Emmaus Baptist Church Sermons

JOSHUA 8 / 1 SAMUEL 17 “Jesus is coming to wage holy war on Babylon. Holy War is more than an Old Testament phenomenon; it is New Testament hope.” - Joshua Ryan Butler *If God’s Character is Good and His Plan (Gospel) is Victorious, how do passages of “war” impact our lives/church/society? 1. Goliath and Revelation | 1 Samuel 17; Revelation 18-19 | The Empire Strikes Out - Canaan and Goliath represent Empires - Babylon and Rome are Ultimate Evil Empires in Scripture - Empires oppress the weak economically, socially, and politically - Revelation is actually an “anti-violence” book - “Jesus [destroys] the empire to bring in the kingdom.” - Butler - Beware the allure and danger of power/empire/worshiping the state - We pray, “Come, Lord Jesus” 2. Sermon on the Mount and Romans | Matthew 5:38-39; Romans 12:18-13:4 Turn the Cheek & Protect the Weak - We don’t avenge ourselves - We pursue peace by all means/to every extent possible - We seek to protect “shalom” and promote “flourishing” - Just War Theory must uph