Time-bound particulars or Timeless principles? David's sin with Bathsheba

When considering the interpretation and application of a passage of Scripture, it is necessary to evaluate it regarding whether it is an example of time-bound particulars or timeless principles.  An example debated within the Bible itself as recorded in the book of Acts is whether or not new Gentile Christians ought to obey the commands in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) regarding circumcision.  In the end, first Paul, and then the Jerusalem council agree that while the command of circumcision is normative for the descendants of Abraham (Jews) for all time, the time-bound particulars of it do not apply in the same way to Gentile converts operating under the New Covenant.  While the principle of being a sacred people, called by God to be holy, still applies to the Church (and its new initiation rite, baptism), the expression of that principle given to God for Israel did not apply to the Church.
Consider the case of David's lustful adultery with Bathsheba which is recorded in 2 Samuel 11.  On the one hand, the time-bound particulars of the situation might seem vastly different than any modern situational equivalent: David was a Jew (Law of Moses), living in ancient Israel, where he was a king, and his society still tolerated (wrongly) polygamy.  Where is the connection to your average Christian married man of Gentile background (Law of Grace), living in modern America, where he is an average citizen of no real power/wealth?  And yet, one need not find superficial connections between David's circumstances and those of a modern married Christian man because the timeless principles upon which David's actions are judged are not bound by his circumstances.  When David saw Bathsheba, lusted after her, sought her ought, had sex with her, and then conspired to have her husband killed so that he could keep her for himself, he violated the 6th and 7th commandments, "You shall not murder", "You shall not commit adultery", as well as the 10th, "You shall not covet your neighbor's...wife" {Exodus 20: 13,14,17 the numbering of the commandments varies by tradition}  If a modern married Christian man were to meet a woman, lust after her, have sex with her, and then conspire to have his own wife and her husband killed so they could be together, he too would be violating these same commandments.  While David was King of Israel, his actions were the same as thousands of other men (and women) who have befouled the sacred marital bed by allowing lust to lead to adultery.  While the circumstances surrounding a modern day affair (far too polite a word for actions that both anger God and tear families apart) bear little resemblance to David's palace intrigue, one need not struggle to apply the moral lesson given by the prophet Nathan to David when he rebuked him, "Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?" (1 Samuel 12:9)  Times may have changed, but lust is still lust, marital infidelity is still marital infidelity, and conspiracy to rid oneself of a rival is still murder. 
In the end, there are certain passages of Scripture, commands and rituals, which either no longer apply in the New Covenant to the Church, or no longer apply in a modern world with free democratic citizens; at least not in the same way that they applied to our ancestors in the faith.  On these occasions we must seek out the timeless principles upon which these passages rest and then consider how to apply those principles to our situation; a more difficult task.  However, this may not be necessary as often as we think, for human nature has not changed in the past few thousand years, God's nature, in particular his justice, holiness, and righteousness, have never changed.  The people of the Bible were people just like us, facing the same temptations and trials (even if in different packaging), and needing, just as we do, the grace of God to overcome them.

Sermon Video: One body, many parts - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Having expressed the variety of gifts given by the Spirit to the Church (local and universal), Paul next emphasizes the unity within that church, as one body made up of many parts.  The analogy emphasizes both the need for each part to be connected to the body, and the need for the body to have all its parts both connected and functioning properly in order to be healthy.  Thus the church needs to be unified, a status that is much easier when each part (person) within it feels both welcome and appreciated.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

NO politician will ever be, "like the Second Coming" to claim such is blasphemous

Let me be clear at the outset, this warning pertains to ANY politician or their supporters who have the audacity to make a comparison to Jesus Christ, in particular those who claim themselves to be Christians.  In 1966, John Lennon of The Beatles said, "We're more popular than Jesus" the reaction was predictably massive, but what if someone claimed far more than being more popular than Jesus, that a politician was loved, "like he is the Second Coming of God"?  Conspiracy theorist and radio host Wayne Allyn Root recently said just that, and the politician he was referring to responded with, "Thank you...Wow!"

I’m an evangelist and a Trump voter. But Trump as the ‘second coming of God’ is blasphemous. - Jay Lowder, the Washington Post {A link to an opinion piece from 8/22 that also addresses political issues; take it for what you will, my own voting record and political preferences are not discussed here, nor will they be; this is a religious issue, where politics are trampling upon holy ground, and as such it needs to be addressed.}

While it has not been uncommon for political and religious leaders to be labeled The Anti-Christ by their critics (For example: Martin Luther's denouncement of Pope Leo X, or speculation about Napoleon when he was seemingly unstoppable conquering Europe), it is less common for any significant political or religious leaders (discounting small cult leaders like David Koresh with relatively tiny followings) to compare themselves, or be compared by others, to The Chosen One, The Messiah, or The Second Coming.  Why?  Two simple reasons: (1) fear of provoking God's wrath when any flawed human being places himself/herself, or is placed, upon equal footing with the holy and righteous sinless Son of God, (2) and humility.
In the Gospels, some of those who opposed Jesus did so precisely because he made claims such as, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30) or "before Abraham was I AM" (John 8:58, the I AM emphasis is mine to reflect how his audience heard the statement, as a claim of equality with the LORD).  How did Jesus overcome this hesitancy?  Through signs, wonders, profound teaching, a spotless life, and most importantly, the vindication of being raised from the dead.
Is there a Biblical example of someone claiming divine status who was unworthy of it?  Actually there are two prominent examples, and it didn't go well for either one.  Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon, perhaps the mightiest ruler on earth, but he became full of himself as evidenced by his command that his subjects bow in worship of a golden statue of himself.  Later, the prophet Daniel warned him of his hubris, after which,
Daniel 4:28-33
28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”
31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”
33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.
The second example is in the book of Acts where Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great) receives praise from sycophants hoping to earn his favor but in his vanity willingly accepts it,
Acts 12:21-23 New International Version (NIV)
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
While it is not our business to expect or pronounce any tragedy as divine judgment (for God alone knows his own mind), it is still a form of idolatry (and therefore beyond the pale) for any Christian to elevate ANY leader beyond the status of a mere servant in the House of the Lord, and it is a gross sin for any self-proclaimed Christian, having come to Christ as a hopeless sinner in need of God's grace and mercy (or at least by claiming to be a Christian, letting people believe you have done so), to allow himself/herself to be held up as any sort of Chosen One, as if God had any need of a 2nd Messiah.
When Christ returns, as he promised to do when he ascended into Heaven, it will not be open to debate, the signs will not be ambiguous, as Jesus himself warned his disciples,
Matthew 24:23-27 New International Version (NIV)
23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
On a related topic: How is it that we, as Christians, can be so misguided as to believe that the answer to our nation's problems lie chiefly in the political realm?  Is humanity beset by poor choices or by sinful rebellion against God?  Does our system need to be tweaked to create a moral society, or do we need a complete transformation that only the Spirit can provide by saving the Lost?  Did Christ leave behind a Church to do his will through acts of service, or a kingdom (empire, nation) to accomplish his will through coercion and might?  Do we have a government problem, or a sin problem?  I'm all for better governance, more equitable and just laws, and ethical factors mattering in the decision making process; and I have no doubt we are a long way from what an ideal government would look like, but that panacea is not where our hope lies, it is a mirage that will remain always beyond the horizon.  We, all of us, have a spiritual need that requires a spiritual solution.  We have been given that one solution, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who died in our place and offers us salvation by faith.  We have already been given our hope, because he was, and is, the Chosen One, the Messiah, and he will be the Second Coming of God; he and no other, period.  To put anyone else, even by comparison, into that category, is an act of blasphemy.

Sermon Video: Many gifts, one Spirit - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

As he introduces ten gifts given by the Holy Spirit to benefit the Church, Paul emphasizes that while they may look different, they are all given at the discretion of the Spirit for the same purpose: the common good.  Given this, the Church requires the contributions of numerous people who have received those blessings from God, working together and sharing responsibility, for the sake of the Gospel mission.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video - The Holy Spirit: "Jesus is Lord", 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

By way of introducing the topic that is contained in chapter 12, the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the Church, the Apostle Paul chooses to make clear to the Christians at the Church of Corinth that the Spirit of God only works in/through those who affirm that, "Jesus is Lord."  For the 1st Century Church, this meant that there was no path to God in the Greco-Roman paganism from whence they came, for they worshiped only "mute idols".  For the Church in the world today, this translates to a commitment to the exclusivity of the Gospel, the conviction that to "have life", as John makes explicit in 1 John 5:12, one must first "have the Son".  In practical terms this means that those individuals/churches/denominations/cults which reject that Jesus is the God/Man, the Son of God and Son of Man, have with that rejection also walked away from the Truth of Gospel.  Two primary examples of this failure would be the theology of the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons, both of whom proclaim a lesser version of Jesus as a created being who is like God, but certainly not "Lord" in the same sense that Paul here proclaims.  At the same time, the emphasis on the Spirit's presence wherever Jesus is proclaimed as Lord reminds us of our need to offer love and fellowship to Christians with whom we disagree upon things less crucial than this, for assuming there is evidence of the Spirit in their midst (i.e. lives transformed showing righteous deeds), God is as much there as he is here among people like us.

To watch the video, click on the link below: