The Beatitudes

 

I will be speaking Wednesday Night December 29, 2010 on 

EIGHT STEPS  TO FOLLOW IN BECOMING A SUCCESSFUL PERSON

Charles Whisnant Photos 2010 #1

Union Mills Confectionery Christmas 2010

Reaching For The Prize of Spiriltual Perfection Video

REACHING FOR THE PRIZE OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION OR MATURITY IN CHRIST

pt one

When Has a Preacher Crossed the Line into Plagiarism in His Sermon?

Carson on Pastoral Plagiarism

When Has a Preacher Crossed the Line into Plagiarism in His Sermon?

Well I should tell you then that that title came from this link

I was reading Google Reader here here and the issue of plagiarism came up.

Have you notice that every good thing is copied? When Coke comes up with an new drink so does Pepsi.

One good TV show will bring another two shows just like them.

So should a preacher uses another preachers sermon to help develop his own? Am I wicked when I use John MacArthur's messages? Am I wicked when I uses more than 20 references when studying a sermon or lesson?

To say every word that comes out of my mouth when I am preaching is totally original! Every thought was totally original and I was the first person to ever have that thought? I must admit that would be cool. But it is not true.

But I have to say as I have said for 40 years, I study a lot from others and I use what they say a lot. I only wish I could say it as good as those who I study say it.

Yes I was taught in Seminary that preaching is just allowing the Holy Spirit fill your mind on Sunday and just say it. Well you know there are a lot of preacher that do just that. They wouldn't think of studying.

After explaining his answer, Matt gives this encouraging takeaway:

Just be free about letting people know the sources of your ideas and where you have learned things. This doesn’t diminish your credibility at all, and in fact benefits your listeners and the church by letting people know about other helpful teachers and resources. And it gives them confidence that you are always learning from others, rather than a solo shop. Let your default be to tell your congregation what you are reading and where you have learned things.

Eric Whisnant's Sunday School Class FBC in Altoona Ks

Gaither Fear not

Facebook's New Golden Rule

FOR PASTORS

Marketers who ignore Facebook's Golden Rule will do so at their peril.

• You'd better trying living your customers' lives and experiencing the immersive realities of their media mix. Then, and only then, determine yours.

MINISTERING IS NOT MARKETING: PASTOR'S ON FACEBOOK IS NOT NECESSARY PASTORING. BUT HOW DOES USING SOCIAL MEDIA HELP IF IT DOES?

Still, most companies don't operate by the Golden Rule. That fact supplies the lifeblood for shows like CBS' reality TV series, Undercover Boss. Why are so many CEOs out of touch? The show's answer is a little glib: CEOs just don't know the "real" work of their organizations. A more insightful answer is also more subtle: many CEOs have never taken time to learn how it feels to be their own customers. No episode illustrated this better than the Subway executive who confessed that, after 22 years at the company, he had never actually "built" a Subway sandwich. It doesn't take Tony Hsieh to tell you that guy's got a problem — and so might the "service" culture at Subway.

There Is Evil In The World For A Purpose

God is more glorious for having conceived and created and governed a world like this with all its evil.

God is more glorious for having conceived and created and governed a world like this with all its evil.

If God obliterated Satan, demons, and sin from the universe right now, His absolute power would be seen as glorious, but His superior beauty and worth would not shine so brightly as when God’s people relinquish the empty promises of Satan and sin, and instead trust in Christ’s promises. God is more glorified when His people take pleasure in the greater glory of Jesus over Satan and sin.

This means that our treasuring Christ above all the promises of sin and Satan is part of the achievement that God designs for this age. This doesn’t mean it won’t be costly. To truly find enjoyment in Christ and share His love with this fallen world will require suffering on our part. But when we willingly bear suffering for the glory of Christ, He is seen as even more glorious. One of the greatest blows against the power of darkness comes from the blood of the martyrs:

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death (Rev 12:11).

Union Mills Confectionery

Rev. C.L. FUGUA WENT TO BE WITH THE LORD

Rev. C.L. Fugua

C.L. Fugua, Pstor Emeritus of the Grace Baptist Church in Marion, Ohio went to be with the Lord and Savior on September 11, 2010 after a long battle with cancer. He ws a long time friend of mine and of course many others.  

Of all the pastors I have known, he was mostly the kind to me. But I am sure he was with everyone. 

When we lived in Ohio, we often went to the WBF fellowship meetings and he was always there with his lovely wife, and they did not fail to speak encouraging words to me.  He will be greatly missed.

Standing Behind the Sacred Desk To Speak the Word of God

 Bill Bower:  He love the Lord, he is a great help to us at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church

 I asked Charity to take a photo of me in the pulpit.  I have loved standing behind the pulpit since 1963. 

 Standing behind the desk to bring forth the Word of God is the joy of my life.

Some have said that I am more a teacher than a preacher, which is okay: I like Pastor/Teacher

Evidence of Spiritual Growth

TEN EVIDENCE OF SPIRITUAL PROGRESS
Outline from December 08 2010
Rivers of Joy Baptist Church
Charles e. Whisnant, pastor/teacher
Video forth coming

WHAT I LOOK FOR IN THE LIVES OF THE BELIEVER AS A RESULT OF PREACHING AND TEACH THE WORD EACH WEEK.

====================

1. GROWING TRUST IN THE LORD.
2. GROWING CONFORMITY TO THE LORD, BOTH IN ATTITUDE AND ACTION.
3. GROWING COMMITMENT TO SERVICE FOR THE LORD.
4. GROWING DEDICATION TO THE WORSHIP OF THE LORD, BOTH PRIVATELY AND CORPORATELY.
5. GROWING STABILITY FOR LIFE IN HIM IN A FALLEN AND FRACTURED WORLD.
6. GROWING FREEDOM TO PRESENT THEMSELVES AUTHENTICALLY TO GOD AND OTHERS.
7. GROWING REALIZATION THAT THINGS THAT USED TO BRING DEEP SATISFACTION SO SO LESS AND LESS.
8. GROWING HUNGER FOR GOD THAT COMPETES WITH ALL OTHER HUNGERS; REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND RELATIONAL DIFFICULTIES.
9. GROWING APTITUDE FOR HEARING GOD'S VOICE MORE CLEARLY THROUGH SCRIPTURE, PRAYER, AND INTERACTION WITH CHRISTIANS
   
10. GROWING DISSATISFACTION WITH LIFE AT THE DEEPEST LEVELS,WHICH LEADS TO AN INCREASING ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST THAT NOTHING IN THIS WORLD CAN FULFILL.
    

Photos of the Family

A Cup of Coffee and The Bible in the Morning

 So Charity has her coffee and Bible ready to read in the morning, this morning as a matter of fact.

And I have my bible  and note pad and coffee too.

.HOW DO I PREPARE FOR A LESSON TO PREACH OR TEACH

HOW DO I STUDY AND WRITE A SERMON OR TEACH A BIBLE LESSON?

As I have said for 30 years I am what I read. My preaching and teaching is what I read. I give credit for what I know to those who I read. Some of those whom I read have been dead for 500 years, some have been dead for 200 years, and then there are those who are alive today. Originality! I am sure from time to time I do say things that are original. Usually what comes out of my mind is what I have learned by reading, with my point of view added.

I can sit down and write thoughts that are coming out of my mind, but I would say the ideas are coming from what I have read.  

In one sermon I have read as many as two dozen books and many articles and other sermons. In my later manuscripts (when I found out what that was) I would footnote where I got the quotes or ideas. 

 When I first started preaching at 16, I didn’t have any training on how to write a sermon. Write a sermon, are you kidding, you were just to get up and preach.  NOTES!  

Well, I had different ideas.  One time I read the book “IN HIS STEPS.” So I asked Dad if I could preach. And the sermon

was about what I had read in that book, “What Would Jesus Do?”

I was asked to preach in my Dad’s friends’ church in Hildebran NC, So I read one of Charles Surgeon’s sermon, and used it.  That is how I got into the habit of reading my sermons. 

Speaking of reading most of my sermons: (which I have done since I have been preaching/teaching) my wife Charity has always said I could preach better if I wouldn’t do that.  (Charity has said that now for 41 years.)  It’s a habit, what can I say!  

Well, let me say this, I can read my manuscript in about 20 minutes. But my sermons usually are 45 minutes, so I must not read all my manuscript only.

As I have written before, if I were to give credit to everyone one that I have used, my sermon would be filled with a few dozen people.  And sometimes I don’t remember where I got the idea from.

I have just really never tried to be totally original.  Even though some of my thoughts would make you believe that. I am mostly over stating this point.  Because I do take a thought and go with it. 

As I have said, early in my preaching, preachers I knew gave the impression what they said was totally original in their minds.

  They would always say this message was from the Lord. They would say they just needed the KJV and a Webster’s dictionary.  Of course most of their preaching was not explaining the text but telling people what they believed the text was telling them to do. 

Then most of the preaching was trying to get people saved.  Most of the message was illustrations trying to get them saved. Then some preachers would use outlines that they found.  Then some preachers would have topic sermons, some illustrated sermons, and storytelling sermons, and the list goes on.

We often joked; when better sermons are printed we will preach them.  Well, since I now for over forty years teach the Bible book by book, this process takes on a new method of learning. 

Yet, this process as I have said, takes me to dozens of reference materials that help explain the meaning of the text. Then how I will approach the text is often from those who I am reading.  It is interesting how one passage of scripture will be approached differently by a number of preachers.  John MacArthur, John Piper, Martin Lloyd Jones, Charles Spurgeon, George Whitefield,  John Calvin, Martin Luther, Puritan Writers,  Charles Swindoll, Charles Stanley,  John Rice, Oliver B. Green, George Norris, Wayne Martin, Raymond Barber, they all will approach the text in a different manner.  Of course they approach preaching differently as well. THEY ALL have a different intent as to how they approach preaching as well.  

Some preachers approach preaching with the idea of presenting a message on how a person can be saved. Some approach preaching trying to get people to live right. Some approach preaching to see how many they can get to come to the altar.  Every preacher has his idea of how they are going to approach their preaching.  What is it that they are trying to accomplish when they are finished preaching. Some are totally evangelistic. Some will get the gospel out of every verse they preach. Some are Christ-centered in every passage they preach. Some will spiritualize every passage in the Bible.  Some will take a topic they want to present and put verses to it. 

Five Non Negotiables For Rivers of Joy Baptist Church, Minford, Ohio

Five Non Negotiables

View more documents from Rivers of Joy Baptist Church.


Let me say the material that I use has come from the Shepherd"s Conference that I attended in the late 80's and 90's.

I have stated over the years that Grace Community Church where John MacArthur' is the pastor has been the model of my ministry.


I have said if you want to know how I preach, just listen to John MacArthur.

SELLING ALL TO BUY THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE.

SELLING ALL TO BUY THE PEARL
Philippians 3:6-9  November 21, 2010

Paul is clearly saying, he continues to count all his human achievements as mere refuse. Why? He now understands he now can gain a great pearl of greater price in Jesus Christ.

The gaining of Christ is the purpose of the motive of Paul’s belief.  As long as a person keeps clinging even to the slightest degree in his own righteousness, he cannot fully enjoy Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:7  But whatever things were  gain to me, those things I have counted  as loss for the sake of Christ.

SELLING ALL TO BUY THE PEARL
Philippians 3:6-9

The Pearl of Great Price. In one of His most exquisite parables, our Saviour depicted a man leaving his house in the morning with a heavy bag of gold, and making his way to the market-place, where pearl-sellers displayed the precious ocean gems. He was seeking goodly pearls, and passed from stall to stall with the eye and touch of the connoisseur; but from each stall he turned away dissatisfied. At last he approached one of the sellers, and saw before him on the tray the most exquisite, perfect, and transparent pearl that his eyes had ever lit on. Asking the price, he discovered that it would take all the pearls he had bought, and all the gold in his pouch, to procure it. On starting, he had meant to get the pearls and keep his house and estate, but he learnt that to win that he must sell even these; and so pearls and gold, home and heritage, were all gladly parted with, that that one most priceless jewel might be his own. And always afterwards, when the purchase was concluded, though he was homeless and solitary, the fact that he had got that pearl more than compensated him; he counted all things else but loss.

When our Lord spoke that marvellously beautiful parable, He must have had Saul of Tarsus in His eye--a man with a rich religious nature, capable of an infinite hunger after God, who passed from one stall to another amid the religions of the world, seeking for the best. But finally, when he came where the gem of heaven and earth and sea, the pearl of great price, lay, translucent and glistening, he gladly sacrificed all he possessed to win it; and in this marvellous paragraph he tells us that he counted all things else as loss and refuse compared with Jesus Christ. Oh, that we may understand the superlative excellence of Jesus, and turn from everything that would divide our heart with Him!

Philippians 3:8  More than that, I count  all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value (0f knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count   them but rubbish so that I may gain  Christ .

Paul thinks that to be righteous by faith is infinitely better than all the righteousness that can come by works and ceremonies. He therefore utterly despises that which he once thought to be more precious that gold; and he takes possession of, as his greatest treasure that which he once trampled in the mire.

 YET, DOUBTLESS, MORE THAN THAT

·       Five particles before Paul proceeds (yea, indeed, therefore, at least, even), showing the force and passion of his conviction.

I (continually) COUNT ²²³³ ALL THINGS TO (continually): (Acts 20:24; Ro 8:18)

·       I now regard all things as liabilities.  I am still setting all things down to be a lost.

·       All financial gain, material gain, physical gain, intellectual gain, moral gain, religious gain.

BUT  LOSS:

·       describes the state of coming into a worsened situation from previous advantage.

·       The estimate was not a hasty conclusion from fallacious premises, nor the sudden leap of an enthusiasm which had for a moment urged him. It was his calm and deliberate judgment still.

·       Anything which competes with Christ as to his peace and life he renounces.

·       I did count them lost, and I am still counting them but lost, all my accomplishments.

·       I refuse, I continue to resist the reoccurring temptation to rely on my works, rather than God’s grace for my standing before God.

·       I will and have sold all things for Christ.

FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS,

THE EXCELLENCY (Surpassing value)

·       Is literally to hold above and so to stand out or be superior in rank, authority or power.

KNOWING CHRIST

ü  is of incomparable worth--of more value than anything! The unfathomable riches of Christ (see note Ephesians 3:8) surpass the value of anything and everything.
knowing Christ means much more than knowledge about Christ, because Paul had that kind of historical information before he was saved.

ü  To “know Christ” means to have a personal relationship with Him through faith.

ü  It is this experience that Jesus mentions in Jn 17:3.

ü  You and I know about many people, even people who lived centuries ago, but we know personally very few.

ü   “Christianity is Christ.” Salvation is knowing Him in a personal way." ^{(Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. 1989. Victor or Logos}

OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST

1.     Personal knowledge.

2.     Intelligent knowledge.

3.     Affectionate knowledge .

4.     Satisfying knowledge.

5.     Exciting knowledge.

FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS AND (continually) COUNT THEM BUT RUBBISH

·       Anything which competes with Christ as to his peace and life he renounces.

·       I did count them lost, and I am still counting them but lost, all my accomplishments.

·       I refuse, I continue to resist the reoccurring temptation to rely on my works, rather than God’s grace for my standing before God.

·       I will and have sold all things for Christ.