"You tried and troubled saints, remember your God knows your weakness and your needs, and has promised that His grace will be sufficient at all times. Let us give Him all the praise." -— C. W. Bond, Island City, Oregon
"I learned as a young man, that there was never anything so pressing that it could not wait until all the saints were brought to agreement." -- Stanley Phillips, Quitman, Mississippi
"Wherever there are three or more baptized members of a regular Baptist church or churches covenanted together to hold and teach, and are governed by the New Testament, there is a Church of Christ." -- J. R. Graves
"We [Baptists] make in our Sabbath service almost every thing of the head, and leave little for the heart. The sermon is not only the main thing, but in the view of most, about the only thing for which to go to the house of God. The singing and reading and praying, are a kind of scaffolding built around the sermon. We hire a man to preach for us,—-to do our praying and reading in the church; and a choir to do our singing, and what is left for us but to be mere recipients or critics?
"The sermon is for the intellect; the singing is for the taste, and what is there for the heart? Where is the worship?" -- Samuel Graves, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1873
7 comments:
I believe worship can be expanded to a higher plane by removing ourselves from those things which may separate us from the fellowship with Him.
For worship is indeed more than a mere hour inside a habitation built with hands. It can be of meditation with our Lord upon arising, at noontime, and at close of day. It can be a hearfelt prayer when we are suddenly faced with an unforeseen dilemma.For by drawing closer to Him during these times, we shall gain a greater understanding of the love of God, and have the desire to truely worship Him all the more.
I believe that taking the Lord's Supper is certainly an act of worship. Sometimes the effort that goes into keeping anyone from seeing it as a sacrament detracts from this. I do NOT hold to any sacramental view of the Supper.I have just seen instances where the pastor seemed to be trying to make the Supper seem almost unimportant.
The singing of hymns can be an act of worship. The song must express sound theology and the singer must agree with what he sings.I have felt what I believe to be a strong sense of real worship in singing praises to God that are doctrinally sound. I do not like songs that appeal to the emotions alone.
I have found that a message preached that contains sound Biblical principles is almost like hearing directly from God. This certainly puts one in the frame of mind for worship. You can't help but praise God for his goodness and mercy, for example, when those subjects have been preached on.
The quote by J.R. Graves pretty much refutes the idea that you need church authority to start a Baptist church.Doesn't sound like he believed in the doctrine nicknamed EMDA, Essential Mother Daughter Authority.
Bro. Mark, I think there is problem with Baptists sometimes trying to deemphasize the Lord's Supper, perhaps so as to make sure no one thinks it is a sacrament. It should have a more worshipful prominent place in our services, imo.
The J.R. Graves quote comes from W.A. Jarrel's Baptist Church Perpetuity. The context was not needing a presbytery to organize a church and I would say it clearly militates against EMDA. (Jarrel does not give the source of this quote in his book. This is unfortunate, though I have no doubt it is a correct quote. I don't think it is in any of his books. I think it comes from one of the Baptist periodicals of the day.)
Brother Vaughn,
I have read the book, Landmarkism Under Fire, by Settlemoir which stands against EMDA. It was the author's belief that none of the early Landmarkers held to EMDA.
IMO, EMDA is a doctrine that has evolved and I think Settlemoir is correct.
When our forefathers came to East Texas, churches were formed with no "mother church". In fact, many times the folks were from several different churches. There were presbyteries, but Graves argues that even that was not essential. The church I grew up in was formed with members from at least two churches (but I think 3 or 4, and one of them disbanded). The presbytery was made up of one ordained minister and one licensed minister. That probably wouldn't meet muster for EMDA.
No doubt this would ruffle the feathers of some who comment here!
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