Remembering the Covenant: Sermons from Deuteronomy 13-16
sermons preached by Nathan Lewis at Chehalem Valley Mission in Newberg and Evergreen Church in Beaverton,
2006 Continue reading »
Posts in 'Sermons' Category
Deuteronomy 20 “The Covenant: Rules of War” (sermon by nathan e. lewis)
As we read Deuteronomy, we discover how different ancient life was from our experience. We loathe the dust of nomadic life. Our stomachs turn at the thought of mass animal sacrifices. It is nearly impossible for us to imagine the voice of God, like thunder, speaking from the mountain. The ancient Near East seems to be quite removed from our experience. Nevertheless, some things never change. Human nature and relationships are remarkably similar to our experience. The Ten Commandments are surprisingly relevant today. Sadly, we discover another similarity. In Moses’ day, nations would war against other nations. Today, approximately 3,400 years later, we still go to war. Moses devotes his address recorded in Chapter 20 to the rules of war codified in God’s holy law. Continue reading »
Innocent until Proven Guilty - Sermon from Deuteronomy 19:15-21
We have observed how similar is the judicial system of ancient Israel to our present judicial system. One of the greatest safeguards to our freedom is the American rule that a person is innocent until proven guilty. Most of the present world does not enjoy such a freedom. The Old Covenant laws, outlined by Moses, provide this protection. God’s law maintains a person innocent until proven guilty. Continue reading »
Justice and Mercy Meet in Christ: Deuteronomy 16-17
“The Covenant: Just Government ” Deuteronomy 16:18–17:20 Continue reading »
The Mystery of Godliness - I Timothy 3:16
“The Mystery of Godliness�
I Timothy 3:16
(a sermon preached at Evergreen Presbyterian Church, in Beaverton, Oregon, by Nathan Lewis)
Paul was a church planter. He not only traveled throughout Asia Minor and Europe, establishing new congregations; he also trained others to serve these new congregations. He invested much of his time in Timothy, whom he considered to be a son. The Bible includes two letters of Paul addressed to Timothy, training him to lead and to serve the church. Paul had assigned Timothy to the congregations in Ephesus. There may have been as many as 30 congregations in Ephesus at this time.
Continue reading »
Remember Jesus Christ, Risen from the Dead - II Timothy 2: 8-13 ( a sermon by nathan lewis)
Resurrection Sunday
“Remember Jesus Christ, Risen from the Dead�
II Timothy 2:8-13
(Resurrection Sunday sermon at Evergreen Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, Oregon)
This Resurrection Sunday, 2006, we follow the command of St. Paul to Timothy, to “remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.â€? While Paul was yet Saul, the persecutor of the Church, the apostle Peter preached the resurrection of Jesus during the feast of Pentecost. To the crowds gathered in Jerusalem, he said, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses.â€? Continue reading »
The Lure of Idolatry - Deuteronomy 13
“The Covenant: The Lure of Idolatry� (13)
Moses addresses Israel in Deuteronomy 13 with the purpose of protecting her from idolatry. There are certain types of people who have the potential to lure Israel into idolatry. Moses warns Israel of three categories of people. If you were seeking to protect the church from idolatry, which categories of people would be on your list? Would you list rock stars, professional athletes, and best selling authors? Would your list of the top three most dangerous idolaters be cultists, artists, and university professors? Would you warn people against extreme environmentalists, secret societies, and success coaches? Which groups of people in our community have the greatest potential for luring us into idolatry?
Moses warns against three groups of people: spiritual leaders; family members; and civic leaders. We may be surprised at his choices, recognizing them to have potential for good, for the betterment of our community. Remember, idolatry is replacing the one, true God with any other person, object, or phenomenon. An idol need not be evil in itself. Many idols are good. Nature, money, land, family, sex, vocation, and security are all good yet they are all ranked among the top ten idols of our day. The evil does not lurk in them; the evil is in our idolizing of them. Similarly, these three categories of people are not evil, but good. We need spiritual leaders; we love family members; and civic leaders have been most helpful to us. Nevertheless, the potential of these people luring us into idolatry is high. Moses gives us some insight into why this is the case.
Continue reading »
“The Thin Place� - sermon from deuteronomy
Remembering the Covenant: February 19 “The Thin Place� (Deuteronomy 8)
In the seventh century the Celts identified the “Thin Places� in Ireland, locations where this earthly realm and the spiritual realm intersect. Today on the American continent, New Mexico is the land of the “Thin Places.� Sacred sites of the Hopi, Taos, and Navajo connect planet earth to the stars and gather humanity to the Great Spirit. New Age retreat centers are located near rock formations which generate spiritual energy. Section 22 outside of Roswell is the epicenter of space alien citings. In human history, there are few “Thin Places� as thin as Mt. Sinai. In the middle of a desert wilderness, Israel encountered the presence of “Yahweh,� whose other-worldly presence set the whole mountain ablaze. The earth-shaking voice of God spoke from the fiery mountain causing great fear among Israel. We have already heard Moses in his address of Israel say, “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?� Moses reminds the people, “On earth Yahweh has showed you his great fire and you heard his words from the fire.� Mt. Sinai is one of the “Thin Places� in history.
“Many Commandments in One� - sermon from deuteronomy
Remembering the Covenant: March 19 “Many Commandments in One� (Deuteronomy 11)
Have you noticed the repetition in the teaching of Moses? He has been addressing the second generation of Israel, teaching her to remember the covenant. In this particular section of his address, Moses asks the second generation to remember that her children were not eyewitnesses of the Exodus or the divine discipline in the desert. This third generation did not see the waters of the Red Sea swallow the Egyptian army. They did not see the earth swallow the households of the disobedient Reubenites. The second generation must tell the third generation the stories of God’s redemption so that the children will love God and obey his law. Moses is preparing these two generations to enter the land. Moses not only uses repetition of important lessons to prepare Israel, he also concisely summarizes the law.