First Baptist Church, Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Devotional: Luke 18:1-14

Today’s passage: Luke 18:1-14

Helpful thoughts:

  • This unrighteous judge gave the woman what she wanted for his own benefit.  God proactively loves his children.  Instead of being annoyed by us, He tells us to draw near to Him in prayer!
  • God gives justice.  He will give us what is right, which may not always be what we want.
  • The Pharisee and the tax collector were both sinners.  Only one of them realized it…and that man went home justified.

Questions to consider:

  1. In what way(s) were the unrighteous judge and the Pharisee similar?  What was most important to them?  How did they view other people?  Who didn’t they fear?
  2. What justices should we be praying fervently for?  Do your prayers contain more matters of justice and glory or prayers of self-interest, self-promotion, and an avoidance of any hardship?  Do your prayers look more like the prayers of the Pharisee, the desire of the unrighteous judge (“Make this woman stop bickering”) or the prayer and appeal of the woman and the tax collector?
  3. What must the elect come to know before they know to ask God for mercy?  How has God provided justice for the elect through Christ?  Why would our justification at the cross give God all the more reason to pursue our good to the end?

Devotional: Luke 17:20-37

Today’s passage: Luke 17:20-37

Helpful thoughts:

  • The fact that the Pharisees were asking Jesus about the coming kingdom again at this point displays more mockery than curiosity.
    • The kingdom of God didn’t come according to the Pharisees’ expectation and desires.  So, they rejected it.
  • When Jesus comes again to rule and reign, there will be no mistaking it.
  • Those being taken away in this passage do not refer to the rapture.  These illustrations are being compared by Jesus to times of judgment.  The ones being taken away here are being taken away to judgment.

Questions to consider:

  1. Given the words and actions of the Pharisees, how do you think they would have envisioned the coming of the Messiah and the kingdom?  How was their thinking wrong and backwards?
  2. If people are “eating and drinking” and pursuing the best things this world has to offer, what kind of life is their “dream life”?  What kinds of things will prove to be paramount in the heart that is longing for the kingdom of God?
  3. Whose kingdom has your heart and affections?  Are you ready?

Devotional: Luke 17:11-19

Today’s passage: Luke 17:11-19

Helpful thoughts:

  • These leprous men (Now formerly leprous) were required by law to show themselves to the priests who acted as the local health officials.  The process for declaring them clean would last eight days.  These priests were about to get an eight day testimony to the deity of Christ as He approached Jerusalem for the last time in His earthly ministry.
  • Nine of the ten men were overwhelmed at the prospect of returning to a normal life.  One man was overwhelmed by the prospect of being in the presence of Almighty God.  He bowed down humbly, with thanksgiving, in worship.
  • All ten men were healed, so Jesus’ statement in verse 19 had nothing to do with leprosy.  This Samaritan man had been made well eternally that day.  He had put his faith in Jesus, and received eternal life.

Questions to consider:

  1. When the nine Jewish men were declared clean, they would also be seen as too good for the Samaritan man.  What is the irony of his ethnicity?  Of the ten men, who was truly the child of God?
  2. When Jesus asked, “Where are the nine?” what was He implying?  How many of the men should have come back and worshiped Him?
  3. What was the best thing that happened to that Samaritan man that day?  Was it truly a good day for the nine Jewish men considering what they had missed?  What things matter the most in our lives today?

Devotional: Luke 17:1-10

Today’s passage: Luke 17:1-10

Helpful thoughts:

  • In contrast to the pride of the Pharisees, Jesus teaches his apostles (And the rest of us) what humility will produce in us.
    • A humble teacher will be careful to ensure that his teaching is from the Bible (God’s Word alone has authority) and not his own errant opinion, which would cause others to go the wrong direction.  (“Little ones” refers to all believers.)
    • A humble leader will pay attention to himself first! (Matthew 7:5)
    • A humble believer will be willing to rebuke, not preserving their own reputation in the eyes of the one needing correction.
    • A humble believer will be willing to forgive, even repeatedly, knowing they have been forgiven of much more (Matthew 18:21-35).
    • A humble believer will realize great things don’t happen because they had enough faith, but because God is the one who wills and holds the power (Not how much faith I have, but who my faith is in).
    • A humble believer will see themselves as a servant doing their duty, not as a champion who’s master is lucky to have them.
  • Philippians 3 shares Paul’s personal testimony of this transformation.

Questions to consider:

  1. How does a teacher/preacher know if their teaching is biblical?  How does a listener know if the teaching/preaching they are receiving is biblical?  How does humility promote biblical teaching and learning?
  2. In what way can pride motivate us to point our finger and bark at people’s sin?  In what way could pride motivate us to remain quiet when someone needs to hear a rebuke?  How could thinking too highly and/or too “lowly” of ourselves both be a result of pride? (Think, high self-esteem and low self-esteem…what is the common denominator?)
  3. How does preaching the gospel to ourselves encourage humility in our hearts?  Children of God, what are we?  Whose are we? What is our calling and mission? Who is our hope? Where is our home?

Reopening Letter

Church Family,

On behalf of the deacons and myself, thank you for your prayers and support!  We met together on Tuesday evening (Via Zoom) to pray and discuss how we might be able to move toward holding public gatherings again.  I am pleased to announce to you that we have a tentative plan for reopening the church in at least two phases (Phase 1 is detailed below. At this point, Phase 2 is when everything goes back to normal).  Please read to the end because we need your help to complete our plan!

As you are probably aware, there is a whole spectrum of views out there on how this pandemic should have or could have been handled.  There will continue to be many varying views on how churches should respond as well.  Here are some truths that should guide our responses and actions:

  1. Our governing authorities were ordained by God and unless they command us to disobey God, we should obey them (Romans 13:1-2).  The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Rome, where he would later be beheaded for his faith by those governing authorities.
  2. We should be striving for unity and humility in our words and actions toward one another (Ephesians 4:1-3, Philippians 2:1-4).
  3. Let’s be motivated by love and respect, not politics, fear or anger (Romans 13:10, 1 John 4:18-21).  Whatever we do must be motivated by love for God and our neighbors, both in the church and in the community.
  4. We must be careful not to expect every church to follow the same plans.  We are the pastor and deacons of the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, MI.  And we are the First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant, MI.  Other churches are in different areas with different numbers of attendees, different technologies, different buildings, different rooms, different COVID-19 statistics, etc.  We can certainly encourage one another and consider similar biblical principles in our approaches to reopening.  But, the application of those principles will be unique to each individual local church.  
  5. As is always the case, all our plans are subject to change (James 4:13-15).  Let’s hold these plans with an open hand and declare, “If the Lord wills” as we move forward.

The Plan:

  • We will plan to hold meetings at the church building starting Sunday, May 31st.
    • We expect to have two separate meetings at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
    • If more people plan to attend than we can safely accommodate with two services, we will also add a third meeting at 6 p.m.
    • We understand that some may not feel comfortable with attending quite yet, so we will be providing a live stream video of the service, making the video available to view from home.

 

  • We will utilize the following precautions to pursue a safe environment:
    • Doors will be left open for your arrival.  You should not need to touch any door handles, except perhaps for the restrooms for privacy reasons.  We will clean them before/after each gathering as a precaution.
    • Hand sanitizing stations will be available in various areas of the lobby.
    • The chairs will be set up in groups of two, three, or more and be set at least six feet apart.  We will do this to practice social distancing for each household.  No people from two different households will be sitting within six feet of each other.  We estimate our seating capacity will fall between fifty and sixty people with this set-up.
    • An usher, who will be wearing a mask, will be at the doorway into the auditorium to direct you to your seating area.
    • Masks for attendees are encouraged, but will not be required.
    • Restrooms will be sanitized between each service.
    • Drinking fountains will not be used.  Please bring your own water if needed.
    • Windows in the auditorium will be opened and the fans will be turned on for improved ventilation.
    • We will dismiss after the service is over in an orderly fashion and ask that no one remain in the building afterward.  Please exit to the parking lot and practice safe distancing both before and after the services as you come and go, and in the parking lot.
    • As hard as it might be, please do not shake hands or give hugs.  Keep your distance.
    • Chairs will be sprayed or wiped down after each use with COVID-19 approved disinfectant.
    • There will be no Children’s Church, Sunday School, or staffed nursery.  It would be impossible to maintain safety measures with all of the children in these ministry environments.  Please don’t worry about the noise.  We want everyone to feel welcomed and comfortable to attend.  We love children!  The nursery will be available to parents who need to utilize the space to care for their own children if needed.  All other areas of the building should be off-limits.  Please keep your children with you at all times.
    • Instead of passing offering plates, offering boxes with locks will be stationed at the back of the auditorium.
    • We will not be passing out paper copies of the bulletin.  We will try to utilize our new projector for announcements.
    • We will wait to observe the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday we are able to hold regular worship services, unless that date ends up being too far down the road.
    • We ask that you inform us of any visitors ahead of time so that we can ensure seating is available.  And, any visitors should not be coming from another church who have not yet held services.  We would encourage people from other churches to continue participating in the life of their local church.

 

  • Please follow these other CDC recommendations as well:
    • Stay home when you are sick.
    • Cover your coughs and sneezes.
    • Wash your hands thoroughly.
    • Avoid touching your face.

Our hope and prayer is that this list of precautions only lasts for a few weeks to a month.  If things look like they will last longer, or if our government gives further guidance for churches or large gatherings, our leadership will meet together to see if any other phases or adjustments to our reopening plans make sense for our church.

Here’s where we need your help!

We need to know how many of you plan to attend, starting Sunday, May 31st.  Please email us at info@firstbaptist.co or call one of our deacons or myself and tell us if you are or are not planning to attend.  If we do not hear back from you by the end of this Saturday (5/23), we will contact you.  Again, there is no judgment in whatever decision you make for your family.  We simply need to know how to plan in order to best accommodate everyone.  

Please note, we may not be able to offer preferred time-slots for services.

If you choose not to attend on the 31st but later receive good news that changes your thinking for Sunday, June 7th or thereafter, please let us know and we will happily make the changes necessary to add you in.

As time moves forward, we will begin to address mid-week activities, Sunday School classes, Sunday evening Bible study & prayer meetings, etc.  For now, we are excited to see this opportunity and direction to move forward.

Looking forward to hearing back from all of you!

 

Saved by Grace,

Pastor Andy Molyneux

Ephesians 2:8-9

Category: News

Devotional: Luke 16:19-31

Today’s passage: Luke 16:19-31

Helpful thoughts:

  • A Jewish man who was rich (Perceived culturally as a blessing and obvious favor from God) died and found himself in Hell.  A poor man who had sores all over his skin (Perceived culturally as a curse and judgment from God) died and was in Heaven.  This was a shocking account.
    • Lazarus’ name means, “Whom God has helped.”
    • The rich man is given no name.  God had NOT helped him.
  • “Moses and the Prophets” is a name for the Old Testament.  These people had the Word of God.  The Word of God is what we need to hear from God (Romans 10:17).
  • Miracles do not produce faith.  Not even witnessing resurrection.

Questions to consider:

  1. Why is the prosperity gospel and the word of faith movement an abomination?  What does it do to people?  What does it distract them from?  How does it treat God? (Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, etc.) – By the way, go ahead and read ahead to Luke 17:2 to see what Jesus says about people who teach this things…
  2. How does Lazarus’ name point us back to the true gospel?  Is man’s biggest problem that he thinks too lowly of himself or too highly?  What must we realize before we are ready for the good news?
  3. If God uses the Word of God to reach/speak to people, what does the Spirit (Who is God) use to reach/speak to people?  If someone accuses others of not following or being sensitive to the Spirit because they want to go back to the Bible to hear from God, what is really happening?  Who is the one who is truly sensitive to the Spirit of God (Who personally led men -inspiration- to write the Bible)?

Devotional: Luke 16:14-18

Today’s passage: Luke 16:14-18

Helpful thoughts:

  • The inspired scripture reveals to us the hearts of the Pharisees.  God knows their hearts (And ours).  Their master was money.
    • Because money was their master and they were controlled by their greed, they actively ridiculed God to His face.
  • These men who were slaves to a worldly master, had changed the practices of religion in the name of worship toward God.  But man’s view of religion changes nothing of the truth of God’s holy Word!
    • These religious leaders were not observing themselves according to what God had said in His Word.  They were justifying themselves through their own logic and assumptions first and then bending and twisting the Word of God to conform to their desires.
    • “We must not bring the Word of God into the culture.  We must instead bring the culture to the Word of God.” – John MacArthur
    • It is “easier” to bring your ideas to the Bible, read it lazily, and walk away feeling affirmed than it is to let the Spirit use the Bible to take your ideas and radically change them for your growth and sanctification.  Continual surrender (Dying daily to self) takes effort…”forcing” our way.
  • Jesus’ teaching about marriage and divorce is being used to illustrate his point.  The Pharisees had manipulated the words of the Law in the OT to allow themselves to divorce their wives in order to (in their mind) “upgrade” to another.  They were being selfish and sinful while calling their actions righteous.

Questions to consider:

  1. How does verse 17 give us confidence in the inspiration and the preservation of God’s Word?  When we read our Bibles, who are we hearing from?  If God is the author, how should we approach the scriptures?  How should we respond to the truth found within?
  2. If we are ever reading the Bible to see if it’s OK to do something we feel is probably wrong, what might we need to ask ourselves?  If we have been taught that something is right or wrong and the Bible says otherwise, who should we listen to and obey?
  3. What do we see in this passage that goes beyond the external actions of people?  What did God know about these Pharisees?  Why do we do what we do?  What informs and shapes our desires to agree with God?  How can you continue to fight for that change and growth?

Devotional: Luke 16:1-13

Today’s passage: Luke 16:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

  • This parable was spoken to the disciples.  This is not a parable of evangelism but instead it teaches how believers ought to live and how believers won’t live.
  • In his final act as an employee of the rich man, the manager cost his employer even more money in order to benefit himself.  This was not a benevolent act in any way.  He showed mercy to the debtors only to provide himself with obligated acquaintances after his work was done.  He set himself up to be provided for after his firing had taken effect.
    • The commendation in verse 8 is not a good one.
    • People of this world are shrewd with each other in order to meet their immediate needs/wants in a way that costs them eternally.  The sons of light (God’s children) are the opposite.  They are not shrewd for the here and now because their eyes and hearts are hoping in the age to come.
  • Christ commands us to use the money of this world (Unrighteous wealth) to “make friends” who will welcome us into eternity.  This is evangelism! Our money must be used for the furtherance of the Gospel!

Questions to consider:

  1. Who is your master?  Is Jesus your lord and therefore over the finances at your disposal, or is money ruling your heart? (Verse 13)
  2. If money doesn’t make us “rich” (Verse 11), then what does it mean to truly be “rich”?
  3. How does eternity and the promise of being a joint-heir with Christ helps us to see money differently in this life? (Romans 8:17)