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I published this issue of the Newsletter in Microsoft Publisher format. I failed to make MS Word copies of the articles. For this reason, this file was converted to MS Word via the computer. The result is a non-continuation of the articles in their original order. I have need to correct this and will work on it a little each day. I apologize for any inconvenience in reading this issue at the current time. A link to the Published online version of the April May 2004 issue can be found on the SGLMB home page and also at the link to my Scripture Studies email group under the files link.
April/May 2004
Volume 1, Issue 4504
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION
Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission: Cookeville Tennessee
Distinctions of an SGLMB Church
I have combined the months of April and May in one Newsletter. I have done this because I have experienced computer problems and have only recently recovered. I apologize to everyone for this.
April was the first month to reflect the changes of our meeting times in Cookeville. We now are meeting two Sundays each month. We continued to receive financial and prayer support from Mt. Vernon Missionary Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the amount of $50.00 for the month of April and of May.
During the regular business meeting of Grider Memorial Baptist in Glasgow, Ky. (my home church) I presented the statements of experience of Grace from six of those meeting regularly in Cookeville to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth. The body of Grider Memorial determined that the previous baptism of these was in scriptural order, Grider also determined to postpone this matter until a future time, hoping to give prayerful study to each of these statements as well as to witness a growth in the number the Lord would lead to the mission effort from the Cookeville area.
We are convinced from personal testimony that there is currently no similar work among established nor planned to be established works in the immediate or general area (traveling time of less than 1 hour) of our meeting house. If there were we would gladly discontinue efforts to organize the Sovereign Grace mission into a local body. We are aware of a group of Baptists determined to constitute a local visible church in that area, but differences in belief have currently kept us and themselves from joining together in mutual fellowship in the capacity as a New Testament Church.
We are Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist in our faith and practice.
The purpose of this Newsletter is to provide the distinctions of what SGLMB churches believe and to provide an outlet to make our presence in Cookeville known to the public. Many people reading these pages will perhaps be familiar with these distinctions, either with the SGLMB or SGLIB (Independent) descriptors.
I trust the Lord will use this effort to draw his elect together for the purpose of organizing a sound Baptist church in Cookeville.
Brother Dallas Eaton
The primary thing to remember when introduced to or visiting a SGLMB church is that each local church is local, and independent. This does not mean the church does not nor will not engage in association with other churches of like faith and order. Instead it means the church will do so only to a degree that local authority is not undermined.
The local visible church may differ somewhat in how the worship service is conducted, but the following several areas will be noted:
1. Headship of Christ
2. Bible as final authority to determine faith and practice
3. Local autonomy
4. Membership of Baptized believers
5. Generally following a closed communion
6. Holding to the belief the church has been present in the world since Christ first established the Body.
These may not be all inclusive.
Special points of interest:
� History of the mission effort in Cookeville
� A study of Scriptural New Testament Church Organization
� A study of the Doctrine of Sovereign Grace: Total Depravity of Man
� A Hand to the Plow: Comments from Scripture by a poor sinner saved by Grace alone
� Prayer/Meetings/Missions
�
Inside this issue:
Scriptural New Testament Church 2
Total Depravity 3
A Hand to the Plow 4
Prayer Requests 5
Cookeville Mission Contact Information 6
History of the SGLMB Mission in Cookeville 7
Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist
Acts 11.19-26: A study of scriptural New Testament Church Organization
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Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist
The concurrence of these three writers leads me to believe Christ was not seen only of the 11 apostles, nor only of the 120 gathered on the day of Pentecost, nor of Paul only.
The Doctrine of Sovereign Grace Considered: Total Depravity of Man
Acts 11.19-26
Many great Baptist leaders and theologians have written much concerning this topic. I do not anticipate adding to nor taking away from any one of this writings. My intention is to provide what we in Cookeville believe and I believe what most SGLMB churches would subscribe to regarding this doctrine. Where ever disagreement is found among my readers that will be noted and respected. It is not my purpose in writing this or any article found in this newsletter for pretension that all must be in full agreement with me.
Total Depravity considered from Scripture cannot be denied if considered truthfully and not mixed with human emotion.
God created man on the sixth day and then rested from all his work and saw that all his creation was good (Genesis 1.26-31). God set man in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2.15) and commanded him to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil saying, that in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2.17).
Later it is recorded in Genesis chapter three that man disobeyed God�s command, but it is evident that man did not die a physical death. So we must determine from scripture the kind or type of death man has experienced. This can easily be determined from scripture.
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam�s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come�. (Romans 5.12-14).
This might be enough for most to agree then that man is born a sinner, that man is by nature depraved and not entering into sin in order that he might become a sinner, but enters into sin because he is a sinner by nature. But perhaps there is someone who will focus on the above passage stating��but sin is not imputed where there is no law.� In that case we would do good to consider scripture a little farther regarding this topic.
We do not have to leave the book of Romans to hear the apostle Paul declare: �For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.� And he goes on to say: �For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.� (Romans 7. 5, 6 & 14).
And in another place we learn that we have passed from death unto life (1 John 3.14). There is more than enough prove in what we have provided here to show that man is by nature dead, this death is a spiritual death and not physical. We know that man is not physically dead because we can see that, although it may not be so evident that man is spiritually dead because man is a social creature. There may some who are not immoral according to Society�s definition, what about these, are they too to be told they are totally depraved? Well, again we can find the truth of the matter by turning to the word of God.
Scripture says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, there is none righteous, no not one, and that there is not one that seeketh after God (Romans 3.10, 11 and 23). At the same time, scripture commands that we should do all that we do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10.31). But how are we to accomplish this when we have shown from scripture that there are none who have not sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Scripture does teach us there is a way for us to pass from death unto life, and this is affirmed by the Word of God simply because it is recorded that we know we have passed from death unto life.
This way is found in the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, it is a justification given freely by his grace (Romans 3.24), through faith in his blood, to set forth his righteousness, the righteousness of God, this righteousness is found, I am convinced in Christ Jesus (Romans 10.3).
Our object here is to show the total depravity of man. I believe enough scripture has been given to show this and where any may be in disagreement, enough has been given to heighten an interest in studying this topic further.
I hope if you are in disagreement with this doctrine you will first consider it Biblically. The only way we are able to arrive at any understanding of the word of God is to sincerely engage in a prayerful study of His word. In this way we as individual believers are blessed and are able to be a blessing to the body of believers among whom we worship.
A Hand to the Plow
First of comments on the scripture from a poor sinner hillbilly saved by Grace.
Scripture Reading: Psalms 1.1-6: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
It is not said he is blessed with a reward of eternal life, but that he is blessed for not walking in the counsel of the ungodly. Walking puts us in mind of a journey, our life is a journey. The way we walk while on that journey will bring us blessings or will bring us hardship. We are admonished here to remember that a godly man will not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. He/she will always seek out the path to tread by scripture, private prayer and through discussion of the word of God with a trusted brother or sister in the Lord. Blessed also says scripture is the man that standeth not in the way of sinners. This walk produces in our lives the evidences of the purpose of our walk. In walking according to the ungodly counsel, soon the man will find himself standing in the way of the sinner, when he ought to have sought out the narrow way and ought to have asked to stand in that way, his sight has become glazed over by the ungodly counsel he has received and he has made his stand and not just his walk in accordance to that counsel and finds himself in the way of sinners. But his backsliding will not end there, were he not to recognize that first he began to walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or that he has taken up his stand in accordance to the way of sinners, soon he shall find himself sitting in the seat of the scornful. This marks the depth of his fall, this marks the point at which were he a child of God he must feel the chastening rod by the power of God, otherwise the scripture shall delcare him under the condemnation of never having been a child of God. But scripture does not leave us with such a terrible and hopeless thought regarding the children of God. But rather the scripture declares to us the characteristics of the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, who does not stand in the way of the sinner, and who does not find himself in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. The man who would be blessed delights in the law of the Lord and not only this, but he meditates in that law both day and night. It is made to be a light unto his path and is a guide and guard from walking in the cousnel of the ungodly or standing in the way of sinners or sitting in the seat of the scornful.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
A portion of the blessedness of the man under consideration. He is planted, he does not plant himself, but is planted. Being planted, there must be a husbandman (John 15.1). Having God as his husbandman, there is the utmost care for his future growth, for the bringing forth of his fruit in his season. While he does not plant himself, and he does not bring forth his fruit, these are works of God working in him to reveal Christ (the righteousness of God) in him. These are the purpose for which God has called him unto himself that his life might bring forth fruit unto the praise of the glory of the Grace of God. Further, having God as his husbandman, he has no fear, though a reverential fear of his Heavenly Father, no fear of his leaf (life, both eternal and temporal) to wither while in obedient service to the will of God. While God works his purpose through this man, he has not the worry of falling away and finally being cast into the fire. He has no fear of death coming upon him unawares and taking him before his service to God is fulfilled. He has no fear of even the withering of his strength. All these are providentially cared for by the Husbandman. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The promise is to the man who is blessed, the man who sees the counsel of the ungodly, sees the way of the sinner and the seat of the scornful and rejects these claiming for his way the old paths established and upheld by the power of God. In this way, all that he doeth shall prosper, meaning that all shall provide for him the blessing of life, chief among these is the peace of God. All these provided for the purpose to do all things whatsoever he does for the glory of God.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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Of the ungodly the same is not said, rather, they shall be driven
away like the wind drives away the chaff in the time of harvest. They shall not stand in the judgment, though stand before God in judgment they shall certainly do, they shall not find themselves with the cloak of covering (the atonement) provided through the sacrifice of Christ. Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, though man may be able to deceive the church and may even deceive himself concerning his position in Christ, he shall not deceive God. And in the end he shall find himself granted his portion with the ungodly. The Lord knows the way of the righteous, he has brought them by that way which they knew not, he has walked that way of righteousness. Being the express image of God he knows his sheep and they hear him and they follow him. The way of the ungodly shall perish, the scripture does not say the ungodly shall perish, but that their way shall perish. It is a solemn warning, not that we as true believers will have need to fear of finally falling away, for we are kept by the power of God, the intercessory prayer of our savior, and the chastisement of His Spirit bearing witness continually in our spirit that we are the children of God. These shall not find their way perishing for it is a way established through the eternal Spirit of God. Yet, found here is a warning that we ought to continue in this way, that we ought to keep his law as our delight, the apple of our eye and that we ought to meditate upon His word day and night.
Brother Dallas Eaton
Prayer Requests:
Elder Wayne Camp, pastor of Pilgrims Hope Baptist Church in Memphis TN will be undergoing knee replacement surgery on June 8. Elder Camp desires interest in our prayers for this and for quick healing that he will be able to return to his duties serving God in the church as well as in the field of foreign missions in Thailand.
The Mission effort in Cookeville, keep this on your prayers as often as the Lord provides remembrance of us. We are few in number, but trust the blessings we have experienced in our small attempt to serve God there is evidence of his purpose for calling us together for the establishment of a scriptural Baptist church in that area. We have entered into agreement to continue to seek after organization and I am in the process of producing a statement of faith to present to the body there for their consideration. This will be condensed onto brochures and made available throughout the Cookeville area with contact information. (We are prohibited from making public announcement of our address by our current rental agreement). Pray this will change. Our SGLMB newsletter is online at http://www32.brinkster.com/sglmb/SGLMBnewslettermarch2004.html Links to the monthly letter can be found on this page. Later the page will be updated to include links to News from Cookeville, photos, articles of faith, etc. I also have an email group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScriptureStudies/
Sister Kelly Eaton (my wife) is still having back pain that sometimes makes going and doing very difficult. She has a scheduled appointment with a specialist in Bowling Green Ky. on June 18, 2004 pray for the Lord�s will to be done and for an easing of this pain and difficulty upon her.
A dear brother we know only through email messages, but whose testimony has always been consistent in showing his love for God is in need of prayer. First for the touch of the Lord in healing or providing for him to receive a kidney transplant and secondly for a need of an acquaintance of his to submit to the will of Christ through believer�s baptism and service in a local church.
Bethel Baptist Mission in Bowling Green Ky. will be holding revival meetings beginning June 10th and 12th beginning at 7:00 pm nightly. Pastor Shawn Berry is missionary to Bowling Green from Clarksville TN. (He is sent under the authority of Faith Missionary Baptist Church of Clarksville). Bethel Baptist Mission is located at 5236 Louisville Road Bowling Green Ky. For driving directions or other information you can visit Bethel Baptist online at: www.bethelbaptistky.com
Please continue to remember these concerns in prayer. Prayer is not meant to change the will of God, but it is meant to humble the hearts of God�s people.
Cookeville Information:
Meeting Times and Days
1st and 3rd Sundays of each month in Cookeville Tennessee on Old Bridge Road.
Bible Study: 10:00 am
Worship 11:00 am
F
For driving directions please contact one of the members listed below:
Brother Dallas Eaton�Missionary (Glasgow, Kentucky)
(270) 678-7941
Email:
[email protected]
Brother Robert Saylor�Cookeville, Tennessee
(615) 351-5181
Sister Anna Littrell�Cookeville, Tennessee
(931) 520-6255
Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist is an online newsletter available via internet connection or through email. The Newsletter is published by Brother Dallas Eaton for the purpose of making known the doctrine of Sovereign Grace, of the church (Landmark and missionary) and of historic Baptist principles of faith and practice. Articles of submission are welcome and may be submitted to Brother Dallas Eaton at [email protected]. It is the purpose of this newsletter to make known the Biblical and historic distinctions of Baptists, to seek to further those distinctives through the letters and to make known the presence of a group of baptized SGLMB believers in the area of Cookeville Tennessee having as their intention to covenant together as one of the Lord�s local visible New Testament churches.
The newsletter is published and sent out monthly unless there are unforseen circumstances preventing its publication from the home of Brother Dallas Eaton. Brother Eaton is responsible for the beliefs outlined in this letter and any questions or comments ought to be directed at him through the above contact information. Articles discussing differing beliefs, commonly held to be Baptistic or if presented according to Grace will be considered for publication.
Prayer requests may be made known through the same information above.
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we as Baptists and desiring to remain true to scripture cannot limit this activity to properly ordained men by sound properly organized New Testament Baptist churches.
Volume 1, Issue 4504
History of Baptist Mission in Cookeville (cont�d.)
A History of the mission work in Cookeville, Tennessee
During the summer of 2003 I became acquainted with some SGLMB brethren through an online email group called Historic Baptist Symposium. During a Bible Conference at Grace Baptist church in Dothan Alabama I met Bro. Ray Angus. Brother Angus was involved with the work in Cookeville Tennessee and discussed this work with me during the conference.
While discussing this work I became very interested in it and Brother Ray invited me and my family to visit and worship with them whenever we could. He also requested our prayer for the work to be able to grow and hopefully the Lord would bless the effort with the organization of a New Testament church there to serve the Cookeville area.
My understanding of this work is that this group of believers became dissatisfied with their home church at inviting men into their pulpit who began to preach and teach against the doctrines of Grace. When this was expressed the pastor of the church told them they needed to go into a Presbyterian church. With this they discontinued their attendance at this church and they began to visit several area churches. After finding none they could join in good conscience, they came into contact with Bro. Ray Angus.
Brother Ray began to meet with them and lead them in worship services. Sometime in August or September of 2003, we visited them for the first time. In November of 2003, Brother Ray Angus contacted me by phone and told me of his call to pastor Mt. Vernon Baptist in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He was going to be traveling there in December and then take that position in January of 2004, and he asked me to fill in the first Sunday of December, and if I would be interested in taking the lead in Cookeville, which I did. During this visit, I preached a message from the book of Philemon verses 1-16. The first Sunday in January, there was sickness in the home the meetings where in and services where cancelled.
The first Sunday in February, I preached from John chapter 3, verses 1-8. We made a visit to Mt. Vernon Baptist Church on February 15, 2004 and they subsequently sent a missions offering of fifty dollars. We also received twenty-five dollars from Brother Robert Griffin in Casper, Wyoming and a gift of twenty dollars from a sister at Girder Memorial Baptist, One-Hundred Dollars from Brother and Sister Kenneth and Emogene Grizzle, pastor at Girder Memorial Baptist and also from Brother and Sister Randal and Linda Norris, Brother Randal is a deacon at our home church.
The first Sunday in March, I preached from John 10 verse 4 & 16. And the body had an informal meeting to discuss the proposition of organizing into a New Testament Baptist church. We located a building on Old Bridge Rd. to use as a future meeting place beginning the first Sunday in April, and we also determined to start meeting the first and third Sundays of every month.
The proposition of organizing a New Testament Baptist church in Cookeville was brought before the body of Grider Memorial for prayer and consideration of extending a hand of fellowship and support of our organization. A question will be discussed and hopefully decided during a regular business meeting at Grider Memorial on Wednesday March 31, 2004.
Currently this question has been laid aside, tabled as it were. Grider is in hopes that the Lord will bless the efforts in Cookeville with the conversion of the lost, or with unchurched believers desiring to join themselves to us for the purpose of worshipping.
During our second meeting of each month, I have decided to have an informal business meeting, although there is not an organized body here represented by our presence, we believe it is the purpose for which Christ our head has brought us together. We decided on April 16, 2004 to continue in prayer and to engage in efforts to make our presences known through printed brochures, fliers and this newsletter. We have no formal name to call our group, so we have decided on titling any brochure of informational purpose as simply Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission. We then determined that I should make these documents on my computer as well as to draw up a statement of faith to present to the group for approval at our next meeting.
This brings current the events the Lord has blessed us with in our efforts in Cookeville Tennessee. We ask for your continued prayers on our behalf.
Brother Dallas Eaton
For meeting time and location please contact any one of the members: Brother Dallas Eaton, Brother Robert Saylor, Sister Anna Litterell (contact information on pg. 6).
Phone: (270)678-7941
Email: [email protected]
Preaching and Teaching the Faith Once Delivered to the Saints
We�re on the Web at:http://www32.brinkster.com/sglmb/SGLMBnewslettermarch2004.html
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST MISSION
Sovereign Grace Baptist Mission
A Look at Acts 11.19
Part 1: Introduction
There is no explicit statement in scripture that we may know that those disciples who preached the gospel as a result of the persecution that arose about Stephen (Acts 11.19; 8.1 & 4; ) were ever ordained or sent out from any church for that purpose.
What we can say from scripture is that Christ showed himself to the apostles (Matt. 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 19; and Acts 1.3; and also 1 Corinthians 15.6). With 1 Corinthians 15.6 we can know by the word of God that Christ did show himself to above or �more than� 500 brethren after his resurrection. [�above� in the Greek is epano and it means �superior to� ]. Romanized epano is �epano� and is translated as �above� 3x; �more than� 1x; �on� 4x; �over� 6x; and �upon� 3x; (Young�s Greek Dictionary p. 68). It is listed under �Above� at #5 in Young�s Concordance p. 8.
Above is Strong�s # 1883��epano�---�over or on� {Strong�s English Word Index The New Strong�s Guide to Bible Words p.2.}. Strong�s Concordance says �epano� is derived from #1909 & 507; meaning �up above� or �over� or �on�. (of place, amount, rank, etc.). �Above� �more than� (up) on, over�.
W.E. Vine�s dictionary further discusses �epano� on page 5 of his complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. The following is found there: �epano� is from �epi� being �over�, and �ano� being �above�. And is used frequently as a preposition with a noun; adverbially of number, e.g. Mk. 14.5 as in the R.V. and (1 Corinthians 15.6 in the KJV).
Comment: The concurrence of these three writers leads me to believe Christ was not seen only of the 11 apostles, nor only of the 120 gathered on the day of Pentecost, nor of Paul only. As Acts 1.3 records him to have been seen of them of the apostles forty days, so too was he seen during this time of more than 500 brethren.
The relevant question becomes; Did these others who saw Christ also receive the same command of the great commission given as commonly recognized in Matt. 28 and other places? Or is this commission only limited to the 11? (If so, by what authority did Paul call himself an apostle?)
The ramifications of these questions are as follows:
1. If these brethren received the commission were they then operating here in acts 11.19 under that portion of apostolic authority they received at that time?
2. If they did not receive the commission, then my conclusion would be that it is both Biblical and historically correct for Baptists to practice the ordination of men into the ministry. However, it is not limiting to the authority of any to engage upon the same gospel commission by the same authority found to be with these men in Antioch. They were not specifically sent there by any church (only Barnabas is said to have been sent by the only visible local church anywhere at that present time). They were separated from the Jerusalem church due to persecution. I would further note that to prohibit or to limit anyone engaging upon this work ordained or otherwise is an unbiblical practice and ought to be ended among Baptists. There is evidence of men being ordained by local churches (see Acts 13.1-4 and other examples). However, if the men preaching at Antioch possessed the same apostolic authority to engage in the preaching, and administering of the ordinances of the church (Baptism and the Lord�s Supper), then we as Baptists and desiring to remain true to scripture cannot limit this activity to properly ordained men by sound properly organized New Testament Baptist churches.
It is for the hopeful purpose of discovering the proper scriptural position that prompts me to enter into a particular study of Acts 11.19-26. In the preliminary study of this I have quickly learned the question is not confined to those particular passages and therefore, neither is the answer to be found there alone. Instead, it is necessary to compare scripture to scripture and let that be our guide.
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Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist
Volume 1, Issue 4504
Sovereign Grace Landmark Missionary Baptist