WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Location and Times
  • News
  • Pastor's Blog
  • Giving
  • Building Project
  • Sermons

Identifying false teachers: links to some helpful articles

11/7/2021

0 Comments

 

7 FALSE TEACHERS IN THE CHURCH TODAY (by Tim Challies)

7 TRAITS OF FALSE TEACHERS (from The Gospel Coalition)

0 Comments

Options for our giving

4/6/2020

0 Comments

 
​Dear WTBC family,
As you know, I don’t talk about money very often.  However, several people have been asking me about the best way to handle our giving these days; so, I would like to share the options we have available.
 
  1. Mail
    1. The fastest way to have your checks deposited will be to send them directly to Sharon, one of our treasurers.  If you need her address, feel free to contact me.
    2. You could also send checks directly to church.  Sherry is receiving our mail, and will get any checks to Sharon as soon as she can.
  2. Online
    1. Our online giving is handled through ‘Easytithe.’  You can set up a one-time or recurring payment through our church website at http://www.wtbaptist.org/giving.html.  Please note, Easytithe will charge a small percentage of the donation as a processing fee … which is worth it for the convenience, in my opinion 😊
 
I have been greatly encouraged by your giving even while we are apart!  I don’t follow who gives what or how much, but Sharon has shared with me that God has once again been providing for the needs of our church through the giving of His people.  I know that God has helped our church remember that financial giving is another aspect of worship, and one that God will bless when done cheerfully and generously.  So, I thank you; and most of all, I thank the Lord!
If you have any questions about this or anything else, please feel free to let me know. 
In Christ,
Pastor Chris
0 Comments

"Holy Week" reading plan (used with permission)

4/4/2020

0 Comments

 
holy_week_bible_reading_guide_from_muscadine_press.pdf
File Size: 3568 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

0 Comments

Coronavirus/Society is Fragile

3/16/2020

1 Comment

 

Several decades ago, novelist C. P. Snow wrote, “Civilization is hideously fragile, you know that; there's not much between us and the horrors underneath. Just about a coat of varnish, wouldn't you say.”  This past week has illustrated his point extremely well.  Not that we have necessarily reached the ‘horrors underneath,’ but clearly that ‘civilization is hideously fragile.’  If you were asked to create a list of things that are fragile, you might normally think of things like silence, snowflakes, butterflies …  But before this past week, would you have thought to add corporate worship to that list?

We have just been reminded that some of the things we often take for granted are less secure than we like to think.  In light of this newly realized reality, may I offer a couple of things for the church to consider?

- The ‘church’ is not a building, it is people.  People who have been graciously saved by placing their faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ.  “Social-distancing” from a corporate meeting on the Lord’s day cannot change the enduring nature of the true church!

- Although the ‘church’ is not a building, regular meeting with other believers to study God’s Word and worship God’s Person is both biblical and essential.  Obviously, there will be extenuating circumstances which prohibit us from being with our church family.  However, if at all possible, this should not be the norm.  My fear is that we will become so accustomed to the comfort of ‘church at home’ (which might be unavoidable for a time) that we will forfeit the primacy of the local church as it is taught in the Bible.  Let me share some comments from author Cindy Cochrum:

“It can be tempting to avoid the more complicated connections that involve time in the physical presence of needy people.  Our world overflows with theological books, expert online sermons, and bloggers who blog with widely celebrated authority.  We can easily begin to idealize and identify with virtual voices and leaders, as opposed to real live and really imperfect ones.  It’s easier to jump online than to get ourselves (and perhaps others as well) ready and make our way to a church gathering, especially after a long day or week of work of whatever kind.
“When our most important communities become something other than the church body in which the Lord has placed us, we miss out on the joy that comes from actually living in fellowship with the very people whom the Lord has gifted us to serve.  The type of community that Paul envisions cannot occur in online chat rooms, forums, or in the comments section at the bottom of a blog; it requires loving and caring followers of Christ who are consistently and personally in touch with one another’s lives.” 
(Word-Filled Women’s Ministry, p. 96)

- Thankfully, each believer is an inseparable part of Jesus’ church.  Regrettably, fellowship with other members of that church is not always possible.  So, what do we do if we are unable to meet with our local church?  Be intentionally seeking ways to be involved with your brothers and sisters in Christ! 

*Listen to your pastor’s sermon if provided. 
*Meet responsibly with whomever you can when you can.
*Find ways to understand others’ needs and try to meet them.  Use social media to your and others’ advantage!
*Ask for prayer requests … pray for them … and then ask about them later. 
*Rejoin your local church as soon as you can!  
​
In Christ,
Pastor Chris Riggs

1 Comment

Because of October being 'pastor appreciation month'

10/13/2018

0 Comments

 

I am truly blessed to be the pastor of this special church!  As we study the pastoral epistle of Titus this month, I am humbled and thankful to know that this redeemed sinner has been privileged with the honor of being the steward of the WTBC part of God's flock.  As your pastor, I have just one request this month: would you consider praying for me?  I am in constant need of God's grace, and would be honored to know that you are praying for this for me (and thus for my family and our church)!

Picture
0 Comments

Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1677/1689)

3/18/2018

1 Comment

 
Here is the link to the "2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith" that we discussed in our evening service on 3/18/18.
www.1689.com/confession.html
1 Comment

A new year ... a new Bible reading plan

12/31/2017

0 Comments

 

As we look ahead to another year, perhaps you have decided to start a new Bible reading plan.  Here are some creative suggestions!
​https://www.ligonier.org/blog/bible-reading-plans/ 

0 Comments

The Peace of God from the God Who is Peace

6/22/2016

0 Comments

 

Peace: Google (which my kids now tell me knows everything) defines this word as “freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.”  Maybe thinking of the ideal setting for this word transports your imagination to hearing waves on the beach, or to feeling the gentle swaying of the porch swing as you watch the sun set over the mountains.  Perhaps it’s just sitting in your recliner and listening to the silence that reminds you the kids are back in school!

We all love those times of serenity, but the peace offered by each of these examples is so easily shattered: the pain of your tan (otherwise known as a sunburn), the smell of the skunk who decided to take up residence under the porch, or the phone call informing you that you will probably be up all night because Johnny just got sick. 

But finding a way to escape reality is just one way of finding that illusive peace.  Possibly the more sought after kind of peace (and definitely the more valuable) is the peace that is found in the middle of your reality.  “Lord, please give me peace about __________!”  Can you hear yourself praying this prayer?  Maybe it was this morning, or maybe last week, but I imagine you can easily recall a time where you were anxiously seeking peace in a difficult situation.  In everything from decisions to be made to results just received, “Lord, please give me peace!” understandably becomes a very common prayer.

Thankfully, if you can say you have been praying that prayer, you have turned to the right place!  It is only in God that we have any hope of being given true peace, and I believe we can find the root of why this is true in 2 Thessalonians 3:16.  “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.” 

The heart of this reality is found in the phrase, “the Lord of peace.”  The reason that God can give us peace is because He is peace.  It is more than what He does, it is Who He is.  Along with the more easily thought of attributes of power, holiness, love, justice… must be accredited this perfect aspect of His nature: peace.  Consider this: He is never worried, He is never frustrated, He is never unsure.  Why is that?  He knows both the present and the future, He is all-powerful, He is perfectly wise.  He is peace and is at peace (God does what He is, and is what He does) because all things are under His sovereign authority.  This observation leads us to the realization that perfect peace can only come through perfect knowledge, power, and wisdom.  ‘Peace’ for any other reason can only be a form of escape from reality either through ignorance or resignation.

Now, in order for us to truly access this peace, we have to understand what it’s not.  You see, often when we pray for God’s peace, we are actually praying for solutions.  “Lord, please show me what the future is, and I will feel at peace… Lord, please assure me that I will overcome this, and I will feel at peace… Lord, please tell me what to do, and I will feel at peace…”  In some ways, we are essentially praying to be like God: to be perfect in knowledge, power, and wisdom. 

I believe Scripture is pretty clear that this is not what God has called us to.  He has not called His children to a life of sight, but a life of faith.  Perhaps you won’t know what the future is going to be … can you still have peace?  Perhaps you won’t be removed from this trial … can you still have peace?  Maybe you won’t know beyond a shadow of a doubt what is the right decision … can you still have peace? 

The Holy Spirit through Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:16 gives us a resounding “YES” in answer to that question.  “Peace always by all means” is available for the children of God!

Do you remember how Paul wrote about peace in Philippians 4:11-13?  He admits that even in times of need, he was at peace.  That is much different than him saying, “Because everything was going my way, I had peace.”  Instead, it was “through Christ” that Paul received the strength to be at peace.  It is through the God of peace that I can be at peace.  The peace that God gives isn’t given because I know everything, but because God is all-knowing.  The peace that God gives isn’t given because I am suddenly powerful, but because God is all-powerful.  And the peace that God gives isn’t given because I am perfectly wise, but because my God is all-wise! 

​May the God of peace give you peace!
  

0 Comments

Because Sorrow Isn't Enough

3/18/2016

1 Comment

 
Wouldn’t it be nice if being sorry for something was enough to ensure that you never did it again!  My thoughts could easily go to children for examples (how many times have we parents had to repeatedly discipline our children for the exact same thing even after they genuinely said “I’m sorry”!) … but the reality is, I don’t have to.  I wish it were just children who struggled with this, but there is no doubt that I am guilty as well.  Perhaps you can relate to this discouraging pattern: sin, conviction, sorrow … and then a return to that same sin, conviction, sorrow… and on it goes. 

What’s the problem?  Why do we have to find ourselves in this maddening cycle?  Is a Christ-follower resigned to the same sin-slavery as the unbeliever, just with an added dose of conviction? 

If you have read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, you know that he definitely didn’t propose this sad existence as an unavoidable reality.  In his first letter to Corinth he thanks God because of our “victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:57).  That sure doesn’t sound like someone who is resigned to failure!  So where is that victory found, and why isn’t sorrow enough to give us that victory? 

Paul’s second recorded letter to the Corinthian church describes this very issue in chapter 7 verses 9-10.
“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”

The reality that the Holy Spirit used Paul to describe is this: there are two different kinds of sorrows.  There is a sorrow that produces death, and a sorrow that produces repentance.  The first is a natural feeling that comes because of many reasons (many of them selfish): lost opportunities, lost relationships, the pain of consequences…  But this sorrow has no power to do anything but make us feel pain, regret, and worthlessness.  There is no hope in this sorrow alone. 

What Paul describes as a much better option is a hopeful sorrow.  There is a godly sorrow that leads to victory over sin because it leads to repentance.  Repentance is more than feeling sorry … it is a response to the knowledge of the person and work of God.  First of all, it is a realization that my sin is a violation against a holy God.  We must realize that the gravity of our sin is not primarily found in the pain that it causes us or the ones around us, rather in the reality that it is rebellion against God.

But this realization of the person of God could still result in hopeless despondency unless we also remember the work of God.  Victory and hope requires remembering and relying on the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection that ensured victory.  It is in this gospel that we find the hope that our sorrow must lead to.  The gospel of a mercy that endures forever.  The gospel of a grace that knows no bounds.  Mercy in forgiveness, and grace in the power to change.  It’s no wonder that our sorrow leads to more failure when we fail to let it take us to the cross and the empty tomb.  It is only in the transformative power of Christ that we will ever find any hope.  If He can transform your soul, He can surely transform your flesh! (Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24)

So how do we let our sorrow move us in a hopeful direction?  By responding to three things:
  1. Our sin: sin is not just a mistake … it is rebellion against a just and holy God.
  2. God’s mercy: forgiveness is offered even when judgment is deserved.
  3. God’s grace: undeserved new life is followed by undeserved empowerment for a new lifestyle.

​So when you are made aware of your own guilt, please don’t stop at sorrow.  Let that sorrow point you to true repentance!  That repentance leads to a resting in the mercy of God and a grace-driven pursuit of Christ-likeness.  And when you are helping others become aware of their guilt, don’t think you have done your job just because they feel sorry … show them the hope that is found in the mercy and grace of a loving God!
1 Comment

Logs and Splinters

2/11/2016

0 Comments

 
The beginning of Matthew chapter 7 is a familiar passage to many.  Between Christ’s warning to “judge not” and the analogy of the speck and the log, these verses have a way of fairly comfortably working their way into our thoughts and perhaps even our conversations.  But along with familiarity comes the tendency to limit application.  We can become so at ease with a singular application of the truth that we often find ourselves failing to consider other results of Christ’s teaching. 

For example: the speck and the log.  Many of us who have grown up in Christian circles have probably heard a notebook full of sermons about the hypocrisy of trying to remove someone else’s splinter while a tree trunk is sticking out of your eye!  Perhaps right now we can picture a rather comical cartoon sketch of the doomed-to-fail attempt.  But I wonder if we have allowed that image to dominate our thinking so much that we have missed another aspect of the analogy. 

Have you ever understood this passage to say, “If my sin is as big as a log, then I won’t be able to help others with their splinters”? Although that understanding of Christ’s teaching is true, the application of this text is broader than that alone.  If we base our need or ability to deal with sin on the apparent size of sin, at some point we will inevitably think, “So-and-so is the one with the log in his eye, and my sin is only the splinter.”  If only that were the point, we could all rest easy … because obviously, everybody else’s sins are worse than ours!  However, if we were intended to measure our sins against someone else’s, there would be a problem … because we call that ‘judging.’  And Christ just dealt with that very thing in verses 1 and 2 of this same chapter. 

So if the motivation behind this text is not the need to compare our sin to someone else’s sin, what is it?  To answer that question, there is a reality that we must understand: the sin we have in our eye is the log, not because it’s worse than another’s, but because it’s ours.  Our first responsibility towards sin is, by God’s grace, to deal with our own.  And, by the way, if we ever find ourselves thinking of our personal sin as splinters, we have forgotten our own depravity, God’s holiness, and the terrible price that both demanded.

By continuing this train of thought, there will actually be two logs and two splinters in this illustration.  Each individual will see his own sin as the log and the other’s sin as the splinter.  Imagine the impact it would have in today’s church if each believer was willing to see his own sin as the log!  Imagine the impact you could have in today’s church if you were willing to see your own sin as the log!  But let me warn you, this application of truth is much easier agreed with in theory than in practice.  The natural response to seeing ours and others’ sin is to compare the two, and we tend to be much more lenient with ourselves. 

​So the next time you think about this passage (or you find yourself comparing yourself to someone else), remember that the only person with a log in their eye is you!  And then don’t leave it there!
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Pastor Chris Riggs will be hosting this study

    Archives

    November 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly