What does the book of Acts say about the relationship between Jesus' followers and 2nd Temple Judaism? - part 5

 I've taken the material from my previously published study {What does the New Testament say about the relationship of Jesus’ followers to 2nd Temple Judaism?} and turned it into a series of YouTube videos in order to make its 53 pages of argumentation more accessible to the public, and hopefully encourage further study of what God's Word actually says about this topic on the part of those who have been tempted to take up the yoke of the Law of Moses.

What does the book of Acts say about the relationship between Jesus' followers and 2nd Temple Judaism? - part 4

 I've taken the material from my previously published study {What does the New Testament say about the relationship of Jesus’ followers to 2nd Temple Judaism?} and turned it into a series of YouTube videos in order to make its 53 pages of argumentation more accessible to the public, and hopefully encourage further study of what God's Word actually says about this topic on the part of those who have been tempted to take up the yoke of the Law of Moses.

Sermon Video: Cain: "sin is crouching at your door" - Genesis 4:1-7

The story of God's involvement with humanity continues in Genesis with the children of Adam and Eve: Cain and Abel. Cain's experience is a powerful lesson on both the reality of sin's tempting power, AND the ability we have (with God's help) to overcome it. Cain could have taken God's correction to heart, he could have learned from his mistake, but he chose anger instead, he chose to indulge sin. We need not follow in his footsteps.

Sermon Video: The Competency of God's People - Romans 15:14-16

 

Are you an optimist or a pessimist about the Church's future?  No matter what generation or geographic location that question is asked in, scripture itself gives ample reasons for more than optimism, it offers certainty.  Romans 15:14-16 is one such example, in it the Apostle Paul tells the church(es) at Rome that he has full confidence in their goodness, knowledge, and competency to teach each other.  This confidence flows from: (1) the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that is common to all believers in Jesus, (2) the sufficiency of scripture for our faith and practice, and (3) the priesthood of all believers which enable each of us to approach the throne of grace on an equal footing, all equally heard by God and all equally capable of serving the Kingdom of God.  As Baptists, we take these truths and find two connected implications: (1) Freedom of Conscience (aka Soul Liberty) and (2) the autonomy of the local church.  Both ideas flow directly from the competency that we have because of the work that God has begun in our lives and our faith in God's promise to complete that process of transformation.

Sermon Video: The same attitude toward each other as Jesus had -Romans 15:1-6

Why should Christians of "strong" faith bear with those whose faith is "weak"?  The answer certainly isn't to bolster our own ego (as if the faith we have were our own doing rather than a gift of grace), instead the Apostle Paul tells us that we are obligated to act toward our fellow Christians with the same attitude that Jesus Christ had.  Now, let's be honest, that's far beyond our capability.  Thankfully, God has also committed to empowering his people to imitate Jesus (through the Holy Spirit that indwells God's people).

Sermon Video: Love Must be Sincere - Romans 12:9-10

What does a Christ-like community look like?  The Apostle Paul answers the question by starting with (1) sincere love, and then adding to that challenge by requiring that we (2) both hate evil AND do so while loving good (that is, oppose evil with righteousness, not with evil), (3) loving each other, and lastly (4) putting each other above ourselves.

This is what it takes to be Christ-like.  That's what we need faith, grace, and the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish.

Sermon Video: When God sets you free, who can condemn you? - Romans 8:33-34

Using Monty Python and the Holy Grail's infamous witch trial (witch=wood=duck) as a foil for humanity's imperfect justice, the comparison is to God's full, impartial, and absolute justice.  God knows each and every sin (evil) in the hearts of humanity.  And yet, God has chosen to declare some of those same people to be his children, to be 'not guilty' and instead righteous.  How??

The answer is simple: In Jesus Christ

God justifies (declares not guilty) those who have faith in Jesus because Jesus' life of righteousness and total absence of sin enables him to be our substitute, to take our place.

Once God has done that, who is left to condemn us?  Nobody.

Not ourselves, not other people, not Satan himself.  Nobody.

Sermon Video: What Should We Pray for? - Romans 8:26-27

We need to pray.  A disciples of Jesus Christ, as a people called out of the darkness into the light, but still living in a world mired in sin with our own weaknesses, fears, and struggles to contend with, we most certainly need to pray.  On top of that, God tells us to pray, a lot.

But, and here's where things get more difficult, HOW do we pray in terms of time, place, manner, style?  We have some guidance in scripture, but the various portions of the Church offer their own approaches.  And along with it, the more difficult question: WHAT should we pray for?  When the answer is generic: pray for peace, hope, justice, lives spared and souls saved, that's easy enough; but what should I pray for when it's personal, when there seems to be no way forward, no solutions that we can see?

Thankfully, God has a solution to our consternation: The Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit prays WITH us when we pray.  The Spirit that God has caused to dwell within speaks while we pray.  Not to us, but to God.  That's right.  Our prayers are the start of a conversation within the Holy Trinity.  God talking to God.  Whether or not you can wrap your head around it, that's an encouraging thought.  So keep on praying.

Sermon Video: Live According to the Spirit - Romans 8:5-13

What is the difference between living according to the flesh (the fallen human nature we were born with) and according to the Spirit?  Death vs. Life.  The contrast could not be more stark.  As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to live according to the Spirit, a transformative process that begins with "putting to death" the actions, attitudes, and thoughts of our old selves.  Christ has set us free, therefore we can live by the Spirit.

Sermon Video: "do not let sin reign" - Romans 6:8-14

Having described the condition of the redeemed Christian as being 'dead to sin' and 'alive with Christ' and 'alive to God', the Apostle Paul focuses on one key implication of this changed status: Sin can no longer reign in our lives.

Given that we have the power, via the Holy Spirit, to have victory over sin, we must do so.  Instead of simply being a 'just say no' campaign, Paul tells us what must take sin's vacated place: the offering of our lives to righteousness.

Lastly, Paul ends with an additional reason for that we can achieve this transition from sin to righteousness, one he will develop fully in the book of Galatians: We are not under Law, but Grace.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #7: Zechariah 4:6

 

Zechariah 4:6     New International Version

So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

Speaking to the generation that returned to Jerusalem from Exile, the prophet Zechariah rebukes the timidity of the people, encouraging them to finish the work on rebuilding the Temple.  From a practical standpoint, the Israelites were a shell of their former might and glory.  No longer an independent kingdom, no longer the possessors of a beautiful city with mighty walls and a magnificent temple.  And yet, and this is the key, the LORD Almighty sees no reason why the Temple cannot be rebuilt.  

God does NOT calculate possibilities based upon human power; period.  Why?  Because he's God!!

The advancement of the Kingdom of God is likewise NOT based upon the availability and use of human power.  Laws, armies, wealth, privilege, status, none of them are necessary for God to fulfill his purpose in this world.  Why?  Because his purpose is a spiritual purpose, first and foremost, the saving of the Lost by the effective sharing of the Gospel and the transformation of the redeemed into Christ-likeness.  In the end, human power is not only unnecessary to advance this agenda, history has demonstrated time and time again that it is often counter-productive.  In other words, a Church with power, by this world's way of defining it, is typically less effective at its spiritual mission than a Church without power in this world.  The classic example of this is the Early Church.  Prior to Constantine, the Church was a minority in its culture, without status, without wealth or coercive power.  And yet, growth was explosive, and importantly, when martyrs were made it was being done to the Church not by the Church. 

'Christian' Nationalism, in a sharp contrast that ought to be a massive warning sign, is focused primarily upon earthly power, as if this is a path toward achieving God's will.  To that end, a slogan like, "Take America Back for God" employed by politicians for political ends, is not only disingenuous {Are they actually planning on giving America to God should they win power?  Really??}, but also blasphemous.  The power they seek is not God's power but their own, the purpose to which they will put power when they achieve it are not God's purposes but their own, and an America wholly under their control would NOT be more honoring and pleasing to God simply because politicians who claim to represent God wield earthly authority.  As Han Solo frustrating says in The Force Awakens, "That's not how the Force works!"

Recognizing this dangerous contrast, between the power Christians are called by God to wield (spiritual: serving and sacrificing) and the power that 'Christian' Nationalism grasps after (earthly: dominating and self-advancing), Calvin College historian  Kristin Kobes Du Mez wrote, Jesus and John Wayne How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation.  Her premise in a nutshell is that Evangelical (and also Fundamentalist) Christians prefer John Wayne to Jesus.  Rather than a humble servant willing to forgive his enemies, they prefer a hard charging tough guy ready to destroy them.  Unfortunately, her analysis is all too accurate.  Just this past week the YouTube channel, When We Understand The Text, whose content is written and narrated by a pastor, fully embraced 'Christian' Nationalism, mocking the weakness of those who warn against its dangers (i.e. wimps like me).

In the end, "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done" is our daily prayer, and as the prophet Zechariah made clear to those willing to listen, it won't be by might or power, but by God's Spirit.

Manifest (TV show), Romans 8:28, and contextual interpretation of Scripture

 

Romans 8:28  New International Version

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Ok, so I'm behind the times a bit.  Manifest aired on NBC in the fall of 2018, but I had never heard of it until it appreared in my Netflix suggestions a couple weeks ago.  Given my affinity for shows with a mysterious premise, like Lost in the early seasons, Stranger Things, or The Man in the High Castle, I started watching.  A few episodes in it became clear that the foundational premise of the show is built upon Romans 8:28, a fact the creators make clear with repeated referances to the number 828 and one episode where a character opens a Bible to Romans and reads the verse in question (but no more).  As the series unfolds, God (presumably) sends a 'calling', that's the term the characters use, to various people who were on flight 828 through voices, visions, and general intuitive insights that enable them to solve crimes, protect the innocent, and battle against a sinister secret plot.  While it makes for good drama, none of these manifestations of the hand of God have much of anything to do with what Romans 8:28 is talking about as both characters in the show, and viewers watching, are left asking, "What exactly is God's purpose in all this?  Why is this happening?"

As a pastor, I've run into non-contextual interpretations of Scripture many times, Philippians 4:13 probably leads the pack on that score, but Romans 8:28 is right there alongside it.  What is the common mis-interpretation of Romans 8:28, and what is the proper contextual interpretation?

Context free interpretation: On its own, without the verses that precede or follow it, one might assume that Romans 8:28 is promising that God is a generic force for good in the world.  That he molds and shapes people and events to make things work out for the better, resulting in a world that is less evil and more beneficial to us than it would be otherwise.  In this interpretation, God isn't much different than Superman.  He has power that he uses to help people, here and there, saving the day unexpectedly, but not fixing the root problems that cause there to be people in need of saving in the first place.  While this view of God is fairly common, and fits fairly well with ideas of an impersonal Force that controls the universe (like in Star Wars), in the end it leaves much to be desired.  Why, if God has power, is he using it in such a limited way?  Why helps some and not others, why prevent a tragedy here and there but let the others happen?  Superman can only be in one place at a time, we know why he's more likely to save Louis than anyone else, but God can do more than this can't he?  Without context, 'the good', and 'his purpose' are left nebulous, can we identify them, help them along, or is this just some mystery?

A contextual interpretation: First, let us broaden the view a bit.

Romans 8:18-39  New International Version

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This isn't bumper sticker theology.  You can't fit the deep wisdom of this passage (and Paul's overall themes in Romans) on a poster.  That may be while people prefer pithy but fruitless sayings like, "God helps those who help themselves" to what Scripture actually says, but non-contextual interpretation, and non-biblical aphorisms, are a dangerous game, we're much better off with the full medicine, kep the spoonful of sugar.

So, what is the larger point that Paul is making here that Romans 8:28 is integral to?  God has a master plan, a plan for all of creation and humanity, a plan that involves calling individuals by the Spirit to accept his Son by faith, and then leading those individuals forward toward Christ-likeness in a process that cannot be derailed by any power because it is emeshed in the Love of God, and a process that he helps along by weaving 'all things' toward that very specific purpose.  Something to that effect.  I could make that run-on sentence into a paragraph, page, or chapter while still trying to convey the essence of Paul's words, but the original that he wrote will remain the most profound way to say it.

God isn't in the business of making this world a better place.

Thought I'd leave that sentence by itself to let it sink in.  His redemptive actions in history will certainly have that effect, but that isn't the goal, but its treating the symptoms of the disease, not eradicating it.  The goal is fellowship with humanity under his rule as Lord.  God is working "all things together" in order to redeem out from humanity his chosen people, mold and shape them through discipleship toward Christ-likeness, and eventually present them before his throne holy and righteouss in his sight.  God's purpose is far higher, far nobler, and far more difficult than simply making this world a better place.  Jesus would not have taken upon himself humanity for such a lowly purpose, and certainly would not have needed to die upon the Cross, if making the world a better place was the goal.  If that was all God had in mind he could have used people like the prophets of old to accomplish it.  Moses, Elijah, Esther, even Jonah once he got straightened out, could 'make things better' with God's power.  No, Jesus came to this earth for a much bigger project, a project he alone as the God/Man could accomplish.  When Satan offered him rule over the kingdoms of this world, Jesus refused.  Jesus as King of the World would have resulted in a massive improvement in the lives of everyone on this planet.  Can you imagine a more wise and benevolent ruler?  But Jesus isn't tempted, he isn't here to work through the systems of this world, but to overcome them, and destroy Sin and Death in the process.  Jesus' sights are set much, much higher.

God's business is the making of a holy and righteous people

So, in the end, while Manifest has an interesting premise, and I'll finish watching the series, the God that it is portraying thus far isn't God enough, whatever the end game the series has for its characters, thus far none of them are actually living lives that reflect Romans 8:28, for none of them are being called to repentance, faith, and worship of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father.  Romans 8:28 is part of a powerful and profound promise to those whom God calls that whatever happens in this life, the hand of God will continue to work in us, and through us, to transform us to Christ-likeness.  Manifest, like so many non-contextual interpretations, falls short of this glorious promise.

Sermon Video: What is the Kingdom of God like? - Mark 4:26-34

 Using parables Jesus explains the concept of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the working out of God's will here in this world. In other words, God working in and through the lives of his people. What is it like? The parables explain that it is relentless, mysterious, purposeful, fruitful, and above all, impressively powerful. Whether through individuals or collectively, God works powerfully in this world, changing hearts and transforming the world.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Parable of the Sower - Mark 4:1-20

 In the well known parable, Jesus explains that the 'seed' of God's Word falls upon various 'soils' representing differing human beings.  How do they differ?  Some are hostile to God, some have other more pressing concerns, and some readily respond.  Those who fully respond, the 'good soil' produce 'fruit', that is they work to reproduce in other people what God has done for them.  Healthy churches need to make disciples, they need to cultivate open and dedicated hearts (good soil) that encourage service and self-sacrifice.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: A House Divided - Mark 3:20-34

 Accused by his critics of being an agent of evil, Jesus responds by warning of the danger of 'a house divided'.  The warning rings true to this day, whether it be a nation, a denomination, a local church, or a family, the danger of disunity and discord is real.  How do we combat it?  With the Fruit of the Spirit.  By working at building up and holding together, consistently and with great effort, so that we can overcome the efforts of those who would divide and destroy.  As Christian Americans, we must ask ourselves a question: Am I a part of the forces that restore, heal, seek justice, and build up, or a part of the forces that tear down and destroy?  There is always hope, as long as those who are righteous and filled with the Spirit are willing to continue working for it, unity is possible: for America, for the global church, for our local churches, and for each of our families.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Jesus: Baptism, Temptation, and Proclamation - Mark 1:9-15

What does it take to get something big started? How much planning, what preparation? As the Gospel of Mark unfolds, Jesus travels to the Jordan to be baptized by John, and then into the Wilderness where he was tested by Satan. Following these two episodes of confirmation (the Spirit descending like a dove and the voice from Heaven on the one hand, and the ability to resist the Devil on the other), Jesus takes up John's message of repentance, adding to it the Good News that the Kingdom of God has come near (because he is here).

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Jesus' Opening Act: John the Baptist, Mark 1:2-8

It is not often that the Opening Act gains tremendous popularity, but John the Baptist, the one sent by God to prepare the people of Israel for the Messiah, drew large crowds to see his unique style and hear his message. What was that message? A baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In other words, the same call as the prophets of old: repent. At the height of his popularity, John understood that his time in the sun was limited, and that the one he was the prelude to was far superior. Why? Because John could only wash with water, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: The Messiah's Nature - Philippians 2:6-8

Our literature and pop-culture extensively utilize "Christ figures"; heroes from humble beginnings who are more than they seem to be on the surface, and who through self-sacrifice manage to save the day.  {Aragorn, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Superman, to name a few}.  But what of the original?  What exactly is the nature of the God-Man, whom Luke called Emmanuel, 'God with us'?  While the Gospel writers and other NT authors made it abundantly clear that they saw Jesus as both God and Man, it took the Early Church a while to sort out exactly how to explain that unique combination.  After Arius' false venture into Subordinationism (the Son as the highest created being, i.e. modern-day Jehovah's Witness doctrine), which the Church soundly rejected at the Council of Nicaea (325), where they also rejected attempts to deny the full humanity of Jesus, the Church still needed to refine their explanation, eventually arriving at the language of the Council of Chalcedon (451), "consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the Manhood."  The Apostle Paul illuminated this mystery when he wrote in Philippians about the nature of Jesus, declaring Jesus to be "very nature God", while at the same time taking on the role of a humble and obedient servant "being made in human likeness."  It is an enduring, and incredible, mystery.  God the Son, willing to take upon his divinity, humanity, in order to fulfill the role of the Messiah and save humanity; no wonder we celebrate Christmas two millennia later.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: God's Word, not our word - 1 Corinthians 14:36-40

Bringing his instructions about propriety and order within the church to a close, the Apostle Paul reminds the Christians at the Church of Corinth that they were not the ones who created the Scriptures, nor were they the only ones to whom it was given.  Paul is reminding them of the authority of Scripture over them, and of their need to conform to the Word of God.  The principle behind this is easily applied to churches in any time or place, as we too must respect the authority of God's Word and not attempt to substitute what God has said through the Spirit for our own judgment.  What of those who ignore this warning, who teach/preach against what the Word declares?  Paul declares that they will be ignored, and three examples of this are given in the message: Arius' false 4th century doctrine regarding Jesus (which the Church properly denounced through the Council of Nicaea), the dualist belief of the Cathars in 11th century France (which the Church immorally dealt with through a genocidal war and mass burning of people at the stake), and the contemporary example of the Prosperity Gospel of Paula White-Cain (which the Church has not yet rejected).  The point is, heretics and charlatans have always been with us and our need to remain on our guard, and judge those who speak/write by the Word of God, will remain.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "God is really among you!" 1 Corinthians 14:20-28

While the people of the Church might long for signs and wonders, for flashy manifestations of the presence of God among us, the Apostle Paul instructs the church at Corinth that such things are not what convinces the Lost of their need to accept the Gospel.  Signs might get people's attention (as it did at Pentecost) but it is the preaching/teaching/sharing of the Word of God that illuminates for people their need for repentance.  And while it church services will seem odd or confusing to non church goers who happen to visit, Paul cautions us that our activities cannot afford to appear crazy (for example through people being "slain in the Spirit" or wild predictions about the future or conspiracy theories), lest the Lost be repulsed by us, and not hear the Gospel.  Instead, our church services ought to be thoughtful, organized, and useful.

To watch the video, click on the link below: