Let the Word Do Its Work
Posted by Chris on March 10, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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Sermon for March 10, 2013 – Chris Benjamin
Text: Isaiah 55
A Reconstruction of Paul’s Interactions with Corinth
Posted by Chris on March 6, 2013 under Curriculum, Resources
1. Paul arrived in Corinth and founded the church, staying for a year and a half (Acts 18).
2. He then left for Syria and arrived in Ephesus (Acts 18). From there he wrote a letter that carried an exhortation not to associate with immoral persons in their midst (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
3. The church misunderstood this as a plea for exclusivity (1 Corinthians 5:12).
4. After a visit by Chloe’s people and the reception of a letter from Corinth, Paul finds it necessary to address various questions (7:1). Foremost among these, are the continuing problem of sexual immorality (5:1-8) and division (1:10-11).
5. Timothy is sent with this letter (1 Corinthians 4:17; 16:10) and he is to remind them of Paul’s ethical teaching about Christ.
6. Paul intended on visiting Corinth (2 Cor 1:15), but word reached him that his letter (1 Cor) had troubled the church and they had become critical of Paul and his companions (1:17-22; 3:1; 4:5; 10:1; 10:8; 10:10; 12:16-19). Thus Paul decided that it was best to head to Macedonia via Troas instead of Corinth (2:12).
7. In Troas, Paul hoped to encounter Titus who would have the latest word on Corinth since he had been there recently to begin the collection (8:6). When Paul eventually encountered Titus in Macedonia, there was consoling news that the church had repented (7:9-13).
8. Paul now felt comfortable enough to prepare for a new visit (12:14). However, some were irritated that Paul did not keep his original plans (1:17-21). Thus Paul found it necessary to send along 2 Corinthians with Titus, whom he had urged to restart the collection (12:18).
9. The purpose of 2 Corinthians then was to give Paul’s apology for his missed visit and to warn the Corinthians that he would correct them if they had not handled their problems as they should have (12:21). So, they should put things in order, listen to Paul, and start living peaceably (13:11).
10. Whether Paul made his intended visit is ultimately unknown, but the force of 2 Corinthians suggests he did. Luke’s account in Acts 20:2 only says that Paul went to Greece, but it is possible that Corinth was among the visits that he made in Greece.
Hear the Word of God!
Posted by Chris on March 3, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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Sermon for March 3, 2013 – Chris Benjamin
Mission and Mentoring
Posted by Chris on February 24, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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Sermon for February 24, 2013 – Chris Benjamin
Genesis 10-11: Stairway to Heaven
Posted by Chris on February 17, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons, Uncategorized
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Travis Campbell, campus minister with the Lions for Christ at UAFS, preaches from Genesis 10 and 11.
Genesis 9 – Rainbow in the Dark
Posted by Chris on February 10, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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Travis Campbell, campus minister for the Lions for Christ at UAFS, preaches from Genesis 9.
Ethiopia Mission Trip 2013 – Entry 1
Posted by Chris on February 7, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Missions
Our trip begins today. We are waiting for our flight out of Fort Smith. It’s delayed until 1:46 pm due to weather in Atlanta. But we are all healthy and feeling good. Our team is Jim Wilson, Don Wilson, Kelvin Kleman, Rusty Walker and me.
We were fortunate to get a special deal on two free checked bags thanks to our travel agent. Because of this, I was eligible for a carry-on that I don’t need. So I brought an empty bag and it became our community chest. Rusty put soccer balls that we are giving away into it. Jim had song books and computer cords that we will use for the showing of the Jesus film. Kelvin had some books to carry – they were thick. He must be a fast reader or he was prepared for delays like this.
I like the idea of this group bag. It is very Acts 2 and all things in common. And this bag may retire in Ethiopia. It’s has served the Benjamin family well since we lived in Abilene.
You may also follow Ethiopia Mission Team 2013 on Facebook as they travel, teach and encourage the church in Ethiopia. There are daily posts, pictures, and videos — a wonderful way to pray and participate daily in God’s mission there!
Genesis 7-8: Comfort and Covenant
Posted by Chris on February 3, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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What comes to mind when you hear about Noah’s Ark? Do you think of a children’s story? Do you think of creation science? Do you wonder how dinosaurs fit on the ark? Do you think of a bathtub toy?
Q: What is missing in this picture?
What is missing in this image of a Noah’s Ark play set? The answer is God. Noah, Mrs. Noah, nor their family are the central characters of the story in Genesis. The animals do not even play a prominent role in the unfolding of the action. God is the main actor. God calls for the construction of the ark. God commands the animals. God unleashes the big flood.
The flood in Genesis is unique. The Hebrew word used for flood in Genesis (mabbul) is only used here and in Psalm 29:10. There are other words for flood that could be used, but this word (mabbul) is reserved for this one flood. Perhaps it is because this is more than a flood. Genesis is not attempting to explain some sort of natural meteorological event. Instead, this is an actual “Act of God.”
The mechanics and details of the flood are not important to the story, rather the why of the flood is what matters for the message. Notice why this flood happens: 1) The Fountains of the Deep Erupt, and 2) The Windows of Heaven are Opened.
That doesn’t sound like a natural event. How would this get reported on the Weather Channel? Can Doppler Radar detect activity in the Windows of Heaven or the Fountains of the Deep? Remember in our introduction to Genesis, that the meaning is what we after, more so than the mechanics. The meaning of erupting fountains and windows opening is that God is pulling the pin on creation. He is taking his hand off the wheel. God is loosening the boundaries between earth, ocean, and sky that established the creation in Genesis 1. God is removing his hand that sustains those boundaries and releasing chaos. God is “un-creating” the world. Consider what this means. The world may return to its pre-creation state of formless and void and all God has to do is step away.
Blotting Out
The meaning of the biblical term “blot out” is that God is erasing creation. That term blot out may not be as familiar to us since pen and ink is an ancient art. A more contemporary expression might be that God is deleting.
The super-flood is also the kind of un-creation that will snuff out the breath of life. The spirit of God breathed life into the world. Now God is snuffing out that breath. He does this because he is grieved by the violence that is torturing the earth and the evil imagination in the human heart.
New Covenant
Genesis 5-6: Song of the Sword and the Grief of God
Posted by Chris on January 27, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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In Genesis 4 through 6 there is an upward crescendo of the noise of sin and a deepening of God’s grief. The good creation of God continues to suffer the damage of sin.
The Song of the Sword
Genesis 4:23-24 is called the “Song of the Sword.” It is a boast by Lamech, a descendent of Cain. He is promising that he is far worse than Cain ever imagined. The Song of the Sword is evidence of how damage has been done in creation since Cain. Fear, hatred, vengeance, and death have become a destructive cancer. Still, the beauty of creation is not utterly wiped out. There is thriving, artistry, and beauty in Cain’s children. Lamech leaves behind a double-edged legacy of violence on the one side, and beauty on the other.
In the midst of this deteriorating situation, a child is born and there is hope. In this instance it is Seth, a child born to Eve. Her grief and her hope are mixed. She grieves the loss of Abel at the hands of Cain, but give thanks for the new life in Seth.
A Child of Promise
The family of Seth represents hope. They are the hope that God will work his life-giving agenda through them and that he will renew the creation in all of its goodness. In Genesis 5, there is a different man named Lamech. He has a child that he names Noah, which means “Comfort.” This name represents the hope that through this child, God will continue to empower humanity to be fruitful and multiply.
The agenda of being fruitful and multiplying prevails over the agenda of fear and violence.
Rise of the Giants
Genesis 6:1-4 is a bizarre text. It has sparked the imagination of believers for centuries. Entire stories have grown up out of the mention of the Sons of God and the Nephilim, or “giant ones.” However one chooses to interpret Sons of God, daughters of men, and Nephilim, the text points to the fact that a boundary between heaven and earth has been crossed and consequences follow. Whatever is going on exactly, God has a problem with it. This mingling of heaven and earth is not the way it is supposed to be.
The spirit of life that comes from God is being abused. As a result, God withdraws this spirit of life.
Grief of God
Don’t miss this text. We too often overlook it. God is grieved that the image of God that he placed in humanity is being replaced by the imagination to do evil. An evil imagination is not what God intended. God regrets what has happened and yet he doesn’t want to wipe out creation. God is left with few options except to blot out all life. And the one hope that he can find is Noah. Noah found favor with God.
God is sympathetic with every parent who grieves because his or her child is not what they intended for them to be. God is sympathetic with every spouse that grieves over a spouse who is not the person they hoped they would be. God is sympathetic with every church leader, every teacher, ever person who grieves because the church and community is less than intended.
Our song is not a song of the sword that promises protection because of our own paranoia and pride. Instead, we will speak word of blessing and prayers of hope that will raise up people and a generation that will find favor with God.
Genesis 3-4: Damaged Goods
Posted by Chris on January 20, 2013 under Front Page Posts, Sermons
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When sin appears, the good creation of God is damaged. But before we go any farther, let us set aside incorrect notions of sin that miss the point entirely . . .
Sin is Not . . .
1. Sex – God made male and female. His commission was to be fruitful and multiply. Historically, sex has been identified as “the original sin,” but this does not fit with biblical teaching. Sex is part of God’s good creation, but like many other good things in creation sin sometimes corrupts, abuses, or distorts sex. However, this is no reason to equate sex with sin.
2. Total Depravity – The doctrine of Total Depravity is an example of a concept taken to an extreme. The implications of this doctrine have gone beyond what anyone involved in its origin may have ever intended. The sad result is that too many believers feel like the natural state of humanity is depravity, and the articulation of this tends to be rather hopeless and crushing. In the Genesis story, humanity is not depraved. Rather, the good humans are deceived.
3. Genetic Flaw – Although rare, there are some who might contend that sin is a type of genetic flaw in our species. This is more than likely a scientific retelling of the doctrine of original sin, which asserts that sin is passed on from our ancestors. Nothing at all in the text or the story affirms that genetics has anything to do with sin.
4. A Foreign Substance in Creation – There is no substance called “sin.” It is not a new element within creation. Rather, sin is a warping, distorting, or damage of the good creation.
“Leave God Out of This”
If we follow the conversation in Genesis 3, then we gain a better perspective on sin and just how damaging it is. The serpent talks about God. He does not talk to God or with God. God is objectified.
Next, the boundaries that God established are restated as options. Those boundaries are part of God’s creative genius. When God separated things like night and day, land and sea, ocean and sky, he was creating and making the world good. When those boundaries are crossed, damage occurs. When eggs have been scrambled, they cannot be unscrambled.
Sin is, at a very basic level, a willfulness that causes damage to and within God’s creation. Sin is our attempt to live in the world on our own terms rather than God’s terms.
“If you refuse to do what is right, then watch out!” – Gen. 4:7
“Sin Lies At The Door”
In Genesis 4, we are told yet more about the damaging nature of sin. Sin’s destructive power goes beyond individual destruction, punishment, pain or judgment. Sin attempts to dominate us. God created humanity to have dominion over creation. Sin is the counter to the good dominion. Sin desires to consume us and ruin the godly dominion that shares in the creation project.
God recognizes the viral nature of sin and he warns Cain that sin is crouching at his door. He warns Cain that if he will not exert some sort of rule over the sin, which may be nothing more than not “opening the door,” then the sin will consume him.
The sad outcome is that Cain does open the door to sin and the damage follows. Because of Adam and Eve’s willfulness, there’s already a disruption in the relationship between God and humanity. There is also a disruption in the relationship between male and female. Shame enters into the equation. The exile from the garden is the first sign of the disruption in humanity’s relationship with the rest of creation.
After Cain slays Abel, the earth is tainted by blood shed in anger. Now the relationship between human beings is disrupted by violence and the need for justice. Cain is concerned about retaliation. All the world suffers due to violence and the threat of violence.
The Gospel of God’s Grace
God doesn’t back out or give up on humanity and creation. He covers their shame (nakedness). He covers over that which causes them to lie, to hide and feel shame. God transforms the death-dealing situation with life-giving options.
The good news is that God believes in us. He believes that we can overcome and do well. If God did not believe in us, then why would he call us to do better and why would he call us to be holy? That would be cruel if God were just saying these things when he knows it is impossible. We certainly need God’s help, but God is still calling to us to join in the newness.
The good news is also the fact that sin cannot eliminate the goodness in creation. It may cloud the goodness. It may stain it or fracture it, but the goodness is still present.
We are damaged by sin, but not defined by sin. We are called to overcome the sin. God is empowering us to resume our rightful place in ruling over creation. We are called to grow and mature. We may become more like our king, Jesus Christ.