BibleScribbler

Coffee, a Bible, and a Napkin to Scribble On

Teaching at a Valentine’s Dinner

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These are some of the scripture notes from Notion. I’ll fill in some of my points afterward.

Basically, I’m making the case that we were put here to build something together, and the thing we’re building is the Body of Christ!

Here’s the recording, in case you want to hear what I said. I talked about how God created us to build up the Garden of Eden.

Failing that, we got an even better task, to build up one another, which is the Church. Scriptures after the recording.

Genesis 2:5 (ESV): When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,

Genesis 2:15 (ESV): The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Genesis 2:18 (ESV): Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” ‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Ain’t No Circumcisions Happening in Sodom, Abraham

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In Genesis 17-18 there are two contrasts that should not be overlooked.

What is going on with the private parts of Abraham vs. the men of Sodom?

Ishmael is 13, Abraham 99, Sarah is 90. We don’t know how old Hagar is. God tells Abraham to circumcise every man in the house. That is a big deal! These are grown men! And once that happens it is 3 months before Sarah is pregnant!Circumcision in the primitive world was and is an extremely risky business. Now there are machines and tools and anesthetic, but to a man then it was flint knives, topical pain killer (maybe) and blood! Plus the risk of doing something wrong and being permanently harmed, or a painful infection, or both one after another.

Circumcision in the primitive world was and is an extremely risky business. Now there are machines and tools and anesthetics, but to a man then it was flint knives, topical pain killer (maybe) and blood! Plus the risk of doing something wrong and being permanently harmed, or a painful infection, or both one after another.So Abraham submits to it as do all the men in the house. It was a rough month that week.

So Abraham submits to it as do all the men in the house. It was a rough month that week.In the mean time, over in Sodom, men are doing whatever they want with their privates. When the visitors come to the city, all the men that hang out in the square just about

In the mean time, over in Sodom, men are doing whatever they want with their privates. When the visitors come to the city, all the men that hang out in the square just about riot over wanting to rape the visitors.A riot! Because they can’t rape the visitors to the town!

A riot! Because they can’t rape the visitors to the town!>but before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.

but before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people to the last man, surrounded the house.

These men were under the savage control of their sexual desires. These guys would have never circumcised themselves for the Lord. They would never take the risk of pain or infection or death or giving up their sexual abilities. They wouldn’t even give up the pleasure for a night for the sake of righteous abstinence, much less the month of circumcision pain and recovery!

What do we live for today, men? You can’t watch a football game without a bikini commercial for salad dressing and you can’t read a blog post without some cleavage in the sidebar ad!

Be inspired by the faith of Abraham. He put it ALL on the line, and a year later was only the beginning of God giving him what God had fully promised.

Chapel talk about Noah

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I was able to preach at chapel at the Evansville Rescue Mission. I talked about Noah and Genesis 5-7.

I’m going to try to go through some sections at the Mission that cover Bible stories we’ve heard in Sunday School at a rated G, coloring sheet level, but may have never gone back and read as an adult with real depth. This is what I hope is the first of this series.

 

(Meta: I’m also experimenting with podcast options, so give me feedback on this listening experience.)

You can also listen to it right here: 

Or listen via iTunes

What is Going on with Entitlement

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Outline: Westminster Entitlement Sermon

My Birthday week

  • You know you are going to get presents
  • You know you’ll get to eat food you like
  • You might get some other privileges you don’t usually get
  • You only see entitlement in the eyes of the people around you

Sometimes the Holy Spirit shows you something and it’s like finding the one piece of the puzzle that makes all of the other pieces fit together.

Last week I talked about the sermon on the mount NOT being a new law. At the same time, there are things in there that show us the intent of God. They show us what is really important in a situation.

  • Love your neighbor as yourself

    But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:44,
    45 NET)

  • Give and serve in secret

    “Be careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen
    by people. Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in
    heaven. Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a
    trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in synagogues and on
    streets so that people will praise them. I tell you the truth,
    they have their reward. But when you do your giving, do not let
    your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your
    gift may be in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will
    reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 NET)

  • Seek first God’s Kingdom and God’s Righteousness

    "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33 ESV)

There is more going on than we can see

There are more important things going on around here than the affairs of men

Jacob’s Dream

And he came to a certain place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven.
And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Genesis 28:11-17 ESV)

Jacob had never talked to God. God had appeared to Abraham, his grandpa, and to Isaac, his father. Jacob had heard about God, and had seen his dad and his grandfather’s lives lived in reverence and respect and faith in God, but this is the first moment Jacob sees God. God gives Jacob the exact same promise He gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will bless you, your family will spread over the entire earth, and I will be with you until the end.

There is more going on here than just a wilderness trip on his way to find his wife.

There is more going on here in Evansville than just our daily jobs. Than just our family interactions and our problems with our neighbors or the city council.

I think God is longing for each one of us to have that aha moment when we say “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.”

God wants us to see Him

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. (John 5:19, 20 ESV)

I am wrought with insanely great ideas and lofty ambitions. Not a day does by, and I’m not exaggerating, it’s just how I’m wired, that I don’t have an incredible business idea or a solution to a system or a resolution of something I want to do to make something or myself great.

Do you notice that Jesus didn’t invent electricity, or develop a sustainable food distribution system that would stamp out hunger? He didn’t train his disciples in a perfect government structure or even a perfect church system or structure.

He told them to look at the father. He told them the same thing God told Jacob.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 ESV)

Remember that stuff about me being entitled on my birthday? God is the only one that is entitled to anything. God is the only one worthy of compliments, praise, thanks, blessing, honor, or authority.

We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:19, 20 ESV)

Jesus is caught and not taught. We don’t draw near to God because of facts that we memorize, but because of work that we see happening above and beyond what is really going on.

Let us chuck our worldly ambitions and activities to see what our Father is doing, and then go after that!