This transcript was generated automatically and may contain minor errors.

Well, good morning. If you'll take out your bible, please, and turn to second Thessalonians chapter two. Second Thessalonians chapter two. We'll read beginning in verse 13 here in just a moment. Second Thessalonians chapter two starting in verse 13.

That song, it's probably a shortcoming on my own part, but that that last song we just sang, farther along, we'll know all about it. Farther along, we'll understand why. We need to cheer up because we'll understand it all by and by. That song is true, but that song has frustrated me through the years. I don't wanna wait until further along to know all about it.

I don't wanna wait until further along to understand why. And while the ultimate conclusion of that song, I think, is helpful that when Jesus appears and comes in glory, all of our issues and all of the things that we think we need to reconcile in our mind, I think, are gonna be become kind of pointless because we'll see him as he is, and all of those sorts of things won't be in our mind and thoughts. But until then, and along the way until then, I think there are many things that we should wonder about, and there are things where we should be asking the question why. In the back class last quarter, so a couple of weeks ago, that class concluded, we had a class for the young adults, I think we called 20 and 30 young adults. And in that class, we dealt with a lot of things pertaining to life and godliness, and the opportunity was given for them to submit questions and comments.

And one of the things that's been rattling around in my head a good bit, and it goes like this. This is an abbreviated reading of one of the comments. I would like more teaching and preaching on the why behind our practices and doctrines, and they list them. The Lord's Supper, no instruments, women's roles, no liturgies, not practicing sacred holidays like Christmas or Easter, the treasury, etcetera, and more teaching and preaching that go beyond the basic proof text and simple arguments. Some of us weren't raised in this tradition, so it'd be nice to fully understand and be able to defend why we're doing the things that we're doing, why we're doing the things that we're doing.

That's really the thing that I wanna think about. And I wanna think about that because it goes so very well with our theme for this year, this idea of built on the foundation. And our theme is taken from Ephesians two nineteen through 22. I'll read it. We'll get to second Thessalonians here in just a second.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. Now as we think about those verses and the foundation upon which we are built, obviously, that's Jesus Christ. But we've been focusing for the last couple of months, and we'll continue to focus here for the next couple of months on this idea, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Apostles and prophets laid that foundation of Jesus Christ in the things that they did, in the things that they thought, in the things that they wrote, in the things that they practiced. And so we talked about Jesus Christ being the chief cornerstone, but now we're talking about that laid foundation, the message of Christ by the apostles and prophets.

And so from May to August, that's gonna be what we are talking about. And so we're gonna consider this idea of the holy spirit. We're doing that on Wednesday night. We've had some lessons along that line, the apostles and prophets, but also this continued message of Jesus Christ and what that message looks like and even more how that message should be applied. So thinking about this idea of the whys behind what we do and what we practice and combining that with the idea of the apostles and prophets revealing these things to us, what I'd like to do is examine a number of these things that we do and practice that that maybe we take for granted.

This is just what we do. But I'd like to have a few lessons on this idea, a firm foundation of why. Why do we do the things that we do? And are we able to defend those things from a scriptural basis? Are we able to say this is why we do what we do, and this is why we believe God is pleased with those things?

And where I'd like to begin is with a concept that comes back again to the apostles and prophets, and that is the idea of apostolic tradition. Now we're gonna read second Thessalonians chapter two verses 13 through 16 where I think that idea is found, but this is helpful to us in a practical way, especially as we think about interacting with other people from, as the commenter put, the anonymous commenter put, from other traditions, other backgrounds who maybe still believe in Jesus. When I was a brand new baby Christian in high school, the first I would say the first real bible study that I had with somebody else where it was just me and that person, and we were sitting down and looking at our bibles together, and there wasn't, you know, an adult there that was overseeing that whole process. The first bible study I had with one of my friends I mean, I was on fire for the Lord. I was ready to convert the world, and I wanted to talk to this good friend of mine because I knew that where where they went to church, there were a lot of things that they did in practice that were a lot different than where I went to church.

And so I don't remember what the specific issue was, but I was as you can imagine, I was loaded for mayor. And so we get out our bibles and we go through the book of acts, and with this particular thing, whatever it was, I was like, showing them in the book of Acts. See, this is what they did, and this is what they did, and this is what they did in the book of Acts. And then I went to the epistles, and I see Paul writing over here, and he's telling them do the same thing. And so we went through those things, and I said, see, don't you agree that this is what they did book of acts and in the epistles, this is what they did, and this is what they did in the first century.

And this friend of mine was like, yeah. Absolutely. I see that. I agree. That's what they did then.

I said, isn't that what we should do too? And he said, no. Like, what? Wait a second. No.

No. We just agreed that this is what they did, and this is what Paul taught, and this is what the apostles did. Shouldn't we do that too? And he's like, no. I don't think so.

I'm like, wait. Don't you believe that if they did that in the first century, we should kind of try and do the same things today? He said, no. I think we can just kinda change it when we think it ought to be changed. Well, knock me over with a feather.

I'd never thought about that or considered that possibility. And it required me to look at my perspective and say, well, is that what we should do? Should we be trying to, as much as possible, recreate the first century church or not? We were both very frustrated with that conversation, that study, because there was a fundamental difference in how we were approaching the scriptures and applying what we should and shouldn't do. So I want you to look there in second Thessalonians chapter two and read with me verses 13 through 17.

Second Thessalonians chapter two beginning in verse 13. This is what the apostle Paul says, but we are bound to give thanks always for you, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and belief in the truth, to which he called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we have the spirit, the holy spirit who revealed these things to the apostles. We have the truth that they taught by the gospel, the good news, where that these people could obtain the glory that's found in Jesus Christ. And so that's what happened as they became Christians.

But notice what he says now in verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word, we said these things personally to you in your presence, or by epistle or letter, we wrote you these things to remind you of these things. Stand fast and hold those traditions. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and our God and father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. How was God going to establish them in every good word and work if they held fast, stood firm in the traditions that they had been taught, either by spoken word from the apostles or the letters that the apostles were wrote.

That's what Paul tells this young church in one of the very first letters that was written to churches. Now know that Jesus clearly condemns the traditions of men as the basis of our faith, and we'll get to that here in just a second. So what was this thing that they were supposed to hold on to that he says stand fast and hold to these traditions? I suggest that it was apostolic tradition. Whether they were taught these things in person or whether an inspired apostle or prophet wrote to them, they were supposed to hold fast to those things revealed by the holy spirit and not change them.

So here's what I want us to consider first of all. As we think about this idea of a pattern, something that we follow and hold fast to versus those things that are just tradition, I want us to consider the tradition of the apostles as our pattern. In other words, divinely approved apostolic examples. That is, God says, I approve of this because the apostles taught that, and that's what they practiced. And I said, this is good.

This pleases me. Those things give us a pattern for for what we know we can do. And to act outside of that pattern is, at best, presumptuously ignorant, but at worst, it's sinful. The New Testament provides a pattern for the way things were done in the first century church, and we can know that we are being well pleasing to Christ when we follow that same pattern of doing things. Now Paul especially emphasized this need to closely imitate the divinely received pattern for life and worship in the church when he wrote to the church in Corinth.

He talks about it in some of the other letters. In Philippians, he talks about it a little bit. Here in Thessalonians, he talks about it a little bit, but he especially emphasizes it to the church in Corinth. Would you turn over to first Corinthians? First Corinthians chapter 11.

Now here's my question. You're good Bible students. Why did he emphasize this idea of going back to the pattern, going back to what you know and to the church in Corinth as opposed to all of these other churches to which he wrote? Well, it stands to reason he did that because the church in Corinth had changed so many things. They were doing things so much differently than what it was that Paul had had originally taught.

It was necessary because these brethren had changed the worship and walk and work of the Christian and the local church into something else. Notice what he says here in first Corinthians chapter 11. I've got verse 20 on the screen. Let's start there in verse 18. It kinda sets our context.

For first of all, when you come together as a church so this isn't just you as an individual Christian. This is what the local church is doing. I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part, I believe it. There must also be factions among you that those who are approved may be recognized among you. Yes.

You can see those who are really doing the things that are right. Verse 20, therefore, when you come together in one place so this isn't just church activity. We're all pooling our resources. These are Christians who have come together in one place together. When you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper.

Now Paul's being a little bit cheeky here. I think the I've been watching too much soccer, I'm afraid. He's being a little cheeky here. Right? He's saying, no.

That is why you came together. You came to eat the Lord's Supper, but it's not really the Lord's Supper that you're eating. For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others, and one is hungry and another is drunk. What? You don't have houses to eat and drink in, or do you despise the church of God and shame, maybe your translation says, you humiliate those who have nothing.

What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you. He says, you've changed what the Lord's Supper is all about. And there are a number of things in this context that we might point to.

It appears as though the Lord's Supper had been divided according to class, that there were rich people and poor people, and the rich people had a bunch, and the poor people didn't have much at all. And there was this humiliation taking place with these poor people to the point they weren't even waiting on them to get off work so that they could all come together and partake of the Lord's Supper. It also appears as though they had turned the Lord's Supper instead of this spiritual meal focusing on Christ. It becomes just a banquet, just a big meal, we might say, where they're coming together to fulfill the needs of their body. And he says, I'm not gonna praise you in this.

You're doing it in the name of Christ. You're coming together as a church, but this is not this is not what you ought to be doing. And to correct them, what does he do? Well, look there in verse 23. He appeals to the pattern established by Jesus Christ and proclaimed and implemented and practiced by the apostles and the first Christians.

Three, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you. I got this from Jesus. I told it to you. That the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, take, eat.

This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, he also took the cup after supper saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes.

What Paul did was say, there's a pattern. There's an example that we have, and you need to go back to that simple pattern if you want to be pleasing to God. Now I want you to keep this example in mind. We'll come back to it at the end of our lesson. But we see that Paul also, to the church in Corinth, tells them that he is teaching this same thing in every church.

Go back to first Corinthians chapter four and verse 16, the fourth chapter of first Corinthians and verse 16. Therefore, I urge you, Paul says, imitate me. Now that was true on a personal level. He said that to the church in Philippi in different places. Imitate me as I imitate Christ, but it's beyond that.

Verse 17. For this reason, I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach everywhere in every church. I'm teaching the same thing everywhere I go, Paul says. And I want you to be reminded of what it is that I'm teaching so that you might do that same thing. Go over a couple of chapters to first Corinthians chapter seven.

First Corinthians chapter seven and verse 17. Now this is some teaching in the current distress about marriage and what marriage should look like in these different circumstances. That's not our purpose this morning, but I want you to notice what he says in verse 17. But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. This is what I'm teaching, Paul says.

But notice what he says, and so I direct, ordain, teach in all the churches. Paul says, there's not a different doctrine on marriage and what you're supposed to be doing in your marriages than one church or another. I'm teaching the same thing everywhere. And these statements only make sense if the church was supposed to be fundamentally the same everywhere. And if we could all be fundamentally different from place to place or time to time, then Paul would have taught things depending on the background and makeup of his audience.

But the fact that he taught the same thing everywhere tells us that we're supposed to look the same. Well, we as people look different. Some of our traditions might be different. But, fundamentally, a church that belongs to Christ should look the same in Lufkin as it would look elsewhere in the world. And, clearly, the New Testament authors, as they were inspired by the holy spirit, intended a wider use of their writings beyond just suggestions for that time only.

I want you to turn to second Peter chapter one, if you would. Second Peter chapter one. Second Peter chapter one and verse 12. Read with me. For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

Yes. I think it is right as long as I am in this tent to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my deceased, after my death. It was the present truth that Peter is talking about here. You know these things to be true, but he said it's not just the present truth for now.

I want you to have a reminder of these things even after I'm gone. And so the New Testament epistles and the book of Acts show us that all of these first century congregations, they were different in makeup, Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, slave and free. So they were different in makeup in that way. And though they were in different locations across the known world at that time, they were supposed to be unified in this way in their commitment to Christ, in their commitment to what it was the apostles taught by the holy spirit, which would unify them in belief and practice so that they might remain that way even after the apostles died. And my question is, where is our god given right to change the work or worship of Christianity today from what they taught?

Maybe the question is well asked. Well, okay. I see that. But, clearly, there are traditions that we have, things that we change. So how do we know if something is apostolic tradition, a pattern, or just a tradition of men?

One way of doing it, an example that this is one way that you could do it. Well, obviously, we are not bound to follow every example found in the Bible. But we need to put things in the context of the culture, what is being communicated, and the rest of the Bible. But know this. I think we can all agree with this statement.

If it was sanctioned in the New Testament, in other words, the apostles taught it, the first church did it, and God approved of it, then we can do it as well. Give me a thumbs up on that. Right? I think we would all agree. Obviously, if this is what they did, the apostles taught it, God approved of it, we can do the same thing.

So here is where the rubber meets the road. If we do something else, we better have, call it authority, a scripturally sound reason for why we are doing something different. I like the way Robert Turner, who influenced my thoughts so much as a young Christian, I like the way he put it. He says, this is acceptable that I can point my Bible and say they did this. And if you would do otherwise, you must produce divine sanction or authority for it.

In other words, I know we can do this. Where's my sanction to do something else? There are a number of practical considerations that might be helpful to us in this regard if you wanna write these things down. Context is helpful to us. Does anything in the context suggest something is essential or unessential, that we must do this or this is just the way they did it and we can change those things?

Uniformity is something to consider. Does the example agree with all the other examples on the subject in question? In other words, every example we see in the New Testament is them being at this one way, that might suggest to us, well, that's the same in every church. It should be the same in our church as well. Harmony of the scriptures.

If we bound this example and say everybody has to do that or if we lose it and say, no, we don't all have to do that, would that conflict with other teaching that we see in the New Testament, whether that's the gospels or acts or the epistles? Now we think about specific application. Are there circumstances that limit the application of this example? In other words, Jesus met with his apostles on the Passover as Dallas talked about a moment ago. We can't meet with them in that same place.

That's a specific example at a specific time. But are there elements that we should take from that to do ourselves? And then finally, universal application. Can the example be followed by believers all over the world? If it is something that cannot be done in some places in the world, but can in others, that's an indication to us that this gospel that was intended for the whole world should be able to be practiced everywhere.

If it can't be practiced some places, maybe that tells us that that was just an example or tradition for that time. So the question that begs to be asked is, is there any purpose for our tradition, the traditions of men? Well, these should be our, I put in quotation mark, helpful practices. That's what they're supposed to be. They're so supposed to be helpful.

The old time preachers called these expediencies. Right? It's expedient. It's helpful. This is a good way, an easy way to do this.

Let me give you some examples of this, though. You're well familiar with Mark seven, probably. Turn over there with me, please. Mark chapter seven. Start there in verse one.

Mark chapter seven and verse one. Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to him having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is unwashed hand, they found fault. They're doing something wrong. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, Mark tells us, do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way holding to what?

The tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash, and there are many other things which they have received and hold like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat bread with unwashed hands? Now let me ask you this. Is it an okay tradition to wash your hands before you eat?

May maybe I can have a thumbs up on that one too. You know, it's not something we have to do, but I would encourage you to do that. You know, before we go to lunch, go ahead and do that. You know, sometimes you go to the bathroom and somebody goes in there and then they just go out without washing their hands, and you just wanna follow them out and say, unclean. Unclean.

Well, that's what they're doing here. But does that mean that that person sinned? I would my case and say, I guess they didn't sin by not washing their hands, but I sure like them to. It's a good practice. But, ultimately, it was just the tradition of the elders.

And so Jesus answered and said to them, verse six, well, did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites as it is written, these this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain, they worship me teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. It was not just that they were majoring in the minors. It was that God didn't command that this was necessary, required under the law. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the watching of pitchers and cups and many such things you do.

And he said to them, all too well you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition, and it gives them example. For Moses said, honor your father and mother, and let him who curses father or mother, let him be put to death. But you say, if a man says to his father or mother, whatever profit you might have received to me is Korban, that is a gift of God, then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition, which you have handed down, and many such things you do. You're binding this tradition, but you're leaving aside things that God has commanded for to do. Now here's my question.

Is there anything wrong with the traditions of men? And I hear your head rattle this way or that way. Not inherently. No. So long as they don't contradict scripture, they may even be helpful.

These traditions can serve a purpose in helping us to fulfill the pattern. You take handwashing, for for example. Could handwashing be helpful in maintaining one's purity, ritual purity under the law? Of course. And it could serve a reminder of the importance of that purity, of holiness, of remaining ritually clean under the law.

And that's probably how that tradition started with someone wanting to go above and beyond and try and remain ritually clean. If this is the way it is in the temple with priests, I can imagine someone saying to themselves, if this is the way the priests do it, well, why don't we do that at home too? That's helpful to us in maintaining our purity and remembering to do things the right way. But it was not required. It was not the pattern.

And I would say this, that a tradition is no longer helpful. This tradition, particularly, was no longer helpful because it wasn't aiding them in fulfilling the pattern. They were cleaning their hands, but their hearts were still defiled. Instead, the tradition had become equal to God's pattern itself. We do this for many years.

It becomes our tradition, but we cannot allow those traditions to become matters of salvation. We may even hold to the tradition to the point that some would split a church over it. But if it is no longer helpful to us in fulfilling the pattern, if that practice isn't helpful, we need to be willing to let it go. And, obviously, if it contradicts scripture, we should let it go. And if we bind those traditions on others, we could be the one sinning and possibly causing others to sin if they violate their conscience in not doing those things.

I want you to look one more example. John chapter five. Turn over to John chapter five, if you would, with me, please. John chapter five. Start with me in verse five.

John chapter five and verse five. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been in that condition a long time, he said to him, do you want to be healed? This man for thirty eight years just barely remember thirty eight years ago. It's a long time.

And he's been in this terrible condition where he can't walk for that many years, and Jesus asked, do you want to be healed? The sick man answered him, sir, I have no one to put me into the pool of the water that he thought would heal him when it stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me. And Jesus said to him, rise, take up your bed, and walk. And immediately, the man was made well. He took up his bed and walked, and that day was the Sabbath.

The Jews, verse 10, therefore said to him who was cured, it is the Sabbath. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed. He answered them, he who made me well said to me, take up your bed and walk. Now there's a lot more in this passage. I could preach sermon after sermon after sermon from it, but let's think about this.

What was wrong with their statement in verse 10? It is the Sabbath. Well, that's true. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed. What was wrong with their statement is they said it is not lawful.

To fulfill the command, the pattern of the Sabbath they had instituted this tradition, this helpful practice of not carrying your bed. We don't wanna work on the Sabbath. That's God's law. I'm not supposed to work. So in order to fulfill that command, you know, it's probably good not to carry your bed around when you're doing that.

Is that could that be a helpful practice? Nobody shook their head. Yes or no? Absolutely, it could. The problem was when they made that a requirement for this man and for all others.

This wasn't a matter of law or pattern. It was a tradition of men. And this man got it right when he said, he who made me well said to me, take up your bed and walk. Now may I suggest when it comes to these ideas of the patterns that we follow, when it comes to apostolic tradition, we should have the same attitude of this man. Tradition should be helpful in fulfilling things.

But if we choose to some do something different than what we've done in the past, we ought to be able to point to Jesus and the apostles who were inspired by the holy spirit and say, this man or these people spoke and said, this is why I can do the thing that I'm doing. Have the same attitude of this man that I wanna follow Jesus whatever he says. And Jesus was the one who sent the helper, the holy spirit to inspire the apostles, so I'm gonna follow them whatever they say, whatever they practice because they are his representatives on earth to fulfill his message that came from him. So when it comes to these patterns, follow them. When it comes to these traditions, think to yourself, is it helpful or not?

If it is, follow it. If it's not, then we should be willing to do what it is that is helpful in our time and place to fulfill the foundation of God. The foundation of God, a firm foundation of why. That's what we're looking for. And when it comes to all of these other things that we might talk about, we're gonna talk about a test case tonight, the Lord's Supper.

So come back this evening. We'll talk about the Lord's Supper and apply the things that we've talked about this morning. But when it comes to these things that we do and practice, we should be willing to say and point out and say, this is what Jesus demands. This is apostolic tradition. We know that this is pleasing to God.

And these other things are helpful to us as we go about striving to please God in that way. If you're here this morning and you're not yet Christian, know that our ultimate goal, our ultimate aim in all things is to be pleasing to God. Why? Because we love him. Because he sent his son to die for us, and we are looking to be pleasing to him in all that we do, in all that we practice so that we might hear from him well, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord.

We're about to sing a song, bring Christ your broken life. And as we sing that song, we know that we are broken, that we are condemned and unclean because of the sins that we have committed. And yet, what God has allowed for us is a way to come to him, to know him, to know his will, and to practice that will in such a way that he is pleased with us. And if you love the Lord this morning and you know what it is you need to do to follow the apostles' teaching and pattern to make your life right with Christ, there's nothing that we would love you more than to baptize you into Christ for the remission of your sins. But if you're here and you love God and you're like, I'm not sure what that is.

Oh, how we would love to sit down and study with you from God's word so that we all might practice what it is he commands and desires for us to practice. We can help you in any way once you come now, but together we stand and while we sing.