Topics for the Preaching Festival to be held in Crown Point on April 12th and 13th at Southlake Fundamental Baptist Church in Crown Point.  The Friday meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. (Chicago time).  The Saturday meeting will begin with a light breakfast at the church at 8:00 a.m.  Lunch will also be provided.  Our brethren will open their homes to those coming from out of town for Friday and possibly Saturday night. For those desiring to attend, and for further information, contact Al Stoner (astoner8@gmail.com), Dan Brueck (sbrueck@comcast.net), or Michael Zaucha (zaucham@sbcglobal.net).

 
Preaching Festival
The Indispensability of Faith in the New Covenant Era
Topics to be Covered in Messages and Discussions

• The Reception of Christ, and Establishment by Continuance in that Reception of Him.  “But AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM, TO THEM GAVE HE POWER to become the sons of God, EVEN TO THEM THAT BELIEVE ON HIS NAME . . .” (Jn. 1:12-13).  “AS YE HAVE THEREFORE RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, SO WALK YE IN HIM: ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM, AND STABLISHED IN THE FAITH, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving” (Col. 2:6-7).

• • The solemn objective of the preacher will be to make abundantly clear, even to the wayfaring man,the necessary involvements of receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, and continuing in Him by His grace.  This will involve removing some of the stones of hoary tradition which, for many, have capped the wells of salvation.

• • It will also entail making the way back to the Father (Jn. 14:6) “plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it” (Hab. 2:2).  Christ Himself is the Way back to the Father, thus highlighting the absolute necessity of seeing Him clearly, as He is revealed in the words of the Scripture.

• The Solemn Involvements of Faith’s Reception.  “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then FAITH COMETH BY HEARING, and HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD” (Rom. 10:16-17).

• • The preacher will be given the task of expounding upon the way that faith comes to men, of the preeminent and indispensable role of the Word of God in this matter; and yet this does not occur independently of men’s involvement.

• • “Hearing by the Word of God” highlights the effectual nature of God’s working whenever men believe the gospel.  Thus, the Father and the Son are glorified wherever men are found believing “the word of the truth of the gospel.”

• The Moral Nature of Faith and of God’s Word.  “Wherefore LAY APART ALL filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS THE ENGRAFTED WORD, WHICH IS ABLE TO SAVE YOUR SOULS” (Jas. 1:21).

• • The very “engraftedness” of this engrafted Word implies an environment where wickedness of every sort is hated, and where righteousness is loved and desired by the one receiving the Word.  Meekness, or humbleness of mind, before the living God, is also absolutely essential unto the reception of this Word.

• • To ignore the moral involvements of the reception of God’s Word into oneself is to take the broad road that leads to destruction and to court for oneself eternal disaster.  The solemn charge given to the preacher will be to clarify these matters and lay upon the hearts of the hearers.

• The Necessary Maintenance of Faith.  “Well; BECAUSE OF UNBELIEF THEY WERE BROKEN OFF, AND THOU STANDEST BY FAITH. Be not highminded, but fear” (Rom. 11:20).

• • The preacher will clarify to the hearers that God is not a respecter of persons, but that He is a respecter of faith, wherever it is possessed.

• • He will also expound on the matter of conditionality with regard to faith in Jesus Christ.  “He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but He that believeth not is condemned already . . .”

• The Blessed Access to God by Faith.  “Therefore being justified by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST: by whom also WE HAVE ACCESS BY FAITH into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also . . .” (Rom 5:1-3). “The just shall live by his faith.” “The just shall live by faith” (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:16-17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).

• • The preacher will expound upon the blessedness of the access that men have by their faith in Christ.

• The Substantive Nature of Faith. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).  “But WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM: for HE THAT COMETH TO GOD MUST BELIEVE THAT HE IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM” (Heb. 11:6).

• • The preacher will develop the blessed consideration of the substantive nature of faith with the objective of assisting the brethren in taking firmer hold on the things that are not seen. 

• Believing, and the Nature of the “All Things” which “are Possible”.  “IF THOU CANST BELIEVE, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH” (Mk. 9:22-23).

• • The preacher will labor to expand upon the nature of the “all things” which “are possible”, spoken of by the Savior, and then shall give himself to the task of persuading the brethren anew that this is precisely what He said.

• Faith as the Work of God, the Work which God has Appointed to Men.  “Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for HIM HATH GOD THE FATHER SEALED . . . . THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YE BELIEVE ON HIM WHOM HE HATH SENT” (Jn. 6:27-29).

• • The preacher’s task will be to clarify to the hearers that this is indeed a work that God has appointed for men to do, if they would be pleasing to Him, and then to stir up the pure hearts of the brethren that they may give themselves wholeheartedly to this full time work of believing on His Son.

• Faith’s Consistent Reference to the Testimony of Jesus.  “Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF” (Lk. 24:25-27).

• • In order to bolster up the hearts of the unbelieving disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ chose to speak unto them what the Scriptures said about Him (see also Lk. 7:19-23).  Jesus declared regarding the Scriptures, “they are they which testify of Me” (Jn. 5:39).

• • Truly, God has magnified His Word above all His Name, as the Psalmist declared (cf. Ps. 138:2).  The place of preeminence given to the Word of God by both the Father and the Son can be seen by their continually drawing men’s attention to what the Scripture declares, even about Themselves.

• • The preacher will earnestly engage himself with expanding upon this preeminence given to the Word of God by the Members of the Godhead.

• Believing on Jesus’ Name.“HE THAT BELIEVETH ON HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED: but he that believeth not is condemned already, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD” (Jn. 3:14-18).

• • The preacher will expand upon the involvements of believing of Jesus’ Name, His Person, His Character, and everything that is revealed in Scripture regarding Him.

• Faith Lays Hold on Eternal Life.  “HE THAT HEARETH MY WORD, AND BELIEVETH ON HIM THAT SENT ME, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life” (Jn. 5:24).

• • This word has been properly called by some Christ’s great amnesty proclamation.

• • The preacher’s solemn task will be to expound upon, and clarify, the many blessed involvements of this declaration made by the Savior.  “And he urged him, and he took it” (Gen. 33:11).

• Faith and Desire. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mk. 11:24).  “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: and if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we DESIRED OF HIM” (I Jn. 5:14-15).

• • “Faith” which is not energized by holy desire is of little or no value. The preacher will amplify on, and clarify, the role that holy desire serves as it works together with faith. 

• The Expansive Nature of Faith. “And beside this, giving all diligence, ADD TO YOUR FAITH (IN YOUR FAITH SUPPLY, NASB) VIRTUE; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you THAT YE SHALL NEITHER BE BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST” (II Pet. 1:3-8).

• • The preacher solemn task will be to clarify the indispensable ministry that virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity have to faith, as Peter has expressed the matter here.

• • He is not saying that it is faith plus these other qualities that are necessary, but rather that this is the kind of faith that is acceptable to God, and profitable unto men.  The NASB uses the words “in your faith supply” these qualities, meaning that these all-essential qualities do, indeed, grow and mature wherever faith is had, nourished, and kept in possession.

• The Ministry of the Law and Justification by Faith.“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24-25).  “And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them” (Gal. 3:12; see Lev. 18:5).

• • The preacher will develop the thought of the Law’s ministry to bring men unto Christ IN ORDER THAT THEY MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.

• Faith and Baptism, Faith and Union with Christ.  “For ye are all the children of God BY FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS. For AS MANY OF YOU AS HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE PUT ON CHRIST” (Gal. 3:26-27).

• • The preacher will expound upon, and clarify, the subject of baptism into Christ and the putting on of Christ.

• • Part of the purpose for this will be to assist the brethren in clarifying their beginning with Christ in order that they may run with patience the race that is set before them, looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

•  The Faith of God’s Elect.  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, ACCORDING TO THE FAITH OF GODS ELECT, AND THE ACKNOWLEDGING OF THE TRUTH WHICH IS AFTER GODLINESS; In hope of eternal life, WHICH GOD, THAT CANNOT LIE, PROMISED BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN” (Tit. 1:1-2).

• • The preacher will clarify the matter that the faith of God’s elect is the same as “faith unfeigned”, and “like precious faith.”  It is the kind of faith that will have been possessed by all who are “accounted worthy to obtain that world” (Lk. 20:35).  It is the faith that is authored and perfected by the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself is God’s elect (Isa. 42:1; Ps. 89:19-20; Jn. 6:27; I Pet. 2:4, 6).

• The Orientation of Faith.  “Looking unto JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH” (Heb. 12:2).  “THE FAITH OF CHRIST” (Rom. 3:22; Gal. 2:16; 3:20, 22; Eph. 3:12; Phil. 3:9).  “FAITH IN CHRIST” (Acts 3:16; 24:24; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 3:15; Col. 1:4; Col. 2:5).

• • The preacher will labor to amplify, among other things, upon the expressions “the faith of Christ” and “faith in Christ”, and how that these are two different perspectives of the same thing.  The overall purpose of this clarification will be to minister confidence to God’s people.

"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;  and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately" (Lk. 12:35-36).