Sermon Video: When Jacob's sons repaid evil for evil - Genesis 34

 

The book of Genesis is an encouraging story about the faithfulness and grace of God. It is also an honest story about the failings and follies of the people whom God has chosen to work with, and humanity as a whole. In Genesis 34 Jacob's daughter Dinah is raped by one of the leading men of a neighboring tribe. Rather than seeking justice openly, Jacob's sons scheme like their father resulting in wholesale murder of all of the male relatives of the perpetrator living in the same town, the stealing of all of their property, and the enslavement of the now widows and orphans. Jacob's sons responded to evil with a much greater amount of evil. There are no excuses, no "what about..." deflections. They knew better, and they should have done much better than any of that. As a Church, Jesus Christ calls us to reject this human tendency toward vengeance in all its forms.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #40 1 Corinthians 5:11-13

1 Corinthians 5:11-13 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

Like an iceburg the true cost of pursuing "Christian" Nationalism may not be readily apparent, but it lies beneath the surface, doing its damage whether we see it or not.

What does the myth of a "Christian" Nation cost the Church?  {See my: The Myth of a Christian Nation - by Gregory Boyd: a summary and response}  Among its many steep costs is this: The Church becomes known for what (who) it is against, not what (who) it is for.  As Gregory Boyd rightly said, "The brutal fact is that we Christians are not generally known for our love - for the simple reason that we, like the pharisees of old, generally judge more than we love." (The Myth of a Christian Nation, Boyd, p. 133-134).  A Church focused on obtaining power over its political enemies will inevitably devolve into an us vs. them mentality.  How can we share the Gospel with them, how we can be servants, when we're busy trying to destroy them?  

In a "Christian" Nation, moral authority is reduced to a tactic, we can't (or hesitate to) criticize our 'team' for immorality, but at the same time we are incentivized to criticize "them" whether warranted or not.

But that's not at all what the Apostle Paul tells the followers of Jesus Christ to do.  We are told that judgement begins, and ends, with us.  God will deal with the rest of the world, our task is to make sure that immorality has not home within our community.

Thus "Christian" Nationalism pushes the Church in the opposite direction from what scriture commands.  Instead of cleaning our own house, we throw stones at "them", instead of having zero tolerance for sin within our community, we make room (even celebrate) unrepentant sinners who happen to be good at the political power game.

The cost of "Christian" Nationalism is far to high for the Church, the Gospel, and each one of us.

Sermon Video: Not Even a Hint Among Us - Ephesians 5:3-7

After telling us that we need to imitate Jesus by walking "in the way of love," the Apostle Paul now reminds us how incompatible that calling is with continuing to live in sin.  As such, Paul reminds us that "even a hint" of immorality, impurity, or greed is too much for God's people.

Sermon Video: Do Not Give the Devil a Foothold - Ephesians 4:25-28

As a follow-up to his command that Jesus' followers adopt a new attitude divorced from our former futile thinking when we were apart from God, the Apostle Paul offers up in these verses three examples of what that will look like: (1) Embracing truth by putting off falsehood, (2) Keeping anger in check so that it does not lead to sin, and (3) Sharing what we have earned rather than taking (stealing) from others.

With respect to anger in particular, Paul frames it as a potential "foothold" that the devil might use to ensnare those who sin in their anger.  The same holds true for the other two issues, and really any situation where we give in to temptation.  The answer is always the same: embrace righteousness.  When we say and do what is right, temptation (evil) has no opportunity to affect us.

Beginning of Wisdom (Torah Club) lesson #37: More Gnostic Dualism, pre-existence of the soul, and extra-biblical reliance

 

“The sages said that the Messianic Era might have commenced at that point, but the children of Israel lost the opportunity.  Likewise, in the days of the apostles, the kingdom was again at hand.  If the generation had heeded the message of Yeshua and the twelve disciples, they could have entered the Messianic Era.  They failed to do so.  They lost the opportunity.” – p. 4

So, unnamed “sages” think that had Israel while journeying out of Egypt been more obedient God would have sent the Messiah right then and there.  That’s a bold theory, it certainly isn’t derived from Scripture.  Likewise, FFOZ is teaching that the Jewish community to whom Jesus came had the power to usher in the Messianic Era immediately after the death of Jesus?  How is this supposed to work?  If they had accepted him fully, the Kingdom would have been founded without his death?  But if he was rejected, as the prophets foretold, how exactly was there ever a chance of the Kingdom being founded right away?  I have no idea why they want to teach this, but they’re not getting it from the Word of God.  

“Then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel?” – Acts 1:6

“The soul descends into this world on a mission.  Why does it leave a place of comfort and repose to enter a world of hardship and struggle?  Only to take advantage of this world’s opportunities to serve God, seek His presence, and love others…the soul knows there are no guarantees of success.  The soul enters the world at great personal risk.” – p. 5

Once again, we have theology being built upon the heretical teaching of the pre-existence of the human soul.  For whatever reason, FFOZ/Lancaster believe so much in this idea that it comes up over and over again in lesson after lesson.  The whole idea doesn’t make any sense.  God and our souls were dwelling together “in comfort and repose” but decided to risk eternal separation from God by becoming ignorant of that past and living here on the chance that they would find their way back to God??  Do the people who were raised in the Church and now sit in Torah Club meetings really buy this nonsense?

“How many opportunities to experience the Messiah and contribute to the redemption do we forfeit every day?  He stands at the door and knocks, but the slumbering soul, comfortably tucked inside the physical body, does not want to get out of bed.” – p. 7

You are a whole person: body, soul, and spirit.  You do NOT have a spirit “tucked inside” your body.  You are every part of you, indivisible.  The irony of these ideas borrowed from medieval Jewish mysticism is that they have far more in common with Greek Gnostic Dualism than with 1st Century Judaism.  Also, we say “no” to Jesus because our soul is too lazy and comfortable??  That’s no version of the sin nature that I’ve ever read in scripture.  Hold that thought…

“Whenever you have a difficult choice to make, choose the harder thing.  The harder thing usually turns out to be the better choice.  The more lenient path should always be viewed with suspicion.” – p. 11

This fits right in with someone trying to replace Grace with Law, Faith with Works.  You need to work harder to please God is what they're selling to you.  Don’t get me wrong, Christian discipleship is very hard work, but that’s because we’re trying to purge our hearts and minds of the sinful nature we were born with, not because we’re supposed to default to the “harder thing.”  FYI, this is not how a moral compass works.  We are supposed to do the right thing, the righteous thing, whether or not it is easy or hard.

“For example, suppose you were thinking about hosting Sabbath guests on a Friday night…This isn’t a good week for that?  I have a busy schedule this week, and the house is a mess.  I would have to spend extra on groceries.  And who knows what their dietary standard might be?  My kitchen’s surely not kosher enough for them.  It’s exhausting to even thing about cooking in this heat, Shabbat starts so late at this time of year…” – p. 12

And here we have a casually inserted example of the thing that so many Torah Club members insist FFOZ isn’t doing: Convincing Gentiles to live like Jews.   Why this particular example of something that is hard that we may be too lazy to do?  Why is the context kosher eating and Sabbath keeping?  If you are lazy, that is, a bad disciple, you won’t put in the effort to obey the Law of Moses, but if you’re really dedicated like Boaz, Daniel, Aaron, Jacob and the rest, you will gladly take upon yourself the yolk of the Law.  The proof of their goal is right on the page!

“If his bodily movements are sluggish, the movements of his spirit also become dull and lifeless.  This is verified by experience.” – Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzatto, The Path of the Upright  “The sages teach, ‘One sin leads to another sin’…The sages teach, ‘One mitzvah leads to another mitzvah.’ Soon both the spirit and the flesh are strong.” – p. 14

In an effort to equate physical activity with spiritual health, this lesson goes so far as to quote Benjamin Franklin.  But that’s not the reason to note this section.  This may sound like a broken record, but once again we have a Torah Club lesson that quotes “the sages” without ever saying which one, when, or where.  That’s just sloppy scholarship and the kind of thing one can’t ask in follow-up, “Do they really teach that?”  It is also another lesson where not a single Christian theologian of any century is quoted, rather Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzatto’s book is quoted twice at length.  Was this Rabbi a follower of Jesus?  Actually, he was an 18th century mystic who claimed to have received direct divine revelation.  Is this someone whose ideas the followers of Jesus ought to study uncritically?  Should we be taking advice on Christian discipleship from this source?  Significant danger signs that FFOZ doesn't even acknowledge.

“Group Discussion: Read Romans 8:5-14 out loud and discuss.  Keep in mind that the term ‘flesh’ is short for the Hebrew idiom ‘flesh and blood,’ an idiom that refers to the physical human body.” – p. 15

{For comparison, what Romans 8:5-14 actually says is below}

Romans 8:5-14  New International Version   Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.  9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.  12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.  14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

No, no, no, a thousand times no.  The Apostle Paul is NOT warning the church at Rome about the physical human body.  This is a bastardized interpretation of Paul that has no basis in the context of Romans nor the argumentation of Paul in any of his writings.  You are a whole human being, not a spirit at war with your physical body.  These are heresies that the Early Church soundly rejected when they took the form of Gnosticism.  FFOZ is repackaging that ancient heresy, evidently assuming its followers will be unaware that the Church long ago rejected a spiritual vs. physical dualism, or that they won’t care.  Either way, this is NOT what Paul is teaching.

“The physical body, which seeks comfort in this world, does not understand the gravity of the loss, but the soul will later lament every lost opportunity…When the soul leaves the body and returns to the place from whence it came…During that accounting, the soul grieves more over the many lost opportunities to do good and carry out its mission on earth than it does over the transgressions and sins it committed.” – P. 20

Where to begin.  We have in full force the Gnostic dualism and pre-existence of the human soul that the Early Church rejected as heresy.  Here in FFOZ’s Torah Club materials they are taught as facts without any biblical support, one should instead simply trust the extra-biblical sources from which this ideas were taken.   Lastly, will we (not just our souls apart from our body as depicted here) regret more the things we failed to do than the sins we committed?  That probably depends a lot upon the life a person lived, what they did and did not do.  If you’re wondering if this assertion is supported by a text of scripture properly quoted in context, you haven’t gotten the hang of how these Torah Club lessons work yet.

* This material originally appeared as a YouTube video on 1/22/25: The Beginning of Wisdom, lesson #:37 Cataloging the unorthodox teachings of the Torah Club materials

The (Spiritually) Living Dead - Ephesians 2:1-3, sermon video

The diagnosis is terminal.  The patient will not survive.  That's what the Apostle Paul wants us to understand in the verses prior to his great ode to salvation by grace through faith in Ephesians 2:8-9.  He demonstrates the seriousness of humanity's plight by calling those who are Lost apart from God "dead."  They are physically alive, but spiritually dead.  The grip of sin is tight upon them.

This is the state of humanity, individually and collectively, apart from our Creator.  For this reason we need to be saved, we cannot save ourselves.

Sermon Video: When the sins of God's people harm others - Genesis 20

In this chapter, Abraham returns to an old ruse, one he used disastrously back in chapter 12 of Genesis.  Like then, Abraham's plan involves deception and causes harm to others.

So, what do we do when the people who hurt us claim to be God's people?

The first step is to determine if they really are God's people, sadly many charlatans abuse God's name for their own ends.  Abraham was certainly God's guy, God even calls him a prophet in this text.

The second step is to remember that God's people are still flawed people.  Redeemed they may be, but perfect they are not.  They will fail, and those failures will at times harm others.  This isn't God's fault, it is ours.

Lastly, what ought to come next is repentance and an attempt to repair the damage coming from God's people.  In Genesis 20 Abraham does not repent, but God still requires that he be a part of the solution to fix what he has broken.  If/when God's people fail, they ought to be the first ones trying to make it right.

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: "Everything that does not come from faith is sin." - Romans 14:22-23

Having established the grace we need to give each other in disputable matters, Paul ends the discussion with a warning toward those who might act against their own conscience, and thus do so without faith.

Along the way, we also have the important advice to "not condemn ourselves" by approving of things that we should not, and the clarification that it is not with respect to faith in God or his will that we should hesitate to act on faith if we doubt (in that case we ought to "dare Great things for God") but our own understanding, when we doubt ourselves Paul is telling us to err on the side of caution.

Sermon Video: "I do not understand what I do", Romans 7:14-25

In this passage, the Apostle Paul discusses the war that rages within the human heart against sin. The two primary ways to interpret this section both reflect deep theological truths: (1) If this is Paul before he knew Jesus, when he was known as Saul, it reflects the utter hopelessness of human being to overcome sin by our own power, (2) if it instead is Paul after he was born again by faith in Jesus, it reflects the ongoing fight against our still-present sinful nature to imitate Christ. Because the Law of Love supersedes the Law of Moses by demanding right motivation and attitudes along with right action, even those who are in Christ and have the power of the Holy Spirit to bolster them still will have a fight on their hands to overcome not only temptation, but the thoughts that lead to it.

Sermon Video: The Law reveals the depth of humanity's sin - Romans 7:7-13

Having established that we have "died to the law", the Apostle Paul next tackles the question: What then is the relationship between the Law of Moses and human sin?  On the way to the answer, Paul points out that the failure of the Law rests with the human beings whose hearts seized upon the commandments of the Law to add rebellion against it to the list of sins they were already committing (which the Law now explicitly forbade).

In the end, the primary achievement of the Law was to showcase, through a multi-generational failure to keep it on the part of the covenant people, that humanity absolutely needs a savior.  God gave humanity (through the representation of the Israelites as the test case) a system for living in fellowship with him, a system containing both blessings and curses (carrots and sticks) here in this life, but it wasn't enough to overcome the depravity of fallen humanity.  In the end, the Law showed up how far gone we really are, how dependent we are upon God's amazing grace.

Sermon Video: The Gospel in a nutshell - Romans 6:23

The Gospel in one sentence.  Think about that for a moment.  God's plan to redeem humanity from sin and death, to turn humanity history from a tragedy into a triumph, can be summed up in one sentence.  Romans 6:23 does this beautifully, and in it virtually word is worth our pondering.

Sermon Video: Slaves to God? Romans 6:15-22

Contrary to post-modernism, American culture, and the tendency of Baptist theology, we are NOT autonomous individuals.  Here's the thing, there's only two choices: (1) Continue to be a slave to sin, or (2) become a slave to God (and righteousness).  That's it.  "Free agency" is not a thing when it comes to your immortal soul.

In case you're wondering, slavery to God is the path to hope, purpose, fulfillment, and joy.

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.

Sermon Video: "we are those who have died to sin" - Romans 5:20-6:7

Having explained that we have died with Christ, and been raised together with him to new life, the Apostle Paul explores how we then should live now.  The first question is: Should we go on sinning?  To which he answers, "By no means!"  Why not?  Because we have "died to sin", it no longer has the mastery over us.  With the Holy Spirit's power, we can have victory over sin.  It won't be totally removed in this life, but that 'old self' is gone and buried.

Sermon Video: "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:6-8

What is the value of one human life?  What would you be willing to risk, or lose, to save it?  God answers this question definitively from his point of view in that Jesus Christ was willing to die on behalf of the ungodly.  That is, Jesus came to die, not for family or friends, not for the good or the righteous, but for those who were powerless to change their own hopelessly sinful state, a group that happens to include all of humanity.

What did God prove by putting forth and accomplishing this plan of redemption?  How powerful, how effective, and just how amazing his love is, no wonder John would later write that "God is love".  Stand in awe of God's love for lost sinners.

Sermon Video: Jesus Christ: A Sacrifice of Atonement, Romans 3:25-26

On one level, the Gospel is as simple as knowing and accepting that Jesus Christ did for your sins, it is a message that a child can grasp and accept.  On a deeper level lie the questions about how this works and why it was necessary.  The Apostle Paul explains that the sins (rebellion against God) committed by those who have, or one day will, believed in Jesus are paid for by his shed blood on the Cross.  Jesus was a sacrifice of atonement, a substitution taking our place whose death satisfied the full and permanent cost of our sins, because Jesus was both God and Man, and because his life was without sin, his one sacrifice can cover multitudes beyond counting.

Sermon Video: The Resurrection of Jesus - Mark 16:1-8

Much of what we hear and read about in life is colored by hyperbole.  The greatest and most turns out to be a pitch.  Not so the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This moment is the turning point of all history, not just human history, history itself.  Why?  Because this is the moment that humanity's two biggest problems, sin and death, were dealt a blow that will ultimately prove fatal.  It was also the moment that God's plan of reconciliation and renewal for all of Creation passed the point of no return; nothing can stop the final victory of Jesus and the triumph of his Church.

What is our response to this Good News?  Share it!  Tells others, bring hope and joy to places of darkness and despair.

Sermon Video: The Death of Jesus - Mark 15:27-39

Six hours upon the Cross, three of them in darkness, culminating in a cry of "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" What did it all mean? What did Jesus accomplish? How? While hanging on the Cross, Jesus was mocked by those around him, his love was stronger. Everything that was necessary to complete the redemption of humanity was carried out that day by Jesus, and when he set his life down, giving it up willingly, it was not defeat but victory that he ensured.

Sermon Video: Pluck out your eye? Mark 9:42-48

 Utilizing brutally stark imagery, Jesus seeks to impress upon his disciples the seriousness of the things that people do (or fail to do) that lead others into sin or otherwise cause them to 'stumble', particularly when those being affected are those who believe in Jesus.  In addition, Jesus also warns about the seriousness of sin to our own condition, equating it with the kind of handicap that we do fear, when tragically many do not concern themselves with the much greater reality of hell.  What would we be willing to pay, what hardship would we be willing to endure in order to avoid damaging our relationship with God?  For far too many Hell is treated like a remote possibility (like being bitten by a shark in the ocean) rather than the inevitability that it is for all those who spurn the Son of God.