Living in Liberty

A Ministry of Bryce Lowance

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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Hindrances

3 November 2014

"And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judæa, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.” (Luke 5:17-19)

Luke records a detail for us that is not clearly seen in the accounts of Mark and Matthew. We all know that the house was so full that no one could go in the door, but Luke tells us that a majority of those packed in the room were Scribes and Pharisees. We know that, most of the time, these two groups of people were often against the Lord rather than seeking Him. They may have been around a lot, but it was out of motivation of curiosity or contention.

There may have been those among the Scribes and Pharisees who sought the Lord truly. And there were, no doubt, others who were devoutly looking to Jesus as the Messiah. But I think we need to take notice of the result of their personal interest in the Savior.

They got in the way of others seeking Jesus.

We most certainly must be on fire for the Lord in our personal discipleship but that cannot be to the neglect of others. The four friends were a perfect imitation of Christ by doing all the work for their friend in need. We should be more like those that seek to do the Lord’s will by helping others.

We may have been faithful to come and worship the Lord for many years, but we must continually examine ourselves so that we are growing in grace and knowledge of God. As we grow, one of the most important things we should be aware of is others. Does our behavior or non-Biblical tradition hinder others from gaining access to the knowledge of Jesus?

Rather than holding tightly to our comfortable routine of worship that might close the doors of the church to others, we should be open to the needs of others and hold open the doors of the church so others may have the same joyous access to fellowship with the Redeemer.

« Our Zeal For Others | More Than You Bargained For »

Tags: all_in, evangelism, harmony_of_the_gospels, luke

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.