Once again Genesis focuses on Abraham's nephew Lot, a secondary character in the story Moses is telling, but one whose life has impacted Abraham's twice before, and has yet a further impactful role to play. Here we see the grace of God playing out in Lot's life as Abraham's bargain with the LORD to not let the righteous be swept away with the wicked plays out. Because Lot is so deeply rooted in Sodom, the angels sent by the LORD actually end up taking an active role in pushing him out of the city before the judgment falls. In the end, the destruction of Sodom is less a story about evil been punished and more a reminder that God's grace is amazing because Lot and his daughters were saved when the day of judgment arrived.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Sermon Video: Abraham pleads with God to spare Sodom, Genesis 18:16-33
In a fascinating conversation, Abraham humbly pleads with God on behalf of the soon-to-be condemned city of Sodom. Why? We know that his nephew Lot and his family live there, but Abraham's concern is broader, including for the fate of people who are strangers to him.
In our world today this reminds us of an acute issue within the Church where far to many now view the Lost as part of the "them" that they would rather destroy than rescue. Do we desire mercy for those we think of as "the enemy" or only their ruination?
In the end, Abraham's plea with God reminds us of our own necessary mantra when considering those who do evil in our world: There but for the grace of God, go I.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Sermon Video: God responds to the foolish choice of Abram and Sarai - Genesis 16
Abraham and Sarah are heroes of the faith, but they made plenty of mistakes along the way. One of the most serious of them was the decision by Sarai to offer her slave Hagar to her husband Abram as a 2nd wife in the hopes that a son born to Abram and Hagar could be considered her son by adoption. This way an effort to "assist" the fulfillment of God's promise. Here's the thing: God doesn't need immoral help to accomplish his will.
In the end, the plan works in that Hagar bears Ishmael, but is a disaster in all other respects because it spawns a bitterness between Sarai and Hagar. In the end, God intervenes to protect Hagar and her son, preventing Abram and Sarai's mistake from going further off the rails.
Monday, June 17, 2024
Sermon Video: God is merciful, even to the murderer Cain - Genesis 4:8-16
It is well known that Cain killed his brother Abel, what is less well understood is that God showed incredible mercy to Cain when he confronted Cain afterwards. God could have struck Cain down in righteous wrath, ending his life right there, he had earned that punishment. Instead God chose to show mercy, an act of grace that reminds us that all of us who have come to know Christ as our Savior are the recipients of tremendous grace.
Monday, July 31, 2023
Sermon Video: A Living Sacrifice to God - Romans 12:1-2
What is the proper Christian response to God's mercy? After we have received so much of it, and continue to depend upon it, how should we react?
The Apostle Paul offers a simple solution: Offer your life as a living sacrifice. In other words, reject the false gods of this world (materialism, hedonism, narcissism, etc.) and instead embrace the pursuit of Christ-likeness. God gave you his Son to save you from damnation, is letting God direct your life too much to ask in return? (Hint: It isn't)
Sunday, May 7, 2023
Sermon Video: Righteousness by Faith, not Law - Romans 9:27-33
Since the Law was given by God to his people, and he rewarded them for keeping it and punished them for breaking it, why couldn't righteousness come through obeying it? Simple, that was never its intent. God knew that humanity could never follow his commands perfectly, that all would sin, all would be lawbreakers. The Law made God's people conscious of their sin, it did not offer them the solution to it. The answer to that dilemma was always grace. God's forgiveness and mercy given to his people, and his people's need to trust in that grace by faith. Ultimately Jesus came to be the solution, to be the sacrifice for sin, and our faith became in/through him.
Monday, May 1, 2023
Sermon Video: Who are you to talk back to God? Romans 9:19-26
It is only natural as people made in God's image, that we wonder how the mind of God works, that we question what we don't understand. After asserting that God's mercy is absolutely necessary for salvation and that it does not therefore depend upon human desire or effort, the Apostle Paul responds to the anticipated objection that God has taken freewill out of the equation.
Rather than answering the question directly, Paul takes a step back and speaks about the relationship between God and humanity. God, as creator, has the right to both show mercy where it is undeserved (as it always is) and to execute judgment upon the unrighteous when/where it serves his larger redemptive purposes.
In the end, the wonder is not that some remained estranged from God and therefore damned, but that many have been redeemed by God's love and mercy.
Monday, April 24, 2023
Sermon Video: Salvation depends upon God's mercy, not human effort - Romans 9:10-18
It is all about the mercy. Salvation depends utterly upon the mercy of God, thanks be to God for that. The Apostle Paul uses the example of Jacob and Esau (twin brothers) to demonstrate that God's mercy does not depend upon our character or effort, he gives it to whom he chooses.
Why is this a conclusion to be praised rather than a cause for alarm about freewill? Because God's love, mercy, and grace will always be greater, more reliable, and more effective than any human effort.
Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Doubt and Faithfulness are not polar opposites: A Lesson from "Doubting Thomas" - John 20:24-29
I find Caravaggio's The Incredulity of Saint Thomas to be a fascinating painting. One of the reasons why is that the text of John's Gospel, which is the basis for the moment the painting portrays, never actually says that Thomas touched Jesus' wounds, only that he declared he wouldn't believe that Jesus had risen from the dead without doing so. The painting aside, the episode of Thomas' doubt is deeply illustrative of how God deals with doubt throughout the scriptures. Again and again we see heroes of the faith depicted as having doubt: doubt in themselves, doubt in what they've been told by angels, even doubt after working miracles in God's name. From Abraham's twice invoked "she's really just my sister" routine in Genesis, to Moses' attempt to put the responsibility on his younger brother instead of himself in Exodus, to Gideon's repeated requests for confirmation in Judges, to Elijah's exhaustion because he thinks he's the only one fighting for God in 1 Kings, to Esther's hesitancy to step forward in Esther, and finally Zechariah's doubt while standing in the Temple itself talking to the angel Gabriel in Luke, we see these great men and women who accomplished amazing things by the power of God, expressing their doubt and hesitancy.
And here's the key thing: In none of those instances does God search for the 'smite' key {A reference to one of my favorite Far Side cartoons} and ditch the person expressing how they really feel. Instead, in each case God offers a second chance in the form of reassurance and patience until the person with doubt is able, thanks to this act of grace from God, to overcome it and continue fulfilling their purpose in God's plan. The point is, they were still useful to God.
How does the Church treat doubt? I'm not talking about those who deny the Trinity or the Virgin Birth, for example, thanks to heretical teachings, that's false conviction not doubt, but rather those who have genuine doubts about God, his will or purpose, because the life they've lived has brought these feelings into focus. Too often the Church can feel like the last place you would want to admit that you're struggling with doubt, anxiety, fear, even anger toward God. It feels like a judgmental place, a place where, "nobody has doubts, but me." Why? Not because that's true, not because you're the only person who has been wounded by life, but because for whatever reason we choose to portray faith as an all-or-nothing proposition. In reality, faith is a journey, a commitment, the kind of thing that can take a hit, get knocked down, but then rise once more and continue on, even if the person holding onto it has some scars from the experience. Faith isn't made of glass, it is capable of dealing with reality, looking at difficult questions with humility, and acknowledging when we don't have all the answers. Why? Because faith is primarily a relationship with God, not an intellectual pursuit on our part. Yes, our minds are involved, we need to know and accept who God is and what God has done for us in order to have faith, but that faith is IN God, a person, not a concept or construct, a person (who just so happens to be the Creator of the universe, a key thing faith has going for itself).
If you're having difficulties, if your faith feels battered and bruised, you won't be alone if you go to church, God be merciful on us if those you find there make you think you are, because you're not, they may not be willing to admit it, but a number of the people sitting, singing, and prayer with you know just how you feel because they were there once too, and maybe still are. In the end, God isn't going to give up on you, for each and every person who faith and hope are in Jesus Christ is an adopted child-of-God, we're safe in our Father's arms, especially when we have to ask God to 'hold us tighter'.
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #20: Mark 2:15-16
Mark 2:15-16 New International Version
15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Any day at the office that starts with me thinking of a way to use a Star Wars analogy to make a theological point is a good day...
In Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope, the young naïve farm boy Luke follows the world weary Obi-Wan Kenobi into a bar in the town of Mos Eisley, as Kenobi called it, "a wretched hive of scum and villainy." One would think that just about anyone would be welcome in a dive bar in such a town, but when they enter the bartender angrily yells, "We don't serve their kind here!" while pointing at Luke's droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO. They evidently have a problem with droids, the reasoning for which the movie makes no attempt to explain.
It isn't a mystery, however, why the Pharisees of Jesus' day didn't like 'tax collectors and sinners' (in other passages prostitutes are thrown into the same list of 'off-limits' people). The Pharisees saw such people as a stain upon society, a visible manifestation of the ways in which the Jewish people were not sufficiently committed to the Mosaic Law. One one level they were right, those who break the Law of Moses are indeed sinners and that Law takes such things very seriously. A response is necessary.
And what was their response to those who didn't live up to God's standard? Treat them as outcasts, revile and denigrate them, make sure everyone knows you are better than they are.
And how does Jesus respond to these lost souls? He ate with them. He treated them like real human beings, like people who, although they had made poor choices in life thus far, still mattered to God, still had worth. Jesus responded to the sinfulness of others with a kindness and compassion designed not to push them into a corner, but to offer them the hope of repentance.
Which brings us to 'Christian' Nationalism. Recall the rhetoric of leading 'Christian' Nationalist voices. How do they describe those they view as a threat to a 'Christian America'? Certainly as an enemy, often with pejoratives, insults, and venom. The anger is real, the hostility is palpable, and so is the fear.
Where is the outreach to the Lost? Where is the compassion for those living in darkness? Where is the confidence that God can save even the vilest offender? These have been tossed aside as a weakness we can't afford to indulge {See: The folly of the "Sin of Empathy" - A self-inflicted wound to Christian Fundamentalism}. The goal of 'Christian' Nationalism is to crush the enemies of God's people, not to convert them, not to love them, not to treat them like Jesus did.
Let me end with one more Star Wars quote, this time from Empire Strikes Back: "That is why you fail."
Monday, May 30, 2022
Sermon Video: Self-Righteousness = Contempt for God's Mercy
Released between two horrific mass shootings was the report about how sex abuse was handled by the Southern Baptist Convention. This horrific reports detailed failures spanning decades to report and combat sexual abuse within SBC churches and institutions. At the same time, the SBC has been on the forefront condemning the sexual ethics of the culture at large, primarily targeting those outside the Church. This blatant hypocrisy has become far too common, we have cynically come to expect it of our politicians and even pastors, and it is toxic to both the Culture and the Church.
The Apostle Paul takes aim at hypocritical judgementalism, when the people of God condemn others for doing the very things they themselves still do (often in secret). That this is entirely unacceptable goes without saying, but the deeper danger is that is damages our relationship with God, leading to entirely justified anger because it makes a mockery of God's grace and forgiveness to us.
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Why would we celebrate the death of the wicked?
When word spread that Adolf Hitler had taken his own life on April 30th, of 1945, most of the world rejoiced, for a great evil had been removed from the world, and perhaps peace might not be far off, at least in Europe. The war in Europe officially ended on V-E Day, May 8th, with Germany's unconditional surrender, with WWII continuing until V-J Day, on August 15th, after the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs. Millions had died, and more would die in the refugee crisis that followed, but citizens in the Allied countries rejoiced at the cessation of war, as well they should. As Christians, it is incumbent upon us to adopt a Christian Worldview, a way of thinking and feeling that reflects the teachings of Holy Scripture, and in particular, the life of Jesus Christ. The ending of a war can certainly be a moment worthy of celebratory feelings, but should we feel the same way about the death of the wicked, however it comes about? Two recent events have brought this question to the forefront: the killing by a church member of an armed intruder after he had taken the lives of two people during a church service in Texas {‘I Feel Like I Killed Evil’: Jack Wilson Praised For Killing White Settlement Church Shooting Suspect}, which was a split second reaction to a gunman, and the calculated decision by the government of the United States to kill Maj.Gen. Qassim Suleimani, an Iranian national, in a foreign country, with a missile fired from a drone. {What to Know About the Death of Iranian General Suleimani by Karen Zraick of the NY Times} These two incidents had one primary thing in common: the person killed had been responsible for the death of innocent people prior to being killed. Beyond that, the circumstances vary greatly, as does the debate about the legal and moral justification for responding to violence with lethal force, but there remains one more thing that both have in common and share with many other incidents when criminals, terrorists, and/or those accused of being involved in evil behavior are killed, whether in the moment or after judicial proceedings, whether by private citizens acting in self-defense or governmental authorities: the tendency to rejoice at the death of the wicked. And while the call to celebrate the death of the Texas church shooter was muted (but still noticeable), the request to celebrate the death of Suleimani was instantly amplified and muddled by American politics {GOP lawmakers celebrate Soleimani’s death: ‘He was an evil bastard who murdered Americans’ by Mike Murphy of MarketWatch}. The question, then, that we must ask ourselves, as Christians seeking to live by a Christian worldview, is this: Does God celebrate the death of the wicked, even when it is necessary to save lives? The short answer is: No.
Ezekiel 18:23 (NIV) Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?
Luke 6:27-28 (NIV) “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
The above texts are simply a sampling, and while the Bible certainly contains repeated examples of the wrath of God in action, and calls for God's intervention against the enemies of the righteous (see David's Psalms in particular), it at the same time makes it very clear that God takes NO pleasure in the death of the wicked, even when his own judgment brings their lives to a close. Why not? Every life of a human being that ends with that person remaining in a state of rebellion against God results in a person created in God's image who will be separated from God for eternity. Whatever opportunity for repentance that existed is now over. While it may be a common question to ask seminary students to grapple with the notion of God's mercy in Christ Jesus being sufficient to forgive even the worst humans in history, like Adolf Hitler, had he repented in his bunker after having the blood of millions upon his hands {which to our knowledge he showed no signs of repentance, although other mass murders have done so}, it is not merely a hypothetical question. Why not? Because the vilest of human beings can be saved by the grace of God, the worst among us can receive forgiveness, IF they repent and receive God's salvation in Jesus Christ. Thus the killing of anyone, even those most deserving of death because of their extreme evil deeds, is still a spiritual tragedy, for it is a soul lost from the Kingdom of God, one less person to celebrate at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb and glorify the name of God. Even when there is no choice, as in the case of the Texas church shooting {aside from the view of total pacifists who would deny that any killing is justified}, there is no room in a Christian worldview for celebration.
Some additional related thoughts...
1. Not all our enemies are God's enemies. The people of God have at times condemned the righteous, or at least the innocent, alongside (or instead of) the wicked. See for example: The Thirty Years War, the Inquisition. What if the 'evil' we eliminate turns out to be closer to the martyr Jan Hus burned at the stake rather than Jack the Ripper? We dare not pretend that our designation of human beings as an 'enemy of God' is anything but a folly. FYI, and this may sting a bit: The enemies of America (or Israel) are not synonymous with the enemies of God (that distinction works on the personal level too, those people who are your 'enemies' may be just that, your enemies).
2. God will judge the wicked, but in his time, and according to his righteousness and mercy.
Romans 12:19 (NIV) Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. The related warped thought of those who hope for the destruction of Muslims in general, {in response to terrorism, or in reaction against the calls for a worldwide Caliphate...In the past this, "kill 'em all, let God sort them out" sentiment was expressed toward Native Americans, with the vile, 'the only good Indian is a dead Indian'.} rather than their acceptance of the Gospel, thus showing an emphasis on physical/temporal issues above the spiritual cause of the Kingdom of God. Is the Gospel not capable of overcoming the resistance of any religious/ideological group? The Vikings were an existential threat to the Christian communities of Medieval Europe, and then missionaries (some of whom were martyred in the process) brought the Gospel to them, and the threat evaporated as God's grace transformed their culture.
3. Governmental authorities do have a mandate to protect the innocent and punish the evildoer, but it is not limitless. For example: The firebombing of German and Japanese cities during WWII, and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, while part of a cold calculation about potential lives lost without those actions, killed hundreds of thousands of civilians. (see below about the 'lesser of two evils') Or more recently, the now almost ubiquitous use of a drone missile to blow up a house containing a terrorist(s) but also potentially innocent bystanders, and of course the numerous Death Row inmates who have been exonerated after their innocence was proven.
4. Choosing the lesser of two evils, is still choosing evil. IF the choice must be made, it ought not be celebrated.
Romans 12:21 (NIV) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Throughout Church history, God's people have been tempted to embrace 'the lesser evil', but is this not a lack of faith, and/or a lack of living as citizens of Heaven whose kingdom is not of this world? The Civil Rights Movement demonstrated the power of overcoming evil with good, but as a tactic/strategy it has been utilized rarely, often only when desperation (i.e. a lack of power) eliminates other, more conventional, choices. It is folly to think that good came come from doing evil, but is it not also dangerous to believe that a 'greater' evil can be prevented by doing a 'lesser' evil?
In the end, it has been the general consensus of Christian thinkers throughout the centuries that there is a legitimate role for the civil and military use of force {See the Apostle Paul's thoughts in Romans 13 and Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas' thoughts on Just War Theory}, but we must not allow ourselves to celebrate the destruction of the wicked, even when it is justified, even when there seems to be no other choice, for in the words of the Christian martyr John Bradford, as he watched a criminal being led away for execution, "there but for the grace of God, go I."
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Sermon Video: The Fall of Jericho - Joshua 5:13-6:27
The response to Joshua's question, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" is an important reminder that God is not on our side, rather we have been called to conform to his will. God cannot be on the side of any particular human being, or group of people, for God is entirely holy, righteous, and just, and no human endeavor can make such a claim. The focus of God's redemptive story in history is to call humanity back to communion with God, to his will, his mind, his perspective.
The destruction of the people of Jericho is a difficult and disturbing one to consider, but necessary just the same. Until we understand the absolute right of God to judge the living and the dead, and until we comprehend just how pervasive and vile sin (rebellion against God) truly is, we will fall short of understanding how/why God can pour out wrath on various segments of humanity. In the end, we must face the reality of the judgment of God, soberly without glee, for it is a tragedy whenever someone created in the image of God is lost, if we are to truly understand grace and mercy.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Sermon Video: Jacob I Loved, Esau I Hated - Malachi 1:1-5
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Sermon Video: King Manasseh - Wickedness and Repentance - 2 Chronicles 33
In a stunning turn of event, Manasseh does indeed repent when brought low by the LORD, and to top it off, God accepts his contrition and forgives him, allowing Manasseh to spend what time remained in his life trying to make amends for his past.
To counter-balance this message of hope for even the vilest of sinners, if that person repents, the remainder of chapter 33 of 2 Chronicles tells briefly of the life of Manasseh's son, Amon, who only reigned as king for two years before he was assassinated. In those two years, Amon followed the example of the earlier part of his father's life by engaging in much wickedness, but unlike his father, he refused to repent and died in his sins.
All have sinned, all must repent and seek the LORD's forgiveness, but not all are given the multiple chances that were afforded to Manasseh, for Amon only lived till his 24th year, at which point he had to account for his life before God. Today is the day of repentance, for no one is guaranteed tomorrow.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Sermon Video: The Power of Prayer, Part 1 - James 5:13-15
James focuses, in particular, upon prayer associated with our health concerns, and rather than simply telling us to pray in response, we are told to bring these needs to the Church (through the church's leadership, i.e. elders) so that the body of Christ can pray together for its individual members. This process teaches us two things: (1) God certainly cares about our physical needs, frail and mortal though we are, our suffering still matters to God, and (2) the Church needs to care about them as well. With spiritual needs so pressing, it can be easy for the Church to focus solely upon the souls in their charge, but instead God reminds us to care for the whole person.
Why doesn't prayer always work? Why do some people make miraculous recoveries, and others, equally fervently prayer for, continue toward the death that awaits us all? The short answer to this large question is that it is not always the will of God to heal. That may be tough to swallow, but Job didn't get an explanation from God, and he certainly deserved it more than we do, he simply got a reminder that God is God, enough said. We never know who will be healed of their illness and who will not, our responsibility is thus to pray for everyone whose need comes before us, to should their burdens, and thus fulfill the Law of Love.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Sermon Video - "Lord, I want to see" Luke 18:35-43
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Sermon Video: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." - Luke 18:9-14
Two men, both praying at the Temple, one of whom is in the process of becoming right with God, the other of which is drifting further and further away. Pride is the key factor in the downfall of the Pharisee, trust in himself has replaced dependence upon God, and along with that pride has come prejudice toward everyone else who seems beneath him. Such dedication and effort to fulfill the Law, by the Pharisee, and all of it a waste, for the grace of God is far from him. The tax collector, pitiful though he is, and with a history full of sin, has found the grace of God, for he sought it as a drowning man grasping for a life preserver.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Monday, June 15, 2015
Sermon Video: "because of his mercy" - Titus 3:4-7
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Sermon Video: "Give thanks to the LORD" - Psalm 107
To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video