"The Lord of Life and Death" - Henry Knapp

Dysfunction Reigns!

Families are something else. They are wonderfully and beautifully made with intricacy and intimacy—and wildly off-kilter and filled with brokenness and chaos. We don’t have to just look at our own immediate and extended families to discover this truth, we can look right into the pages of Scripture. Our Genesis 25 passage this week about the birth of Jacob and Esau (and their parents who played favorites!) stands out to me as a role model of what a dysfunctional family often consists of. Author Jon Bloom says it the best regarding our family life and the portrayal of families in the pages of the Bible:

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find an example of what we would call a “healthy family” in the Bible? It’s a lot easier to find families with a lot of sin and a lot of pain than to find families with a lot of harmony. For example, here’s just a sampling from Genesis:
• The first recorded husband and wife calamitously disobey God (Genesis 3)
• Their firstborn commits fratricide (Genesis 4:8)
• Sarah’s grief over infertility moves her to give her servant, Hagar, to Abraham as a concubine to bear a surrogate child (Genesis 16). When it happens, Sarah abuses Hagar in jealous anger. Abraham is passive in the whole affair.
• Lot, reluctant to leave sexually perverse Sodom, his home, has to be dragged out by angels and then weeks later his daughters seduce him into drunken incest (Genesis 19).
• Isaac and Rebecca play favorites with their twin boys, whose sibling rivalry becomes one of the worst in history (Genesis 25).
• Esau has no discernment. He sells his birthright for soup (Genesis 25), grieves his parents by marrying Canaanite women (Genesis 26), and nurses a 20-year murderous grudge against his conniving younger brother.

Why is the Bible loud on sinfully dysfunctional families and quiet on harmonious families? Well, for one thing, most families aren’t harmonious. Humanity is not harmonious. We are alienated — alienated from God and each other. So, put alienated, selfish sinners together in a home, sharing possessions and the most intimate aspects of life, having different personalities and interests, and a disparate distribution of power, abilities, and opportunities, and you have a recipe for a sin-mess. 

But there’s a deeper purpose at work in this mess. The Bible’s main theme is God’s gracious plan to redeem needy sinners. It teaches us that what God wants most for us is that we 1) become aware of our sinfulness and 2) our powerlessness to save ourselves, as we 3) believe and love His Son and the gospel He preached, and 4) graciously love one another. And it turns out that the family is an ideal place for all of these to occur!

But what we often fail to remember is that the mess is usually required for these things to occur. Sin must be seen and powerlessness must be experienced before we really turn to Jesus and embrace His gospel. And offenses must be committed if gracious love is to be demonstrated. So if we’re praying for our family members to experience these things, we should expect trouble. In God’s plan, messes become mercies. The family is a crucible of grace. – from Jon Bloom, Not By Sight.

God is not after perfect people or perfect families but redeemed ones to the praise of His glory!

As you prepare for worship this Sunday, read Genesis 25 (especially verses 19-34).

1. What parallels can you find between the family situations of Abraham/Sarah and Isaac/Rebekah? Why would God work in this way?

2. Do you remember the way Abraham responded to Sarah’s barrenness? How does that differ from the way Isaac responds (vs. 21)?

3. In verse 22, the word for the turmoil within Rebekah’s womb is “smashed”—the babies “smashed together” inside her. What physically must this have felt like? Why are we told that here? How does it add to the story?

4. The Lord speaks to Rebekah to explain her troubled womb and to look forward to the future. What do you think Rebekah did with this information?

5. Esau is named for what he looks like, Jacob for what he does. What difference might that make?

6. In verses 29-34, what are the emotions of the two men? Imagine the situation: what is going on here?

7. What is the birthright—from a cultural standpoint and from a redemptive standpoint? What did the world think was Esau’s by birth?

"Tying the Knot" - Henry Knapp

Saying, “I Do” 

One of the great joys of the pastorate is being invited to participate in weddings. Of course, like all pastors, I have my share of “wedding stories” —crazy family dynamics, brides in melt-down, dopey groomsmen, music mishaps, wardrobe malfunctions. I even had one person in the bridal party pass out during the vows—very distracting. 

But, even so, weddings are terrific! Not simply the bountiful smiles, the general atmosphere of happiness, and the good food, I am very excited about the spiritual witness of the coming marriage. One of the primary analogies used in the Scriptures is to model our relationship with God as a marital union. What a marriage looks like between husband and wife is supposed to reflect the way that God loves us. The church is the bride of Christ. Turning from God is described as betraying marital vows—idolatry is adultery. 

Given the importance of this analogy—that our marriages are supposed to look like our “marriage” to God—what marriages we see in the Bible should draw close attention, including the one detailed for us in Genesis 24. 

Our culture has changed. The dating rituals and the process by which people fall in love and marry in contemporary society are far different than other eras. For sure, if the events described in Genesis 24 occurred in 21^st Century America, we would deem it odd indeed. Isaac is a 40-year-old man, yet his ancient father, Abraham, arranges for a marriage, and even that appears to happen in a very random way. If parents suggested such a program to me for how they would get their child married, I would have absolutely no hesitation in seriously questioning their thinking. 

So what can we possibly learn from such a story? Why is it included in the Bible? Is this a guide for Christians on how to find a spouse? And, what about those who are already married? Or, are not going to be married? Or, were married? What if this whole topic is not “on your radar?” Why has God given us this text as part of His Word? 

Perhaps (as with the entirety of the Bible!), the message is not so much about me and us, as about God and His redemption. Perhaps this story is not a guide to our marriages so much as it is a guide to help explain God’s relationship with us. Perhaps the pursuit of the relationship, displayed in such a dramatic, if unfamiliar, manner is about God’s pursuit of us. And, suddenly, this text takes on new meaning. 

As we prepare for worship this week, read Genesis 24. 

1. Why is Abraham’s servant told to “put his hand under Abraham’s thigh?” It is clearly part of the swearing ritual (like shaking hands or swearing in blood). But, why do you think that is part of the ritual? 

2. Why is it so important for Isaac not to take a wife from the Canaanites, but rather Abraham sends his servant all the way back to his people before he originally was called by God? 

3. Why is it stressed that Isaac should not return to that land, but it was ok for the servant to go? 

4. The servant puts out a “test” to find the right woman—whoever says certain words and acts in particular ways. Are these the kind of “tests” we should use to discern God’s will? 

5. The servant’s dealings with Rebekah’s family certainly show respect, and most likely reflect the culture of the day, but may it mean more? 

6. In verses 50-51, it sure appears that Rebekah’s family knows and listens to the Lord. Is there any other way to read this? Does this mean that there were believers far from Abraham’s family? 

7. What does the initial interaction between Isaac and Rebekah tell us about their character? What is being communicated about God’s desires for us?

"The Perfect Prelude" - Henry Knapp

The Binding of Isaac 

An embarrassment of riches. I don’t remember where I first heard the term; but it works so, so very well! Sometimes, there are so many good things, so many just right things, that it can almost be “embarrassing.” So many really quality wide receivers. A plethora of choices at the store. A ton of good ideas for that job. Personally, the phrase works for a multitude of things in my life—my family, my church, my co-workers, and more. In thinking through this week’s text for the sermon, I was again overcome by “an embarrassment of riches,” for this passage of the Bible is so, so very rich. 

Every time we come to the Bible, we see God’s redemptive history—we have a piece of the plan to save the world from sin. But, there is almost always an important ethical or application to our daily lives and, biblical-theological reflection into our God and His ways. And, it is all built upon a rigorous interpretation of the Scripture as a whole. But when we come to “The Binding of Isaac,” we have so much here to explore! 

Chapter 22 of Genesis is in every respect a pivotal chapter in not only the book, but in the entirety of redemptive history. This has been recognized throughout Christian history, and also in Jewish and Islamic faith. All three world religions look at the events of Genesis 22 as fundamental to their respective faiths (note: in Islam, Isaac’s role is replaced by Ismael). Not only is the storyline itself full of drama and excitement, but it so very rich in theology, in exegesis, and in faith application. 

Consider: Exegesis

How do we interpret this story? On one level, of course, this is just a record of what took place—God tested Abraham, and the chapter details Abraham’s response. But, in the context of Genesis as a whole, where God is beginning to work out His plan of salvation, to bring a Savior to the world, a descendant of Abraham himself, what would it mean for Isaac to be sacrificed? The New Testament clearly answers this question (see Hebrews 11). 

Consider: Theology

Everyone is taken by the conclusion of the story, that instead of Isaac, God provides a substitute offering. What could prefigure the work of Christ more? About two thousand years later, God will follow the same pattern, offering His own Son in our stead. What a great picture!

Consider: Daily Christian Application

Abraham is near-universally lifted up as a role model for faith. Confronted with circumstances beyond belief, Abraham nevertheless has faith in the Lord. How does Abraham’s actions and response to God’s command here serve as a model for our own daily journey with the Lord? 

Each of these, and others I could list, could form the basis of a great study of Genesis 22—in terms of how we might grow in light of this passage, we have an embarrassment of riches! As we will not be able to touch on all of these issues on Sunday morning, I encourage you to spend time before and after the worship service, exploring this text: God’s Word is riches beyond belief! 

For Sunday this week, read Genesis 22. 

1. In verse 1, God “tests” Abraham. That is not normally how we think of God interacting with us. Does God still “test” His people? How do we know when He is testing us?

2. Abraham responds to God’s call with, “Here I am.” Now, that probably is just a way of saying, “yes?” But, what else can we say of such a response?

3. Speculate on why God tells Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. What might God be doing here? Note He wants Isaac to be offered as a burnt offering. What might the “burnt offering” part be all about?

4. Verse 3 tells us that Abraham arose early in the morning to do God’s bidding. Why might he have started early in the morning, and what might that say about our own experience?

5. When Abraham tells Isaac in verse 8 that “God will provide a lamb,” does this represent Abraham’s faith? Why else might he have said that to Isaac?

6. Why does the angel prevent Abraham from following through? Does this mean that Abraham was being duped by God?

7. Abraham names the place: “God will provide,” which obviously looks forward to Christ. How can we apply that attitude to the events in our daily lives?

"Growing God's Way" - Doug Rehberg

Lloyd George, the British statesman and prime minister (from 1916 to 1922) had much to contend with during his ministry. There was World War I, the economic crisis, and the Sinn Fein movement for Irish liberation, among other difficulties. Asked how he retained his good spirits, he replied, “Well, I find that a change of nuisances is as good as a vacation.”

Yet, not everyone is so sanguine about change, particularly in the sphere of biblical studies and theology. There is this notion among a wide cross-section of evangelical and reformed Christians today that there is a corpus of understanding that has been once and for all delivered to the church. It is sacrosanct, inviolable, and fully known. And yet, the testimony of the Scripture and the Christian life is that such a conviction is folly.

Spurgeon once said, “The proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom He calls Father. It is a study that has a beginning, but no ending.”

A few weeks ago I buried a dear friend who, until his dying day, remained faithful, available, and teachable. And it’s the teachable part that never ceased to amaze me. He never stopped learning, especially when it came to the character of God and the truth of the Gospel. As an 82-year-old engineer, he continued to preach (as a lay preacher). For more than 40 years he taught large adult Bible studies in several churches. By his own testimony he had learned so much about God’s grace in the final five years of his life that he wished he could go back and redo much of his teaching.

But what really astounded me was that in the final months of his life he began to deeply lament how much of his earlier understanding of God and the good news of the Gospel he had gotten wrong. Through tears he said, “I can’t believe all the things I taught that I thought were true, but weren’t. I feel like I’ve led people astray.” I replied, “There’s no way you led them astray. You always lifted up Jesus and pointed to Him. Besides you just proved the point. Anyone who seeks to teach the things of the Lord who’s not growing and willing to grow is most of the time just teaching their word, rather than God’s Word. You repeatedly ask the Lord to increase your understanding of Him and He answered your prayer!”

Robert Capon once wrote:

Whenever someone attempts to introduce a radically different insight to people whose minds have been formed by an old and well-worked-out way of thinking, he or she is up against an obstacle. Jesus said, their taste for the old wine is so well established that they invariably prefer it to the new.

More than that, the new wine, still fermenting, seems to them so obviously and dangerously full of power that they will not ever consider putting it into their old and fragile wineskins.

But now try to see the point of the biblical imagery of wine-making a little more abstractly. The new insight is always at odds with the old way of looking at things. Even if the teacher’s audience were to try earnestly to take it in, the only intellectual devices they would have to pick it up with are the categories of the old system with which it conflicts. Hence the problem: if he leaves in his teaching a single significant scrap of the old system, they, by their own effort to understand, will go to that scrap rather than to the point he is making and, having done that, will understand the new only insofar as it can be made to agree with the old—which is, not at all.

In recent months I have been confronted over and over again by the truth of Capon’s words. The resistance to new, well-grounded biblical and spiritual insights has never seemed greater within the body of Christ. Faithfulness? Yes. Availability? Yes. Teachability? Sadly no. There’s a dearth of it in so many quarters.

That’s why Sunday’s message, “Growing God’s Way,” seems appropriate. Here in Genesis 21 and the story of Isaac’s birth and early matriculation is a primer on the way Christ calls us all to grow. Like so many biblical texts, I’ve preached Genesis 21 before, but never like this.

In preparation for Sunday’s message you may wish to consider the following:

Who is Aslan in C.S. Lewis’ writings?

The ancient rabbis spoke of four levels of meaning found in the Scriptures: the literal, the suggestive, the investigative, and the allegorical. What are the differences?

Did Jesus use each of them?

What do we see about Isaac’s birth from verse 1?

Why does Sarah say what she says in verse 6?

How is Isaac’s birth like every Christian’s rebirth? (See John 1:12, 13)

How important is the context of Sarah’s command in verse 10?

How does Paul’s teaching in Galatians 4 instruct us as to God’s purpose in verse 12?

What do you make of God’s promise in verse 18?

What does verse 20 tell us about the grace of God?

See you Sunday!

"Keeping His Promise" - Doug Rehberg

Gary was a high school friend of mine. Within days of my arrival in Tidewater, Virginia in 1970 I met him. He was the son of the minister of the church my family had started attending. He was a blond-haired, guitar-playing track guy who looked as Californian as anyone I knew in Virginia.

It was Gary and I who conceived the idea of starting a coffeehouse ministry in the barn of a friend. It was Gary who put together a band that played every night we were open. It was Gary who was the first songwriter I ever met whose music touched the heart and soul of most who listened. It was Gary with whom I spent the most time during those final two years of high school.

Whenever I think of Gary though, there’s one thing that always comes to mind first. His father’s lie. Now fathers are no different from anyone else. I’m sure that there have been plenty of promises that have escaped my lips that I have failed to honor. But this one was a big one. In fact, it was this broken promise that had a clear, deleterious effect on Gary throughout the balance of his life.

The promise was this: “If you keep your grades up, score well on your SATs, and get accepted to a school anywhere in the country, your mother and I will see that you go there.” Now that was a big promise for a former Navy man who had used his government stipend to pay for a Bible school education. Gary’s sister had gone to a community college. If Gary succeeded with his end of the bargain he’d be the first in his family to attend a university.

From the time I met him Gary had his heart set on attending the University of Michigan. For some reason attending Big Blue was his dream. When he finished high school with a top five percent GPA and over 1400 on his SATs he immediately filed his application for admission and within weeks he received his letter of admission.

Now none of this was done in secret. Gary was as transparent as he could be with family and friends. The day the letter came in the mail he was at my house with the widest of smiles. “What did your dad say?” I asked. “I haven’t told him yet. You are the first to know.” “That’s terrific Gary! Let me know as soon as the deal is inked.”

I didn’t hear from him for two days. I thought I’d see him in school, but he was missing. No one knew where he was until the afternoon he showed up at the track. It was after practice and I was sitting by one of the hurdles when he appeared. “Where have you been?” I asked. “I just had to get away, so I’ve just been driving around.” “For 3 days?” “Yep.” “But why?” “Because my father lied to me. He said I could go anywhere I wanted, but now he just laughed at me and said he couldn’t afford it.”

Within two years Gary was dead. I always wondered if he’d still be alive if his dad had made good on that promise.

We hear a lot these days about promises. In fact, if you google the promises of God you’ll find that there’s a debate as to how many there are in Scripture. The range is anywhere from hundreds to thirty-one thousand.

But of all the promises of God there is one that is far and away greater than any other. And it’s one of the first God ever utters. It’s that promise that’s at the heart of Genesis 20, this Sunday’s text. In a message entitled, “Keeping His Promise,” we are going to dig into this promise and see the lengths to which God is willing to go to keep it. In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following:

1. Why does Abraham leave the hill country of Hebron and head to Gerar?

2. What’s the meaning of the name Gerar?

3. The name Abimelech is also a title like Pharaoh. Who is this man king over?

4. What are the similarities and differences between this account and the one in Genesis 12?

5. Why does Abraham want Sarah to be known as his sister?

6. What does verse 3 tell us about God’s relationship to all men and women?

7. Why does God threaten Abimelech?

8. What’s God saying about His sovereignty in verses 6 and 7?

9. Why had God closed all of the wombs in the house of Abimelech?

10. What is the significance of this story?

See you Sunday!

"Salvation at Sodom" - Doug Rehberg

In 2010 Stephan Tchividjian died. For most people beyond his immediate family his death was not a major event. He wasn’t particularly well-known, but his father-in-law was Billy Graham.

In 1962 Stephan married the oldest daughter of Ruth and Billy Graham, Gigi. Together they had seven children including their son Tullian. In his book, One Way Love, he tells of an incident he had with his father when after trying everything from private schools to counselling, his parents kicked him out of the house. And as he writes about it, it sounds a lot like Lot. Tullian writes:

A couple of years after I was kicked out of my house, when I was living in an apartment with some friends, I called my dad and said, “Rent’s due and I don’t have any money.”

My dad asked, “Well, what happened to your job?” I made up some lie about cutbacks or something. He said, “Meet me at Denny’s in an hour.” I said okay.

After we sat down, he signed a blank check, handed it to me, and said, “Take whatever you need. This should hold you until you can find another job.” He didn’t probe. He didn’t give me a limit. And I absolutely took advantage! I not only remember taking that check and writing it out for much more than I needed. I remember sneaking into my mom and dad’s house on numerous occasions and forging his signature. I mastered his signature. I went six months at one point without a job, because I didn’t need one! I completely abused his kindness and he knew it. Years later he told me that he saw every one of those checks being cashed, but he decided not to say anything. It didn’t happen immediately (the fruits of grace are always in the future), but that demonstration of unconditional grace was the beginning of God doing a miraculous work in my heart and life.”

Steve Brown once told me something I will never forget. He said, “Children will run from the law, and they’ll run from grace. The ones who run from law never come back. But the ones who run from grace always come back. Grace draws its own back home.”

The name “Lot” comes from the Hebrews verb, “lut” meaning, “to wrap closely,” “to envelop.” And from the first mention of him in Scripture that’s what we see the Lord doing.

In Genesis 12, after the death of his father, Haran, his uncle Abram takes him under his wing and they set out on a journey from Ur of the Chaldean’s to a land the Lord would show him. In chapter 13 his uncle gives him the best of the land of Canaan (see Genesis 13:10-11). In chapter 14 his uncle rescues him from the hands of his abductors. In chapter 18 his uncle intercedes for him and the city of Sodom. And in chapter 19 Lot and his family are saved from their certain destruction by two angels. His entire story is a picture of God’s enveloping grace, for there is nothing in him to commend him to God or to us.

Arthur Pink once said, “There are those who speak of grace as unmerited favor, but I disagree. Grace is divine favor in the face of absolute demerit.” That’s what we began to see in Lot last week as Henry preached from the first half of chapter 19. That’s what we will see in the balance of his story. It’s not just mercy that God dispenses, it’s pure 150-proof grace.

In preparation for Sunday’s message entitled “Salvation at Sodom,” you may wish to consider the following:

1. On what grounds does Peter refer to Lot as righteous in II Peter 2?

2. Why does Abraham stop with the number 10 in his pleading in Genesis 18?

3. What does verse 29 of Genesis 19 tell us about God and the grace He dispenses?

4. How is Lot a perfect portrait of a carnal Christian?

5. Why do the angels give Lot the same instruction four different ways in verse 17?

6. What is the significance of 19:17(b) when the angels tell him to escape to the hills?

7. Why does Lot ask for something that’s in opposition to God’s will for him and his family? And why does the Lord agree to it?

8. What’s the name Zoar tell us about God’s grace?

9. What’s verse 22 tell us about God’s grace?

10. How do the words of Ezekiel 16:53-63 show us the difference between God and us?

See you Sunday!

"Holding Back" - Henry Knapp

Mercy, Even When We Linger

“Steve, STOP! Steve, GO FORWARD!” This was the command. In a split second I hoped and prayed there would be follow-through obedience. I was just hanging out grilling with a buddy at seminary. We lived in a large apartment complex on campus. Steve was former military. He had just hopped into his van, put his window down on that sweltering day, and begun to back out when disaster loomed. Little Acacia had wandered away from her Mommy on the Gordon-Conwell playground and hung a quick turn right toward the back of Steve’s car as it was backing up. I witnessed it all and screamed to Steve as loud as I could. Five words aptly spoken. Loudly spoken. Steve stopped. Steve went forward. No questions asked. No shenanigans. No “But, WHY, Henrys?” I hollered. He obeyed. Acacia was banged up and bruised as the van had her in the position to drive right over her three-year-old neck, but she was given mercy. Great mercy.

Genesis 19 is all about God’s salvation. It is not about sexual immorality or a “righteous man” called Lot and his family being saved or any other themes that we would like to link to contemporary American culture. It is not primarily about commands and obedience either—but I couldn’t help but think about the kindness and mercy God had on little Acacia that day. This is the same sort of salvation God offers us. There is disobedience—a wandering off—and pending doom and destruction in those wanderings. God shows up in mercy. Is this not why Lot and his household were spared?

This mercy really strikes me, especially in light of our lackadaisical obedience to God’s command. Genesis 19:15-17 tells us of God’s urging to Lot—“Get up and go!” And, Lot’s response? Amazingly, “He lingered.” Lingered? Yep. In light of the coming destruction, Lot and his family lingered. And later on, sadly, the result of this kind of disobedience is found in Genesis 19:26, “Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

For many of us, we are just like Lot. God wants to save us—but we linger. See vs. 16! There is pending doom, yet we hesitate, we prevaricate. We think we know best. We are too self-absorbed. We don’t desire to say “Yes, sir!” but rather “Why?” I have struggled immensely in my life with this issue: If I can’t understand it, than it can’t be true. And, if I don’t like it, then perhaps I just won’t do it. This is a heart filled with unbelief, and this is clearly not what the Lord desires for those who would walk by faith and not by sight. God has offered Lot a “command of salvation”—UP! Take your family and go! Be free! But, no. Lot knew best.

However, Lot’s disobedience was not something that frustrated God’s plan; the Lord could handle Lot’s defiance. Verse 16 clearly states that God Himself acted to save Lot—even amidst Lot’s inaction. The Lord (being merciful to him) brought him out and set him outside the city. Salvation is 100% the work of God. The image of taking Lot by the hand, even seizing him by the hand portrays sovereignty, authority, determination—and mercy. This is the image of mercy in my own willful, disobedient life as well.

To be given a command and not to obey has grave, grave consequences. Not to understand something is very frustrating but is no excuse to disobey the Lord. But, thank you, God, that even amidst our failure, Your mercy overflows!

As you prepare for worship this week, read Genesis 19:1-22.

1. Read Genesis 18:20-21. What do you think is the “outcry” that has come to the Lord? Where did the “outcry” come from?

2. In Genesis 19:1 Lot is described as “sitting in the gate of Sodom.” Why does he do that? Note: in ancient times, city leaders would sit as leaders at the most public of all places in a walled city—the gate. What implications might there be with his “sitting” there?

3. What are all the positive reasons you can think of for Lot to invite these travelers in? What are some negative or cynical reasons?

4. Why would Lot offer his two daughters to the men of the city? What might be the reasons that they are specifically identified as virgins?

5. In verse 14 Lot appears to be amazingly ineffectual as motivating his sons-in-law. Why might that be?

6. How do you explain Lot’s attitude in verse 16? What appears to be Lot’s emotional state at this point?

7. Jumping ahead, Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt because she “looks back.” How is this an excellent description of Lot and his family? Note: salt in ancient times was used much more as a preservative as a flavoring. What was she “preserving”?