Sermon Notes from "An Unplanned but Necessary Message: Contend for the Gospel Delivered to You." Sermon by Mitch Chase.

[Yesterday evening at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, Mitch Chase continued a series on the book of Jude. Below are my notes from his second sermon in this series.]

I. Introduction: How do men deny Christ?

A.  Through false doctrine;

B. Through an ungodly lifestyle.

II. Verse 3

A. Background
1. Jude's initial intention is re-directed due to circumstances;
2. Jude appears to have intended a letter of rejoicing and celebration concerning the gospel.

B. "The Faith"
1. This term refers to the gospel;
2. The gospel is the good news of God's grace through Jesus Christ.

C. "Appeal"
1. "Urging," "exhorting," "pleading;"
2. With urgency, Jude quickly gets into the subject-matter of the letter.

III. Verse 4

A. "Certain men"
1. Jude does not here include names nor numbers [though naming names is not necessarily wrong, as seen by Paul's practice in some of his epistles];
2. Jude does not include details of the false teachers' theological confession, but since they were apparently accepted within the church, they may have given lipservice to orthodoxy.

B. "Crept in unawares:" vigilance within the church may have been lacking.

C. "Condemnation"
1. There interlopers are part of a pattern-- seen in the OT-- of those who stray and bring judgment upon themselves;
2. By implication, we must not follow their way; the stakes could not be higher.

D. "Ungodly men:" this label draws upon the OT division of all people into two categories (see Psalm 1).

E. "License for immorality:" as exemplified in OT Israel's history.

F. "Deny our only Master and Lord"
1. Probably not overtly, as noted above, but with their lifestyle;
2. "Master" speaks to the servant-master relationship already mentioned in this letter; "Lord" speaks to Christ's deity.

IV. Conclusion

A. The Doctrine of Grace is always subject to distortion by sinners.

B. We must reckon with the devastating consequences of sin.

C. Romans 6:1-14.

"White Guilt" and Corporate Repentance

Last March 30, on his "Cross and the Jukebox" podcast, Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, noted:

Invariably, when I do anything on the issue of race, racial reconciliation, and so forth, I'll get some hate mail from some white supremacists or individuals, and one of the things that they'll often say is that I'm a victim of white guilt... I think, to some degree, it's true that there is a sense of guilt of a people for injustice that as taken place, but I don't think that's a bad thing. I think that the feeling of guilt is indicative of a real guilt that is present there...

As Dean Moore said these words, I remembered the 1995 resolution of the Southern Baptist Convention, repenting and apologizing for racism: with specific reference to the racism that, in part, motivated the founding of the Convention. Particularly, I remembered that this resolution was controversial: some people objected because they argued that a person or group of persons could only repent for his/their own sin(s), and not for the sins of others.

I think, however, that sometimes-- just as liberals tend to be hyper-communitarian (thus socialism)-- conservatives can tend toward hyper-individualism. We can overlook the fact that when our community sins, we often become entangled in that sin. Also, there is a since in which we must intercede for our communities. See, for example, Daniel 9:1-19. Notice-- for example-- verse 5, in which Daniel prays, "We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules." Now, as is clear from everything else in the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel's life was not characterized by wickedness and rebellion against God. And yet he so identifies with his people that he includes himself in a statement of repentance on their behalf. Christians in America today must, in addition to making sure that we are laying aside our own personal sins, be willing to intercede on behalf of the sins committed by our particular communities, with racism-- especially in some Southern denominations-- being a prime example.

The Tabernacle Destroyed

Somehow, I've tended to imagine that the central place of worship for OT Israel was the tabernacle right up until the time that the Ark of the Covenant was transferred into Solomon's temple.

(This, despite the fact that I had read 1 Chronicles 13 a few times, and that chapter mentions the Ark residing in a couple of houses.)

In Sunday school at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, my friend Tim Scott has been teaching through 1 Samuel. When teaching through 1 Samuel 4, he noted that many Bible scholars believe when the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant, that they continued to advance, and destroyed the Tabernacle, which was apparently not rebuilt.

One supporting text for this idea-- besides, possibly, 1 Chronicles 13-- is Psalm 78:56-64, which mentions  God abandoning Shiloh-- the place at which the tabernacle was located-- in context of speaking about the Ark of the Covenant being captured.

The idea of the tabernacle being destroyed re-enforces the idea of the sever penalty God brings upon people when they turn their backs on Him.

Sermon Notes from "Jude to Those God Called: Mercy, Peace, and Love to You." Sermon by Mitch Chase.

[This past Lord's Day evening at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, Mitch Chase began a series on the book of Jude. Below are my notes from his first sermon in this series.]

I. Introduction

A. Reasons why Jude is often neglected:
1. Brevity;
2. Content (some seems strange);
3. Quotations of non-biblical sources.

B. Background:
1. Probably written in late 60s;
2. Recipients unknown;
3. A general epistle.

II. Opening Greeting

A. Significance:
1. NT epistles fill typical letter greetings with theological substance.
2. NT letter greetings foreshadow the content of the letter.

B. Author:
1. "Jude:" from "Judas" or "Judah;" in the NT, there were several men named Judas.
2. "A servant of Jesus Christ:" this title has an OT background in which some are referred to as servants of YHWH.
3. "Brother of James:"
a. One James-- the half-brother of Jesus, who Paul calls a pillar of the Church-- is more prominent than any other (Matt 13:55).
b. This is the only place in the NT in which a figure identifies himself by his relationship to his brother, rather than his relationship to his father.

C. Recipients:
1. Jude describes his readers theologically rather than geographically.
2. "Called" refers to the sovereign call of God.
3. "Beloved" refers to God's effective love.
4. Jesus Himself preserves us (24; Isa 42:6).

D. Greeting:
1. "Mercy, peace, and love" refer to the gospel.
2. "Mercy" directly leads to "peace," the fruit of which is "love."
3. This gospel is at stake, being under attack by false intruders.

Teaching Outline: Proverbs 11:23-27

[Below is the outline I used to teach yesterday evening at Kosmosdale Baptist Church from Proverbs 11:23-27.]

I.      Introduction

A.   What do I desire?

B.    Am I generous toward others?

C.    Making the honest answer line up with the true answer

II.    Desire (v. 23)

A.   Again, what do we desire?

B.    If our desires are righteous– if they are just– if they line up correctly according to God’s plan, they will end in good.

C.    This is true, even if we do not get what we expect or want (secondarily).

D.   The absolute end is God’s favor and our reward.

E.    On the other hand, as the Geneva Bible notes, “[The wicked] can look for nothing but God’s vengeance,” and as Matthew Henry says, “[The wicked] expect and desire mischief to others, but it shall return upon themselves; as they loved cursing, they shall have enough of it.”

F.    Often, the wicked appear to prosper (Psalm 73), but if they do not repent and come to Christ, then they will face the judgment of God.

III.  Generosity (vv. 24-26)

A.   These verses are thematically related.

B.    These verses speak against miserly hoarding.

C.    xrefs. Luke 9:24; 12:13-21.

IV. Seeking

A.   Seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness will bring favor before God and others (at least before others who are humble), as illustrated from the verses on generosity.

B.    Evil will come to those who seek it; the selfish will be isolated, the lazy will be unemployed, the adulterer will be betrayed, and those who seek wrath will find it,

V.   Conclusion

A.   Christ is uniquely desired good and had righteous desires.

B.    Christ uniquely poured Himself out on behalf of His people.

C.    We must be clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Initial Notes from Proverbs 11:23-27

[Lord willing, I will be teaching this text this Wednesday evening at Kosmosdale Baptist Church.]

²³ The desire of the righteous ends only in good;
    the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
²⁴ One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
²⁵ Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    and one who waters will himself be watered.
²⁶ The people curse him who holds back grain,
    but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
²⁷ Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
    but evil comes to him who searches for it.

The “5 Ws”:

Who: The righteous and the wicked.

What: Desire.

Where: Society.

When: Either in this life or the life to come.

Why: Because our God is a sovereign King and a righteous Judge.

How: The “how” would work out in various ways according to different circumstances.

So what? So we must be giving, work to bring blessing, be just in our business practices, and seek good.

Observations on Specific Verses:

v. 23 and v. 27 together seem to have direct gospel implications, as we all naturally are wicked, having an expectation of wrath, and must (by God’s grace) turn and seek good in Christ.

v. 26 seems to be speaking a word against miserly hoarding. [see Luke 9:24; 12:13-21]

Commentaries:

Geneva, v 23. “They [the wicked] can look for nothing but God’s vengeance.”

Matthew Henry, v 23, “[The wicked] expect and desire mischief to others, but it shall return upon themselves; as they loved cursing, they shall have enough of it.”

MacArthur, vv 24-26, “The principle here is that generosity, by God’s blessing, secures increase, while stinginess leads to poverty instead of expected gain. The one who gives receives far more in return.

Believers’ Study Bible, v 26, “The phrase ‘withholds grain’ refers to holding crops back to cause scarcity, thereby inflating prices and incurring the wrath of the people. Foregoing high profits for the emergency, however, brings the blessing of God, a more lasting reward.”

Reformation Study Bible, vv 26-27, “The generosity of v. 25 is illustrated by the community-minded merchant who puts the needs of others ahead of his own interests… The one who ‘seeks good’ is either the benefactor of society who receives community approval in return, or the seeker of righteousness who receives the approval of God (cf. Matt 5:6).”

Sermon Notes from "A Heart Adorned with Submission: How Wives of Men Become Daughters of Sarah." Sermon by Mitch Chase.

[From the 10:45AM service yesterday at Kosmosdale Baptist Church. The audio is available HERE.]

1 Peter 3:1-6.

I. Introduction

A. Pervasive confusion regarding marriage in our culture

B. Ephesians 5 [:22ff.]. Marriage is to be a picture of Christ and His Church.

C. Marriage, with Man as head, was established before the Fall.

D. Marriage, as all creation, was cursed in the Fall.

E. Marriage, following NT commands, conforms to the original plan.

F. Marriage should reflect the Trinity: distinct persons, equal in essence, but in different roles.

II. Evangelistic Effect of Submission (vv. 1-2)

A. This command is specifically given to believing wives of unbelieving husbands, though the command is for wives in general as well.

B. The believing wife must live out her faith in the home.

C. "Without a word" does not imply an entire lack of verbal witness (otherwise, what would the husband be "won" to?), but a lack of argumentative confrontation concerning the Faith.

D. Though wives are to respect their husbands, the "fear" [KJV] in this verse is primarily directed to the Lord.

III. Virtuous Adornment of Submission (vv. 3-4)

A. Peter is no more prohibiting jewelry than he is clothing,

B. As with Paul's admonishment that 'physical exercise profits little,' which does not prohibit physical exercise, this verse prompts women to check their focus: what do we value most?

C. xrefs. Prov 31:30; 1 Sam 16:7.

IV. Holy Examples of Submission (vv. 5-6)

A. Women are here encouraged by accounts of godly women in previous generations.

B. Our fear and hope is in the Lord, and this motivates us living in a godly way in the home.

C. xref. Gen 18:9ff.

V. Conclusion

A. We must all be prayerful for wives, especially for those in particularly difficult situations.

B. Wives of unbelieving husbands must consider the mission of their submission.

C. ex. Mother Monica.