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Christian Life Church
February 28, 2021 10:00am
The word “shibboleth” means “flowing stream.”
Locations & Times
Christian Life Church Columbia
2700 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
SHIBBOLETH February 28, 2021
SCRIPTURE
The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” And the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell. Judges 12:1-6, ESV
INTRO
The word “shibboleth” means “flowing stream.”
“The Emphraimites were betrayed by their speech; so was Peter many years afterward.” Arthur E. Cundall
A shibboleth reveals which lines you have drawn in the sand.
TYPES OF SHIBBOLETHS
1/ Salvation’s Shibboleth
Jesus is the only shibboleth for salvation!
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9, NIV
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven give to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12, NIV
2/ Silly Shibboleths
Some have elevated preferences & traditions to be shibboleths.
3/ Silent Shibboleths
Some have no shibboleths; thus there is no distinction between them & the world.
4/ Secondary Shibboleths
These are not primary issues, but secondary. For example, the modes of water baptism & communion.
5/ Significant Shibboleths
These are primary issues, in which there is no grey area. What you say about these things matters.
A CURRENT CRISIS
1/ There are some positives.
“Modern science disproves the Bible.” (17% agree)
“God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ.” (84% agree)
2/ There are some negatives.
“Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” (52% agree)
“Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” (46% agree)
“God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” (42% agree)
3/ There is confusion.
“Evangelicals, while exhibiting some hopeful movement in the direction of biblical fidelity, also seem to be influenced by the culture’s uncertainty about what truth is, who Jesus is, and how sinners are saved.” thestateoftheology.com’s conclusion based on LifeWay Research’s 2020 Project
People believe in the idea of God’s Word, but not in specific truths.
Syncretism, false teaching, poor teaching, & nominalism have led to this moment.
The men of Ephraim had distanced themselves far enough & long enough from the people of God that their dialects changed.
The slight variation from “shibboleth” to “sibboleth” made all the difference.
A CALL TO RETURN
Spiritual formation doesn’t begin in the White House. It begins in the church house & in my house.
“Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” Andy Stanley
What we teach our children about God matters. Our dialect must be correct!
“The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” General William Booth of the Salvation Army
1/ What we say about Scripture is a shibboleth.
2/ What we say about the One True God is a shibboleth.
3/ What we say about Jesus Christ is a shibboleth.
4/ What we say about the Holy Spirit is a shibboleth.
5/ What we say about salvation is a shibboleth.
HERE’S THE CATCH!
Our language is love! Our accent is kindness!
In the same way the Gileadites teach us what to do (stand our ground), they also teach us how not to do it (anger).
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. Ephesians 5:14-15, NLT
Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Galatians 6:1, ESV
SCRIPTURE
The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. And when I saw that you would not save me, I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, “You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” And the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell. Judges 12:1-6, ESV
INTRO
The word “shibboleth” means “flowing stream.”
“The Emphraimites were betrayed by their speech; so was Peter many years afterward.” Arthur E. Cundall
A shibboleth reveals which lines you have drawn in the sand.
TYPES OF SHIBBOLETHS
1/ Salvation’s Shibboleth
Jesus is the only shibboleth for salvation!
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9, NIV
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven give to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12, NIV
2/ Silly Shibboleths
Some have elevated preferences & traditions to be shibboleths.
3/ Silent Shibboleths
Some have no shibboleths; thus there is no distinction between them & the world.
4/ Secondary Shibboleths
These are not primary issues, but secondary. For example, the modes of water baptism & communion.
5/ Significant Shibboleths
These are primary issues, in which there is no grey area. What you say about these things matters.
A CURRENT CRISIS
1/ There are some positives.
“Modern science disproves the Bible.” (17% agree)
“God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but only because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ.” (84% agree)
2/ There are some negatives.
“Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.” (52% agree)
“Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.” (46% agree)
“God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.” (42% agree)
3/ There is confusion.
“Evangelicals, while exhibiting some hopeful movement in the direction of biblical fidelity, also seem to be influenced by the culture’s uncertainty about what truth is, who Jesus is, and how sinners are saved.” thestateoftheology.com’s conclusion based on LifeWay Research’s 2020 Project
People believe in the idea of God’s Word, but not in specific truths.
Syncretism, false teaching, poor teaching, & nominalism have led to this moment.
The men of Ephraim had distanced themselves far enough & long enough from the people of God that their dialects changed.
The slight variation from “shibboleth” to “sibboleth” made all the difference.
A CALL TO RETURN
Spiritual formation doesn’t begin in the White House. It begins in the church house & in my house.
“Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” Andy Stanley
What we teach our children about God matters. Our dialect must be correct!
“The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell.” General William Booth of the Salvation Army
1/ What we say about Scripture is a shibboleth.
2/ What we say about the One True God is a shibboleth.
3/ What we say about Jesus Christ is a shibboleth.
4/ What we say about the Holy Spirit is a shibboleth.
5/ What we say about salvation is a shibboleth.
HERE’S THE CATCH!
Our language is love! Our accent is kindness!
In the same way the Gileadites teach us what to do (stand our ground), they also teach us how not to do it (anger).
Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church. Ephesians 5:14-15, NLT
Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Romans 2:4, NLT
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Galatians 6:1, ESV