Josh Benner

Category: Bible

  • Religious leaders sue in Florida arguing that having abortion is an issue of religious liberty

    Religious leaders sue in Florida arguing that having abortion is an issue of religious liberty

    The Washington Post has an article about a group of religious leaders in Florida who are suing the state over abortion restrictions with the argument that it violates their religious freedom. 

    Florida’s new abortion laws do not ban abortions outright (unfortunately). But they do ban abortions after 15 weeks unless there are risks to the health of the mother. But that doesn’t go far enough for these folks. 

    The article begins: 

    When the Rev. Laurie Hafner ministers to her Florida congregants about abortion, she looks to the founding values of the United Church of Christ, her lifelong denomination: religious freedom and freedom of thought. She taps into her reading of Genesis, which says “man became a living being” when God breathed “the breath of life” into Adam. She thinks of Jesus promising believers full and abundant life.

    Interesting that the article begins by talking about life and the breath of life, and abundant life in an article where pastors are arguing against the right to life of the unborn. We’re alive before we’re born so I’m not sure exactly when all of these rights begin. The Bible also talks about God knowing who we are prior to physical birth. 

    Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you (Jeremiah 1:5). 

    For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:16). 

    The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name (Isaiah 49:1). 

    he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace (Galatians 1:15). 

    I could continue, but you get the point. 

    The article continues with the “pastor” saying, “I am pro-choice not in spite of my faith, but because of my faith.” 

    Ah yes, that great Christian virtue of taking life of the unborn. There is no taking of innocent life to the glory of God. It is a backwards misrepresentation of Christianity to argue that it is this great thing to support. I can appreciate that there are Christians who believe in the gospel and who are misguided and have a wrong view of abortion. But it’s a sad commentary when a person is a member of the clergy and is advocating against the rights of the unborn. Not only is she arguing against these rights but she’s arguing that supporting the killing of a baby is something which her faith compels.  

    In the article, Hafner says, “​​I think the religious right has had the resources and the voices politically and socially to be so loud, and frankly, they don’t represent the Christian faith,”

    I wouild argue that culturally, it is the left who has the loudest voice and they’re the ones who have largely brainwashed our society into thinking hat abortion is this great good. Not just ab ortion but radical beliefs on abortion such as late term abortion, and for any reason. That’s the stance of the Democratic Party. 

    She says the religious right does not represent the Christian faith. I can appreciate the room for critique, but the Christian left certainly does not represent the Christian faith when its proponents advocate for a whole host of beliefs which are antithetical to historical (and more importantly, Biblical teachings) on sexual ethics. 

    From the article: “Look biblically; Jesus says nothing about abortion. He talks about loving your neighbor and living abundantly and fully. He says: ‘I come that you might have full life.’ 

    Jesus does say nothing about abortion. So then why ought a professing Christian advocate for it? Shouldn’t we er on the side of life rather than on the side of death?

    Love your neighbor? Abundant life? They’re the ones advocating for killing the unborn. I would say to love your neighbor is also to love the unborn.

    Jesus said Let the little ones come to me (Luke 18:16). 

    Jesus said Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me (Matthew 25:20). Surely the unborn, who are unable to protect themselves and advocate for themselves fall into that category. 

    There are things that can be done to support the mothers. Christians adopt at higher rates than non Christians. I’m all for also supporting mothers, but not at the expense of the life of the baby. 

    The article also interviews a Unitarian pastor named Tom Capo who argues,” “It has to do with the belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being,” Once again, that’s incoherent. Inherent worth and dignity of every human being? You’re arguing in favor of abortion. You do not believe in inherent worth and dignity. If you believed it was inherent, you’d be pro life. That’s why I am pro life! Because I believe that we actually have inherent worth and dignity. He believes we have acquired worth and dignity at some point.

    It’s disgraceful. 

    Also, I thought we were supposed to have separation of church and state? That’s what I always hear. Being pro life is not an inherently religious position. But these religious leaders are the ones beating their chests about how “It’s because I’m religious that I’m pro choice.”

    I have no doubt that these people are all very religious but the problem is that their religion is the religion of liberalism and liberalism great sacrament is the right to kill the unborn.

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  • Creation and uncreation – The flood and Genesis 7

    Creation and uncreation – The flood and Genesis 7

    Perhaps the best known story in the Bible of God’s judgment is the story of Noah’s Ark. 

    At the beginning of the story, Genesis talks of a world that has fallen further and further into sin and that the Lord saves one man (Noah) and his family from the destruction that was to come.

    Another significant theme in the story is that it is an undoing of creation. 

    Undoing creation

    In the Noah story, when the flood itself is brought forth by the Lord, Genesis 7:11-12 records: 

    11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 

    In Genesis 1, we see the second and third day of creation. 

    Day 2

    Genesis 1:6-8

    6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 

    Day 3

    Genesis 1:9-10: 

    9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 

    In those days, we see God separate the waters and create the expanse between earth and sky. In the flood, the heavens are opened up and the rains come down and flood the earth. The Lord takes away the dry ground as he floods the earth. 

    The parallels don’t end there. 

    Noah and his family are saved along with sets of every animal. 

    Genesis 7:13-15: 

     13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 

    You have man and beast entering the ark. You also have married people going into the ark. It’s noteworthy that in ancient times when polgyammy was commonplace, that we see people in monogamous marriages entering the ark, especially when considering that marriage itself is part of God’s creation. 

    Amid the darkness and chaos of the flood, we do see a glimmer of hope as the Lord personally takes care of this family. Genesis 7:16 says: And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in. 

    Noah is a symbol for Adam. He and his family and the animals are symbols of creation, preserved to be part of a new creation after the flood. 

    Genesis 7:17-19:

    17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered.

    Once again, tis is language which continues to point back to the first days of Genesis and God’s subduing of the waters. At the beginning of Genesis, The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (Genesis 1:2),  but in the flood, the Lord allows the waters to come and overtake the whole earth. 

    Days 5 and 6

    In creation days 5 and 6, we see God bringing forth life. First animal life and then culminating in the creation of man. 

    Aside from those who are on the ark, they die in the flood. 

    Genesis 7:21-23:

     21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 

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  • Sermon: The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17

    Sermon: The Ten Commandments – Exodus 20:1-17

    It’s one of the best known passages of the entire Bible. The Ten Commandments. They form the basis for Judeo-Christian morality and God’s covenant with Moses. But we so often don’t do a good job of following these commands. That points us to our situation as sinful people but the good news of the gospel is that there is grace through Jesus Christ.

    Sermon manuscript

  • The Warren Harding error

    The Warren Harding error

    The Warren Harding Effect 

    In his book Blink, author Malcolm Gladwell tells this story of an influential political figure from Ohio meeting a young politician named Warren Harding and being so impressed by the look and temperament of the young Harding that he instantly thought that the state senator had potential to one day be president. 

    The year was 1899. 

    As Gladwell describes him, Harding was tall and handsome. He had broad shoulders and a naturally bronze complexion and as he aged, he became more distinguished looking. He had a rich and resonant speaking voice. 

    He looked presidential. 

    On March 4, 1921, that same man, Warren G. Harding would become America’s 29th president. 

    It did not go particularly well. 

    If you look up rankings of best and worst presidents in American history, Harding is almost always in the bottom handful. He wasn’t particularly intelligent. When he was a U.S. Senator, he was absent for debates on two of the most important political issues of his time: prohibition and women’s voting. 

    He had a scandal-ridden administration for the two years that he was president before dying of a stroke in 1923. 

    He had the look of a president. But he didn’t have the intelligence, moral conviction, or leadership skills to actually be a good president. 

    In 1 Samuel 10, Saul will become Israel’s first king. In chapter 9[], we were introduced to Saul. He was a man from relative obscurity, from the tribe of Benjamin who had gone in search of his father’s lost donkeys but through his search, he found the Prophet Samuel. 

    Now Samuel had a prophetic revelation the day before that he was going to meet and anoint the future king of Israel. 

    And then he meets Saul. The future king. Meanwhile Saul doesn’t even know who Samuel is when he meets him. 

    The king who hides

    Saul is chosen to be king. 1 Samuel 10:21: 

    But when they sought him, he could not be found.

    22 So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

    It foreshadows things which were to come and the poor skills as a leader which Saul would display. Saul was fearful and tried to run from his calling. 

    Anointed, another heart, chosen, signs to confirm that he was chosen and prepared and yet he hides. 

    The Warren Harding Effect

    Verses 23-24:

    23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!” 

    So the people see this king who had just been hiding from them. The king that they wanted. And they see that Saul is taller than any of them. When we were first introduced to Saul in chapter 9,  the text mentions that Saul was very handsome. 

    This is how we meet Saul in the Bible. 

    1 Samuel 9:1-2:

    There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth. 2 And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 

    They don’t see a coward who had tried to hide but they see a tall handsome man and they respond by saying “long live the king.” 

    The first king of Israel was not a George Washington. The first king of Israel was a Warren G Harding. They had wanted a king so they could be like all the other nations, and they got a man who LOOKED like a king. 

    They got a man who was tall but he wasn’t a leader. They got a man who was handsome but he wasn’t holy. 

    He was the king the people wanted, but what the people wanted would prove to be unwise. 

  • Jesus and the heavenly harvest. The Church’s work. Studying John 4:35-42

    Jesus and the heavenly harvest. The Church’s work. Studying John 4:35-42

    A time to harvest 

    Once again, Jesus uses a metaphor to point to a spiritual reality. 

    Verse 35: 

    Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? 

    Obviously in farming, there’s a gap between sowing, when you plant seeds, and when you harvest the crops. You don’t plant seeds today with the expectation that you’ll be able to harvest them tomorrow. It takes time.

    But Jesus is telling his disciples that he has planted his truth with the Samaritan woman and that a harvest among the Samaritan people awaits. 

    That they are at the time of a harvest. A harvest of salvation as people come to Jesus. 

    Continuing in verse 35. Jesus says: 

    Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 

    In John 4:30, when the Samaritan woman was telling her countrymen about Jesus and that verse said that the people went out of the town and were coming for him. 

    Here, Jesus tells his his disciples “lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.” 

    Some scholars believe that as Jesus is saying that, they’re literally seeing Samaritan people approaching to learn more about this Israelite teacher and who he is. We don’t know that for sure. But regardless, Jesus is making the point that they’re in the midst of a people where they are ready to reap a harvest. That the news about Jesus is going to bear a harvest among the people. 

    The harvest for today 

    There will be opportunities through all of the uncertainties and difficulties of this season to be light, to serve God by serving others, and to share the good news of the gospel. 

    Because in a time of uncertainty, people look for a foundation. In times of questions, people look for answers. In times of crisis, people look for hope. As Christians, what are we going to do with this time? 

    Look around. Look at our community. 

    Life up your eyes and see the fields are white for harvest. 

    It is a time of harvest. A time of revival. A time to reach people for Christ. 

    Verse 36:

    Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together

    The verse is a little ambiguous. Who’s the reaper and who’s the sower? 

    Who’s the one who planted here? Is it Jesus? Is it the prophets of the Old Testament? Is it John the Baptist? Is it the Samaritan woman? 

    It could be that it’s intentionally ambiguous. That the matter of significance is not who does what, but that a Messianic age of gospel harvest has been brought forth by Jesus. The Word of God has been planted and there will be others who reap the harvest of salvation. 

    All of it is for God, to the glory of God, and for the salvation of souls through the power of the gospel. 

    The sower and reaper rejoice together. They are co-laborers in the mission of God. 

    37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 

    Some sow the word of the gospel. Others reap the harvest. Some preach the word, and some lead people to Christ. And those roles can work vice versa. 

    Evangelism 

    When people share the gospel with a friend, or family worker, or coworker, or person on the street, generally, a person does not come to faith in the gospel through just one conversation. 

    So sometimes we’re the ones who sow, who plant the seed. Who share the gospel and the salvation which comes through Jesus. 

    But sometimes the harvest doesn’t come for weeks, months, years, sometimes it never comes with a certain person. 

    But we sow the word. Hopefully we do it often. 

    But sometimes it’s someone else, another friend, a pastor, someone else who helps lead a person to Christ. They’ve reaped that harvest. 

    The credit isn’t what matters. The service to God is what matters. And our hope is to be part of both parts of the process.

    Reaping and sowing. 


    Jesus says: 

    38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

    When Jesus tells the disciples to reap for which they did not labor, they’re about to be part of a harvest with these Samaritan people, even though they had not personally planted the word. But they were there to help harvest the souls. 

    Both aspects of ministry, evangelism, and making disciples matter. Again, the credit isn’t what matters. It’s faithfully continually sharing the Word of God and making disciples which matters. 

    A personal savior

    We see the fruit of this one woman reaching out to people in her Samaritan community. 

    39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days

    The text says many Samaritans believed. Centuries of ethinic and theological animosity had existed between the Jews and the Samaritans. And yet, here we see the Samaritans coming to Jesus. 

    Verse 40 says: 

     they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days

    And the harvest continued. 

    41 And many more believed because of his word.

     42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

    That’s not a putdown to the Samaritan woman. Our purpose is to make Jesus known and to point people to him, not to be out for our own glory. It wasn’t just hearing about Jesus which led people to Christ, but it was coming to know Jesus. 

    It was experiencing Jesus.I think we too often get too formulaic when talking about salvation. Just say this prayer, just say these things and you’ll be saved. Let us not make evangelism impersonal, but to make our sharing of the good news of Christ introducing people to a personal savior. For the Samaritan people, they had the awesome opportunity to approach Jesus physically. 

    But we also have the awesome opportunity to look to him, look to his life, and know the full story. That when the Samaritan woman asked “can this be the Christ?” The rest of his life, his death, and his resurrection confirms that he is. 

    Jesus is who he says he is. He is the light of the world. He is the one who existed before Abraham. He is the one who has gone to prepare a place for us, who has sent a helper for us. He is the one whose body was broken and blood were shed for sin. He is the one who said “it is finished.”

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