Updated: 3/02/07

BGCT implements responses
to church-starting scandal

By Marv Knox

Editor

DALLAS—The Baptist General Convention of Texas has implemented steps to prevent recurrence of a church-starting scandal that rocked the convention last year, a special study committee told the BGCT Executive Board Feb. 26.

Still, follow-up action is needed to complete the prevention process, the committee added, noting vigilance will be required to ensure that new church-starting policies are effective and secure.

The committee’s report followed in the wake of a scandal uncovered by outside investigators last year. The Executive Board hired the investigators in May and received the investigators’ report in a called meeting at the end of October.

That 42-page report revealed the BGCT had spent $1.3 million to start 258 churches in the Rio Grande Valley over a six-year period, but only five churches remained. Some of the supposed starts were “phantom churches” that never existed, it said.

The report cast a shadow on three Valley pastors—Otto Arango, Aaron de la Torre and Armando Vera—who led the churches that sponsored the alleged new congregations. It described how at least some of the $1.3 million had been misappropriated for other purposes.

• See complete list of Valley funds scandal articles

The report also demonstrated how weaknesses in the Executive Board’s church-starting system—specifically lax oversight, suspended policies, and complex tracking and accounting systems—enabled the scandal.

Two weeks after it received the report, the Executive Board met in another called session to chart a course correction. The board approved five motions designed to clean up the scandal and prevent future problems.

The first motion called for implementing seven recommendations suggested by the outside investigators. It instructed Executive Board Chairman Bob Fowler to appoint an oversight group to “closely monitor the timely implementation of thse recommendations”

Jim Nelson, an Austin attorney, chaired that oversight group and presented a six-page report on its findings.

The oversight group believes Executive Board Executive Director Charles Wade and the board’s staff have worked very hard “to ensure what has happened won’t happen again,” Nelson told the board.

Executive Board member Helen Price.

He guided the board through the oversight report. The central feature is a step-by-step evaluation of responses to the outside investigators’ seven recommendations:

• “The guidelines for church starting should be reviewed and revised.”

New church-starting guidelines have been developed, Nelson announced. The board received them the following morning

“The oversight group thinks that the guidelines, when adopted, will provide the basis for accountability of all parties and for protection of the tithes and offerings of Texas Baptists being used for church starts,” Nelson added, reading from the report.

“This, of course, will be the case only as far as these procedures are followed and adhered to. Especially important here is that there be no relaxation of the policies and standards. The staff has incorporated that into its procedures.”

The oversight group urged the Executive Board’s missions funding group to maintain consistent review of the church-starting process, insisting on “compliance with all rules and guidelines.”

• “More accurate and accessible mortality rates are needed.”

“Mortality rates” assess how many church starts succeed versus how many fail. This material was “difficult and cumbersome to retrieve from the BGCT’s system,” the oversight group reported.

BGCT President Steve Vernon.

Executive Board staff recognized this problem and started trying to improve the system even before the investigators began their work, but a new and improved system was not in place at the time, the oversight group’s report stated.

“Implementation of this recommendation is complete,” the report noted, stressing that “futher tracking of this system is essential.”

• “Record keeping needs to be integrated and coordinated.”

Investigators complained the Executive Board’s record-keeping system, which could assign as many as three tracking numbers to a single church, impeded their investigation. More importantly, it prevented convention leaders from receiving meaningful data on which to base decisions, they added.

A new system to integrate records has been put in place, and “final integration” is expected by April 1, the oversight group said.

• “Better internal controls are needed.”

Procedural changes have been made to control how church-starting funds are issued and to document use of the money, the oversight group noted, adding the entire process is expected to be completed before the Executive Board’s next meeting, May 21-22.

• “Accounting design and control of reporting system.”

This correction is intended to provide the Executive Board’s accounting office control over documentation of funds, as well as how funding is processed and delivered.

This new system is in place, Nelson said. “That’s not to say fine adjustments won’t be needed,” he added, noting improvements in the system can be made incrementally as needs arise.

• “Response to allegations must be immediate.”

“The staff wants this. The staff is more anxious for this to be implemented than is the board,” Nelson said.

The oversight group reinforced that imperative in its report, stating, “The staff itself is bound with the responsibility to begin immediately upon notice to address and solve any problem creating the allegation.”

Implementation of an internal auditor should enable rapid response to allegations, and that process is being guided by the board’s audit committee.

In addition, the board’s staff is investigating an online “whistleblower” service that would enable Executive Board employees to register concerns anonymously.

• “Trust, but verify.”

The oversight group’s report noted implementation of the investigators’ recommendations “will make great strides in the mechanical and process operations” of verifying that church-starting guidelines are followed.

“Relying on trust is extremely important in the work of the kingdom, and such work is so important that it (must) be accompanied by monitoring, documenting and control,” the oversight group’s report stressed. “The key here is accountability, and the oversight group is confident the staff is committed to fostering a culture of accountability.”

The second motion approved in November called for raising the Executive Board’s church-starting guidelines to policy level. The motion instructed staff to present the church-starting policies to the board’s missions and ministries committee.

The oversight group noted the Executive Board’s staff had started this process prior to the Valley investigation. New church-starting policies were presented to the committee in December and were unveiled and discussed at the board’s February meeting.

The third motion called for creating “an internal audit function that will report to the audit committee.”

The oversight group noted the board’s audit committee previously began a process of creating such a function. During the meeting, the audit committee provided an update on progress in putting an internal auditor in place.

The audit committee is leading a risk-assessment process, which should be completed later this spring, reported Harold Richardson of Tyler, chairman of that committee.

Originally, the committee thought outsourcing would be the best approach to handling this ongoing audit function, Richardson said. But cost estimates are high, and the committee is considering other options, such as a staff auditor.

“We believe we can take care of 2007, and we will continue to study the feasibility of finding an individual to come on board,” he said.

“These actions are in full compliance with the motion,” the oversight group reported.

The fourth motion directed the board’s executive director, in consultation with legal counsel as well as convention and board officers, to consider “the full range of methods for recovery of funds misused or misappropriated” by the individuals mentioned in the investigators’ report, and to initiate appropriate actions to recover the funds.

Nelson and Wade reported that convention leaders, both staff and elected officers, had met with the three pastors identified in the investigators’ report.

“In each case, we expressed our sorrow and our request that they would make restitution,” Wade said, noting each meeting also included prayer.

In two of the three cases, convention leaders and the pastors agreed to try to continue talking about the situation, Wade said. In the third case, the pastor’s attorney instructed the convention not to contact his client directly.

Convention leaders “have taken every action they have been advised to take,” the oversight group reported.

The situation is complicated, because legal civil proceedings can be complex, tedious and time-consuming, Nelson told the board.

Discussion about the proceedings illustrated that complexity. In the middle of questions regarding the fourth motion on the possibility of civil lawsuits, a board member inquired about progress on the fifth motion—that the investigators’ findings might be reported “to any appropriate government investigatory agency” for possible criminal action.

Nelson explained legal actions of either nature—criminal or civil—could impact each other. So, the convention’s staff and officers, as well as the board, would need to be deliberate and paitent.

Steve Wakefield, the Executive Board’s attorney, confirmed documents prepared by the investigators have been turned over to the U.S. attorney’s office in Brownsville. This step would comply with the fifth motion, seeking criminal charges.

“We’re waiting on the U.S. prosecutor in Brownsville to decide whether to go forward” with criminal charges, Wakefield said. “We have not received word” on that decision, but he is remaining in “continual contact” with the prosecutor’s office, he added.

Executive Board Chairman Fowler praised both the staff and the oversight group. “They were very diligent in their work,” he said.

Wade also commended the oversight group. “I’m pleased the committee worked so thoroughly and diligently and were so personally invested in their work,” he said. “I’m grateful they affirmed the work of the staff, who worked so faithfully to implement the assignment.”

Fowler asked the staff to provide a full report on progress, which will be available before the Executive Board’s May meeting. He pledged the board would continue to monitor the issue.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Updated: 3/02/07

Board clarifies its responsibilities,
messengers’ rights

By Marv Knox

Editor

DALLAS—Messengers to Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meetings never again will be told the convention’s Executive Board has “preempted” their authority, if the board has its way.

During its winter meeting Feb. 26-27, the Executive Board approved two documents—a proposed constitutional amendment and a “statement of understanding”—to clarify messengers’ ultimate authority and the board’s responsibility.

The Executive Board’s actions grew out of a controversial parliamentary ruling during the BGCT annual meeting last November in Dallas.

• See complete list of Valley funds scandal articles

Immediately prior to that annual meeting, the Executive Board met in closed session to formulate its response to an investigation of misappropriated church-starting funds in the Rio Grande Valley. As part of that response, the board directed its executive director, in consultation with attorneys, to evaluate whether to present findings of the convention’s investigation into the scandal “to any appropriate government investigatory agency.”

During the annual meeting, a messenger offered a motion that would have instructed the Executive Board to turn its findings over to the FBI.

Reading from a ruling drafted by parliamentarian Bart Tichenor, BGCT President Michael Bell ruled the motion out of order. The ruling reasoned the Executive Board’s prior action had “preempted any action by the convention.”

That ruling set off protests from across the convention, with Texas Baptists affirming the right of convention messengers—each elected by a local congregation—as the BGCT’s ultimate authority, especially when the annual meeting is in session.

Speaking to the Executive Board more than three months later, Charles Wade, the board’s executive director, called the ruling “a dagger to the heart” of many Texas Baptists.

“Baptists treasure the right of individual members to speak their convictions, both in the local church and at the annual meeting,” he said.

Wade proposed a three-page statement regarding the ruling, as well as a constitutional amendment, both designed to settle convention authority.

The constitutional amendment would create a new paragraph “A” in section 1 of article VII in the BGCT Constitution.

It states: “The Executive Board shall have charge and control, except when otherwise directed by the convention, of all the work of the convention, including missions, education and beneficence, in the interim between sessions.”

Executive Board members overwhelmingly ratified the amendment without debate. It will be presented to messengers to the BGCT annual meeting next November in Amarillo.

When the Executive Board considered Wade’s “statement of understanding,” board member Bruce Murray of Austin said: “What happened was like a shot heard around Texas. (But) this statement is too long; it needs to be cut.”

Several board members echoed Murray’s sentiments. They called for a one-page statement that clearly affirms messengers’ authority while detailing Executive Board responsibility.

A small group of board members and staff met after that session and later presented a one-page, four-paragraph “statement of understanding.” It reads:

“The Executive Board understands and confirms that it has always considered itself to be a ‘servant board.’ It understands that it exists to serve Texas Baptists, the churches and messengers to the convention’s annual meeting.

“This board understands that it has no power or authority except to the extent messengers have delegated it authority under the convention’s articles of incorporation, constitution and bylaws, and as the messengers may further direct it to act.

“This board recognizes that certain duties delegated to it by the convention and under its governing documents are so delegated because they can be handled by the board acting as a smaller body with more available time to consider and to act and, in some cases, with a greater degree of confidentiality, if appropriate.

“This board understands its role to be that of a steward. The Executive Board regrets the parliamentary ruling at the 2006 annual meeting. This board does not intend in any way for its actions prior to an annual meeting to ‘preempt’ the role of messengers. Rather, this board seeks to perform its duties faithfully between annual meetings.”

During discussion, board members repeatedly expressed their appreciation for the leadership and integrity of Bell, who was convention president last year and presided at the annual meeting.

In the closing moments of the meeting, the board ratified a resolution affirming Bell’s leadership, offered by Anthony Bruster of Texarkana.

The resolution states: “The Executive Board expresses its sincere appreciation to Michael Bell for his godly leadership and guidance, and the board is thankful for his service to this body and for his many significant contributions to the work of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/28/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for March 11

Christians are empowered to minister

• Acts 2:1-24

By Leroy Fenton

Baptist Standard, Dallas

The emotions of empathy and joy of seeing God’s Holy Spirit move in a congregational experience where lives are changed, marriages are mended and persons are brought from lostness into new life affirm the value of the gathered church in God’s plan of the redemption of our world.

Such victories are electrifying and transforming. Worshipping God in a place of gathered souls always has that possibility for sin to be confessed, forgiveness to be experienced and God’s will to be discovered. God’s empowering Spirit, like the unpredictability of the wind, can change any gathering of believers into a heaven-sent, Spirit-filled, supernatural experience.

From the mind of the Father, this infilling of and by the Spirit is a holy gift. The Spirit gives life, power and ignition to believers for the saving work of God. There are many personal powers, but the gift of the Holy Spirit is spiritual power, the greatest of them all. God’s Spirit of truth is the believer’s strength, comfort, advocate, teacher, reminder, boldness and oneness with the Father (John 14:15-31). Without the Spirit of God, the church will falter and fail in its mission of proclamation and lose its vision of purpose. With the Spirit of God, there is a new quality of life and work.

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I accepted—hook, line and sinker—the typical Baptist polity of the autonomous local church under congregational governance with Christ as the head. The more I studied, the more I was convinced the people of God could best serve through the traditional local Baptist church with a leader called to be the pastor and a congregation who would be led of God, under their own priesthood, empowered by the Spirit to become and to produce what Christ expected the church to be and to do.

However, rather than changing the world, the church struggles for significance, depending on its own power and performance while maintaining a status quo and indulging in its own gratification.

Today, most of the churches of most evangelical mainstream denominations are plateaued or declining, often are controlled by leaders who give lip-service to the Great Commission, are more prone to build an institution than the kingdom of God, and filled with well-meaning people apathetic about human and spiritual needs.

God’s church often is sustained out of duty and from human ingenuity, experiencing the death of vibrancy and effectiveness. Churches make uninformed and uninspired decisions that concentrate on budgets, buildings and banquets rather than on the unsaved, the hurting needs of the community or the worldwide needs of missions. With buildings to maintain and programs to create, a congregation can care more about the way of worship than the work inspired by worship, more about attendance than attitude, more about themselves than others, more about the impression of a sermon than the inspiration of the Spirit, more about paying the mortgage than proclaiming the master.

When the church does its work in its own strength, it is afraid to confront the culture on the outside for fear of upsetting the traditions on the inside.

Faithless to a fault, the church converts to fear, and the building becomes a sanctuary from the challenges of the world. Worship, the means of beckoning the waiting Spirit of God, becomes an end within itself and the primary laurel leaf of service.

Without the Holy Spirit, worship is powerless and worshipers seldom respond with, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Where there is no vision, selfishness and pettiness prevail, and people hold on to their possessions, hide their spiritual gifts, hype their personal authority, hand out anemic excuses and harbor hurts and hostilities.

Luke’s early history of the church in Acts, addressing the problems within the church, demonstrates the power of spirit-filled Christians as the gospel sweeps across land, oceans, nations, peoples and barriers to knock down the doors to hell and crush the head of Satan.

The anticipation

The gathered cadre of believers must have been seriously intent and excitedly expectant with anticipation, much, much more than children waiting for Christmas. Acts 1:12-26 invites us into the thinking process of these early believers as they obey the ascended Christ (v. 12). The place and people are identified (vv. 13-14), the unity is noted as the praying begins (v. 14), the leader surfaces (v. 15), the authority of Scripture and prophecy is acknowledged (vv. 16-20), and Matthias replaces Judas to bring the number of apostles to 12. It would seem that between the prayer sessions, the believers took care of business to prepare themselves for the mission ahead, depending entirely on the plan of their living Lord, promised in Joel (2:28ff), spoken of in Matthew (3:11-12) John (16:7), Luke (24:49) and Acts (1:4,5, 8)

The articulation

Concerning Pentecost, 2:1—Pentecost (meaning “50th”), often called the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest, coming 50 days after the Passover, was an appropriate symbol of the great harvest of people who would respond to the power of God and the preaching of Peter. Like the Passover, Pentecost would attract huge crowds of people tao Jerusalem as required, some of whom would have first-hand knowledge of the supernatural miracle of speech and experience conversion into this new spiritual kingdom of the resurrected Christ, the Son of the living God.

Luke simply says, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place,” assumed to be the upper room (2:1). “Together in one place” is more a physical reference of location rather than a reflection on unity of heart. We may assume those gathered were unified in prayer following the request of the risen Christ and asking for a revelation of God’s plan and power for the ages.

Concerning power, 2:2–4—Following the crucifixion and resurrection, both incredible adventures of faith, the phenomenon of Pentecost was astounding and breathtaking. The apostles had experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit but not the Spirit’s power. For example, John 20:22 tells us Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”

What “suddenly” took place was not the beginning of the church but the empowering of the existing church to launch its mission to the ”uttermost parts of the earth,” a new phase in God’s eternal plan and a new enriched quality of life. The Spirit fell upon “the whole house” and all were filled and “began speaking in tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (vv. 2-4). Incredible and comprehensive, the enabling work of God begins in earnest.

Wind and fire were ancient symbols of the nature of God and portend the spiritual nature of man. Essential to the events of Pentecost is the communication and demonstration of a powerful spiritual life, a product of the energy and essence of God. We are to understand the human spirit can resource the Spirit of God for empowerment for the divine purposes of holiness, love, evangelism, missions and service.

The sequence begins with “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind … from heaven,” (v. 2) which I interpret to be like that of a Texas tornado dropping out of the sky. The sound may have represented the crescendo of thousands and millions of voices blended together in force like a shout to get attention. Instead of being destructive, what happened was constructive. Not only did they hear, but they “saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (2:30).

What appeared to be a large mass or cluster of fire separated into smaller parts to connect with each individual in a spectacular way. There was no heat from which to recoil and no flying debris to dodge, only the sound and sight of the symbolic conferring of the power of God upon these gathered souls. What was heard and seen expressed itself in the heart, soul and spirit of each individual and surely took their breath in astonishment (v. 6). “Other tongues,” (v. 4), refers to foreign languages, never used before by the apostles but spoken and understood through the enabling of the Holy Spirit (v. 6). Paul appreciated speaking and hearing for understanding as he testifies in I Corinthians 14:6-13.

There was a supernatural infusion by the Spirit of motivation, skill, desire, focus, enthusiasm, faith and boldness. The Spirit also was at work awakening and wooing the hearts of those present and attentive to the sight and sound of the miracle of speech from the fullness of God. The miracle spilled out of the upper room into the streets like water out of a broken dam. Suddenly, the promise was fulfilled, and what happened could not be contained.

The miracle in Jerusalem at Pentecost was the means by which Christ opened the world to the stimulating and penetrating work of Christ through the Holy Spirit, the third manifestation of the Trinity. Jerusalem was the fountainhead of the dispersion of the Christian movement to the ends of the earth (1:8).

Concerning proclamation, 2:5–13—Reading Luke’s account of the empowerment of the church, it is obvious the proof of the infilling power of God is boldness in witnessing. Clearly, these are tongues that speak words that are sensible, understandable and intelligent—a witness from the mouths of bold individuals, all speaking passionately. The miracle is one of hearing. The crowd, from various parts of the world (v. 5), understood every word as though spoken in their native language (vv. 8-11).

Any theology of “glossolalia” must come from some other place in Scripture, for it cannot be found here. Pentecost is a one-time event, never again necessary to repeat though its impact continues forever. The infilling of the Spirit may come over and over again to the individual, but Pentecost is unque. When the Spirit comes, the obvious tangible proof is that the tongue cannot hold back the powerful message of a resurrected Christ who saves from sin, changes lives and ministers to all in need.

The central fact of Pentecost is the empowerment by the Holy Spirit to initiate the mission of Christ to redeem mankind. The masses have missed the Master’s calling and empowerment while content with having a little light hidden under the basket. The silence of today’s Christians forebodes the conclusion that it lacks the filling of the Holy Spirit.

God was showing his disciples anyone can speak up for Jesus, all can share their experience of faith and everyone can expect God’s ever-present Spirit to help formulate words, concepts, phrases, sentences and paragraphs to listening hearts.

Concerning prophecy, 2:14-24—Peter’s message focuses on Christ as the fulfillment of prophecy. He, along with the 11 other apostles, stood before the crowd. Peter, now the bold spokesman and leader, addresses the charge of drunkenness (v. 15) by referencing the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:28-33). Peter knew that to be successful in convincing the Jews, his own people, that Jesus was the promised Messiah, he had to appeal to prophecy.

Joel’s prediction is quoted, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people …” (v. 17), and “Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days …” (v. 18). Peter’s defense affirms the experience at Pentecost—the wind, fire, tongues—was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, and Jesus is the God-designated and appointed (Acts 2:22 “a man attested to by God”) Messiah.

The Messiah, Jesus, would reign over a spiritual kingdom, not a national messianic kingdom of this world. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v. 21) further indicates salvation transcends any national, geographical, racial or political barrier (see Acts 1:8).

Addressing the heart of the matter, Peter, the first to declare, “you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” (Luke 9:20-21) is the first to preach Christ as the resurrected Savior (v. 24). Peter references the life and work of Jesus, the Nazarene, his sacrificial death on the cross and his resurrection. The fact of the resurrection becomes the heart of gospel preaching.

Today’s church is hamstrung by poor theology, biblical illiteracy, debilitating fear, inadequate stewardship, ritualistic traditionalism, arrogant attitude, petty distractions, struggling organizations, hypocritical witness, anemic faith and adulterating selfishness. The faults within the church can be corrected when touched by the Holy Spirit of God and when it recaptures its missional purpose.

The mission of the church, inspired and empowered by God’s Spirit, is to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. This mission has been chosen for the church and is the focus of the church’s soul. The initiative of the church resides in the heart of God and is inspired by, energized by and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The church must be empowered and transformed by the Spirit of God to assume its historic, proper and powerful role in our world. The church must function for its primary purpose and not for itself.

Take the mystery out of Pentecost, and let the power of our witness penetrate the spiritual darkness of our communities and our world. Stop focusing on building a church and rather build the kingdom of God.

Discussion question

• Do we rely on our own strength and ignore the Spirit’s power?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/28/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for March 11

Jesus opens our eyes

• John 9

By David Harp

First Baptist Church, Stanton

I’d like to introduce you to Helen. Helen is a radiant Christian and an overcomer. Helen is 87 years young. She has buried two husbands and one son.

Helen is a recovering alcoholic—more than 50 years of sobriety, one day at a time! Nearly 20 years ago, she faced a new, nearly insurmountable obstacle. Helen lost her sight. Surgeons and specialists all did their best, but this blindness could not be overcome.

Many of us reading these lines have heard a doctor say, “Learn to live with it.” How does one “learn to live with” blindness after seeing mountains and flowers and faces of children and grandchildren? Helen has overcome through her faith in God and with encouragement of her church family and her friends. She says she is one of the most blessed people in the world today.

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Some 15 years ago, she received a special, wonderful gift from an agency for the blind—a seeing-eye dog. Jackie, a black Labrador, is Helen’s constant companion, walking in the mall, going to AA meetings and always to Belmont Baptist Church in Pueblo, Colo. Jackie has her place under the pew, where she gets comfortable and often falls asleep and sometimes snores during worship.

Helen is my mom, and her testimony is that her blindness is only temporary. Mom often says, “One day very soon, I will be in the presence of my Lord, and I will see again, for all of eternity.” Some people might say Helen Harp has “spiritual sight” that many seeing people do not.

Our Bible study teaches the impact of a personal experience with Jesus. John’s Gospel is about the Son of Man who can transform us and bring light into a person’s life.

Our lesson in John 9 introduces us to a man born blind. There was not much good news for him. In most Bible dictionaries, blindness and blessing is one article, one short sentence apart. For a man born blind, a blessing must have seemed a lifetime away.

The blind in the first-century world often were reduced to a life of begging. One day, Jesus passed by, and everything changed for the man in John 9 who was born blind.

The biblical account immediately draws us in. The disciples debate the man’s cause of blindness. They ask, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v. 2). Jesus quickly brushes away the debate, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned” (v. 3).

Then Jesus does the work we know him for best—he focuses not on debates or dialogues but on the individual with the need. However, John carefully states in this chapter that physical blindness is not the point here. There is a much deeper level that demands our attention—spiritual blindness.

The first section of our Bible study is John 9:8-10. Earlier in the passage, Jesus has given the man born blind his healing instructions. Jesus spit on the ground and made mud. Jesus applied the mud to the man’s eyes and told him to “go and wash in the pool at Siloam” (vv. 6-7).

The blind man obeys Jesus’ instructions and receives his sight. The neighbors always had seen him as a blind and begging man —but now he sees. They ask: “‘Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?’ Some claimed that he was. Others said, ‘No he only looks like him.’ But he himself insisted, ‘I am the man’” (v. 8). This section closes with a question, “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked (v. 10).

The next section of the Bible study is the interrogation of the blind man’s parents in John 9:20-22.

The Pharisees were powerful people. They had authority to put people out of the synagogue. This might explain the fear of the parents of the blind man. This would mean a loss of social security and business opportunity. This would mean a loss of fellowship and community. This would mean humiliation.

Our next section of Bible study leads us to John 9:24-25, 30-33.

Throughout this passage, it must be pointed out a blind man sees with greater clarity while the most religious among them grow increasingly blind. The man has received healing, and it is his main focus in each conversation. It becomes more than his testimony; it becomes his life: “Once I was blind, now I see” (v. 25).

At this point, the former blind man cannot tell the religious leaders much about Jesus. They bombard him with their questions: “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” (v. 26). He responds: “I’ve already told you, and you did not listen. Do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” (v. 27).

His life has changed, and he knows Jesus is responsible for the change of his life. The Pharisees want no part of Jesus. How can he come from God, performing miracles on a day when folks worship?

In our final section of Bible study, we see a blind beggar becoming a worshipper (vv. 35-39). The seeing man now says, “‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshipped him” (v. 38).

Jesus opens the eyes of the blind. We don’t need more inspiration from self-help gurus. We need the transformation Jesus Christ alone can bring. He brings us the light. He brings us life. He offers and waits for our trust. Trust involves enlightenment, a growth in understanding and then commitment—an expression of personal belief.

Discussion questions

• What prevents us from seeing spiritually?

• What enables us to see spiritually?

• What keeps us from committing our life to Jesus?

• What helps us know that our faith in Christ is valid?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/28/07

Explore the Bible Series for March 11

Pursue godliness with whole-heartedness

• 1 Peter 1:13-25

By Kathryn Aragon

First Baptist Church, Duncanville

“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” My father’s mantra still rings in my ears. Though I may have grown tired of hearing it as a child, I can’t help but admit his words were right on target, and they apply as well to our faith as they do to our daily lives. If Christianity is worth committing our lives to, isn’t it worth committing our heart and soul as well?

Half-hearted Christians

What would happen if a baseball team gathered half-heartedly on the field and played as if they didn’t care? What if they shrugged every time the ball whizzed past their heads instead of racing to catch it? What if they swung the bat lazily, hitting the ball to second base instead of the outfield? That team wouldn’t be worth watching, and they would soon lose their following.

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Yet isn’t that what we do in the faith? After the newness of salvation wears off, we become lazy. We forget God’s desire for us to focus on the journey and the testimony of our faith in him. We begin to compartmentalize our lives, living one way at home and at work, and another way at church. We slip into our Christianity as we dress on Sunday morning, and then take it off again, hanging it carefully on a hanger until it’s needed again next week.

We take our faith for granted

Peter wants to remind us our faith is the most valuable thing we possess. Salvation is a priceless gift, costing far more than silver or gold. It cost the blood of God’s own Son, Jesus (vv. 18-19). Yet we live as if the gift was our right instead of the precious gift it is. We brush off sin and disobedience as if they are irrelevant to our faith, as if God’s expectations are too high.

The truth is, sin is a very big issue. Sin expelled Adam from the Garden of Eden. Sin destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Sin turned the Israelites over to their enemies. Sin spilt the blood of Jesus on the cross. And sin keeps Christians today from enjoying the victory of a vibrant Christian walk.

We are called to be holy

In Genesis 4:7, God tells Cain: “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Notice, God doesn’t say we won’t be accepted if we don’t do what is right. As we discussed last week, his acceptance is a gift that doesn’t depend on us. What God does tell us is sin will master us if we don’t master sin.

We are called to be holy, not because we are better than others, not to prove we can achieve the impossible, but as a protection against sin. Only by living in holiness can we overcome the temptations of sin.

Holiness is an attitude

Desiring to be holy is not the problem for most Christians. The problem is achieving it. We know God would never ask to do the impossible; therefore, holiness is possible. Why, then, do we have so much trouble with it? We must ask ourselves if we really know what holiness is. The answer may lie in what it is not.

Holiness is not knowledge. So, reading the Bible will not make us holy. Neither will Scripture memory or listening to sermons or reading good books. The reason is clear: Knowing what to do and doing it are two different things. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been a Christian or how much we know about God or the Bible. Knowledge isn’t the key to holiness.

Peter actually gives us the key in 1 Peter 1:13. He tells us, “Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Prepare your minds

When we read we must be holy as Jesus is holy, we too often begin mimicking Jesus’ words and actions. We forget God cares about our attitudes more than our actions. By focusing on our outward appearances, we make the same mistake the Pharisees made.

If we would spend our energies on changing our thinking, our actions would change without effort. Instead of trying to be holy, we need to think holy. Only by allowing God to overhaul our thinking process will we ever become like him.

But what does it mean to think holy? Peter tells us that as well. In verse 14, he tells us to be “as obedient children.” We must decide we will obey God at all costs and that we will submit to his authority. Rather than acting like rebellious teenagers, we should act like obedient children. Rather than waving off our sins as if they don’t really matter, we should take to heart Jesus’ teachings.

The first commandment is to love God, but Jesus reminds us, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). The second commandment is to love others as we love ourselves, and Jesus makes it clear he means everyone. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Holiness is whole-heartedness

Like the half-hearted baseball team, we won’t achieve any followship unless we take the game seriously. As Christians, we have the skills necessary to play if we will only adjust our attitudes.

Maybe all we need is the reminder, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” We can agree Christianity is worth doing. We need to realize it’s worth doing right. And that’s where holiness comes in.

“Doing it right” means we become whole-hearted Christians. It means we stop trying to do Christianity and begin simply to be Christian. To be Christian, we’ve got to put our money where our mouth is and overcome sin. We’ve got to take God seriously when he tells us the only way to overcome sin is through holiness. We’ve got to listen to Peter and get our minds in the game. Only then will we be playing to win.

Discussion questions

• What are some areas we as modern Christians haven’t really submitted to God? How do we allow the world’s teachings to taint God’s teachings?

• In the depths of your heart, when it comes to sin, are you more like the rebellious teenager or the obedient child?

• Can you think of a time when you have seen holiness overcome sin?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/21/07

Bible Studies for Life Series for March 4

Jesus forgives the sin of his people

• John 8:2-11;30-36

By David Harp

First Baptist Church, Stanton

As a pastor, I am called to be with families in crisis, especially death. Several years ago, I had a memorable experience—helping a family as they dealt with the loss of one they loved.

I preached the funeral service one day, and the burial was to be in a little cemetery north of Hollis, Okla., the next day. I planned my trip, giving myself plenty of time, and arrived to speak with the funeral home staff. They were just leaving for the drive to the cemetery. I could follow them, or I could go eat, change my clothes and get there on my own.

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I had a choice to make. The map the funeral director gave me looked confusing. I chose to follow the hearse and miss my lunch. It proved to be a wise choice, because I still would be looking for that remote cemetery. We drove down one dirt road for at least 10 miles.

I ducked behind the only bushes around and changed from my traveling clothes into my “preaching clothes.” As I put my clothes back into the car, I noticed a grave marker. It stood out among all the rest in that cemetery or any other I’d ever seen.

What was different? There was no name on it. There was no date of birth and no date of death—just these words: FORGIVEN, FOREVER. I so often have thought about those powerful words and their impact on my own life—forgiven, forever.

The question is just as valid at a modern-day gravesite as it was when Jesus taught in the temple in the first-century world: “Can Jesus forgive me no matter what I’ve done?”

John 8, forever speaks by answering: Jesus forgives our sins.

We begin a new series of lessons, and we note that in many Bible translations, this passage is bracketed. Some give it this explanation: John 7:53-8:11 are not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Every Bible I found includes it.

The first focal teaching point in the lesson is John 8:2-4.

Jesus is teaching in the temple when he is interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees, the religious watchdogs of the day. They had caught a woman in the act of adultery and brought her to Jesus for his verdict on the matter.

Adultery likely would tell us the woman was married. Adultery is a serious breach of the marriage vows. Adultery is sin. The word used here for “sin” points not only to the action but also to the thought of sin. The powerful picture of this woman in her shame and her sin being dragged in front of the temple by the Pharisees, standing before Jesus and surrounded by the crowd, leaves us feeling the impact of sin. Sin will find us out, to be sure—sometimes slowly, sometimes swiftly—but sin will find us out.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 reminds us.

Next, the focal passage moves us to John 8:5-6 to see what the law required.

We are not told why the guilty man managed to escape the grip of these capable authorities. Perhaps special provisions were made for the man to escape since the sin of adultery required two sinners. Could it be this whole thing was engineered as a litmus test for Jesus?

The Law of Moses was clear—a person guilty of adultery was to be stoned to death (Deuteronomy 22:22-23). This whole matter was not gossip; they had literally caught her in “the very act” of adultery.

The trouble was the Law of Moses had fallen by the wayside at this time. The Romans were in control, and they forbade capitol punishment without the sanction of the Roman ruler. The Romans by no means viewed adultery as punishable by death, so they would not have agreed with the Pharisees.

If Jesus said “stone her,” he would be going against Roman law. If he said “forgive her,” Jesus would be going against Moses’ law. Jesus is between a rock and a hard place! In John 8:5, the religious leaders, the crowd and the woman all look to Jesus as the Pharisees ask, “What do you say?”

Jesus answers in our next focal passage, John 8:6-11, by writingsomething in the sand. This is the only record we have of Jesus writing. What did he write? We have no idea.

Then Jesus speaks. He speaks to the Pharisees; he speaks to the crowd; he speaks to the woman covered in shame and sin. Jesus speaks a word to all of us with sin. Jesus speaks a word to those who are quick to judge and slow to forgive. The Pharisees, armed with stones but empty of compassion, hear Jesus say, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).

Jesus’ words are aimed right at the heart and point to a change of life. They are a warning light to these Pharisees that their own lives might be at stake. If they stoned the woman, there were plenty of witnesses.

Then again, Jesus kneels to write in the sand. As the impact of Jesus’ words sink in, the men go out. One by one, they leave—from the eldest to the youngest—“They kept going out” (John 8:9). No words, just actions. They dropped their stones. The convincing words of Jesus pointed to the sin in each person’s life. No stone-throwing today.

Jesus speaks to the woman whose accusers have walked away from her now. Jesus asks her, “Woman, where are your accusers?” and asks another question, “Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10).

Look carefully at her response: “No one, Sir” (John 8:11). Many translations say, “Lord.” Finally, Jesus says to her, “Neither do I condemn you—go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11).

The final focal passage reminds us that when we experience forgiveness from Jesus we are led to a new life of truth and freedom (John 8:30-36).

Forgivers become followers! Forgivers are changed by Jesus. His desires become our desires. We turn away from our sin and follow Jesus. He leads us in the right way, and he leads us to do the right things. Forgiven people become forgivers of other people who have yet to leave their life of sin.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). … “I tell you the truth, he who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). … “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Discussion questions

• Does Jesus encourage “sloppy” agape—love with no accountability?

• Can sin be confronted without a “condemning” attitude?

• How can compassion be shown to sinners without condoning sinful ways?

• When someone leaves their life of sin, how can Christians welcome and encourage forgiven people?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 2/23/06

CYBER COLUMN:
Ladies and Gentlemen . . .

By Brett Younger

Some are born to greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them. But only a few get to be the announcer at their son’s basketball games. For two seasons, I’ve had the peculiar privilege of introducing the amazing hoopsters of R.L. Paschal High School. My understated spiel goes like this:

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please take off your hats, put out your cigars, and stand as a Paschal student and future ‘American Idol’ champion sings our national anthem.”

Oh, say can you see . . .

“Now it’s time for the thrill and excitement of Texas high school basketball. This is the best $3 you’ll spend this week—more fun than warm pigs in cold mud—so tell your mama not to wait up. You can tie me to an anthill and smear my ears with jam, cause, Whoa, Nelly, we got a dandy. We’re here for all ball, all day, and one, big men, buzzer beaters, daggers, deep threats, dishes, dropping dimes, doing the dirty work, facials, floaters, fadeaways, finger rolls, finishers, kicks, killer crossovers, put backs, playmakers, posterizers, shakers, stoppers, swatters, swing men, settin’ the table, threadin’ the needle, tickin’ the twine and throwin’ it down. This district 4-5A clash is a brawl, a broil, a bash, a clash, a fray, a fracas, a scrap, a scuffle, a skirmish, a melee. It’s the world’s second-most-exciting indoor sport, and the other one should not have spectators. Now, let’s have some polite applause for our unfortunate opponents.”

After listing the ill-fated victims, I introduce the Panthers like an obnoxious arena announcer stringing out the last syllable of every name ridiculouslyyyyyyy! When I introduce my son it’s like this:

“At six foot three-quarters of an inch, at guard, a senior, Graham Youngeeeeeeeer!”

I’m sure I have a natural gift for announcing, but Carol is concerned by how much I enjoy it. Several members of my church have expressed concern that some Sunday morning I may slip into my obnoxious arena voice, but one person who wasn’t thinking clearly suggested that I try it for the welcome. I imagine it like this:

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please take off your hats and put out your cigars, because it’s time for the thrill and excitement of Christian worship. Tell your mama to give you more than $3 for the offering, because this will be better than bowling barefoot with blindfolded deacons. I can’t dance, and it’s too wet to plow, so it must be time. We are here to adore, believe, commit, confess, consider, contemplate, celebrate, deliberate, dream, exalt, extol, implore, give, glorify, love, laud, listen, mull, meditate, pray, praise, pledge, promise, question, read, reflect, receive, reappraise, reconsider, sing, share, think, thank, venerate, welcome and wish for a better day with God’s help. In this hour, we encounter the Spirit, so don’t be surprised if you end up walking out as someone different. Giving ourselves in worship is the most important thing we do. This is no place for mere spectators. So now at six foot three-quarters of an inch, at the organ, a senior, Al Traviiiiiiiiis!”

Then again, maybe not.

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life, available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016. You can e-mail him at byounger@broadwaybc.org.

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