Sermon Wrap-up for September 29

Good morning!

Here are the sermons from yesterday. We spent our time on Deborah and Jael, so here’s the links and information:

Morning Sermon Audio Link

Morning Video

Morning Outline

September 29, 2013  AM Judges 4 Go with Me

Who do you need?

Who needs you?

Who do you answer to?

Who will you support?

Presentation Outline:

I. Historical Situation--Relationship with the Canaanites, oppression, chariots!

     A. Note: after Ehud--as if Shamgar just wasn't much to discuss

     B. Generational shifts: one underlying message of Judges is the crucial, crucial task of transmitting a living faith to the next generation

II. Personalities on the ground:

     A. Deborah  (She gets a tree!) //Nerd Excursus: reflects, most likely, the use of a fairly contemporary source for Judges, because the Tree is still remembered or known

          Non-sermonic excursus: Identity of "Lappidoth," especially in light of potential translation of "woman" in place of "wife" and "torches or shining objects" for "Lappidoth" (Lappidoth could be a name, could be plural of a Hebrew root)

     B. Barak

     C. Sisera

     D. Jabin -- note that he escapes, effectively unscathed. The real villain may not be defeated

III. God speaks:

     A. Through Deborah

     B. To Barak

 

IV. God does:

     A. Provides Victory

     B. Frees the people

V. We hear:

     A. A good story? This is more than that

     B. About obedience and courage: Barak should have been willing to go forward in obedience.

     C. About leadership: Deborah was the God-appointed leader at the time and place--

     D. About: Encouragement and support.

               1. We are often Barak

               2. We are in need of people to be Deborah

               3. Focus on what you can do--why stress about the chariots?

               4. Be there for others

               5. Take the risk with your life as well--

Evening Sermon Audio Link

Evening Video

Evening Outline

Judges 4:17-22 Nailing Your Allegiance

Families

Nations

Individuals

Where does your allegiance lie?

Are you willing to put a nail hard down on who you serve?

The decision comes at strange and unexpected times.

Book: Apostate

There are times that, as a book reviewer, I get a book that I am obligated to review but really just don’t want to. I understand the work the author has put in, I know negativity isn’t really needed, and I would rather let those who praise a work speak on their own. However, each book comes with an obligation to review it, good or bad.

Today’s book is Apostate: The Men who Destroyed the Christian West. Kevin Swanson is the author, and the book is published by Generations with Vision. It represents a hardcover presentation of the basis of the overall ministry work Swanson does through Generations with Vision.

I have a divided response to this book. First, let me give you the positives:

Swanson is refreshingly direct in his writing style. It is certainly easy to take this directness as harshness, but I recognize the approach. Apostate is not addressing the potential for disaster. Apostate is responding to imminent, happening disaster. If I were in your home recommending smoke detectors, I would use a different tone than if I were in your home and the kitchen was on fire. Swanson’s writing style is clear: the kitchen has already burned, and the living room is next.

Further, Apostate is clearly well-researched. Swanson walks the reader through the underlying philosophies of many of those held by our current system as great people. From literary giants like Shakespeare (the only fiction mandated in the Common Core standards) to Mark Twain; philosophers like Emerson to Marx to Nietzsche; scientists like Darwin; and so on, the reader finds that there are legitimate questions that need asked and discussed. The foundations of the modern public education system, based on John Dewey’s work, are specifically addressed.

All of these, and select others, are highlighted for the damage their work has done to a culture that Swanson sees as having once been Christian in its existence. Even philosopher Rene Descartes, who is counted part of the Christian philosophical heritage, is brought to task for corrupting what had been a good, faithful society.

It is here that I find Apostate to be lacking. Overall, while Swanson has accurately portrayed the fundamental flaws in the arguments and individuals presented in his book, he has not been faithful to history. His preface idealizes 475-1200 AD as seeing Christian thinking dominate the West, while a cursory read of Christian History will point out the flaws and failings within the church itself during those years.

Those years saw oppressive kings, corrupt religious leaders, and a decided bent against basic ideas like sanitation. While the creep of humanism does occur, one should hardly pine for kings who commanded life and death and based their authority on a claim of divine right. Reading through Apostate’s preface I could not help but wonder whether Swanson longed to be the serf or the knight in the feudal system. Or if he would have gladly followed Urban II’s call to Jerusalem.

I would suggest that true Christianity has never been a dominant worldview, and actually awaits the Second Coming to truly be an earthly-visible kingdom. There was a heyday where political power and church power were merged, but to assume that this was equal to a universal following of Christianity is wishful thinking at best. I find it hard to believe that Swanson actually would accept living in a world where one man was deemed the final authority for all matters, both spiritual and temporal. This was the “Christian West” of 800-1200.

This is not to say that there was not a strong Christian influence, nor to say that a world where a Biblical Christian influence was celebrated and strong would be bad. I would dearly love to see such a world, where the Word of God guides all through the power of the Spirit and people live in freedom to follow Christ.

It is also certainly true that many of the personalities detailed in Apostate prepared, presented, and perpetuated philosophies that are antithetical to Christianity. Absolutely, one cannot hold both Nietzche and Jesus as right. One or the other must be chosen.

I cannot bring myself, though, to blame Dewey and Darwin, Hawthorne and Sartre, for the declining influence of Christianity in the Western World. It is not the fault of any of the individuals in Apostate that the church and the churches have failed to engage the world with the Gospel. Hawthorne, for example, expressed his bitterness toward Christianity because of the abuse of power he had seen. Emerson saw no good in Christianity that was not present in naturalistic religions.

That falls on believers. The continued problem falls on believers. It is not the fault of atheistic school systems that the children of the church do not embrace the faith. It is our own fault for not teaching the faith. It is our own fault for not living the faith.

In the end, Apostate starts from the wrong assumption, processes valid information, but then pinpoints a mistaken conclusion. The ideas he presents as solutions are valuable, but must be taken in moderation given the uncertainty of where Swanson hopes we come out.

I received a free copy of Apostate from Cross-Focused Reviews in exchange for the review.

Sacred Cow: Numbers 19

Sacred cow. A sacred cow is something that has become holy, untouchable with no valid reason. There is a place for sacred cows.

The grill.

So, what do we do with the ordinance of the red heifer in Numbers 19? Is it a sacred cow to be grilled or something valuable to study?

The red heifer instructions are one of those weird spots in Old Testament Law. These specifications for an animal that you are going to burn and mix the ashes with purification water are very intense. They also leave a lot of questions that are not easily answered.

One question that I have is this: is the ordinance of the red heifer something that was done once or occasionally? Did this happen once and then they just passed on what was left, mixing in new oil/water/spices and claim connection to the heifer, or did they keep a herd specifically for this purpose? The Jewish traditions record it as a rare event, occurring fewer than ten times.

These details could consume us or drive us to ignore the text. I think another detail would be to obsess over what was a “red heifer.” This could be a specific breed, but more likely this description looks like an animal that would be a rarely, naturally occurring animal. That appears to be the more likely case.

Without doing all the research that would go into a book, I would guess that there were traditions that a red heifer showed up just about the time one was needed. This could have been the case, but we do not have any Scripture to back that up. What we do have is Scripture that details very specific ceremony. As with much of the Pentateuch, those instructions were not meant to be taken lightly, but followed to the letter.

What does it do?

Personally, I think this is a ceremony that is intended to meet superstition head-on. It is a Law given by God for two reasons. The first is this: rare, natural phenomena take on mythical status. Think about how we treat a four-leaf clover or talk about blue lobsters, white stags, giant catfish. These almost become objects of veneration, even in modern times.

Ancient times were often more likely to go that route than we are. God blunts that superstition: even a mythical creature is simply a part of the sacrificial system. And what is the sacrificial system? An intricate pattern of worship designed to remind the Israelites of the holiness of God and their dependence on Him. So, the red heifer is clearly placed as part of that system rather than becoming a good-luck charm.

The second reason is closely related: the purification rituals of the Old Testament were intended to show just how difficult it was to atone for sin. The requirement of a spotless, rare animal to even begin the system would have shown the people that sin was not something to be taken lightly. It would have perhaps been a little intimidating: if we screw this up, when will we get another cow?

In all, this is the major point to take note of: sin is serious, and it cannot be simply ignored. For the believer in Christ, chapters like the red heifer instructions remind us of the sacrificial death of Jesus on the Cross. Rather than needing to find the right cow, we need to find the right Savior.

Wednesday Wanderings: Joshua 8

What was a classic pick-up line in Israel? “So, you’re from Ai? How do spell that?”

This worked as well as modern pick-up lines do.

Moving on…Joshua 8 addresses the conquest of Ai after the failure at Ai. The contrast here is mainly seen as God at work in the obedient after seeing God’s refusal to bless the people due to Achan’s sin.

That’s a valid lesson. God honors obedience and judges sin. I think it’s a little simplistic to then apply this over and claim that the obedient always have things go right. That is not supported in the rest of Scripture.

There is also this: the original attempt to capture Ai involved a certain disinterest from the people. Just a few were needed, the spies said, so just a few went.

God’s work by His people is never a matter for just a few.

Also worth noting is the use of the strategy of ambush at Ai. Not because Ambush is a new concept. Because God uses the situation to turn what the people of Ai thought was the weakness of His people into the Israelite’s victory.

Give your failures to God. Let Him use those. It may require a vulnerability that you are thoroughly uncomfortable with, but it’s a necessity.

Disunited for Jesus: John 7

Unity. This one word sums up what many people think should be the goal of humanity in general and church-people in particular. If you want to expand the term, it would be unity without judgment. There is a pressure to develop a unity that is founded in just getting along with everyone everywhere every time.

To advance this as Christian ideal, though, is to skip John 7. First, we need to get there. Jesus has been teaching in Jerusalem in the days surrounding the Feast of Tabernacles. This was a time to remember the Exodus and the time when the people of Israel, on their way out of Egypt, dwelt in tents.

This specific chapter occurs after Jesus has fed the 5,000 and done many miracles. John’s Gospel records specific signs of Jesus’ status as Messiah, and those are half-done at this point. During this time, there is an argument among the people and the religious leadership about who Jesus is.

Not about whether or not his name is Jesus or whether he grew up in Nazareth, but whether his identity is deeper than those simple concepts. Jesus, rather than trying to soothe the divisions, actually pushes deeper into them. He highlights that the Jewish law of the time required religious ceremony to be upheld on the Sabbath while He was being criticized for healing on the Sabbath.

Jesus’ words on the matter? Judge, but judge righteously. Judge according to God’s standards.

This does nothing to still the division. Some continue to follow Jesus, while others determine that the time has come to silence Him. There is even a division between the Pharisees, the chief priests, and their own guards. The guards refuse to arrest Jesus, saying He has done nothing wrong. The religious leaders insist that He has.

It is, truly, just a mess.

Why?

It is not a mess because people were trying to judge who Jesus was. In fact, He encourages them to do so. He simply insisted that the judgment be based on righteousness and not selfishness. He does not appeal that they all be unified as Jews or as anti-Romans. He instead leaves the crowd divided. He leave Nicodemus to face the Pharisees and the crowd condemned by those same Pharisees.

Why?

(Frequent question in Scripture study, honestly.)

Because the highest ideal of Christianity is not simply unity. It is unity with Jesus. It is not our goal as Christian people to be at peace with just anyone. It is our requirement that we be at peace with the Lord Jesus Christ. End of story.

Any others who are at peace with Jesus are then, automatically, at peace with us. Those who are opposed to Him? Well, if they want information, we are there to share it. If they have needs, we are there to meet them. Why? Because we are all unified with Christ, and so He does those things through us.

If those who are detached are just out to attack Jesus? Well, then they will attack us. And we will deal with it, going to the cross when it is our time

Division is a natural part of the human experience, and a natural part of the Christian experience. Your faith, hope, and love are not shown by having unity with all people at all times. These are shown by how you handle the lack of unity.

What do you do to bring others into unity with Christ? Because you will accomplish no such thing by anger, irritation, or bitterness. So take the necessary steps.

Today’s Nerd Note: Much has been discussed regarding John 7:8-10, where Jesus tells His brothers that He will go the Feast, and then He goes.

So, He lied?

Well, He told them that He would not do something and then He did it. Either that or He meant something else by not “going up.” It is frequently posited that He meant He would not go in entourage, with big publicity. This may be accurate, but I’m uncertain. Another suggestion is that He changed His plan.

Another interesting factor from this early part of the chapter is how His brothers are not believing in Him, and are basically taunting Him to go have a confrontation with the religious leaders.

I think there is a connection here. Jesus is not going up for that purpose. He goes to the Feast but not to force the confrontation. That comes later, at a specific Passover. This is just one of the places where you need to read and think, not just gloss through it. People outside of the faith will do that. Those within must not.

September 23 2013

I like the NASB’s chapter heading: On Life and Conduct. This is, however, a tad generic. After all, most of Scripture is on life and conduct. Still, as a summation of this chapter, it’s a good one.

 

Focal verses:

 

Proverbs 23:9 is interesting to contemplate in today’s culture. It certainly befits us all to avoid sharing secrets in the presence of the fool, but there is more here than that. It’s the idea of teaching or trying to enlighten others with fools present. The challenge for today is that we often try to teach through blogs or social media, where any idiot can see it and respond as they choose. It is important to recognize fool-responses and try to just ignore them.

 

That is not to support ignoring legitimate questions or contrary views. Take politics: someone that wants to discuss healthcare by working through the benefits of bigger regulation should be willing to talk the merits of less regulation. Those who only want to demand either socialized, single-payer or who want to insist that a completely deregulated free market system are the only ways to go, and think shouting louder is discussion, these are acting foolishly.

 

Proverbs 23:19 connects wisdom with walking in “the way.” Two thoughts: first, it’s a definite way. Not any of the good ways of which there are a plentitude, because there is only the way. The second thought is a stretch, exegetically. That is, if you turned this in on an assignment in class, it’s going to be less than perfect. The first term in Acts for those who follow Christ, after “disciples,” is “The Way.” Acts 9:2 tells us Saul was after those who followed the Way. What does wisdom do? It follows the Way.

 

You can draw that connection. I think it’s a decent one.

 

Proverbs 23:29 gives a list of rhetorical questions, all answered in Proverbs 23:30. This is about those who abuse alcohol. Wisdom avoids the abuse of intoxicants. Wisdom avoids the abuse of anything, really.

Sermon Wrap-Up for September 22

Good Monday to you all. Here are the sermon wrap-ups from yesterday:

Morning Sermon Audio is linked here

September 22 AM Judges 3: No Useless Servants

I. Situation

II. People involved

A. Lesser relatives

B. Social rejects

C.  Obscure workers

III. You

IV.  Do what is available to you

V. Stop waiting for someone else more able.

 

Evening Sermon Audio is linked here

September 22 PM John 6:10 "Have a Seat"

1. Location

2. Event

3. Specific point

4. How do you need to sit down?