CONTEMPLATING THE EFFECT THAT BELIEF IN THE CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES HAS ON MINISTRY Matthew 17

CONTEMPLATING THE EFFECT THAT BELIEF IN THE CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES HAS ON MINISTRY
Matthew 17:12
Sovereign Grace Ministers Fellowship
December 28, 2005
by
Charles J. Arnett
111 Worman Dr.
Union OH 45322
513-836-3272
of
nion Baptist Church
528 N. Main St.
Englewood OH 45322

Introduction: Matthew 17:12 says, “But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.”

“Whatsoever they listed” is the phrase I want to use as the foundation for what I say. I am not going to expound this verse but I have to have a text. I thought about titling this “The purpose driven sermon.” Clyde wasn’t too impressed. And I thought of Arthur. I didn’t want him to walk out.

Union Baptist Church was founded November 6, 1960 and I started attending. Shortly afterward I started to read and study the Bible. I was intrigued by those passages that spoke of election and predestination. I asked my pastor about them and he always managed to explain them away. He left in 1964 and we had an interim pastor for about 6 months. One Wednesday the interim read Eph. 1:4 and commented that the verse said what it meant and meant what it said. Things started to open up to me. Jerry Locher was a candidate and the church asked him some questions but when I lead him to a side room while we voted I quietly asked him if he believed in predestination. “Absolutely” was his reply. Later I found out what he meant by absolutely. I also believe in absolute predestination.

In discussions with Bro. Locher I would ask about the legitimacy of witnessing. Without referring to the confession of 1689 he tried to explain to me the contingency of second causes. He did point out human responsibility. We all have heard the proverb that God helps those who help themselves. We may not think that is good theology, but is there not something there about the contingency of second causes?

The Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), Chapter 3 ¶ 1: “God has decreed in Himself from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things which shall ever come to pass.

“Yet in such a way that God is neither the author of sin nor does He have fellowship with any in the committing of sins, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature, nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

“In all this God's wisdom is displayed, disposing all things, and also His power and faithfulness in accomplishing His decree.”

We all have great admiration for John Gill. Gill has often been accused of being a hyper Calvinist but not by me. Gill wrote in his discussion of the immutability of God,

“Nor is the case of Hezekiah any objection to the immutability of God; the outward declaration ordered to be made to him, was, that he should die and not live; as he must have done quickly, according to the nature of second causes, his disease being mortal; but the secret will of God was, that he should live fifteen years longer, as he did, which implies neither contradiction nor change; the outward declaration was made to humble Hezekiah to set him a praying and to make use of means; whereby the unchangeable will of God was accomplished.” (1)

Some of us have explained human responsibility by pointing that while God has predestinated the farmer to have a good crop the farmer had to plow, cultivate, sow, weed and harvest. You reap what you sow.

As we consider the subject today we pause to ask, “Are second causes real causes?” We believe in second causes in everything but do we in our preaching? In this group I would get no argument that all things that comes to pass is in the eternal decree of God.

PROPOSITION: Second Causes are real causes. And God is the First cause of all that comes to pass.

I. THE CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES AND PUBLIC MINISTRY

A shore time ago Arthur send us an email discussing the plight of corporate worship among Baptists. He seemed to say that while we have biblical messages that honor God and we sing hymns that honor God yet there seems to be a lack of a sense of adoration toward God. I agree.

We look at the charismatic services on TV and tend to judge the emotional high, the enthusiasm as merely pumped up or manipulated. We ask ourselves, “Can adoration and/or worship of God be pumped up by hand clapping or up-tempo music?”

While we answer no, I would hesitate to say that adoration and/or worship could not excite some emotional response.

I heard H.O. Van Gilder say to a group of preachers in the early 70’s that the preacher’s job was to expound the scriptures and leave the application to the Holy Spirit. He isn’t the only one who has said that. I ask you, is that preaching or merely teaching.

You may not believe this but I have had people tell me I was a good bible teacher.

I thank them but I know I have missed the mark. I wanted to preach. You can teach without preaching but you cannot preach without teaching.

Is the preacher’s job to make application? The object of this paper is to prove that it is. Does he believe in the contingency of second causes?

It seems to me that one question that a preacher should ask himself when he gets into the pulpit, what does he want his hearers to do. What response to the message does he desire? What is his purpose in preaching that message?

When you preach on the Love of God, do you want your people to respond with more love to God? Then tell them that and explain how love to God behaves. Tell them that is worked out in love to the church and others.

When you preach on the greatness of God or the sovereignty of God do you want your hearers to worship Him and to trust him? Then tell them that and explain what it means to worship Him. But don’t stifle their expressions of joy.

Second Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” Notice the action words associated with preaching the word. Reprove, rebuke, exhort. That is application – that is preaching with a purpose of changing lives not just teaching some things. That is preaching with a purpose of producing an effect in your hearers.

Bro. Overton was with me at Mission when a woman yelled, “your meddling.” Have you ever been accused of meddling?

I used to hear of preachers steeping on toes – when last time someone accused you of stepping on toes? Is it possible that by doing that you might be the real cause of changing lives?

I often hear someone say that only God could do such and such a thing. It doesn’t have to be obvious that natural causes wasn’t involved for it to be a work of God. Tracing natural causes is a joy to me because I see the foot steps of God

II. THE CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES AND EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY

In the late 60’s I did practice preaching in a little United Church of Christ church about six miles from Union. I taught a SS class at Union and would drive to them and preach. I taped my messages and asked Bro. Locher, my pastor at the time, to critique them.

One thing I remember was he told me I was preaching about people and not to people. Boy it is easy to peach about people; you don’t offend any hearers. I hoped that helped me. There is no question in my mind that when you preach to people instead of about people you will stir up some emotions.

I have heard people comment about another preacher that all they did was preach the gospel. What else are we to preach?

I think what was meant was that the person always urges people to receive Christ who died for sinners. Jesus told the disciples to search the scripture because they spoke of Him. So whatever biblical text or biblical topic we might preach – it should point to the person and work of Jesus and urge our hearers to respond accordingly.

The person and work of Jesus is the gospel

Today we hear that preachers are supposed to expound the scriptures. The most popular preaching method is exposition. If you are an expositor you have arrived. We hear that the people in the pews need to hear more doctrine. Why? Is it merely to make them bible scholars? First Corinthians 8:1, “Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” Our preaching should be application.

What is our purpose in preaching? Is it so that our hearers know more about God or love God more or both?

One time I went to a reform conference and spoke to another layperson who worked at a large factory and I mention that must give him plenty of opportunity for witnessing. His comment was he did not do much of that since he learned the doctrines of grace. Knowledge puffeth up. We all know of Arminians who are zealous in witnessing. Is it their doctrine that has caused that? Is it because their pastor keeps insisting they have the responsibility of soul winning?

Salvation is a response of the whole man. I use to read the Gospel Standard out of England and loved the testimonies until I realized that they never responded the gospel. They told how God convicted them, How God showed the beauty to Christ, How God gave them assurance in the particular redemption of Christ. They never mentioned how they fled to Christ. Never did they bow their heart in prayer and ask Jesus to save them, never did they receive Him. They never did anything. That is consistent with their doctrine.

If someone ask you what they could to do be saved would you respond – “Nothing.” That is theologically correct in one sense, but is it the whole story?

I believe that God saves those who come to Him and He never casts them out.

Men are responsible to repent and receive Christ for salvation. Let’s tell them so.

We argue about the logical order of salvation. I have told people they are dead and cannot repent and cannot come to Christ, and then in the next breath tell them they must and they should and if they do they will be saved. I want them to be saved.

If we want them to be saved, tell them so. When a person comes to Christ the whole person comes to Christ. Intellect, tell them who Christ is. Emotions – work on their emotions tell them how they will suffer in hell. Will – they must decide, they must choose, they cannot but they must.

Do you pled with sinners to repent in your preaching? Do you want them to repent. One man testified that he really felt like I was interested in him.

John Resinger said that most of our sovereign grace churches do not preach the gospel. He was speaking of mostly reformed churches. However, Sovereign Grace Landmark men preach the gospel. Evenl those who are five pointers passionately urge sinner to repent and be saved.

III. THE CONTINGENCY OF SECOND CAUSES AND MINISTRY IN OUR PRESENT CULTURE

If we really believe in the reality of second causes then we have to ask ourselves a very serious question. Will we see a greater Christian commitment in a culture that teaches that God is not necessary to life? Or in a culture that believes that God is the center of all life.

When the communist block unraveled we heard that there was revival in former communist countries. I think that is consistent with the contingency of second causes.

My opinion is that the people had a truth test, a foundation for truth; it was the state. They were conditioned to truth being transcendent to them, so they looked for a transcendent truth were told the Bible was the real transcendent truth. Naturally they turned to the bible.

If our children grow up in a culture where society believes that truth is transcendent will they be more or less likely to believe or seek God? What if every place they turn they are told that truth resides in them? Does it make any difference? Are we children of our culture? Isn’t that what Arthur was speaking about in October?

Do you believe that Christians should use the scientific advances in our health practices? There are some Christians who do not believe in the reality of second causes when it come to medicine but do when it comes to getting sinners saved. Are we just the opposite?

Making use of second causes doesn’t destroy the First Cause being the First Cause. Does anyone believe that restoring our culture means that citizens of U. S. goes to heaven? Does abortion opponents believe that a girl will be saved if we close the abortion mills? I don’t think so, but I am glad that abortion is opposed. Doesn’t abortion opponents say something about the authority of God. Abortion is opposed because it dishonors God.

Does anyone think prayer in schools will mean that the youth will be saved?

No, but prayer in schools is a testimony that there is a power transcendent to man. Should not grace preachers want a testimony in our culture that there is an authority transcendent to man? Does not Romans chapter one teach us the direction of a culture that neglects God? I quote Hiscox.

“The temperance prayer meeting. This is not so generally observed as it should be. For if there be anything that appeals to Christian faith, and which should lead Christian people to appeal to God, the righteous judge, for help, it is this cause, that the gigantic iniquity of the saloon, and the drink habit, which cause more suffering than war, pestilence and famine combined, may be checked and destroyed. With churches so apathetic, and good people on every hand so indifferent, the rum power rides riot over all that is fairest and best in society, destroying homes, impoverishing nations, and invading the sacred altars of our holy religion. Appeals need to be made to Him who is able to hear and save, for who else can avail?” (2)

Is not Paul’s purpose in preaching the gospel to all, that the direction of culture might be diverted or at least the result of not honoring God be diverted in culture?

Do we mean it when we pray” Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name”? What do we mean by Hollowed be they name? Albert Barnes says, "Let thy name be celebrated, and venerated, and esteemed as holy everywhere, and receive of all men proper honors." I think most commentators will say somewhat the same thing.

If we pray that way and we believe in the reality of second causes - may God use second causes to bring it to pass? Now, does the ministry of James Kennedy or James Dobson promote the hollowing of God’s name?

Do we have a responsibility to condemn our culture? The prophets of the OC condemned their culture and did it for the honor of God? Should not NC prophets do likewise?

Do you want your congregation to have a Christian world view? (Read Romans 12:1-3) Then tell them what a Christian world view is. I know you are not philosophers, but Philippians. 2 is in the bible.

Conclusion: When you go into the pulpit be aware of your purpose and preach with a purpose. When you go into the market place be aware of your purpose and go with a purpose. First Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

1. John Gill, Gill's Body of Divinity, (Alanta, Georgia: Turner Lassetter 3^rd reprint), 40, 41

2. Edward T. Hiscox, The New Directory for Baptist Churches, (GrandRapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 1970) , 237