Ahloso First Baptist Building Fund
Pastor's Notes
"Cheap Grace"
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
For the majority of the apostle Paul's ministry he had to defend the Gospel Grace Alone, through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone, because there were false teachers called "Judaizers" who constantly tried to replace the true Gospel with a Gospel of Faith plus works. In the Judaizers minds Jesus just wasn't enough. In order for a person to be saved they would have to believe in Jesus and also follow the Mosaic Law. Paul was adamant the the doctrine of Faith plus works was a false doctrine and those that spread this perverted gospel would be dealt with harshly by God.
Just like the apostle Paul 2,000 years ago, we too have to defend against false doctrine. One of the false doctrines we is what is called "Cheap Grace". This doctrine is the opposite of what Paul dealt with because those spreading that false doctrine were wanting to people to add works to their faith. The doctrine of "Cheap Grace" says that you can have salvation without changing anything in your life.
This doctrine confuses the free gift of salvation in eternity with the life of obedience that we are to live on this earth. Salvation is free and we receive eternal life through our faith in Jesus. That sets us up for eternity. However, there is still the matter of living your natural life here while we wait for our future home. And make no mistake, living your life following Christ has its costs.
Jesus says in Luke 14:26-33
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—
29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Not only does the Christians life cost, Jesus wants us to count the cost!
And then in Matthew 10:38-39 Jesus explains the cost.
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Jesus expects those who follow Him to give up their life to follow Him!
This is the true Gospel, but there are hundreds of oraganizations that call themselves churches that never teach this part of the Gospel.
You never hear about sin or God's wrath or judgement.
They preach salvation without surrender and blessing without brokenness.
They preach a gospel of “all you have to do is believe and everything is going to be alright.”
It’s shallow and hollow.
Let me ask you a question.
What if the Jesus many people worship is not the real Jesus at all?
Imagine a church that looks like a showroom with bright lights, shiny, polished floors, smiling faces and friendly words.
Everyone feels welcome and no one is ever confronted.
But beneath the surface nothing in their lives has changed.
Sin still reigns; addictions still bind.
Shame still lingers.
In the perverted gospel of “Cheap Grace” the cross has been replaced with a mirror.
Because in the “Cheap Grace Gospel” we have only been called to feel good.
This is the Gospel that is spreading like wildfire through churches.
It’s a Gospel of self-esteem dressed up as salvation.
But when storms come, and they always do, this false Gospel collapses because it isn’t built on the rock of obedience.
How many of you have heard the name Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor before and during World War II. He was anti-Nazi and preached against Hitler.
In 1935, he was the head of an underground seminary in Germany and was responsible for teaching hundreds of young pastors.
He was arrested in 1943, for helping 14 Jews escape Germany to Switzerland.
He was in a German prison camp until 3 weeks before the end of the war where he was hanged for his so-called crimes.
A movie of his life titled “Bonhoeffer” was released in 2024.
During his life and even while he was in prison, Bonhoeffer wrote several books.
While alive he was not famous, and the books were not best sellers.
But after his death his writings become popular.
He wrote a very interesting Christian book in 1937, that became a classic titled “The Cost of Discipleship”.
In this book Bonhoeffer called the problem with churches in his day “Cheap Grace”
He wrote: “Cheap Grace” is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance.
- Baptism without church discipline
- Communion without confession
- Grace without discipleship
- Grace without the cross
- Grace without the Spirit of Jesus Christ living
Bonhoeffer called it spiritual poison
And that is what it is.
A counterfeit Gospel that refuses to tell you the truth of the gospel that Christianity comes at a cost.
The false gospel of “Cheap Grace” calls for comfort.
The true gospel of Jesus Christ calls for crucifixion.
Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
The true gospel doesn’t call for a better version of yourself, it calls for us to be put to death and then resurrected into someone entirely new.
When Jesus calls someone He calls them to come and die, not to feel good, not to feel accepted, not to live your best life now.
- He calls us to die.
Die to pride, die to sin, and die to comfort.
Because only after we die to self can real grace begin.
- So, I have to ask some questions
How many churches never preach and teach “the full council of God”?
How many churches are worshiping a Jesus that has never existed?
How many churches worship a Jesus that only loves and never rebukes or disciplines?
And if the Jesus they are worshipping isn’t the real Jesus, then who is he?
A Gospel without a cross is not a gospel at all.
It’s only “Cheap Grace”.
When pastors stop preaching about sin.
When they avoid any subjects that are uncomfortable.
Are they preaching the Gospel of the Bible?
People who follow this perverted gospel are looking for a version of Christianity that fits their lives, not one that changes them.
The “Cheap Grace Church” is filled with noise but empty of truth.
Church members that want to hear messages of positivity but not messages of repentance, obedience and sacrifice.
What many people want today is a Jesus without any of the cost.
Let’s read what Jesus says about the false gospel of “Cheap Grace”.
Matthew 7:13-14
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
And then drop down to verses 21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
What a warning Jesus is giving us here.
He could have ended verse 23 with, “depart from Me, you who practice “Cheap Grace”.
We need to be very, very, careful the type of gospel we follow.
Your Pastor,
Brother Neil
“The Powerful God We Serve”
It never ceases to amaze me how people perceive God and Heaven. I hear preachers say that almighty God, the creator of the
universe is pleading with you to give up the life that you live and follow Him. This leaves the idea that God is some beggar that depends on you for salvation. It leaves people with the notion that Jesus might have died and resurrected and God is just hoping that you will come to Him. This God that saved 8 people and two of every kind of animal in the Ark, this God that parted the sea to save the children of Israel, this God that stopped the Sun in its tracks for an hour, this God that sent His Son in the flesh to save us from our sin. This great God that holds the earth in its place is pleading and begging His people to come to Him.
I am sorry, but the God I see from Scripture is an awesome, powerful God that sets nations in place and has authority over all.
Psalm 22:28
28 For the kingdom is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations.
Psalm 33:10
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing, He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
The God of Scripture breathed the breath of life into His creation, no leader leads, and no nation exists without God's allowance and approval. But we leave this image with people of a God that pleads and begs for you to come to Him. The apostle Paul might plead, I, as a pastor, might plead, but God set this entire plan in motion and He has certain expectations for salvation. He has made the way and He has paid the price, He built the bridge and He offers the way into His kingdom, but the God of the universe never has before and never will in the future go begging. Jesus said it much better than I can.
"Sharing the Wealth"
Acts 4:32-35
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
If you listen to the protestors in the streets today you hear a message of equality. You hear that the person who has more stuff ought to share their stuff with those that have less. The idea of dividing the wealth which is communistic at heart is gathering steam.
According to these people, they should be able to live the way they want and do very little work and still share in the wealth that others accumulate. So how is what they are spouting any different then what the early Christians did with their possessions? Didn’t they share the wealth?
Well, there is one glaring difference. Those Christians, out of love for each other shared their possessions with those less fortunate, but they weren’t forced by the government to do so. The glaring difference is having a generous heart and giving instead of being told that you must to give.
The nation you and I live in is the most generous nation in history. We have given more money, food and volunteer labor to more people in need around the world, yet the world hates our very existence.
I have worked hard in my life and I am by no means wealthy. But I do not harbor any ill feelings toward a person who has also worked hard and been able to accumulate much more wealth than me. This country was founded on people that had a vision to fulfill a need in society, put their neck on the line and succeeded in their endeavor.
There is no comparison between a wealthy person who freely gives to help those in need and a government that demands the wealthy pay for a cause. Forcing someone to give up what they have rightfully earned isn't what the Christians in the book of Acts were doing. They were being generous with one another, they were loving one another, they were looking out for one another.
A generous person receives a blessing from God for their generosity. But a person who is compelled to give isn't giving from the heart and being generous. Instead they are being coerced to give.
"Having the Right Perspective"
Luke 6:42
“Or how can you say to your brother, ‘brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank that is in your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
It’s easy for us to look at others with a discerning eye, but many times it’s difficult to review and be critical of our own mistakes. One of the great truths of Scripture is that God uses the humble to do great things in His kingdom. If we want to have a great ministry then we need to see ourselves as Paul saw himself in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am.”
God is eager to do a great work in us, but he uses those that know who they are and who He is. Keep a good perspective on who you are.
"Learning to Lean on Jesus"
Proverbs 3:5
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
One of the hardest things for us to do in our walk with God is to learn to lean upon His wisdom and not our own. It is especially difficult when we are facing a trial where absolute trust is necessary. Many times we spend all of our waking hours, (and many hours when we should be resting) worrying and fretting about how things will turn out. Most of you know from experience that much of what we worry about days in advance of a situation never comes to pass anyway.
I remember a time when one of my grandsons was playing in our backyard. He was about 3 years old and he loved to play in the dirt. One day he came across a rock that he wanted to remove from his play area, but it was too big for him to move. He spent time trying to lift it out of the way, he pushed on it and wrestled with it until finally it got the best of him and he just sat down and cried. I sat watching this entire episode from a patio chair as he eventually turned his head toward me with tears in his eyes and said, “Pops, I can’t move this rock would you help me.”
As soon as he asked me for help I got up from my chair, walked over to the rock, picked it up with one hand and threw it over the fence. The rock was much too big for him, but it was only a minor chore for me.
I believe my grandson’s dilemma is a good example of what happens many times in our life with God. We wrestle with a problem over and over until it gets the best of us. We wait to call on God for His help until we are in tears. He is watching all of the time waiting for us to turn to Him so that He can be a solution to our problem and show us His glorious power.
It is just like a child to want to be independent and do things on their own. They want to prove to themselves that they can handle things on their own. The more stubborn the child the longer it takes to stop wrestling and start asking for help. Is any of what I am saying hitting home?
The mark of maturity in a child, as well as in a Christian, is when they learn that they have help at their beckon call. With my children and my grandchildren I have always been eager to help them because it was one way that I could prove my love for them. God loves His children in much the same way. He wants to guide you through your life and lift you through the rough spots, if only you will ask.
Isn’t it time to become more mature in your spiritual life and begin to lean on and trust God instead of yourself? Believe me, His power, strength and love for us is overwhelming. He is eager to be your savior and Lord. Stop wrestling and start asking in prayer.
Your Pastor,
Brother Neil
Posted April 3rd, 2024
"It Takes Discipline"
Would you consider yourself to be a disciplined person? Smoking, eating, shopping, watching television. We can be undisciplined in a wide variety of ways. There used to be a funny little ditty, “I don’t smoke and I don’t chew, and I don’t go with girls that do.” It takes discipline to be successful in any avenue of life. Whether you want to be a successful athlete, or a successful business man, discipline is a key to your success.
The same can be said for your spiritual life. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to a young pastor and friend Timothy. In that letter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote, “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” (1st Timothy 4:7)
Just as a person should have discipline in their lives when it comes to eating, saving, or working out, there are also certain things that we should discipline ourselves to do in order to be successful Christians and to grow in our Christian lives.
These things are called the spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines help us focus on the right things, including the most important of all; obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord. At the same time, practicing the disciplines also helps us prevent some bad habits.
God has established spiritual disciplines for us to have fellowship with Him. Those disciplines include-Bible intake, prayer, worship, service, evangelism, fasting, silence, solitude, and fellowship. These disciplines make our spiritual walk with God more satisfying.
However, just as in any other discipline, there is always a cost. “No pain, no gain.” Any progress in godliness will require much effort and purpose on the part of the Christian. But, if you practice the spiritual disciplines correctly they can bring simplicity and order to the process of becoming more like Jesus.
The first discipline I mentioned was Bible intake. The question for you to ask yourself is, “how disciplined am I on the intake of the Bible. In order to answer that question you must ask yourself these questions.
- Do I attend worship services regularly and listen to the preacher?
- Do I read my Bible each day.
- Do I study my Bible each day?
- Do I spend quality time with others in the form Bible study each week?
There is so much more to Bible intake than just making it to a worship service once a week. Bible intake requires discipline to get into God’s Word in many ways, not just during a 30 to 45 minute message once a week. If you are going to succeed as a Christian you will have to put time into learning what God has to say in His Word.
I hope you will begin to concern yourself with becoming more spiritually disciplined moving forward. God wants you to grow in Him. He wants to have tremendous fellowship with you, but you must begin to exercise your faith toward Him.
Your Pastor,
Brother Neil
Posted March 28th, 2024
"The Power of the Resurrection"
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very heart of Christianity. In 1 Corinthians 15 St. Paul reasoned:
1 Corinthians 15:12-20
12 “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty, and your faith is also empty.
15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up --- if in fact the dead do not rise.
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!
18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.
19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
20 But now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
If we believe in the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament, what significance does the resurrection have for us?
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ proves the power of the true God.
Ephesians 1:19-21
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.
- The resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is God
The Jews crucified Jesus Christ because, to them, he was blaspheming when he said that he was the Son of God, equal to the Father. The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates the truth that he is who he said he was.
Romans 1:4
1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God,
2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,
3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,
4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Our salvation depends on our faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ demonstrates to us that all the teachings of Jesus Christ are true, including his great promises.
John 6:40
40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
- The resurrection of Jesus Christ secured our justification.
Romans 4:25
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses and was raised because of our justification.
- Our own resurrection depends completely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Thessalonians 4:14
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
- The power of our Christian life in the present is the power of His resurrection.
Romans 6:4
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
- How Do We Respond to the Resurrection?
I urge you to repent now and believe in him who is the Judge of the whole world. "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved," Paul told the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:31). The Lord Jesus is the Son of God who became man. He was crucified, he died and was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures.
This same Lord Jesus Christ that ascended into the heavens, is ruling and reigning even now, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Will you bow down before him and be saved forever?
Your Pastor,
Brother Neil
