"Why Are You Asking Me?"

I am a person that asks many questions. My sixth grade teacher saw this quality in me and encouraged me to keep asking. God made me this way. I can’t help it. One of the questions that I have asked of late is why do we (a church tradition that clams to be of the Word) have so many beliefs (therefore practices) that are outside of the Scripture? We claim to be one thing but our actions at times speak otherwise.

I was listening to a sermon of Dr. David Eubanks, former president of JBC (click HERE to listen). His sermon was entitled, “Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?” At the front of his sermon he confessed,

“One of the early mottos of (our movement) was, “We speak where the Scriptures speak and we are silent where the Scriptures are silent.” Now I have to say to you in all honesty we have not always observed that motto and certainly no one has observed it perfectly. It’s a wonderful motto…but it is our goal.”

My question was put as ease after hearing these words. Dr. Eubanks, an icon in my Christian tradition, changed the parameters of my concern. It’s not that we are a people of the Word (present tense); rather, we are people that strive to be a people of the Word (future tense).

By the way, his sermon on baptism is worth listening to. It wasn’t what I expected this Christian Church icon to stay. For some reason I was pleasantly surprised. I’ll give you the answer to his question/sermon tile, “Why are you asking me? Ask Paul. Ask Peter. Ask Jesus. Let God be God.”