians who are discouraged, depressed and defeated. We know from the Word of God that we are already victorious. We need not fear what each day brings since He gave us not the spirit of fear.
Thirty years ago I was the associate pastor and principal of a school in Miami Florida. The church had facilities that were tremendous and covered a city block. Several years before I arrived the church experienced some financial difficulties and since we did not use all the facilities they were forced to rent out a wing of classrooms to a seventh day adventist group. Now I would never had done that myself but that is a subject for another day. One day the first week of the school year I thought I would show myself friendly and go to their school office and introduce myself. I went into the office and there was the principal and several teachers standing around talking. I introduced myself and chatted a few minutes then turned to leave. I opened what I thought was the door I came in and entered. I immediately realized I had walked into the supply closet. I opened the door,, walked back into the office and confidently stated,"Well, I see you have all the supplies you need. Let me know if you need anything." I could hear them laughing as I headed back to my office. Pride is such a terrible thing.
I wish I could say that was all that happened that day but it got worse. We were in the middle of a candy sale for the school. When the adventist classes went to recess I took a box of candy bars to the playground and sold them to their students. It was not long before their principal came to my office. I could tell he was trying to be diplomatic so I asked him what I could do for him. He then proceeded to tell me that it was a problem selling his students candy bars. I had forgotten that they do not believe in eating chocolate. I was to say the least very apologetic.
As I stated before, the ministry is an adventure! I am glad to say that even after that disatrous day I later had the opportunity to share the gospel with the principal and that religion would not get him into Heaven but only by accepting Christ as his Saviour. I may have been embarrased at our first meeting but if we will be friendly and humble the Lord may give us the privilege of telling them of the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. Stay vigilant for every opportunity!

Fellowship

Knowing there are definitely two ditches on both sides, how does one draw a line on who to fellowship with? For that matter, what is fellowship? Do you have to have unity to fellowship? What are the 'fundamentals' for fellowship? Can we really have unity on this earth? What is unity? My brain is starting to hurt. One question always leads to another question. I wish I had all the answers. Let's stop and think about this.
First, what is fellowship? The dictionary describes fellowship as:

the state of sharing mutual interests, experiences, activities;

But, the same dictionary gives a second definition:

communion, as between members of the same church

.
For a Christian, those are two different definitions. The first is that we are fellowshipping when we share mutual interests, experiences, or activities. The second is if we are members of the same church. A proper Biblical understanding of the the church, suggests that we can only 'fellowship' with our own church according to these definitions. This isn't true!
What is fellowship according to the Bible? Well, its first mention in the New Testament is in Acts 2:42 when those who were saved continued in the apostles doctrine and fellowship. So fellowship here seemed to be amongst those in the same church who had been saved, Scripturally baptized, and were being taught doctrine. 1 Cor. 1:9 says we can have fellowship with Jesus Christ, but 1 John 1:6 says if we walk in darkness we do not have fellowship with Him. 1 Cor. 10:20 reads that we are not to have fellowship with devils, 2 Cor. 6:14 commands we as believers are not to have fellowship with unbelievers, and Eph. 5:11 demands we not only not fellowship with works of darkness, but reprove them. 2 Cor. 8 talks about how the churches of Macedonia fellowshipped in helping minister to the saints. Philippians 2 says if there is to be any 'fellowship of the Spirit,' there must be like-mindedness, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, seeking the benefit of others; and in context, he is writing to a local church in Ephesus.
So let's review on what fellowship is in the Bible:
1. We can all agree that we are not to fellowship with lost people. (2 Cor. 6:14)
2. Our fellowship should be first and foremost with the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:9) and his sufferings (Philippians 3:10).
3. We know from Acts 2:42 and Philippians 2 that there should be fellowship in the local church.
4. II Corinthians 8 shows us that there can be fellowship among churches, and this fellowship was for the purpose of ministering to the saints.
5. Works of darkness should not be fellowshipped with, but reproved (Eph. 5:11).

Simple, right? Let's see an example of this in action! Aren't you glad the Word of God is the only source and authority we need? AMEN?!

In Galatians 2, Paul is referring to the events of Acts 15 when the church at Jerusalem was dealing with legalism. True legalism is when it is preached and held to that a keeping of some 'law' will provide salvation. In this case in Acts, there were Jewish legalists who were demanding that converts 'become a Jew' in order to be saved. This was to be displayed by being circumcised. Paul, Barnabus, and Titus (who would be exhibit A as he was a convert who was not circumcised) were sent from the church at Antioch to speak to them about this. When they arrived, they first met with the church elders (James, Cephas, and John) who "gave to them the right hands of fellowship." They recognized the truth that salvation was by grace and not of works and that Paul's ministry, though different than theirs, was of God and the Gospel was the same. This led to a fellowship amongst them. Later, Peter came up to the church at Antioch to fellowship with them. There were some men who came who were associated with James. This James obviously held to the side of the Jewish legalists. When Peter saw them, he quit fellowshipping with the Gentiles. Paul "withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed."
Here are two men, two churches, in fellowship; but error WAS NOT IGNORED. Peter's withdrawal was causing a church split (Gal. 2:13). Even Barnabus was being pulled away from Truth. A public debate began, and from the facts that Peter goes on to accomplish what the Lord allowed Him to do, Peter got right that day and the church was united and strengthened.

Today, amongst Baptist, there is a big push to 'fellowship.' Pastors know how to use Scriptures to show the need for fellowship, they endorse the benefits of fellowship, but mostly ignore the foundation for fellowship. It is the contemporary church philosophy of ignoring the 'non-essentials' that is the foundation for most Baptist fellowship today. The falsely practiced general rule for fellowship amongst Baptist today seems to be "lets just encourage one another and never speak about differences we have." There is a fear of division and axe-grinding; which is mostly due to immature pastors who don't know enough Scripture to defend their 'beliefs' or can't defend their carnal ways. We must get back to a Biblical foundation for fellowship.

A Biblical foundation for fellowship is this: We cannot fellowship with unbelievers. Evil communication will always corrupt good manners. Our error in our basis for fellowship today (in not exposing and debating error) has drifted into our soul winning as well. This is why too many do not preach an offensive Gospel that shows the lost they are sinners. Our churches become adapted to carnality and the lost feel 'right at home' in many churches. We cannot fellowship with unbelievers. The local church should be the main source of fellowship. We need the fellowship of our brothers and sisters in our local churches, and this fellowship is to be centered on the Lord Jesus Christ. Churches can/should fellowship together around the ministry of the Gospel. This brings honor to the Lord. Here is where we can support other missionaries preaching the Truth of the Gospel from other churches. We can work with other churches in reaching the lost and fellowship together for strength and teaching. This should all result in a more unified, strengthened local church. This fellowship though is based upon Truth and all works of darkness should be publicly debated, not ignored. Pastors should be able, and willing, to discuss differences according to the Bible. When there is gross doctrinal error that is not corrected after a clear presentation of Truth, there can be no fellowship. Of course, the Biblical example is that when spiritual people do things Biblically and spiritually, error is corrected and churches are strengthened.
I know this sounds radical today; but then again, are our churches being strengthened or are they weakening?
What if a pastor will not discuss these matters with another pastor? Then he is ignoring the Biblical pattern and precepts. Can we fellowship with one who walks not in the light of His Word (Ps. 119:105, 130) and therefore is walking in darkness? We may not have to agree (Paul and Barnabus with John Mark), but we do have to at least discuss it. There will never be perfect unity amongst churches, that's part of being autonomous; but there should be unity in the local church.
So, we need to fellowship, but let's fellowship Biblically!

yes, this really happened to me in the ministry

We have in recent months shared some of the more humorous things that have happened to me in the last 45 years in the ministry. Sometimes however instead of happening to me they were instigated by me.
Many years ago I became acquainted with an evangelist who held major belts in martial arts.As I also held belts in martial arts we soon became friends. On one occasion I enlisted his help in a youth meeting. We scheduled the service for a Wednesday night. Too reach as many as possible I was able to schedule special assemblies regarding health and martial arts in several public schools. At the close of each assembly we would invite all the students to the special meeting on Wednesday.
After one such assembly when we finished and returned to the car to travel to the next meeting the evangelist said to me he was so thirsty. I asked if he would like something to drink. He said to me just go through McDonalds and get me an ice cream cone. I pulled in. bought an ice cream for him.
Now I always drive with my arm on the back of the seat. I looked at him eating his ice cream and asked, "How can you eat that? It smells funny." He then raised the ice cream to his nose to smell it. When he did I slapped him in the back of the head and his nose dived into his ice cream. He was so shocked he turned to me , with the cone still on his nose, and said I was the only man he ever met that was brave enough to do that! It was hysterical!
By the way, that Wednesday we had over 900 hundred teenagers at the meeting with over 80 professions of faith. Yes the ministry is exciting and can be full of funny events. However we must never forget the great commission Jesus gave to the church. Many may ask did those 80 plus really get saved? Only the Lord knows that and we will not know until we get to Heaven. That does not though relieve us of the duty to preach the gospel. We must keep in mind that the Bible says "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."
I appreciate our pastor's recent article on ditches. There are certainly two ditches. After being in hundreds of churches I have seen churches in both ditches. Though it is sad when churches compromise just to get a crowd it is also a tragedy of the hundreds of churches who have not a soul saved in years and years and some have even turned there baptistries into flower pots!!
Thank God for a church and pastor that preaches the whole counsel of God and has a heart for the unsaved. Next time you eat an ice cream cone, share this story and take the opportunity to share the gospel with someone.

The Thing About Ditches

While traveling down most roads, you will normally find ditches on either side of that road. These ditches can be a danger to those driving by who get too close. These ditches seem to gather all the run off, and as a result usually are rather foul and nasty. These ditches are not where you want to be if you are trying to get somewhere.
Our Christian life is just a pilgrimage through this world. Matthew 7:14 reads:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Many use this text in the context of salvation, and it is a good application, but the reality is that the context of this verse is that of the Christian life. This verse is part of a lengthy discourse the Lord was using to teach His disciples (Matt. 5:1-2). The proper, God honoring, Christian life is one on a road that is "narrow". On this narrow road, there are ditches on either side.
The ditch on the left is one of modernism. In this ditch has run all those who embrace the 'emerging church', contemporary music, tearing down of standards, preaching of 'essentials' and 'non essentials,' anything goes religion. In this ditch we find the "Elevation Church", "Worship Center", and the like. In this ditch the Word of God is found in many 'translations' or whatever man prefers. In this ditch they have rock concerts at church, never preach against sin, but hand out water bottles to cars driving by. In this church all one has to do to get to Heaven is be a good person (by whose standards? I suppose their own). In this ditch, a little alcohol is not only accepted, but even endorsed. In this ditch, immorality is excused and the grace of God abused. This ditch has seen all the run-offs from the straight and narrow. This ditch has seen it's level grow to large numbers, but it stinks, is dangerous, and will eventually dry out.
It's easy to preach against this ditch-the ditch on the left. Matter fact, you don't normally see too many cars run off into the ditch on the left. Mostly those whose life is spinning out of control end up in that ditch. But, there is another ditch.
The ditch on the right also collects the run-off and can become just as disgusting. The straight and narrow is, well, just that-straight and narrow. It's as narrow as the Word of God. It doesn't matter who you are, you can easily find yourself there when you take your eyes off of where you are heading. Many find themselves in this ditch by 'over correcting.' Now don't get me wrong-right is always right and we need not compromise, but we also had best take heed. Strong preaching is a must, high standards are commanded in Scripture, doctrine is right, the Word of God is just that-His Word and it is found for us English speakers in the KJV-ALONE! Our Bible being King James, our men wearing ties, our ladies wearing dresses, our music being sacred, our hands off policy between boys and girls, our absence from movie theaters, our doctrine, our church polity, our preaching against alcohol; these things don't put us in the ditch on the right, but on the straight and narrow. How can I say this? Because I have Scripture for all these things.
Recently, an "Elevation Church" was started in my town of Blanchester, Ohio. They sent me a post card invitation saying "A Church for those who were dragged to church when they were young...A Church that lets you be you and not what others tell you to be...a church with a comedy hour every weekend...a church where you can dress how you want...etc." The pastor said if I had a question to email him. I did. I emailed him and asked what Scriptures he based all these ideas on? I gave him Scriptures as to why these things ought not to be, and gave him a chance to give me Scriptures defending his views. He wrote back and said he didn't need Scripture, but he was meeting the people's need through these practices. Actually, he is meeting people's lusts through these practices. There is a right and a wrong and just for taking a stand on the Bible and it's teachings doesn't put you in a ditch on the other side. So what does put you in that ditch?
The other ditch, the ditch on the right, is the ditch that where those who 'over correct' normally find themselves. There you will find those who have decided that they have a 'monopoly' on righteousness. There you will find those who won't let you in their church if you ladies don't have a skirt on. There you will find those who will not have a discussion about doctrine with anyone, because they know you 'aren't right.' There you find those who believe that their church is the only 'real church' in the entire state. There you will find those who think that the Bride of Christ is their church-and only their church. There you will find those who think only Baptists are going to Heaven. There you will find a lot of pride and very little teaching. There you will find alot of screaming, but little teaching. There you will find a lot of preaching against gossip, unless it is the 'good pastors' talking about the 'bad ones.' There, the run off is just as stinky and just as dangerous.
Again, may we find ourselves on the straight and narrow. May we have the mind of Christ! In Luke 9, we read about when the Lord and His disciples came to Samaria, but they would not receive Him:

And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

We must not compromise! We must keep preaching against sin and teaching the truths of the Word of God; but we must never forget that if someone had wrote us off as 'evil' and never shown us the truth-where would we be? God has left us here not to destroy and condemn, but to teach, reach, and reconcile people to the Lord and His Word. This duty demands we stay on the straight and narrow, and keep watching out for ditches-on both sides!

Barnabus-An Example of Reconciliation

Recently in my Sunday School class, we have been studying the life of Barnabus. What a unique man in Scripture he is. One of the greatest biographies that has ever been written was written of him in Acts 11:23-24:

Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

What a testimony! Only Heaven will reveal how many were added unto the Lord through the ministry of this saint. The Lord used him in a mighty way-and to God be the glory!
You cannot study the life of Barnabus without realizing what ministry was heavy on his heart, that of restoration. Just think, without Barnabus, there would be no Apostle Paul. The church at Jerusalem was hesitant in accepting Paul (then Saul) because of his history of persecuting the saints. It was Barnabus, in Acts 9:27, who took him, and brought him in, and commended him to them. He was accepted on the testimony of Barnabus. What influence this man had that a church would trust his word over the many lives wrecked that testified against him. Without Barnabus, there may not have been an apostle Paul and therefore not been all the fruit of his ministry.
Then we come to the life of John Mark who had departed from Barnabus and Paul on an earlier missionary trip (Acts 15:36-29). Barnabus was determined to bring John with them on this trip, but Paul refused. The "contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from another..." Who was right, Paul or Barnabus? Well, we know Paul later said this:

Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. 2 Tim. 4:11

John Mark was restored to the work of the ministry through Barnabus' ministry of reconciliation. We all need to be more like Barnabus. God has given to us all the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18).
We should be involved in the ministry of reconciliation-which leads me to our next topic. Where is the line between ecclesiastical separation and teaching, warning and correcting, destroying and rebuilding?
In our 'churches' today, we have ditches on both side. Some allow anything and everything and are wrong. Some think they are one of the few people/churches that are right and whom God loves; they ostracize themselves from all other 'inferiors'. They too are wrong. We shall examine these things and how they line up with the ministry of reconciliation.