Sermon Recap for March 26

Good afternoon! Here is yesterday’s sermon. Last night didn’t video well, so it’s not here.

The sermon was from Luke 4. Here’s a link to the audio.

Here’s the video:

And here’s the outline:

What Home Needs

What Home Needs

Doug Hibbard / General

Luke 4:14–21

Context

Luke 4:14–21 NASB95

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus’ first sermon in Nazareth

Just after the temptations

Following His baptism

Isaiah 61:1–2 NASB95

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

Concept

The Preached Word does not negate the acted

The Prophesied Messiah understood His purpose

Consequences

1. Know the Old Testament (Seriously: same God, same character of the same God)

2. Find the afflicted, the brokenhearted, the captives

a. In all forms

b. Economically

c. Emotionally

d. Mentally

e. Socially

f. Physically

g. Spiritually

3. Match the proclamation with the action

4. Live in God’s Favor

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Fathers and Factions: 1 Corinthians 4

In Summary:

Having worked through the basic problems in the church at Corinth, Paul begins in 1 Corinthians 4 to build the correction necessary. As he starts that process, though, he has to address one other aspect of the existing problem. Since he has addressed, rather sternly, the factions rising among the church at Corinth, how does he address the problem without adding to it?

After all, one of the “factions” follows Paul (1 Corinthians 1:12), so if everyone listens to Paul, then doesn’t that faction “win” the dispute? Paul recognizes that there are no winners in church conflict—if everyone is on Biblical grounds or if no one is, then “winning” is not the end. He is advocating for unity and forward work by the church not on the grounds of his faction being right, but on the grounds of being good stewards of God’s truth.

That is the opening of this chapter: follow the Word of God and let God be the judge, not the people. God will, after all, bring everything to judgment in its time (1 Corinthians 4:5). He goes on to highlight that the church is where the immaturity is found, because he and Apollos are in unity together as serving Jesus. The problem is not in the heroes of the factions. It’s in the people that make up the factions themselves.

In Focus:

For a focus, look, though, at 1 Corinthians 4:14. Paul highlights that his goal is not to shame the people, but to warn them. He expresses that he wants to warn them, with the love of a father. The rest of that paragraph sees Paul highlight that he is not one of several teachers for that church, but is one of few fathers that church had. 

His purpose, then, should be rightly understood: he has no desire to embarrass, belittle, or attack the church. He wants the church to thrive and grow, just as any father would want for his children. Please note this: Paul makes the assumption of righteous fathers, as God the Father is His template for fatherhood, not the behaviors of any specific person. 

In Practice:

In light of Paul’s approach to the Corinthians, we should see our approach to the problems in our own churches in the same manner. First, of course, there is instruction here for church leaders. If your approach to difficulties in the church is to exert your authority and straighten out those ‘bad guys,’ no matter the results to them, you are wrong.

After all, you may not be right. But even if you are certainly right, there is a way to address the problem which is restorative and redemptive and not vicious or mean. Paul is going on from this point in Corinthians very directly and pulls no punches. Being restorative and redemptive, with the compassion of a father, does not mean neglecting correction.

It does mean remembering that, when it’s all done, you are supposed to remain in good fellowship and community with your fellow believers. So act like it.

Second, our approach to handling conflict and disagreement within the body. Every time, we should first ask if the truth is at stake or in evidence—Paul’s about to bring one of those examples to the fore in chapter 5, where someone is wrong—and if not, then be cautious. That includes being wary if our approach assumes that we are the wise one and the other person is a fool. 

Doubly so if the person you are treating as a fool has been walking with Jesus longer than you have. Those who have gone before still make mistakes, but there is a difference in an error and a fool.

So, practically speaking, remember that Jesus is the only one who judges perfectly (v. 4-5) and that our evaluations are going to lack that perfection. Further, always work toward reconciliation when the disagreements are of a personality and preference nature. (True physical and spiritual dangers are another matter, one that Paul will address later.)

If we are not willing to see one another as family in need of healing instead of adversaries, we will do damage to the cause and purpose of Christ Jesus!

In Nerdiness:

First nerd point: 1 Corinthians 4:15 is a statement of history in Corinth. It is NOT and should never be taken as an affront to teaching in the church. I have heard some say they would rather be a “father” than a “teacher” in the church. In that case, go plant a church and teach it, then you, like Paul, will be a “father.” He is expressing his connection. Not demoting the importance of teaching.

Second nerd point: just because someone is a servant does not entitle others to treat as low. Serving is the call of the believer.

Sermon Recap for March 19

Here is what you'll find: after each sermon title, there's an "audio" link that allows you to play or download that sermon's audio file. Then there should be an embedded Youtube Link to the 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://www.eebcar.com/sermons/feed

The video is linked on the East End Baptist Church web page here: http://www.eebcar.com/sermons-2/ or on my personal Youtube Page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBGluSoaJgYn6PbIklwKaw?view_as=public

Thanks!

Good Evening! Here are the sermons from yesterday (March 19):

Morning Sermon: Luke 1:1-4 (audio)

Evening Sermon: Amos (audio)

Morning Sermon’s Outline:

History Matters

History Matters

Doug Hibbard / General

Luke 1:1–4

Context

Luke’s Authorship

Luke’s life

Ministry with Paul

Theophilus

Name: Friend of God

Real or literary?

Probably Real

Concept

Truth can withstand examination

Learning is an aid to faith

Research is worth doing to get the answers right

Consequences

Truth demands a Response

Put Aside Falsehoods

Proclaim the Risen Christ

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Ruinous Ruins: Joshua 7

In Summary:

Jericho has been destroyed. There is, effectively, nothing left. Except for a few items added to the “treasury of the house of YHWH” (Joshua 6:24,) a curious statement that deserved to be included in last time’s Nerd Note. Nothing is left! Well, Rahab is left, alongside her family as evidence of the grace of God.

So, the people of Israel decide that the next target should not take up everybody’s time. It is the city of Ai, a name which means “ruin” in the original language. (My blog won’t quite render the Hebrew ayin-yodh, which would be done as “ay” these days.) It’s an interesting name for a language that we talk about having no vowels. That’s not important right now.

What is important is the overall context of the chapter. The record shows that “the people of Israel broke faith” because one man, Achan, took some of the items devoted to the Lord. Joshua is unaware of this, and so sends spies to check out the city of Ai. They go, report that the city is ripe for the taking, and suggest a light strike force go up and take it. Joshua agrees with the spies, sends a few thousand, and they are defeated by the people of Ai.

That sets back the Israelites, almost to the point of despair. Their first response is that God has abandoned them. Then, God responds by pointing out that the people have sinned and how they must repent if they want to see His blessing. After that, the Israelites all go to Ai and destroy the city. 

In Focus:

The focal point of this chapter is Joshua 7:10. Joshua has called out, with all the people, to God over the result of the first attack on Ai. They are blaming God for their failure, even though it is the sin of the people that is at fault.

God is not impressed with their claims of sadness and is certainly not willing to take the blame for the Israelites’ sin. That sin has negative results is the nature of sin. It is not the fault of God. Sin would be sin—the universe which God has made is built around His holy nature. Sin damages the good He has made. Therefore the Israelites are responsible for the results.

In Practice:

At this point, you can probably guess the first practical. That is this: your sin has a negative effect against not only yourself but also against those around you. That’s an important part to remember: your actions affect others.

The next practical point I would make is this: it is not God’s responsibility when our sin brings us into trouble. Take, for example, the ill-effects of drinking too much alcohol. It is not God’s fault when drunkenness causes you to oversleep and lose your job. That is the results of your own sin. 

We also need to look at Joshua 7:1 and consider what it means: we tend to blame Achan as if the rest of Israel wasn’t involved. But the verse is clear that the people acted unfaithfully. Not just one person, but the people as a group did. When we tolerate sin in our midst, we become partners with the ones who actually commit the sins. Then, consider why our churches are not as effective as we would like, why our preaching isn’t moving people, why we have no ability to draw people to Jesus. It is because we have evidently and clearly brought sin alongside ourselves as if it was a friend.

We must remember that living in obedience is not just optional. It is necessary if we are going to walk well with Jesus.

In Nerdiness:

Nerd point number 1? Ai is another town that the archaeology is a bit challenging with the Biblical record. Now, how we handle that matters: we cannot ignore either the Biblical record or the archaeology. I won’t try to settle that here. But it takes more than just a glossing over.

Nerd point number 2: we have a question to deal with regarding the execution of not only Achan but his whole family. This feels like overkill to most of us, but God has a purpose in it. I don’t think we are in a good position to determine if God was right to command this. But we can say that, as justice and morality develop and are informed by God’s Word, we see things through a different lens. Looking back through Jesus’ death on the Cross, we see that Jesus died in our place for those sins which deserve death at the hands of God.

Sorting out how that works for God’s justice and the dispensing of justice at human hands is, of course, a matter for much longer writings.

Curiosity and the Faithlife Study Bible

Good morning! Today I want to take a look at the NIV Faithlife Study Bible. Rather than spend the whole post on this particular Study Bible, I’m going to hit a couple of highlights and then draw you through a few questions that I think this format helps with.

First, the basics of the NIV Faithlife Study Bible (NIVFSB, please): the translation is the 2011 New International Version from Biblica. I’m not the biggest fan of that translation, but that’s for another day. It is a translation rather than a paraphrase, which is important for studying the Bible. Next, the NIVFSB is printed in color. Why does that matter? This version developed with Logos Bible Software’s technology and much of the “study” matter is transitioning from screen to typeface. The graphics, maps, timelines, and more work best with color. Finally, you’ve got the typical “below-the-line” running notes on the text. Most of these are explanations of context or highlights of parallels, drawing out the facts that we miss by not living in Bible times and living in Bible languages. I’ve got a hardcover, and it feels pretty sturdy. The pages are thick enough to not bleed through too much, but at 2264 pages, they are still a bit thin so that this fits in a 2-inch book.

Now, let’s think about the Bible in general. One of the goals of the NIV Faithlife Study Bible is to drive reader curiosity about the Bible in general. Why does that matter?

I think curiosity about the Bible is part of what keeps us coming back, and as such it’s a method God uses to keep us learning. With books that we have fully understood, we don’t go back very much. I’m no longer curious about that cat in his hat…so I don’t read that one much anymore. But the Bible? Even apart from the fact of my Christian faith, it’s a fascinating book. Written across centuries by multiple authors, we have a book that has driven mankind both to kill one another and to sacrifice their lives in the service of one another. How does that not pique the curiosity?

And then there are the family dynamics and how everything relates, one to another, within the Bible. How does it fit within the fullness of human history? Do we notice the alignment of Jonah’s preaching in Ninevah with changes in the Assyrian Empire? 

Then there is the question of various points of view and the Word of God. We have a challenge in dealing with bringing the meaning of the text through to the modern day without losing what God intended. For example, how should Christians view the Old Testament? What do we do with dietary laws or festival rules? What about the Name of God, which some go ahead and pronounce and use and others decline to even write?

These are some of the areas where differing viewpoints help us study better. Some study helps are written specifically from a single viewpoint. That’s fine, if you know what you are getting. But what about Acts 16:7? Junia, Junias, apostle, Apostle? What do we do with that?

That is another good thing I’m finding in the NIV-FSB. Many points where Christians who take the Bible seriously are approached allowing multiple points-of-view. 

In all, the study aids, infographics, and additional content of the NIV-FSB help feed the curious student of the Bible. There are more academic aids elsewhere as well as more practical ones, but this one strikes the middle of the pack as helping answer questions but still driving the reader to the text of the Word of God for many of the answers.

I like that result. A lot.

Now, some important notes: 1. The Faithlife Study Bible is from the same people who make Logos Bible Software. I have spent enough with them that they could send me a free car and they’d still be ahead. But they sent me this Bible for free. 2. What they sent is essentially the dead-tree version of what is already in my library digitally. 3. I use Logos, Faithlife.com, and Proclaim, all products from this company.

Building Projects: 1 Corinthians 3

In Summary:

Paul continues his instruction to the Corinthians using the parallel of constructing a building. Historically, cities are alike in this basic reality: there are always construction projects. Modern America may see highways being built more often than buildings, but the process is the same idea. Foundations are laid, work is done to build on that foundation, and then the results are visible.

First, though, Paul had to begin correcting problems in the Corinthian church. They lacked the maturity to build on in the first place. The division within the church had to be addressed before the true building on the church can begin. And keep in mind: he’s using a physical building as a parallel. This is not about a lovely, ornate structure in brick and stucco. 1 Corinthians 3:4-5 highlights the problem: there was an adherence to personalities over the Person of Jesus.

The remainder of the chapter turns toward the Corinthians and how they are the Temple of God. One can imagine the situation: Corinth is home to many temples, to many gods, as most of the cities of the Roman Empire were. As the Christians grew in number and began to see converts leave those temples and join them in the worship of the One True God, the questions start to come: When do we build our temple, like the temples here in Corinth? If our God is the real God, we need to build something more amazing than even what they have in Athens!

Paul’s response is here. The people of God are His temple.

In Focus:

1 Corinthians 3:16 should draw our focus in this chapter. Paul’s argument makes the turn here because without this verse one could mistake the opening half of the chapter as recruiting high-value gifts for the building of a physical building. The further concepts presented, of using gold and precious stones instead of wood, hay, and stubble, present the idea that this building should be fire-resistant. That is not Paul’s point.

The point is that the people of God are the Temple of God. The Corinthians needed to understand that they needed no new buildings to contain the presence of their new God. He dwelt, through his Spirit, in each one of them. The precious gemstones come from the obedience of each believer to the Lord Jesus Christ. In this, we also see Paul affirm that those who are saved remain saved, as 1 Corinthians 3:15 is a fairly clear statement that a believer’s work, their life, may be of such low quality that it will all be destroyed, but that person will still be saved.

In Practice:

What do we do about it?

We could respond by destroying all of our church buildings without asking about why we have them. If we mistake the church for “God’s house,” then it does become a potential stumbling block. We need to understand that church buildings are tools God allows us for specific purposes, that they are resources for His people to use for His mission. It’s not a Temple of any sort. Pick a tool that has value but can get worn out, and realize that’s what we’ve got.

That, though, should be obvious. The real issue is not “what is not being said” but actually “what is being said?” So, what is being said?

First, our lives are wound together. Paul consistently interchanges the use of singular and plural words here, reflecting that God indwells the individual believer but that our Christian experience is neither independent nor isolated. We are intended to be in community together, forming a grander temple of the presence God than any one of us could be alone.

Second, our work matters. There is a disconnect at times in Christian’s minds where we act like God will do everything and we have no responsibility to act. That’s nonsense. While we cannot work our way to God’s presence nor win His salvation—only through the death and resurrection of Jesus do we have that!—we still hold the responsibility to honor God through working for His kingdom.

And that work matters enough for God to judge it and reward it.

In Nerdiness:

This isn’t really nerdy, but take a look at the ending verses of this chapter. 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 reflect a mindset that we have problems with these days as well. Who do we belong to? Too often, we adhere to the ones that have helped us follow Christ. And we do that to their dismay (I think) as much to our detriment. We all belong to Christ and therefore, He is the center of what we do. Remember your inspirations with fondness, but keep your allegiance focused on Jesus.

Sermon Recap for March 12

Good morning! Here are the sermons from yesterday. Well, here’s the sermon from yesterday. Last night was an interesting mingle of quesitons and discussions like “Why do we let pugnacious men be deacons if they are the husband of one wife, but not men who meet everything in Titus or 1 Timothy except the one-wife thing?” and “Adam and Eve…and who is the ‘other’ parent for their grandchildren?"

You know, fun stuff.

More fun than trying to thread the needle in preaching on divorce—making clear that divorce is a reality and is forgivable if you wanted it and not a sin if you didn’t, while at the same time being clear that God’s Word commands that we honor marriage vows.

We took that from Mark 10. Here’s the audio link. Below the video is the outline.

Marriage

Marriage

Doug Hibbard / General

Mark 10:1–12; Genesis 2:4–24

Marriage as Designed by God

Context

Excuses for abandoning covenants

Hardness of our hearts

Concept

Marriage is Created for companionship

Humanity is Created for community

Consequences

a. Honor your covenants

b. Seek godly community—marriages grow from that

c. Reject cultural degradation of God’s design

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