The Ragtown Pulpit

God's answer to rebellious kings, once He stops laughing, is the installation of Christ as King, along with great promises of that King's victory.

We are in a critical season, a dry season, a potentially deadly season. The command is not to survive, but to advance, take new ground, and bear new fruit.

From John 10 and Zechariah 11, on the roll of New Testament shepherds in light of the ministry of the one Good Shepherd, who is the Door of the sheep fold.

The Apostle ties everything together in a neat bow here, as we end the series with the last verses of chapter 6. A prominent ethical/judicial note is in the text that hasn't been explored before and has immediate relevance to our situation: That is, when people tell you who they are, it's not unloving to believe them.

What comfort can people draw from the law of sowing and reaping as they head into dark times, when negative sanctions are threatened?

Galatians 6:1-9 It may be a surprise to you if you haven't been listening long, but the New Testament never connects Elders with church discipline, and that is demonstrated again in this passage, as Paul urges that restoration from sin be handled by Spirit-filled individuals, not title-holders or men in offices.

Finishing up Galatians 5, we encounter the familiar, iconic Fruit of the Spirit, but our focus is returning this (maybe too familiar) passage to its original context, the flow of Paul's argument, and what has been an extended discussion commending life in the Spirit over the attempt to finish in the flesh.

Galatians 5:13-14, the importance of freedom, service, love of neighbor; and their relationship to the current pressure to love your neighbor by getting the shots.

We take Paul's amazing use of Isaiah 54:1 in Galatians 4, back to the source and see some of the amazing ramifications of understanding that older passage in light of the apostolic interpretation. This is a great, and under-appreciated, comfort to the people of Jesus.

First half of Galatians 4, exploring the metaphor of Slave Vs. Son.

Arguments 4-6 from Galatians 3 on why Christians should not seek to become more Jewish.

Arguments 1-3 from Galatians 3 for why Christians should not seek to become more Jewish.

2nd message in our Galatians series

Beginning a new series in Galatians

Back in Jude after a two week hiatus in Mexico, we discuss what is meant by the term, Power Religion, and how radical the message of Christ really is, in terms of turning the whole world upside down. We do this by focusing on the three iconic bad guys in Jude 11: Cain, Balaam, and Korah. They highlight three main roads to Power that have been prevalent in the world from the get-go, roads which need to be shut down and blocked by a new, Gospel way of thinking about authority.

This was a message given at our agape feast, so you'll hear a lot of voices from our church family in it. It's a baffling text, but we ended on a really encouraging note that was a lot of fun to preach. If you struggle with repeated failure to certain sins, this will bless you.

This sermon was preached on Easter Sunday and highlights the reality of Christ's human nature. His life, death, burial, and resurrection lend meaning and honor to human life. Any denial of this "defiles the flesh."

Jude continues in his description of the target. These false teachers do the same despicable things their kind have always done.

Five minutes on the coming Equality Act. Not on the foolishness of its morality, but on basic issues about government that are raised by its existence from the get-go.

Announcing an interesting and provocative interview Gordan Runyan did with the "God and Government" podcast.

Jude begins to describe the crisis within the churches that has prompted him to call the believers to battle. Who must we fight and why?

No soldier goes to war at his own expense. Having reminded us of our identity in verse 1, God now makes sure we know how we have been supplied and outfitted for the coming battle. (Verse 2) After that, the book of Jude is about making us understand the nature of the war and who the enemy is.

Jude's first step in mustering the Lord's army to spiritual battle is to make sure all the soldiers have their feet planted on a rock. Know who you are in Christ, or victory will always elude you. Be the Moe.

We begin a new series today in the little, barely mentioned book of Jude. It won't come as any surprise to hear that we think it's immanently relevant to our times. Hear the trumpet call.

A needed reminder as our culture (both Right and Left) rushes into greater foolishness. What are the people of God to do? What provision has been made for times like this? What Help is there?

Looking back on our journeys through the Numbers, we come away with a handful of important Kingdom principles to have under our belts as we seek to be Kingdom people in a wilderness world.

Answering pertinent questions. This one is particularly timely: Now that an election has (supposedly) been stolen, what will it mean for Christians to live and work under an illegitimate administration?

This is the penultimate message in our Numbers series, Drama in the Wilderness. In this chapter, instructions are given for dealing with accidental homicide, instructions which have informed Western judicial systems ever since; and which tend to raise the community out of barbarism.

Moses slips some interesting information into a chapter that details all of Israel's journeys. Not to be missed. Strong encouragement to keep moving forward without carnal fear.

The 2 1/2 tribes get their "Promised Land" on the wrong side of the Jordan. Has something gone wrong here? Or was expansion always the plan? Numbers 32

We come to a passage that is a bit obscure and strange, and, thus, mostly overlooked. Husbands/fathers given the legal ability to nullify a woman's religious vows. But there is much to chew on here, with real-world application and a nice look forward to Christ's redemption.

The daughters of Zelophehad (Numbers 27:1-11) prompt a discussion of the concept of familial inheritance and the roll it plays in extending the conquest of God into all the earth.

We come to the second "numbering" of the people, from which the English name of the book is taken. Historically, a bit of a challenge for both readers and preachers. But we walk away instructed in both the faithlessness of man to God, and God's faithfulness to remain the same.

How much of what Phinehas did can serve as a model for modern believers? What does Biblical zeal look like? And, have you noticed the piercing-death-atonement-covenant pattern that is present in the story?

Balaam predicts a Scepter rising out of Israel that would smash through Moab's forehead. We look at the fulfillment in time-and-history and the later expansion in the Messiah's life, and address the question, "Why should anyone have expected the Christ to have authority over demons?"

Balaam's second attempt to curse the Israelites winds up blessing them with certain victory, both over Balak and his people, and over the whole promised land.

QAnon is an increasingly visible phenomenon, both online and in modern politics. This presentation introduces the story behind it, and the outline of its central conspiracy theory, and compares it to Biblical truth. Take every thought capitve!

We talk about Balaam's first attempt at cursing Israel. We discuss a magical worldview; condemning what Christ condemns; God's promises and our sure defense.

Israel undergoes an unmentioned revival of sorts, in the wake of the incident with the serpents, and proceeds to go from strength to strength, in this understated passage. What might God do if you replaced complaining with singing and obedience?

We walk through the incident of the fiery serpents, and the bronze snake on the pole that cured the people. Christ's surprising use of the story. Dispelling some bad ideas.

We look at the death of Aaron and its implications for priesthood. We also explore the notion that priesthood is an inescapable concept. You are accepting that someone in your life speaks for God. If that's not Jesus, it's someone else.