saints & SINNERS: #1: Samuel: The Voice of God, Calling and Church Discipline

Have you never read what David did?

// Jesus (Mark 2.25)

Text: 1 Samuel 3.1-19

Saints & Sinners

The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of imagining a new primary color, or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in.

            // C.S. Lewis, Miracles

 The obvious fact is that man is a child of nature, subject to its ways, compelled by it necessity, driven by impulses, and confined within the brevity of the years which nature permits its varied organic forms. The other less obvious fact is that man is a spirit who stands outside of nature, life, himself, his reason and the world. In its purest form the Christian view of man regards man as a unity of God-likeness and creatureliness in which he remains a creature even in the highest spiritual dimensions of his existence.

// Reinhold Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of Man

 Psalm 8.3-6

what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

God’s Speaks: Creation & Scripture

Romans 1.20

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

"God our maker knows all about us before we say anything (Ps. 139.1-4); but we can know nothing about Him unless He tells us. Here, is the reason why God speaks to us: not only to move us to do what He wants, but to enable us to know Him so that we may love Him. Therefore God sends His word to us in the character of both information and invitation. It comes to woo us as well as instruct us; it not merely puts us in the picture of what God has done and is doing, but also calls is into personal communion with the loving Lord himself."

            // J.I. Packer

 

HYMN: “O Word of God Incarnate”

O Word of God O wisdom from on high

O truth unchanged, unchanging, O light of our dark sky;

We praise thee for the radiance that from the hallowed page,

A lantern to our footsteps, shines from age to age

O make thy church, dear Savior, a lamp of purest gold,

To bear before the nations thy true light, as of old.

O teach thy wand’ring pilgrims by this their path to trace,

Till, clouds and darkness ended, they see thee face to face.

                                                                         // William Walsham How, 1867

Church Discipline & Accountability

Matthew 18.15-17

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector. 

1 Timothy 1.20

 20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

1 Corinthians 5.9-13

 9I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.

12What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you. 

James 5.20

20remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Revelation 2.20

20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 

Failure to keep reconciliation as the primary goal of church discipline has led to many abuses of the process in the history of the church, but for true reconciliation to happen there needs to be honest change in the person or person being disciplined.

            // John White and Ken Blue, Church Disciplines That Heals

Skeptics Forum #5: Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?

The existence of Jesus of Nazareth is undeniable.

 John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 Hebrews 2:14

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil…

 John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. 

// Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews xviii 3.3

Second Fact: The death of Jesus of Nazareth is undeniable.

 Matthew 27:44-50

The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

 On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu [Jesus] was hanged. Forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried: "He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favour, let him come forward and plead on his behalf." But since nothing was brought forward in his favour he was hanged on the eve of the Passover. 

// The Talmud Sanhedrin 43a

Third Fact: The resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is debated but undeniable.

The Swoon Theory: Jesus didn’t die he simply passed out and woke up in the grave.

Logic:        Roman soldiers…      

    Perils of crucifixion…

                    The fear of leaders…

 Biblical Proof:

 Matthew 27:57-60

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away.

 Stolen Body Theory: The Roman Soldiers were sleeping and the disciples stole the body.

 Logic:       Disciples in disarray…

                    Rome’s elite guard…

Biblical Proof:

 Luke 24:10-12

Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles. But these words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings only; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

 Matthew 27:65-66

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.”

And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

Wrong Tomb View:        The disciples went to the wrong tomb-no wonder Jesus wasn’t there.

 Logic:        Women had just been there…

                     Peter knew exactly where to go…

Biblical Proof:

 Matthew 28:1-8

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalen and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.

What if I don’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

 1 Corinthians 1:18

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

 1 Corinthians 15:3-14

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.  After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

What if I do believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

 1 Corinthians 15: 42-45, 47-49

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body…As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heaven so also are those who are heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Question:  Where’s the body?

Skeptics Forum #4: Why does a Good God Allow Evil and Suffering?

Evil constitutes the biggest single argument against the existence of an almighty, loving God.

       // John W. Wenham, philosopher

 The effort to demonstrate that evil disproves God is now acknowledged by almost all sides to be completely bankrupt.

       // William Olsten, philosopher

The Problem:

Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to; or he cannot and does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, and does not want to, he is wicked. But, if God both can and wants to abolish evil, then how come evil is in the world?

       // Epicurus, philosopher

The Response of Other Worldviews: Is There Really Evil in the World?

The problem of evil is not unique to Christianity. Indeed every philosophical theory has to deal with it in some way.

       // R.C. Sproul, philosopher

Eastern / New Age:

Evil is but an illusion.

       // Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health

Atheism:

Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Why then is there evil?

       // David Hume, atheist

A Christian Response: Philosophical and Personal

The Problem Restated:

A loving God would want to eliminate evil.

An all-powerful God would be able to eliminate evil.

Yet evil still exists.

Thus, God cannot exist.

The argument assumes a common understanding/recognition of objective moral values such as “love” and “evil” and thus objective moral values exist. The existence of objective moral values is a strong evidence for the existence of God.

For evil to exist, it requires an objective moral judgment. Without God and absolutes, there may be obstacles, inconveniences, and un-pleasantries with individuals subjective desires and needs, but these cannot be called evil. Prescriptive morality is necessary to the concept of evil. When people object to evil they must appeal beyond their godless world to an objective standard of goodness.

       // Kenneth Richard Samples, philosopher

When I was an atheist my argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of “just” and “unjust”? What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? Of course I could have just given up my idea of justice by saying that it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too—for the argument depended on saying that the word was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my private fancies. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple.

// C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Could there really be any such thing as horrifying wickedness if there was not God? I don’t see how. There can be such a thing only if there is a way that rational creatures are supposed to live, obligated to live. A non-theist way of looking at the world has no place for genuine moral obligation of any sort, and thus no way to say there is such a thing as genuine and appalling wickedness. Accordingly, if you think there really is such a thing as horrifying wickedness then you have a powerful argument for the reality of God.

       // Alvin Plantinga, philosopher

The argument assumes that God has no reason(s) to allow evil.

God’s Glory is displayed in light of evil and suffering and will ultimately be displayed in his ultimate prevailing over evil.

Conscientious human parents often allow their children to undergo difficulties and pain…they allow problems because the experience produces greater good within their children—independence, perseverance, strength, courage, wisdom, and maturity…God may similarly allow evil and suffering to exist because they serve a greater purpose for human beings and the universe, and ultimately lead to the greater glory of God himself.

       // Kenneth Richard Samples, philosopher

Romans 9.17

For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

John 9.1-3

¹As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

1 Corinthians 15.24-26

²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

God uses evil and suffering for the greater good.

All the evils we find around us are logically necessary conditions of greater goods, that is to say that greater good couldn’t come about without the evil or at any rate the natural possibility of evil.

       // Richard Swinburne, philosopher

Acts 2.23-24

²³This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,^[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. ²⁴But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Out of this horrible incident of malice and agony came divine redemption for sinners. God brought the greatest good out of the greatest evil.

       // Kenneth Richard Samples, philosopher & theologian

God uses evil and suffering to bring people to himself and mold people into the image of Jesus.

Luke 13.1-5

¹Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ²Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

Romans 5.3

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Interlude: Keeping God’s Sovereignty in View

Romans 8.28

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.

God may hate a thing as it is in itself, and considered simply as evil, and yet . . . it may be his will it should come to pass, considering all consequences. . . . God doesn't will sin as sin or for the sake of anything evil…sin will come to pass for the sake of the great good that by his disposal shall be the consequence. His willing to order things so that evil should come to pass, for the sake of the contrary good, is no argument that he doesn't hate evil, as evil.

       // Jonathan Edwards, theologian

Evil does have a place in the great scheme of things. God intended all along not only to run the risk of free human beings sinning, but to allow things actually to take this course with full foreknowledge of the consequences—and did so because God preferred on the whole the global result of the drama of sin and salvation to a world without it…evil was necessary for that drama.

       // John G, Stackhouse, philosopher

In one sense God wills that what he hates come to pass, as well as what he loves… This is a fundamental truth that helps explain some perplexing things in the Bible, namely, that God often expresses his will to be one way, and then acts to bring about another state of affairs (i.e., God opposes hatred toward his people, yet ordained that his people be hated in Egypt; God opposes the murder of innocent people and yet ordained that Jesus be crucified).

       // John Piper, pastor and theologian

The argument assumes that because evil still exists, and God hasn’t yet eliminated it, its presence speaks to His absence.

To say that God doesn’t exist because evil is still present is simply unreasonable…Just because God is all-powerful and all-good doesn’t mean He must destroy evil now. Rather, if God is all-powerful, He can destroy evil; and if he is all-good, He will destroy evil. Our finite minds simply do not know when.

       // Norman Geisler, philosopher

God who has created morally responsible creatures may have chosen to eliminate evil through a careful process that initially allows it.

       // Kenneth Richard Sample, philosopher

A Loving God would want to eliminate evil.

An all-powerful God would be able to eliminate evil.

Though evil exists now, God will eliminate it in the future.

       // Alvin Plantinga, philosopher

What is Evil?

Evil is not a being, thing, substance or entity.

Evil is real but it is not a real thing. It is not a substance. It is more about disordered love; distorted will. God did not make it…

       // Peter Kreeft, philosopher

The first evil act of will, since it preceded all evil deeds in man, was rather a falling away from the work of God to its own works…Consequent deeds were evil because they followed the will’s own line, and not God’s…Moreover, though an evil will is not natural but unnatural because it is a defect, still it belongs to the nature of which it is a defect, for it cannot exist except in a nature.

// St. Augustine, City of God XIV

The Origins of Evil: Responsibility of Man (in light of the Sovereignty of God)

Freewill of Creatures Led to Evil

Genesis 2.15-17

¹⁵The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

Genesis 3.6

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Why did God give us free will and allow us to misuse it? The question is misleading. One gives a polish to a table or a pony to a schoolboy, but one does not give three sides to a triangle or free will to a human being. Free will is part of our essence. There can be no human being without it. The alternative to free will is not being a human being but a machine.

       // Peter Kreeft, philosopher

To create creatures capable of moral good, God must create creatures capable of moral evil.

       // Alvin Plantinga, philosopher

Acts 2.23

This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

God’s Solution to Evil and Suffering: Identification (Incarnation) and Defeat (Cross)

John 1.1, v.14

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Romans 8.3-4

³For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man,

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 4.15

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

God has himself gone through the whole human experience from the trivial irritations of family to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death.

       // Dorothy Sayers

Colossians 2.14-15

¹⁴having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

A warrior could defeat his opponent by standing still and taking his enemies best blows–indeed to absorb all his blows one after another until the enemy literally exhausts his power and collapses, spent.

       // John G. Stackhouse, philosopher

Jesus’ work on the cross did indeed defeat evil.

       // Norman Geisler, philosopher

Hope in the Midst of Suffering: The Promise of the New Creation

“I thought you were dead!” Sam said. “Is everything sad going to come untrue?”

       // J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Romans 8.18

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Revelation 21.4

I saw a new heaven and a new earth...coming down out of heaven from God…and He shall wipe every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall be no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain...