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As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

-Ps 42:1

At times, God uses animal imagery in the Bible to help us see how we should relate to him. It’s an amazing thing to see how even the creation points to the Lord.

One such image is the Deer.

In ancient Israel, as is the case today, Deer ran free. They are not domesticated. There is no one to give them food, and no one to ensure that they make it to fresh water. The land of the Psalmest is a dry desert that is full of wadis (dry creek beds) and life (mostly) comes from the Jordan river.

I found it interesting that Deer comprised about 4% of ancient Israel’s diet from meat. Sheep/goat comprised 7%, which I would have thought that ir was more. 89% of their protein came from cattle. I had no idea.

Regardless, Deer makes for an interesting metaphor. Have you ever been thirsty, really thirsty? That’s how we should long for God, we should THIRST for his presence.

Worship is a vital part of life for the Believer. Don’t just do it, LONG for it, desire it, seek it… Worship God with all your heart, with all your might, and with all your SOUL (every bit of your being).

Southern Baptists Great Commission Baptists detail have the Baptist Faith & Message to summarize our beliefs, but what makes us distinctive can be summarized in a 7-point acrostic:

Biblical authority, Autonomy of the local church, Priesthood of all believers, Two ordinances (believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper), Individual soul liberty, Separation of Church and State, and Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon)

Every Baptist ought to know why he is a Baptist, and to know it from the specific commands of God’s Word. Not to have such knowledge is for our churches to be harmed in every way.

George W. Truett, Former Pastor: First Baptist Church of Dallas

#7 Two Offices of the Church: Pastor and Deacon

The New Testament lines out two office that are a loose authority structure within local churches. Jesus is the head of the church, and should lead each local church, but the buck has to stop with someone. We have the Pastor, who looks over the congregation as a shepherd protecting his flock (“pastor” is the verb “to shepherd”). Some use the term “elder” however, in terms of the NT, the terms translated “Pastor” “Elder” “Bishop” are interchangeable and refer to the same office (cf.Acts 20:17,28-30, Titus 1:5-9, & 1Pet 5:1-3).

Qualifications for Overseers

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

-1Tim 3:1-7

Qualifications for Deacons

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

1Tim 3:8-13

See also Titus 1-2

Southern Baptists Great Commission Baptists detail our understanding of biblical doctrine in Baptist Faith & Message. However, 7 “distinctives” put Baptists in a unique place:

Biblical authority, Autonomy of the local church, Priesthood of all believers, Two ordinances (believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper), Individual soul liberty, Separation of Church and State, and Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon)

#6 Separation of Church and State

Ever since the Danville Baptists lobbied Thomas Jefferson to put it in the constitution, separation of church and state has been a Baptist distinctive. We, as Americans, take this right, enumerated in the first amendment, for granted. Without Baptists, religious liberty would probably have been assumed and would not have been specified in the US constitution. We believe that it is the duty of every believer to give their government what they are due based on their own laws as a citizen, but in return, that government should not interfere in the free exercise of any believer’s faith.

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marvelled. And they left him and went away.

-Matt 22:15-22

This is why Southern Baptists are so up-in-arms about the recent compulsion by the US government for religious organizations/institutions to provide things they find morally objectionable. See my former post about Craig V. Mitchell’s testimony before congress.

Southern Baptists Great Commission Baptists believe what we have written in the Baptist Faith & Message but 7 “distinctives” are helpful to summarize what makes Baptists different:

Biblical authority, Autonomy of the local church, Priesthood of all believers, Two ordinances (believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper), Individual soul liberty, Separation of Church and State, and Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon)

#5 Individual Soul Liberty

Every believer has to give account of himself, and himself alone, before God. There is no prescription of which days to observe, how to worship, which foods to eat or not eat, or what is the proper way to honor God. Each Christian is bound by their own conscience before God to do what is right based on his word (cf. 2Tim 3:16-17) within the context of a local church.

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honour of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honour of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honour of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgement on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgement seat of God; for it is written,

“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

-Rom 14:5-12

The Baptist Faith & Message is a good summary of the beliefs of the 46,000 churches which make up the Southern Baptist Convention Great Commission Baptists, but there are 7 “distinctives” that have historically set us apart from other denominations and churches:

Biblical authority, Autonomy of the local church, Priesthood of all believers, Two ordinances (believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Supper), Individual soul liberty, Separation of Church and State, and Two offices of the church (pastor and deacon)

#4 Two Ordinances: Baptism/Lord’s Supper

#4 (only) Two Ordinances (not sacraments): (believer’s) Baptism (in the biblical since, namely, post-salvation immersion)/Lord’s Supper (as a non-efficacious symbolic remembrance)

The first Christians lived at an exciting time! the book of Acts paints a picture of a growing and thriving body of Believers. Baptists have always believed, in fact in many ways this is THE distinctive for Baptists, that entrance into the community of a local church is through baptism (by immersion, which is redundant, baptism means “immersion”) following, and as a proclamation of, salvation. In the NT, people receive the word of Salvation, then they are baptized, then they participate in church life.

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

-Acts 2:41-47

Jesus commanded the church to perform baptism (Matt 28:18) but he also commands the church to partake of the Lord’s Supper:

…Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes…

-1Cor 11:23-32