Monday, September 23, 2019

Sermon Recap for September 22 2019

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded Youtube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Morning Sermon: 2 Kings 3

Evening Sermon

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Sermon Recap for September 15

Looks like I’m running behind this week.

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded Youtube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons



Context: Where does this fit in the Big Picture of God's Glory?

Passing of Ahab, moving toward the handoff from Elijah to Elisha

There’s our friend, the Mesha Stele, celebrating the rebellion of Moab...

Baal-zebub; Beelzebub; Lord of the Flies

Overview: What's going on here?

FIRE FROM HEAVEN, SUCKERS!

Ahaziah does a bad thing.

Then he does a dumb thing.

Then, he sends soldiers to do an awful thing.

->Side note: you do not always have to say everything for folks to understand what you are about—and you cannot fault people for thinking through the implications of your attitude, your history to go along with your words and actions.

Reflection: Why does this matter?

You’re not Elijah.

You’re one of the fifty.

Are we respecting the Word of God, given through the Son of God?

Or do we come humbly?

Because we could face the fire—or take the grace.

Expectations: What do we do about it?

Salvation

Believers

Church

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Book: Trinity without Hierarchy

Trinity Without HierarchyToday's book is Trinity without Hierarchy, from Kregel Academic. It’s edited by Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower, both of Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. No, there is not an audiobook of the whole thing done in Australian accents. Sorry.

This is a theology book. It does not have a great over-arching narrative or passionate character development. Why? Because it’s a theology book.

It does have a relevant backstory: theology debates, even within the bounds of orthodoxy, tend to go in cycles. One of the current cycles of debate relates to the Trinity and the interrelationship between the Father and the Son. (We’re not really on the Filioque Controversy and the Spirit right now.) It’s connected, by argument, to the ongoing discussion of family relationships, specifically the relationship between husband and wife.

For those of you who do not keep up, and I don’t blame you for being one of those folks, there is a position which advocates that a wife’s submission to her husband is based in the Son’s eternal submission to the Father. This book addresses not the first part—home relationships are not the actual material in view—but the second: is there eternal, functional submission of the Son to the Father? After all, if there is not, then there is no extension of the argument to household roles.

Please note that Bird, et.al., are not trying to sort out the proper understanding of household codes in Trinity without Hierarchy. The intent here is to investigate the actual theology of the Trinity. After all, if one’s theology does not get this right, it’s hard to figure that the trickle-down remainders will be adequate.

Now, this is not a single-author book. There are sixteen contributors counting the two primary editors. I would have liked to see one-paragraph, or even one-footnote, worth of bio on each contributor, just for my own curiosity. For example, is the Jeff Fisher chapter 9 the former coach of the Tennessee Titans? I suspect not…and I’m fairly certain that Stephen Holmes is the one who spoke at a doctoral colloquy I attended, but I’m not certain.

That is, really, the only ding on the content: I found the chapters a well-rounded study of the historical expression of the doctrine of the Trinity as well as the Biblical doctrine itself. Being a history major, I personally favored the historical information, such as Amy Brown Hughes’ chapter on Gregory of Nyssa. The reader should keep in mind that the intent here is to track Nicene Orthodoxy, which is rooted in Scripture and history.

Biblically, the arguments are sound. The chapters are independent of each other, so the book is easy to read segment-by-segment. The closing chapter on the generational effects of theology is worth the reading of the whole work.

All in all, this is as good of a book focused on the Trinity as I have read. Some doctrinal points were clarified, like the difference in economic and immanent relationships. I highly recommend Trinity without Hierarchy.

(Please note: I received a copy of this book from Kregel Academic.)

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

From a Solid Point: Jude

In Summary:
Jude. We’re in the ‘short letter’ section of the New Testament, though that’s not exactly how the Church initially classified these. Instead, these are counted among the “Catholic” or “General” Epistles, accepted as letters written to the Church-at-large, contrasted with the letters Paul wrote to specific churches or people.

The thrust of Jude is not all that different from 1 or 2 John, or Galatians, or several other portions of the Bible: correction of false teaching, including warning the church about false teachers. It was a recurring theme even in the era of the New Testament Church: False Teachers will show up. That’s something we tend to neglect when we pine for those supposed halcyon days of the Early Church. It had life-threatening persecution, family-splitting religious changes, AND false teachers.

It’s important to note that, while it seems much of Jude is condemning people who live wickedly, it is expressly targeted at those who have abandoned the Lord Jesus Christ to live wickedly. In short, it’s not about the pagans. It’s about the Church.

In Focus:
Let’s put Jude 22-23 under the close-up lens. First of all, we see the command to “have mercy” on those who waver. You should note that “mercy” shows up in Jude 21 as well, and this repetition is valuable. The readers are encouraged to wait expectantly, trusting in the mercy of the Lord Jesus and then…extend that mercy to others.

That is the response to those who waver. Not condemnation nor abandonment, but mercy. Before you think Jude is soft, though, catch the rest of Jude 23: snatch them from the fire, hate even their defiled garments. This is not a “just validate their feelings and go on” instruction.

The mercy that we show not only intervenes, mercy loves enough to remove someone from danger. But then, that mercy restores them to walk with Christ and with the body of Christ fully, not holding past wavering as a club to harm those who have been restored.

In Practice:
What does this look like in practice?
First, may I suggest that we spend far too much time worrying that being merciful will cause others to enjoy sin? I’ve heard this since I was in youth ministry, back in the dark ages before video projectors—when Youth Specialties Ideas Books were quarterly, rather than a dusty stack of books that aren’t cool anymore: “We can’t be merciful to that youth who wavered, others will go that direction!” That’s whether it’s the young lady who is pregnant, or the young man who is now a father…or that youth who got caught smoking, drinking, etc…

Second, though, is this caveat: “wavering” is personally destructive, and the idea here is that we show mercy to the one who wavers to restore them to fellowship and on the right track before they become destructive to others. This verse should never be taken as an instruction to return an abuser to power or control. An abuser can come to Christ, be forgiven, but there are some prior actions that are disqualifying for some responsibilities. If someone has abused others, the church must never place them in a position to do harm.

Third, the idea is here about “hating the garment stained by the flesh,” which relates to avoiding falling into the same trap that the wavering one is being rescued from. This is a warning not to sin for the sake of showing mercy, nor to take any profit from the rescue. For example, if you know someone has wavered in their temptation toward drunkenness, do not begin getting drunk to rescue them. Avoid it, rescue them from dry ground—when saving a person who is literally drowning, the last thing you want to do is actually get in the water (sorry, Hasselhof fans). Reach, throw, row—keep yourself steady.

Same thing in spiritual rescue.

In Nerdiness: 
Authorship for Jude has to slide down here to the Nerdiness section. Obviously, there’s a great tell on who the author of Jude is, found in Jude 1. It’s a person named “Jude,” although one could also translate that name as “Judas,” since in Greek one is kind of left with that option: Jude or Judas are both an Anglicized version of  Ἰούδας, so the original name is the same.

That doesn’t clear it up, does it? After all, there’s at least two other guys named Jude/Judas in the New Testament, though one of them is clearly deceased and not the author of an epistle to the Church. The other is the son of Jacob, one of the Twelve Apostles. Oh, and there’s a Judas mentioned in Acts 9; a Judas in Acts 15; and there’s a Judas mentioned in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3 as the brother of Jesus.

So…do we know that this Jude/Judas is the same as any of these? Or know that he’s not? We can dismiss Iscariot, but what of the others? (For the record, I’m good with Jude the brother of James/Jacob, author of James and half-brother of the Lord Jesus. And no, there is no Biblical need for Jesus’ brothers to not be born of Joseph and Mary.)

Nerd Point 2: “Mercy” is used almost as much in Jude as it does in Romans, and many of the Gospel usages (mainly in Matthew and Luke) are Old Testament citations or allusions.

Nerd Point 3: Body of Moses? Archangel disputing? Get David Helm’s commentary in the Preaching the Word Series and let him help you with that.

Monday, September 9, 2019

Sermon Recap: September 8

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded Youtube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Monday, September 2, 2019

Sermon Recap September 1

Good morning! Here’s yesterday’s sermon—we didn’t have evening service because we wanted to provide folks time to enjoy the longer weekend.

Here is what you’ll find: there is an audio player with the sermon audios built-in to it, just click to find the one you want. You’ll also find the embedded Youtube videos of each sermon.

If you’d like, you can subscribe to the audio feed here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/east-end-baptist-church/id387911457?mt=2 for iTunes users. Other audio feeds go here: http://eebcar.libsyn.com/rss

The video is linked on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/dheagle93

Sermons are stockpiled here: http://www.doughibbard.com/search/label/Sermons

Sermon Add-on for March 10

 Continuing the use of Artificial Intelligence to try and generate discussion questions from the sermon, here's what it gave me this wee...