Insights from Israel


A Stern Admonition from Paul


by Mike Ginther Faith EBC Calls a Pastor by Alice Decker


Faith Evangelical Bible Church of Henderson, Neb., has been without a pastor since Mike Fink retired in July 2017. Now the church has called Bob Stretch who began his ministry at Faith in mid-October. Both Bob and his wife Julie are graduates of Moody Bible


Institute, and Bob also holds a Bachelor’s degree from Calvary Bible College with graduate work in counseling from Liberty University. Tey served as missionaries in Belgium for 10 years and have pastored churches in Missouri and Nebraska for the past 21 years. Tey love the local church and are well acquainted with rural life and the rhythms of agriculture. Bob is giſted in the areas of preaching, teaching, and building up God’s people. Bob and Julie were married in 1976 and have three married


children. Tey are proud grandparents to 10 grandchildren, with another on the way in March 2019. Te Stretches love the local church and are well acquainted with


rural life and the rhythms of agriculture. Pastor Bob is giſted in the areas of preaching, teaching, and building up God’s people. Julie is giſted in teaching children and women. She is a true “partner” in the ministry. Tey love being involved in small groups, missions, and making relationships in the community where they live. Te Search Committee at Faith values Pastor Bob’s pasto-


ral experience. For him leadership means being a servant. He believes the role of a pastor is to be a shepherd of the church. A high functioning church for Pastor Bob is one that looks “upward, inward, and outward.” Tis would be best described as teaching people to love Christ, love one another, and to impact others with His love.


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In his online article posted at “Te Gospel Coalition Canadian Edition,” contributor Paul Carter states that “I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who actually believes that ‘the Church replaces Israel’ and I’m sure I’ve never met anyone who believes that ‘God does not have specific future plans for the nation of Israel’” (Re- trieved from https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fon- tes/anyone-actually-believe-replacement-theology/. Published 2017/10/18; accessed 2018/10/25). Now either Paul Carter does not travel widely in Evangelical


circles (which I doubt) or this is a play on definition as elements of the full article reveal, or it is a little bit of both. Replacement Teology or Supersessionism as defined by


John MacArthur “insists that the Church is the new Israel." According to this view, the blessings promised to the Jewish


nation in the Old Testament have been entirely transferred to the church. But this position fails to recognize the distinction between the Church and Israel that is maintained throughout the New Testament (cf. 1 Cor. 10:32) (MacArthur, John. 2017. Biblical Doctrine. Crossway. 2017. p. 747.)" Tis view is slowly changing, but unfortunately has been


alive and well within segments of the Evangelical Church and has not, and likely will not, disappear entirely. Te scope of this topic is way beyond the limitations of this


column, but permit me to present one challenge among many that the Apostle issues to the Gentile believers in the church at Rome. For a very long time already his exhortation to the church at Rome has intrigued me and has caused me to ponder the extent of the strong challenge or warning found in Romans 11:18 and again in Romans 11:20 (Berean Study Bible); “Do not boast over those branches …. Do not be arrogant but be afraid.” Aſter having laid the foundation of how the Gentiles are


graſted into the olive tree (Biblical Judaism) and how some of the natural branches (Jewish unbelievers) were cut off, Paul warns Gentile believers in a very specific and direct way. What perplexes me is that in all the sermons on the book of Romans I’ve listened to, this stern exhortation to Gentile believers has rarely if ever been addressed in any significant way. Tat is not to say that I will present it in its fullest detail, but I intend to cause us to ponder this exhortation. Paul’s stern admonition is that the Gentile believers are not to


Fellowship Focus, November/December 2018


FellowshipForward.org


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