1 00:00:05,154 --> 00:00:07,785 This is a good one to end with. 2 00:00:07,785 --> 00:00:09,826 James just sent me this one today. 3 00:00:09,826 --> 00:00:11,265 "What's the Bible say 4 00:00:11,265 --> 00:00:14,073 about all the new theme churches? 5 00:00:14,073 --> 00:00:18,825 Cowboy and biker?" 6 00:00:18,825 --> 00:00:23,374 The answer? Nothing. 7 00:00:23,374 --> 00:00:25,596 It says nothing about biker churches. 8 00:00:25,596 --> 00:00:30,426 It says nothing about cowboy churches. 9 00:00:30,426 --> 00:00:36,125 Now, yes, nothing specifically, 10 00:00:36,125 --> 00:00:38,973 but let's just think a little bit. 11 00:00:38,973 --> 00:00:41,695 One thing that does strike me 12 00:00:41,695 --> 00:00:44,974 from Scripture is this: 13 00:00:44,974 --> 00:00:50,144 The Bible never, never, never 14 00:00:50,144 --> 00:00:55,112 indicates that we should have 15 00:00:55,112 --> 00:01:02,404 more than one kind of local church, 16 00:01:02,404 --> 00:01:06,623 except for geographical reasons. 17 00:01:06,623 --> 00:01:08,544 You hear what I'm saying? 18 00:01:08,544 --> 00:01:11,123 There's nothing in Scripture - 19 00:01:11,123 --> 00:01:14,905 by the way, this doesn't just come down 20 00:01:14,905 --> 00:01:19,765 to cowboys and bikers. 21 00:01:19,765 --> 00:01:24,274 This comes down to denominations as a whole. 22 00:01:24,274 --> 00:01:28,723 The Bible gives us no platform 23 00:01:28,723 --> 00:01:31,224 for Methodist churches and Lutheran churches 24 00:01:31,224 --> 00:01:36,613 and Baptist churches, and etc. 25 00:01:36,613 --> 00:01:43,745 The only reason for different local churches 26 00:01:43,745 --> 00:01:48,254 is exactly that - locality. 27 00:01:48,254 --> 00:01:53,204 Geography. 28 00:01:53,204 --> 00:01:55,095 And that's interesting, 29 00:01:55,095 --> 00:01:57,334 because think with me here. 30 00:01:57,334 --> 00:01:58,755 You had some churches 31 00:01:58,755 --> 00:02:04,584 that had Jew and Gentile issues. 32 00:02:04,584 --> 00:02:08,074 What would be an example of that? 33 00:02:08,074 --> 00:02:09,556 (from the room): Galatians. 34 00:02:09,556 --> 00:02:11,945 Tim: Galatians had the Judaizers come in - 35 00:02:11,945 --> 00:02:13,796 very possibly. 36 00:02:13,796 --> 00:02:15,194 The Roman letter, 37 00:02:15,194 --> 00:02:17,854 he's very specifically speaking 38 00:02:17,854 --> 00:02:21,585 to Jew and to Gentile in different portions of it. 39 00:02:21,585 --> 00:02:23,054 But you know what's never said 40 00:02:23,054 --> 00:02:25,314 to any of those churches? 41 00:02:25,314 --> 00:02:26,515 You ought to divide up 42 00:02:26,515 --> 00:02:29,005 and have a Jewish church and a Gentile church. 43 00:02:29,005 --> 00:02:30,637 Let me tell you something else. 44 00:02:30,637 --> 00:02:32,244 The Corinthians were never told 45 00:02:32,244 --> 00:02:34,326 to divide up and have a rich church 46 00:02:34,326 --> 00:02:36,746 and a poor church. 47 00:02:36,746 --> 00:02:39,186 Do you know what else? 48 00:02:39,186 --> 00:02:42,355 Even in the book of Revelation, 49 00:02:42,355 --> 00:02:44,704 when you had five of the seven 50 00:02:44,704 --> 00:02:46,234 that are unhealthy, 51 00:02:46,234 --> 00:02:48,792 Jesus never told the people 52 00:02:48,792 --> 00:02:51,403 inside those churches 53 00:02:51,403 --> 00:02:53,815 to basically pack up and go start a new one 54 00:02:53,815 --> 00:02:57,474 or pack up and move to wherever. 55 00:02:57,474 --> 00:02:59,406 I find that very interesting. 56 00:02:59,406 --> 00:03:00,924 Very interesting. 57 00:03:00,924 --> 00:03:02,515 Now I know things have played out 58 00:03:02,515 --> 00:03:04,614 the way they've played out. 59 00:03:04,614 --> 00:03:06,435 I know we have different denominations 60 00:03:06,435 --> 00:03:09,223 because we have different ways of interpreting Scripture. 61 00:03:09,223 --> 00:03:10,824 And I know it would be very hard 62 00:03:10,824 --> 00:03:13,815 for Baptists to church plant or whatever 63 00:03:13,815 --> 00:03:16,994 if you've got a Presbyterian over here. 64 00:03:16,994 --> 00:03:19,075 I recognize there may be issues 65 00:03:19,075 --> 00:03:21,164 that they would not be able to get past. 66 00:03:21,164 --> 00:03:22,833 I recognize that there needs to be 67 00:03:22,833 --> 00:03:25,076 a fight for doctrinal purity, 68 00:03:25,076 --> 00:03:26,754 and if we have to move away 69 00:03:26,754 --> 00:03:31,444 from something where that purity does not exist, 70 00:03:31,444 --> 00:03:32,546 I recognize that. 71 00:03:32,546 --> 00:03:35,064 But what you need to recognize is this: 72 00:03:35,064 --> 00:03:37,044 Jesus calls for unity. 73 00:03:37,044 --> 00:03:39,725 He prays for unity. 74 00:03:39,725 --> 00:03:44,254 And there is not a single example in Scripture 75 00:03:44,254 --> 00:03:48,924 where you had in one locale 76 00:03:48,924 --> 00:03:53,207 two different churches functioning side by side. 77 00:03:53,207 --> 00:03:54,554 Now somebody might say, 78 00:03:54,554 --> 00:03:56,725 well, didn't they have lots of churches 79 00:03:56,725 --> 00:03:58,855 that met in houses? 80 00:03:58,855 --> 00:04:01,043 Wasn't there a lot of that going on? 81 00:04:01,043 --> 00:04:02,334 Okay, there may have been. 82 00:04:02,334 --> 00:04:04,155 But nowhere are we called 83 00:04:04,155 --> 00:04:11,546 to basically divide these things up. 84 00:04:11,546 --> 00:04:13,625 The thing that comes to my mind 85 00:04:13,625 --> 00:04:16,824 was what Paul said concerning Corinth 86 00:04:16,824 --> 00:04:19,226 when you had some people following this guy 87 00:04:19,226 --> 00:04:21,702 and some people following this guy. 88 00:04:21,702 --> 00:04:23,154 And he said this: 89 00:04:23,154 --> 00:04:27,083 Is Christ divided? 90 00:04:27,083 --> 00:04:29,214 That's the question we need to ask. 91 00:04:29,214 --> 00:04:33,954 Is Christ divided? 92 00:04:33,954 --> 00:04:37,994 And we could say, okay, what's wrong 93 00:04:37,994 --> 00:04:41,855 with a cowboy wanting to start 94 00:04:41,855 --> 00:04:43,903 a cowboy church? 95 00:04:43,903 --> 00:04:45,856 Is there really anything wrong with it? 96 00:04:45,856 --> 00:04:48,234 I mean, come on, they're all going to wear their cowboy hats, 97 00:04:48,234 --> 00:04:50,125 and they're going to wear their boots, 98 00:04:50,125 --> 00:04:55,525 and they're going to sing country-western gospel. 99 00:04:55,525 --> 00:04:59,245 Is there really anything wrong with that? 100 00:04:59,245 --> 00:05:02,805 Or who cares if somebody wants to start a biker church? 101 00:05:02,805 --> 00:05:09,314 I mean, don't bikers need to be saved? 102 00:05:09,314 --> 00:05:12,205 And somebody might even quote: 103 00:05:12,205 --> 00:05:14,946 We need to become all things to all people. 104 00:05:14,946 --> 00:05:18,633 Right? 105 00:05:18,633 --> 00:05:22,305 What I find interesting about that text 106 00:05:22,305 --> 00:05:24,595 is Paul says to those who are under the law, 107 00:05:24,595 --> 00:05:26,095 I became as one under the law. 108 00:05:26,095 --> 00:05:27,835 To those that are not under the law, 109 00:05:27,835 --> 00:05:29,915 I became as one not under the law. 110 00:05:29,915 --> 00:05:32,704 (incomplete thought) 111 00:05:32,704 --> 00:05:34,284 But you know what's interesting? 112 00:05:34,284 --> 00:05:36,165 He's speaking to the Corinthian church 113 00:05:36,165 --> 00:05:38,124 and he didn't say, therefore Corinthians, 114 00:05:38,124 --> 00:05:40,564 divide up. 115 00:05:40,564 --> 00:05:42,325 He didn't say that. 116 00:05:42,325 --> 00:05:44,084 Somebody might say Hudson Taylor - 117 00:05:44,084 --> 00:05:45,885 Hudson Taylor grew his hair long 118 00:05:45,885 --> 00:05:49,093 and he dressed like the Chinese to win the Chinese. 119 00:05:49,093 --> 00:05:50,834 So if I want to win bikers, 120 00:05:50,834 --> 00:05:52,884 I better get me a Harley. 121 00:05:52,884 --> 00:05:57,504 Right? 122 00:05:57,504 --> 00:06:01,034 Look, I would say this. 123 00:06:01,034 --> 00:06:08,976 That if I was formerly a Harley rider 124 00:06:08,976 --> 00:06:11,394 and God saved me, 125 00:06:11,394 --> 00:06:14,544 might I have a special place in my heart 126 00:06:14,544 --> 00:06:16,083 for those guys? 127 00:06:16,083 --> 00:06:18,784 Yeah, I might. 128 00:06:18,784 --> 00:06:23,005 Could I maybe feel a bit more comfortable among them? 129 00:06:23,005 --> 00:06:28,894 Yeah, I might. 130 00:06:28,894 --> 00:06:33,365 One thing I would just say is this: 131 00:06:33,365 --> 00:06:35,304 We don't want to get to the place 132 00:06:35,304 --> 00:06:38,635 where we wouldn't evangelize somebody 133 00:06:38,635 --> 00:06:42,424 because they're not a biker. 134 00:06:42,424 --> 00:06:45,213 And would we want to get to the place 135 00:06:45,213 --> 00:06:47,101 where if we started a biker church 136 00:06:47,101 --> 00:06:50,464 and somebody came in that didn't have a bike, 137 00:06:50,464 --> 00:06:53,404 that we're going to look down on them? 138 00:06:53,404 --> 00:06:55,904 You see, the thing that makes me uncomfortable 139 00:06:55,904 --> 00:06:59,144 about cowboy churches and biker churches 140 00:06:59,144 --> 00:07:05,824 is I think one of the dangers is idolatry. 141 00:07:05,824 --> 00:07:10,194 Look, you don't want 142 00:07:10,194 --> 00:07:13,915 your desire to have a Harley 143 00:07:13,915 --> 00:07:17,705 or your desire to have cowboy boots 144 00:07:17,705 --> 00:07:21,473 to somehow trump your willingness 145 00:07:21,473 --> 00:07:27,024 to love all Christians no matter what stripe they may be of. 146 00:07:27,024 --> 00:07:29,144 (incomplete thought) 147 00:07:29,144 --> 00:07:31,004 Look, the very same thing 148 00:07:31,004 --> 00:07:33,315 that causes me to cringe when I hear 149 00:07:33,315 --> 00:07:35,373 there's black churches and white churches, 150 00:07:35,373 --> 00:07:37,585 or I hear there's an Indian church 151 00:07:37,585 --> 00:07:38,672 over in Houston. 152 00:07:38,672 --> 00:07:40,315 We had people visit us one time 153 00:07:40,315 --> 00:07:41,794 when we were at Fatty's 154 00:07:41,794 --> 00:07:45,182 and they said they heard about us on I'll Be Honest 155 00:07:45,182 --> 00:07:46,353 and they came over here. 156 00:07:46,353 --> 00:07:48,075 I think they may have come over here 157 00:07:48,075 --> 00:07:49,074 maybe for business, 158 00:07:49,074 --> 00:07:51,026 maybe they came just to see the church. 159 00:07:51,026 --> 00:07:53,425 But I asked them about where they went to church 160 00:07:53,425 --> 00:07:56,105 and they went to an Indian church, 161 00:07:56,105 --> 00:07:58,752 like not red Indians like Apaches, 162 00:07:58,752 --> 00:08:01,404 but Indians from India kind of church. 163 00:08:01,404 --> 00:08:04,004 And I don't like that. 164 00:08:04,004 --> 00:08:05,575 And I remember Ryan Fullerton 165 00:08:05,575 --> 00:08:07,156 speaking out against the fact 166 00:08:07,156 --> 00:08:09,721 that there were Gypsy churches in Romania. 167 00:08:09,721 --> 00:08:11,564 And I think rightly so. 168 00:08:11,564 --> 00:08:18,367 It's like why are we dividing God's people up? 169 00:08:18,367 --> 00:08:20,375 I know this, 170 00:08:20,375 --> 00:08:21,947 that from the very get-go, 171 00:08:21,947 --> 00:08:25,813 I prayed for a racially diverse church in Grace. 172 00:08:25,813 --> 00:08:27,566 And you know what? 173 00:08:27,566 --> 00:08:30,213 It tests our love. 174 00:08:30,213 --> 00:08:32,745 There are times when you have to fight 175 00:08:32,745 --> 00:08:34,146 through difficulties 176 00:08:34,146 --> 00:08:37,856 and you have to fight through prejudices 177 00:08:37,856 --> 00:08:41,414 and seek to love each other. 178 00:08:41,414 --> 00:08:44,706 But this is what Jesus was praying for - 179 00:08:44,706 --> 00:08:47,393 unity among His people. 180 00:08:47,393 --> 00:08:51,454 And I think we need to strive for that. 181 00:08:51,454 --> 00:08:53,655 I would just say this, 182 00:08:53,655 --> 00:08:57,665 that you know is there a place 183 00:08:57,665 --> 00:09:00,235 to dress like Hudson Taylor 184 00:09:00,235 --> 00:09:02,402 if you want to win the Chinese? 185 00:09:02,402 --> 00:09:04,344 I think there is. 186 00:09:04,344 --> 00:09:07,862 I think there is. 187 00:09:07,862 --> 00:09:12,464 But you know, he did not - 188 00:09:12,464 --> 00:09:14,706 you know how they had the bald front 189 00:09:14,706 --> 00:09:16,865 and the ponytail in back? 190 00:09:16,865 --> 00:09:21,184 If you read Hudson Taylor's biography, 191 00:09:21,184 --> 00:09:30,424 he was a shiny white guy from England. 192 00:09:30,424 --> 00:09:34,315 His head would get burned all the time in the sun. 193 00:09:34,315 --> 00:09:38,574 Wearing their shoes was extremely uncomfortable for him. 194 00:09:38,574 --> 00:09:41,846 He did this to win souls. 195 00:09:41,846 --> 00:09:46,035 He didn't do it because long hair in a ponytail 196 00:09:46,035 --> 00:09:47,847 was an idol to him. 197 00:09:47,847 --> 00:09:50,227 We just need to be honest. 198 00:09:50,227 --> 00:09:52,464 We need to be honest about our cowboy hats 199 00:09:52,464 --> 00:09:53,873 and our cowboy boots 200 00:09:53,873 --> 00:09:55,826 and about our Harley Davidsons, 201 00:09:55,826 --> 00:09:57,963 because if they become an idol 202 00:09:57,963 --> 00:09:59,533 and we basically are creating 203 00:09:59,533 --> 00:10:02,115 a church around that idol - 204 00:10:02,115 --> 00:10:03,615 see, that's different than him 205 00:10:03,615 --> 00:10:06,274 getting a hairstyle that he would not have gotten 206 00:10:06,274 --> 00:10:09,174 if it wasn't for the fact he wanted to win souls, 207 00:10:09,174 --> 00:10:11,645 and wear shoes that he would not have worn. 208 00:10:11,645 --> 00:10:15,923 They were almost like Dutch wooden shoes. 209 00:10:15,923 --> 00:10:17,736 They were super uncomfortable. 210 00:10:17,736 --> 00:10:21,603 They talked about how they hurt his feet. 211 00:10:21,603 --> 00:10:23,344 James: And it wasn't a subculture. 212 00:10:23,344 --> 00:10:25,473 It was the main Chinese culture. 213 00:10:25,473 --> 00:10:28,495 Tim: Right. 214 00:10:28,495 --> 00:10:35,042 So, yeah. 215 00:10:35,042 --> 00:10:42,939 Well, any other comments on this subject? 216 00:10:42,939 --> 00:10:46,975 Probably a good time to stop. 217 00:10:46,975 --> 00:10:52,674 Okay, well, let's pray. 218 00:10:52,674 --> 00:10:57,515 Father, I pray for these men and these women. 219 00:10:57,515 --> 00:11:00,804 Lord, make us discerning - 220 00:11:00,804 --> 00:11:02,322 truly discerning, 221 00:11:02,322 --> 00:11:05,065 biblically discerning. 222 00:11:05,065 --> 00:11:07,983 Help us to be able to separate. 223 00:11:07,983 --> 00:11:11,783 Help us to be able to tell one thing from another. 224 00:11:11,783 --> 00:11:14,374 Help us to be able to interpret things 225 00:11:14,374 --> 00:11:15,894 in light of Scripture 226 00:11:15,894 --> 00:11:17,425 and apply Scripture 227 00:11:17,425 --> 00:11:21,553 to all the practicalities of our everyday life. 228 00:11:21,553 --> 00:11:22,965 To know how they apply, 229 00:11:22,965 --> 00:11:26,275 to see, to discern. 230 00:11:26,275 --> 00:11:29,616 Lord, help us by constant regular use 231 00:11:29,616 --> 00:11:33,461 and exercise applying Scriptures 232 00:11:33,461 --> 00:11:36,534 to become very discerning people. 233 00:11:36,534 --> 00:11:41,343 Wash us with the water of the Word. 234 00:11:41,343 --> 00:11:45,044 Sanctify us by Thy truth 235 00:11:45,044 --> 00:11:47,884 into that image, 236 00:11:47,884 --> 00:11:49,216 that perfect image, 237 00:11:49,216 --> 00:11:52,865 that beautiful image of Christ. 238 00:11:52,865 --> 00:11:54,844 We pray in His name, amen.