3/5/2016 Sermon: Edward Woods III: “The Faith of the Despised”

Edward Woods III: “The Faith of the Despised” 

Edward Woods III, an able administrator for the Lake Region Conference, and also a dynamic preacher.

RAHAB THE “HARLOT” MERITS SOME FAVORABLE REMARKS

The speaker this Sabbath at Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, Atlanta, was Edward Woods III. With the cooperation of Berean Religious Liberty Elder Isaiah Delemar, Elder Woods is slated to make a second and final presentation Saturday evening on the special ministry that is his special concern. A first offering on the topic of “religious freedom” on Friday covered the scriptural foundation this Constitutional right rests upon. Today’s Sermon by Elder Woods, “The Faith of the Despised,” is part of his trilogy of talks, and may be quickly accessed via this link to the ENTIRE SERVICE. Elder Woods’ comments commence at time marker 1:11:30, with an short preliminary assist by the musicians and choir. The narrative outline of his talk began with Rahab’s adoption of the God of the Hebrews (conversion), and her subsequent determination to act on her beliefs. This action was a result of, and a concrete manifestation of her “faith.” Paul’s citation of this is found in Hebrews 11:31: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not…”

The theme of faith was foreshadowed by this morning’s scripture reading from Hebrews 11:1-3, a passage that begins with these familiar words: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” A relatively academic (but far from dry)introductory presentation of the main points of Elder Woods’ sermon yielded to a dynamic finale. This pyrotechnic climax, like Pastor Austin Humphrey’s sermon last Sabbath, does not translate well into text. It must be witnessed firsthand. The oratorical technique I christened “the repetitive device” when describing Pastor Danielle Pilgrim’s sermon “Joy in the Midst of Trials” was effectively employed by Edward Woods III in the conclusion of his remarks (this LINK informs us that the use of repetition in oratory is called “anaphora,” so for clarity I will stick to “the repetitive device”). As it was last week, the Hammond organ was again enlisted to dramatically underscore the speaker’s closing exhortations.

On November 9 and 10, 1938, the German Jews suffered in a pogrom referred to as Kristallnacht, translated as “The Night of the Broken Glass.” Surely something like this could not happen here!

As a type of “shadow” of his introduction of today’s speaker, Berean Lead Pastor Fredrick Russell remarked, just prior to the offering, that Donald Trump was laying up “treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt” (Matthew 6:19). After the collection, and two heartfelt Spirituals performed by “Men in Christ,” Pastor Russell regained the podium in order to introduce Elder Edward Woods III. He briefly returned to the topic of Trump, and the toxic influences of Trump. He noted that “the world is literally laughing at this country right now,” and that there is a “disbelief in terms of just the vitriol, just the division, the ugliness, the hate speech that is going on, not only with our political candidates, but it is spreading very much into our population.” Ted N.C. Wilson states, yet again, in this month’s Adventist World that “The world around us is falling apart.” Having some slight familiarity with history, I had hitherto accepted such observations as being slightly alarmist, as the world has always been an extremely messed up place. I am singing a new tune now. Pastor Russell mentioned the real possibility of civil war in this country, due to the divisiveness of the issues that are current. I used to frequently encounter ignorant and evil people. I would always be grateful that they were not the ones who were running the country. This may change. I have to provide a LINK to a copy of a book written in 1935 by Sinclair Lewis. It is titled “It Can’t Happen Here.” It is about the quiet takeover of America by homegrown fascists. I am fervently praying that, in our time, life does not imitate art. Lewis also wrote “Elmer Gantry,” a satirical look at an imperfect evangelist, written in 1926, and a work that was banned in Boston. Parenthetically, here is another LINK to a synopsis of Tom Clancy’s 1994 thriller “Debt of Honor.” In this work, a disgruntled Japanese airline pilot slams his fuel-laden 747 into the U,S. Capitol during a joint session of Congress. Seven years later, life imitates art.

Sinclair Lewis may have had a touch of some secular analog of the “Spirit of Prophesy.” Let’s hope not.

The Pastor noted that freedoms disappear under the rule of demogogues. The topic that is the primary concern of Edward Woods III, as noted,  is “religious liberty.” Pastor Russell, though without question an Adventist, assured people the “right to worship as you choose” is an admirable state of affairs. Elder Woods was recognized as the “strongest voice” in the denomination for this issue, a man who works hard to keep it “front and center.” Pastor Russell informed us that he, along with hundreds of other pastors, receive an edifying email from Elder Woods every Sabbath morn. Elder Woods engages in outreach to many outside of the Adventist fold, an ecumenical ministry that is not exclusionary and divisive (like these crazy candidates seem to be). Elder Wood pitched a “big tent” in the course of his remarks, and (like Pastor Michael Kelly) took certain narrow minded and hidebound Adventists to task. The question before us is this: how are marginal and disenfranchised folk to hear the Good News if you don’t even allow them in your church?

An inexpert and ham-fisted summary of today’s sermon, replete with grammatical and typographical errors, is appended to this post. The sermon was by no means a short one, but was so engaging that time slipped by unawares. To invest your time in viewing it would constitute a game that is well worth the candle. The progressive and inclusive message Elder Woods presented swims against the current of the polluted political mainstream.

A lot of damage was caused by “Tail-gunner Joe” before the ship of state corrected its course. You have to be aware that this ship is not self-correcting. It needs help!

 
A SHORT DIGRESSION THAT ILLUSTRATES A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF DIVINE INTERVENTION IN THE AFFAIRS OF MANKIND, AS CRYPTO-FASCIST FORCES FADE FROM THE SCENE.

The commission for the proposed countryside campus of Bethel World Outreach Church was laid at my former employer’s feet by Arks Incorporated. The parcel of land that the church hoped to acquire was (like the site of Disneyworld) big enough to accommodate their most ambitious dreams. A medley of pre-existing designs of  “new-urbanism” assemblies was distributed about the parcel by the consultants (the primary draftsperson being me), and assigned various functions such as schools, retirement housing, conference centers, etc.. The Phase One church building, seen two images down, was 80% documented before the project stalled out. The former clients currently inhabit a new suburban facility, but is not on the property  depicted below. It is a nice building, but not a remarkable one. Had they elected to construct the design that I was involved in, it would have proved to be remarkable in the worst possible way. It would have been just a matter of time before someone pointed out the perverse association it has with Nazi Germany. Divine intervention (the termination of the process) spared the congregation much potential embarrassment. The look of the proposed church was dictated by my employer. He sought to take advantage of the giant scale of the program to create a “fascist” elevation, one displaying the stripped-down classical style that was standard not just in Nazi Germany, but also managed to find its way into the design of a lot of depression-era Federal buldings in this country. The old Atlanta Post Office is a prime example. The Federal Reserve Building on Peachtree Street represents a modern revival of this style. Anyone (beware of rhetorical devices! They may be no one at all!) who is familiar with my scribbling is aware of my recent fascination with the revival of the Nazi Party color scheme of red, black, and white. This combo is in the process of being rehabilitated.

This low-resolution image from ABL’s old website is my only record of this ambitious proposal. The church under discussion is Phase One, visible in the lower left of the site.

A typical example of the kind of work that the Nazis were into. Germany has thoughtfully demolished most of these unwelcome souvenirs of the bad old days.

The two story classroom/office section at left has the same area as the single story sanctuary section at the right. The Chapel at far right is an afterthought.

SABBATH SERMON: “THE FAITH OF THE DESPISED”

“I bring you greetings from the Lake Conference.” Elder Edward Woods III made a few connections between his windy base of operations and the balmier environs of Berean. He noted the good work with youth that Berean Pastor Austin Humphreys’ late father had done in connection with the Lake Conference. He mentioned that Berean keyboardist Bruce Seawood hails from Lake Conference country. He thanked Elder Isaiah Delemar for his collaboration in the short series of presentations at Berean on the theme of “religious freedom.”

The principal focus of Elder Woods’ sermon, “faith,” had already been introduced by quotations from Hebrews on the subject. Elder Woods introduced the story of Rahab by reading from Joshua 2:1, & 9-11. Verse 11 documents Rahab’s newfound allegiance to the cause of the Chosen People, when she confessed that “the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.” The speaker commenced a vigorous defense of Rahab “the harlot” against anyone who might consider her to be too unsavory.

“We have some professional Seventh-day Adventist Christians who fail to understand how Rahab could hold such esteem in the Bible,” Elder Woods observed. He noted that there were many who did not care for prostitutes in the church. There were many who did not even care for publicans. They may be aware of the fact that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” but would just as well not have a prostitute sitting on the aisle with them at church. They may become contaminated.

To quote a bad song (mine), this lady is “Unqualified to boast or brag. As unrighteous as a filthy rag!”

As a prostitute (and like Absalom when he was seeking supporters for his revolt: “Oh, that I were made judge in the land”), Rahab hung about the gate of the city. This put her in a good position to hear of the latest developments in the outside world. She thus knew all of the remarkable stories about the miraculous successes of the Hebrew people. Jericho, a crossroads, was the landlocked equivalent of a seaport (noted for catering to the unwholesome desires of sailors on shore leave). The city had created a “religion of lust.” In Deuteronomy 7:2, God had issued specific instructions to the twelve tribes in regard to the indigenous people of Canaan: “…you shall strike them, and utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them.” Regarding idolatry, Elder Wood observed that “we create our own religions anytime we create anything that is more important to us than God” (Elder Winston cited professional sports as an example. Pastor Humphreys consumes pro sports in moderation, I am sure. I am in total agreement with Elder Winston on this point, and considered him to be “a man after my own heart.” Why, O Lord, does he hate me so? [a standing joke: as a Christian, he is not allowed to hate anyone]).

A desirable dinner guest gets mentioned at this point, a preface to the concept of “inclusion.” It comes from Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” A rescue mission dining room I once saw featured a mural of this scene, an accessory to the act of “supping.” A famous contemporary painting of a very Nordic-looking Jesus displays Him knocking at a door. You will notice that there is no doorknob on the outside of the door. It is YOU who must open it! I bet you have heard this old story a thousand times before.

This image simultaneously qualifies as Kitsch and Fine Art, like my “Hang in There, Baby” cat poster from the seventies. Million were printed. Millions were displayed.

Elder Woods stated that many people try to take a revisionist stance toward Rahab, replacing the blunt term “harlot” with the euphemism “innkeeper.” Elder Wood was not afraid of using the Germanic word “whore.”

A seeming aside turned the spotlight to a prophetic-sounding commentary on the indisputable benefits of committing as much of the Bible to memory as one’s capabilities will allow. “If they shutter our churches, and take our Bible, then we will be glad that we have hid the Word in our hearts,” Elder Woods proclaimed.

A judgmental person may not give much credence to the notion, but “God can use anybody” to further His purposes. The fact that you are despised is no barrier (some citations from Isaiah concerning the fact that Jesus Himself was despised would be furnished toward the conclusion of the sermon). As a prostitute, the Code of Hammurabi stipulated that Rahab be put to death. Here is a LINK to the whole code. The second law stipulates “trial by ordeal,” an archaic approach to justice that relies upon divine intervention. Daniel in the lion’s den may be a Scriptural example of “trial by ordeal.” Elder Edward Woods provided his listeners with two steps that are required in order to be come a useful worker for the Lord.

• Step One: Change from a state of whoredom into the state of a believer.

Numbers Chapter 24 is cited as an example of how God dealt harshly with incidents of Baal worship among the Hebrews (24 is the story of Balaam’s famous boomerang curse. Elder Wood intended to say Chapter 25, where 24,000 Israelites die as a consequence of their idolatry). How much more would the heathen of Jericho taste God’s wrath? The city fathers of Jericho were not yet aware of the changes that Rahab had experienced when they questioned her about the presence of spies in her house. By accepting the ambassadors of a belief system that diverged from that of Jericho, she was allowing “religious liberty” to exist in her establishment.

Rahab checks to see that the coast is clear as the Hebrew spies sneak upstairs.

A rare piece of news prefaced some observations on intolerance at this point. Elder Woods informed us that the SDA Church had to pay “marketing money” in order to disassociate themselves publicly from the Branch Davidians (in an associated newsflash, the Australian woman who opined that “a dingo ate her baby” has, after a protracted ordeal, been exonerated of all fault. Commentators feel that she was subject to an irrational level of suspicion based on the fact that she and her husband were Adventists). “Pots ought not to call kettles black” was the unstated point that Elder Wood seemed to be making, as Adventist attitudes toward Muslims were now mentioned. Ted N.C. Wilson’s February article on Scripture describes Adventists as “people of the book.” Muslims generously allow that Christians and Jews are, as they are themselves, also “people of the book.” Elder Woods here restated the title of the sermon, saying “we have to have the faith of the despised.”

The groundwork for “Step Two” was being laid by the next proclamation, “you can’t continue to be bogged down by the ‘paralysis of analysis.'” You must take action. With her freshly minted faith, Rahab took action. We all need to get to a point where we stop reacting to circumstances, and start being “proactive” (I could not help but remember one of my former employer’s dictums- :when in doubt, do nothing.” I have heard Pastor Russell state a variation on this, but as a warning against acting in a rash and unconsidered manner. My old boss often neglected to act at all). First Corinthians 6:9-11 is interjected as an illustration of actions that are NOT to be undertaken. Unfortunately for aspiring auditors of decent music, I just happened to have quoted these verses verbatim in this SONG, one called, appropriately enough, “1 Corinthians 6.” Step Two of the message was ready for development now.

• Step Two: move from procrastination to action.

Rahab (AKA “The Harlot”) lets the spies down by a cord, as described in Joshua 2:15. The “window” described in Scripture is not to be seen in this engraving.

The Elder informed us that Rahab is mentioned eight times in the Bible. In six of the citations, she is associated with the job title “harlot.” She had digested news of the God of Israel. Now she was ready to act. The lineage of Jesus, as outlined in the first chapter of Matthew, was now invoked. She was the mother of Boaz, and thus a component of the ancestry of Jesus. Elder Woods quickly noted some of the major flaws of other Bible “heroes,” but stated that people seem to be more “hung up” on poor Rahab. “When you are in Christ, you don’t care about labels,” Elder Woods said. The function of “religious liberty” is to include, and not to exclude people. The inclusionary ministry of Christ was (via the pronoun “our”), in combination with descriptions of the fact that Jesus was “despised,”  illustrated by selections from Isaiah 53: “But he was wounded for our transgressions… we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” Variations on the theme of the “faith of Rahab” had set the stage for generalized commentary on the nature of faith itself. The sermon now shifted from an Apollonian to a Dionysian delivery style (my trite, and now recycled appellations that simply stand for “head” and “heart”).

The “repetitive device” (AKA anaphora) would soon be introduced into the structure of the sermon. A “colorful” list was first recited:

• The RED cord outside of Rahab’s quarter was symbolic of the faith of one who was despised. Why was not the cord
• BLACK? In the Bible, black signifies gloom, judgment, mourning, and death, but not salvation. Why was not the cord
• PURPLE? Because purple represents wealth and royalty. These cannot be obtained by illicit means. Why could not the cord be
• WHITE, which signified purity and holiness? For God had not come yet for the remission of sins. Why could not the cord
• BLUE, to signify service to God? Her house was not built for service to God, but for service to man. Why could not the cord be
• YELLOW, signifying gold, or something of great value? The Jericho people worshiped the moon, but saw the reflection not as the S O N, but as the S U N (I think I understand this).

Elder Woods spoke of color as symbol. This logo represents a symbol of color (“living color”)

The scarlet color of the cord was connected by Elder Woods (rather ingeniously) to the Passover. He stated that we all needed some kind of identifying mark (the broad, but not particularly uniform mark of “manhood” would play a significant part at the close of the service, I am not yet able to grasp its meaning, but it is probably intended to signify a leadership role, and not indulgence in off-color jokes, cusswords, beer consumption, and viewing sporting events). God wants to “see” our faith, to know whom we will serve (as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord). “The hour of tribulation is coming,” Elder Woods asserted, “and we will either be History, or His Story.” Here the organ made its debut as accessory to worship. Here the effective and useful “repetitive device”  (AKA anaphora) started to be deployed, preceded by a statement: “From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, God is worthy to be praised!”

• “I don’t care who you are!”
• “I don’t care where you come from!”
• “I don’t care what your mother might have done!”
• “I don’t care what your father might have done!”
• “I don’t care if you’ve been abused sexually, mentally, or physically! But as long as you’ve got King Jesus, you don’t need anybody else!
• “You don’t need a doctor!”
• “You don’t need a lawyer!”
• “You don’t need a judge!”
• “You don’t need a friend, as long as you’ve got King Jesus, the one who came down
• for us! Lived
• for us! Died
• for us! [Was] resurrected
• for us, and is coming back to take us home!”

Elder Woods stated “I don’t care about your History! Just become a part of His Story!” Rahab’s concern with her family is mentioned, a prelude to exhortations on evangelism.

• “Invite your family to church!”
• “Invite your family to prayer meeting!”
• “Invite your family to Bible study!”

“There is nothing more important on this earth than being saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost!” The Elder admonished us to step out of our Adventist culture, where we just knew and talked to each other. Adventism remains so unknown, that only 4 out of 1.000 people have heard of it (I suspect that this is a pre-Ben Carson figure). He accused Adventists of deluding themselves into believing that they are know because they are the “remnant church.” Elder Woods counters this misconception by informing us that the “remnant church” is not a denomination, but an aggregate of those folks who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” We could be as effective as Rahab, if we would stop being “professional Seventh-day Adventists’ (the dubious class he refers to must just show up for Sabbath. I don’t encounter any at church on other days of the week). If we were simple Christians, we could say…

• “Send me out into the highways and the byways!”
• “Send me to the drug addicts!”
• “Send me to the prostitute!”
• “Send me to the homosexual!”
• “Send me to the transgendered!”
• “Send me into the prisons!”

“Let me let someone know about the Good News of Jesus Christ, so I can plant some seeds, and the Holy Spirit can convict!” The Elder taught us that the name “Rahab” means “roomy.” It reminded him of that old negro Spiritual, “There is Plenty of Room in My Father’s Kingdom.” An appeal was made. Folk who wanted to become a part of His Story were asked to stand. A musical interlude was provided.

No, this is not Billy Dee Williams! It is Dr. Abraham Jules, coming to Berean in April to conduct a revival.