Live Q&A

Open Air Theology Live Q&A and Recent Church Updates

Misfits. A misfit in the trailer park at night. A misprint with the sixth sense. Been sick ever since my brother died of a no-deed. My true sense never made sense. Either to me or anyone else inside of the sheep pens.

My ninth synth on my right side. Tell me what's the bottom line. The bottom line is I'm not right. I'm not left but this elephant won't fight. And I can't find my assigned seat to sit in. My theology don't fit in.

Black sheep of the Reformation sheep pen. I'm just another Baptist baptized again. The bastard child of Anabaptist. Hostage child of Reformation. Bookshelf of dead men. Cigars, bourbons, and beer cans.

Bow ties, tattoos, and bearded men. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Open Earth Theology. My name is Jeff. And I'm one of the co-hosts of this wonderful, fantastic show. And I'm also one of the pastors, elders of Covenant Reform Baptist Church here in Tallahoma, Tennessee.

If you like the intro song, the single just dropped today, I commented on it in YouTube and also on my Facebook page. Please go and check it out. Show your brothers some love. Pass it over to Jack Legg Braden.

This way? Yeah. I am Pastor Braden Patterson, the pastor of Valley Baptist Church in Hagerman, Idaho. Also being called, starting in December, the pastor of Grace Bible Church in Moorpark, California.

So if you live in the Ventura County area, please come join the church prior to me getting there. Come join it when I'm there. It'd be a real blessing to be able to get to know you. Really looking forward to that opportunity and just to continue to preach Christ crucified from behind the pulpit and to love the people.

I also have a YouTube channel called Reformed Ex-Mormon. I'm also looking for new friends. These ones are Jack Legg sometimes. And I'll pass the mic down to Tom.

So Braden's in Grace Bible Church. I actually attend Grace Bible Church, but actually in Texas, in Bernie, Texas. So same name, different church. So I had to put an evangelism team out of Grace Bible Church in Bernie where I'm a member.

Man, it's doing awesome, you guys. We had such a good turnout. We had two people come from evangelism today. It was excellent. So I'm like, you know, on cloud nine, you guys know when you see fruit and stuff like that.

So it was it was a good day today. Yeah, man.

Yes. Service went well for us today. I kind of finished the little section on washing feet. For some reason, I can't get anyone in our reformed church to bring out the bucket of water and get in between the toes.

Right. But now we just pointed out that, you know, we looked at what a servant is. That's that's Christ. What a servant isn't Judas. And what was the other one? How should a leader lead or something like that?

But it was a really good message. And it was one that I was actually kind of worried about, like entering into the pulpit. I just I didn't know how it was going to turn out. And while I was preaching, I felt pretty good about it.

And then I had a lot of people afterwards approached me just saying it was a really good message. So I haven't got to hear it, hear it yet. But if you want to supposedly hear a good message by me, go check out the one I preached today.

Good Lord's Day, though, we had a week, man, I tell you what, we had four families missing today and our whole church was packed. We barely have if they would have came because we have a fellowship meal after every service.

If those four families would have came and everyone would have stayed and eaten, we wouldn't have had enough room for people to eat. Wow. That's awesome. So we really need this church building. Oh, yeah.

And so more announcements on that. I am meeting with the church that owns the building, receive the deed to the building. And I am meeting with them this coming Tuesday at 1030 Central Central Standard Time.

So if y 'all could if y 'all would excuse me, if y 'all would please be praying that the Lord would be so gracious for us to get this building. And we really need it. We're busting out the seams.

So praise God. That's awesome. We'll be playing, praying for sure.

How was your day, Braden? That was good. I got to preach Galatians chapter three, verse 15 to 23. And so just got to talk a lot about covenants and how the seed is the singular Christ, not the plural people of Israel.

So that was that was a blessing to be able to go through that. So very good. Good Lord's Day. Great time of fellowship and with the saints. That's good. How about you, Tom?

Well, it was good earlier today. Michael, Michael preached. And then in our evening worship service, Frank preached on memorizing the word of God, how important it is to meditate on it, to read it, to study it.

But not only to read it and study it, but also memorize it. So we have it in our hearts and our minds so we can meditate on it. So, you know, as we as we take in Christ, we can memorize the Scripture.

It helps us, helps us to keep our mind on Christ. So it was it was really good. And then seeing the two guys, it was actually one guy that we met at evangelism a couple of weeks ago. A young man, you know, a senior in high school, you know, built dude.

I mean, all the girls are going to love this guy, this kid. I mean, just built football player and all that stuff. And and he came to listen to us evangelize. Showed up at church, brought a friend and heard the word preached like they've never heard heard before.

Actually, verse by verse, actually looking at at the Scriptures and then explaining the text where they were just floored. And so they said they're going to come back. So we're just praising God for that.

So it was excellent. Really good. Very good. Very good.

But everyone had a had a good Lord's Day. There's nothing like the Lord's Day, in my opinion, where we get to gather with the saints and and allow this to be an overflow of our our continued worship throughout the week.

Answering a Question About Zechariah in Luke 1

Yeah. So so today's topic is we're just going to have a Q &A. So we we were going to talk about one thing and we just decided not to. We really want this show to be energetic and fun. And so, I mean, I mean, you got guys out there.

You know, if you're looking for someone to bash everybody that around like this is not the show for you. Like if you come in the comments sections running your mouth, let me bash. Yeah, we'll make fun of you.

Hallelujah. But but we're not like the heresy hunters and stuff like that or something like that. So, you know, so we just wanted this show to be fun. And so because like like you came down to yesterday and was like, well, what are we going to talk about?

And so it was like, well, let's just allow people to ask questions.

So I have a I have a request. OK, because because I'm married to her, she has a question and I can tell her that tell you guys that we.

So every every question we're going to have the ones that we answer. We're going to pull up on the screen.

OK, so my wife is Debbie Shepard there. You guys pull it up. Yes. And go ahead. And I'm going to tell you, my wife and I argue about this verse. So I'm not going to tell you which one I'm going to leave.

I want to prove her wrong, guys. Prove her wrong. That's all I'm asking. So in Luke, Zechariah was unable to speak until the baby was born. Creatures today say that Zechariah was also deaf, even though the Bible doesn't say anything about him being deaf.

What do y 'all think? I think it's in Luke one, Luke one.

And I've never heard that he was deaf.

Yeah, it doesn't say that he was deaf, but let's read the text.

Sounds like you want to argue for a man deaf.

Hey, hey.

All right, go ahead and insert your words into the Bible. Let's go.

Go ahead and shoehorn your interpretation.

Hold on, let's see here.

The best way to open up is the Bible doesn't say, but this is where I'm going to go.

OK, so let's let's let's start it.

Braden, you're a good reader. Start at verse 18.

Yeah, I am a great reader. Not really. I think I have, I guess, two seconds.

Well, you read. Well, it's just your voice.

Yeah, that's your voice. Your voice sucks.

And Zechariah said to the angel, how will I know this? For I am. I'm OK. Read it, Braden, read it.

Hold on, where are we at?

You started reading it and then you stopped.

Where are we at?

Oh, verse 18, verse 18.

Chapter 18.

And Zechariah, chapter two or chapter one?

One.

Oh, crap.

OK, and Zechariah said to the angel, how shall I know this? For I am old, an old man, and my wife is advanced in years. And the angel answered him, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time. And the people were waiting for Zechariah and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.

And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.

Keep going.

OK.

And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home. After these days, his wife, Elizabeth, conceived. And for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me to take away my reproach among people.

Keep going.

Debbie, where is it?

Hold on.

Hold on a second.

Somebody fired Tom. Go ahead, Michelle.

Tell us.

Or Melissa. Melissa is the one that keeps on telling me I need to get fired.

I'm going to get fired if I don't get this.

Hold on.

There was a part in there when it says...

OK.

Golly, she gave me the wrong word. Verse 63.

Hold on.

Let's go down.

OK. 63? OK.

OK, so let's start at 60.

OK.

But his mother answered and said, No, but he shall be called John. And they said to her, There is no one among the relatives who is called by this name. And they were making signs to his father. They were making signs to his father, who was mute, right?

We just read that he was mute. They were making signs to his father. He was mute. He couldn't talk.

Yeah. During that time of pregnancy.

Huh?

During the time of pregnancy.

Right.

He couldn't talk. So keep reading. Let's read it. 61. And they said to her, There is no one among...

OK.

So 62. And they were making signs to his father as to what he wanted to be called. And he asked for a tablet. And he wrote as follows. His name shall be called John. And they marveled.

OK.

So he couldn't talk. But why are they making signs to him? Why didn't they just say, Hey.

64.

And immediately his mouth was open. And his tongue.

Here's the issue. Why are they making signs to him if he could hear?

He started saying signs first.

Right.

So he couldn't talk.

He couldn't talk.

OK.

But he could hear. If he can hear, why are they doing this?

Whoa.

You were making. No, go back. You just said he couldn't hear. You were just making signs to us. It doesn't mean you're deaf.

All it is is hand gestures.

He couldn't speak.

OK.

You just did it again.

You just did it again.

You're talking with your hands.

But I'm speaking also.

You're doing it again.

On telling me he was deaf as well. He was deaf as well.

He couldn't.

Hey, what's the name of that? That, that, that, that deaf people use? What's that called?

Braille.

No.

Deaf people don't need Braille. That's blind people.

Jack.

Oh, gosh.

You got me.

They were over. OK.

So let's.

Oh, my goodness.

OK.

Anybody hear what I'm saying?

I hear you.

That, that they were making signs to him. If he was mute. That I can see him making signs. Or hear me out. Or writing on a tablet and all that. Or even them writing on a tablet back. But if he could hear.

Why are they doing his name?

You don't know what they're doing.

They just could be like, dude, step up, speak.

They're making signs, right?

They're not sitting here doing sign language.

Right. Why would they?

What were they?

Napoleon Dynamite.

All right. Come on.

Listen.

Listen. This right here.

OK.

Let's go to something else. You got a weird interpretation.

Was he?

I do.

Yes.

So he was making signs at him for no reason.

Yeah. I mean, it's just hand gestures.

You were just talking too much.

When I preach.

When I preach.

Yes.

When I preach. I'm a hand gesture in full.

How many people are deaf in your church? How many people are deaf in your church?

In our church?

No one. But today I was like. Horizontal versus vertical.

Why are you making those hand signals? Somebody has to be deaf in your church if you're making hand signals.

I don't know why they wouldn't just ask him if he could hear instead of making.

We agree with Debbie.

OK.

Oh, my gosh.

Get Debbie on the show.

You're off.

She's on it.

You said,.

Maybe we aren't at all. Anybody?

No one's on your side.

Wait, Jake just said, check the lexicons.

Onto.

On the original Greek for that word. Same, same.

I don't have any. I don't have anything else with me.

It says some mention it as a somatic. Uh, cannot talk range, including both mute and deaf. So he's saying that the, uh, I like.

Causing him to be mute. Yeah. I like, I like. Who would you say that? Jake, Jake. Yeah.

But the issue is even if, even if, even if being made mute could mean both not talk or hear the only part that is restored, that's talked about is a totally different Greek word, which was he used his tongue and he caused him to speak.

It was no longer, it.

Doesn't mention anything. If there was a time to where I wasn't able to talk, I would learn how to, I would learn how to communicate with people around me. So. Okay. Y 'all are all.

Wrong. It was one of these, the sign languages. What's the next question? All right. So at.

The very beginning, a guy was asking a question. He asked a lot of questions and we're going to answer one question and see if anyone else comes up with anything else. And then if not, they don't, we'll come back to it.

All right. So, um, Clint, he has three, um, at the very beginning is the one of those you want to tackle. Yes. Like four in the beginning. Oh yeah. Four.

Wow. They calm down brother. According to 1689 federalism is the faith that caused Caleb and Joshua to believe in God's promise to take the land, the same faith that we have. Well,.

Faith just means trust. So they were trusting that God was going to bring them to that land.

And I'd have to, I, so to be honest with you, I would have to have, I would have to have some time to study that exact passage to answer that with a surety. We do know that Hebrews 11,.

The chapter of faith mentions that several incidents, but it was Abraham and looking for a land that wasn't theirs, but not even just that. It says that they quench the power of fire,.

Escape the sword, were made strong through weakness, became mighty and foreign armies.

To flight. So there's, there's mentions of this stuff. And so I just, what I think he's getting at is that the, uh, saving faith and I would say saving faith has to concern the seed. So if this was in 1689 federalism, the faith that makes a person righteous has to do with that promise seed, which is Christ.

It's speaking of the land. I'm sure that, that, you know, in the sense that they were trusting God for the land, however, were they trusting God for the seed? Now I do believe that they were children of spiritual descendants of Abraham, not just physical descendants of Abraham, but I wouldn't,.

I wouldn't base it off of that promise. So I would say on this, and if, correct me if I'm wrong, but the rest of the people, I, yeah, obviously I'm wrong. I didn't put that up there. Let me put that up there real quick so people can see it.

So if the Texas and John, I mean, did not the, that they came back and they went out to spy out the land. Didn't the other people that were with them or the other people were saying, Hey, wait a minute.

They look too big. They look too much. They were doubting everything, but Caleb and Joshua believed God.

Yes. If my memory serves me correctly. Yes. Which I think goes back to showing and demonstrating a certain level of saving faith. So I would err on that saying that they had faith in the seed, which caused them to be able to act in bold manners, which just like we trust God when we go out and do evangelism, which stems from our faith in Christ.

Right. So, so what they were.

Seeing with their human eyes, they were leaving God to do that. So I would say that we're resting.

At least on God on that as well. Yep. It's so funny. So at work, sometimes we'll go on calls and it's really funny to see somebody that's new, try to do a patient assessment on somebody that's deaf because they'll just get louder and louder.

And she'll like, by the end of it, they'll be shouting, what's your medical history? And the person's like, I don't have my hearing. Yeah. There's some pretty funny stories I got with that.

For some reason, it's not letting me go further in my comments. If you ask the question, ask it again. Cause it's not letting me see it.

What do you want me to tell us another Clint one that we can answer? This one's.

Not even letting me say the Clint. Why are you on the top? Right? Absolutely. I don't know.

Oh, here's a good one. Here's a good one. Okay. And this is what it says. Why are so many reformed Baptist critical of Christian nationalism when the 1689 confession explicitly supports general equity theonomy?

Because it's speaking of the church, the church.

Okay. So, so we're not saying that the government shouldn't use God's law, right? So in 1689, in the reformed Baptist, we held to the three uses of the law. First use, then a mirror, second uses the curb, third uses the flashlight, the curb, the government should use God's law as a way to curb evil.

However, we should not implant Moses, right? That law, the mosaic covenant was only given to the Israelites. There's never been a one by that. I mean, the physical descendants of Abraham, that law, according to Galatians chapter three and four was only until Christ.

Now, until someone can exegetically deal with that issue, it was only until Christ, there really isn't an argument to be made. All of us Gentiles have never been under a mosaic law. We are under the David, I mean, the Abrahamic covenant and Abraham, Moses and David are all administrations of that covenant of works as they all are covenant of works.

Now, God's law would also still apply, moral law would still apply.

Yeah, the moral law applies to us. However, so you just threw me off.

I'm sorry.

Jack leg.

Sorry.

I don't remember where I was going.

My bad.

I was going somewhere. I can't remember. I'm about to be 45. So my age is catching up with me. So anyways, when do y 'all want to take up the mantle? I don't, I don't forgot.

Yeah. So the 1689 chapter 19 of law of paragraph four says to Israel, he also gave various judicial laws, which ceased at the same time their nation ended. These laws no longer obligate anyone as part of that institution.

Only their general principles of justice continue to have moral values. And so what's going on in this chapter is there's the discussion of the moral law. That's a transcendent. It exists and flows from the nature of God.

Then there's the ceremonial and the judicial laws. The ceremonial laws are those laws that help cover the sin of the people of Israel while the, and also had foreshadowing and typology of Christ. It would open up a hole.

We've done shows on this topic before. Judicial law is those governing the people laws, such as family kinsmen, redeemer, right? Those, those kinds of laws. There's several laws that are mentioned. You can't eat pork.

You can't have mixed linen. You can't have all these examples of things. And a lot of those laws, I would argue the majority of those laws, they had a specific purpose that was to protect them as a nation to bring about the promise seed.

And so the confession says that they ended with that nation because that nation produced, guess what the seed, what the intended purpose of those laws were, which was Christ. That's what Galatians chapter three verse 19 says.

The law was added because of transgressions previously committed until the seed, until the seed, that law, the law of Moses ceased. So the general equity that we would see in there is that we could look at something like a parapet wall that was commanded to the people that had flat roofs in those days and say, it's probably wise to keep my windows locked and shut so that my neighbor doesn't fall out of my window.

However, the purpose of these things are different because even in the old Testament, it was so that you wouldn't have bloodshed in the land so that they could remain in the land. If somebody falls out of my window and dies, do I get kicked out of the land?

No. So you have to understand that general equity, I would argue that a theonomist is typically going far too, too, too distant for what the, what general equity implies.

And also Jesus, when he uses general equity, it goes against what they're looking at. So the Bible, Old Testament, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Jesus is general equity for the church is turning the other cheek.

The Bible says to purge the evil from among you, general equity for the church is that we purge the evil from among the church. For sure. Again, we think that the government should use the law. However, we should not be.

Trying to establish a mosaic covenant. Yes. Period. And that's it. Because a lot of people think that theonomy, they're wanting to go not just back to God's moral law, but they're wanting to go back to the mosaic law.

They're wanting to go back. And that's, that's,.

That's a mishandling. I would say it's a false gospel and your, and your borderline heretics to take it to that limit. Yeah. And I'm going to be honest with you. I would not. What is going on? I would not have, I will not have any fellowship with people that hold to that strong of a view of it.

I mean, like none, absolutely zero. Right. Now, as far as the.

Christian nationalist part of that question, it just really depends on how you define what a Christian nation is. And everybody has a different definition of it. If we just simply mean a Christian nation is a nation that has law that is influenced by the moral law with using general equity principles from other laws, then, okay, that's fine.

I can get on board with that. But if we're saying a Christian nation is a nation that puts people to death for walking around, carrying a heavy load on a Saturday, the Sabbath. Yeah. No, absolutely not.

Yeah. If you just look at the Sabbath, the Sabbath has ended in the sense that, that the Sabbath rest was in Christ. Our Sabbath rest is in Christ. Now the general equity of it, that we should have. So, so we're looking at two tier.

Should someone work seven days a week? No, you need a day, you need a day of rest. And also the, the Sabbath in the Old Testament was never instituted as a day of worship ever. You will not find it in there.

That came about during the Maccabean period. Yeah. So my question is, is what are we doing? Are we really taking the Bible serious? Galatians tells us it was only into Christ. Corinthians tells us that that covenant was a ministry of death.

And if you look at Romans chapter six and seven, like when Paul's saying the things I want to do, I cannot do. There's a good chance that he's speaking about that time of being under that old covenant law.

Right. We just heard that Jeffrey Johnson had a good sermon on that. Yeah. So real quick, she's done posted this twice and she's been, you know, I think we should at least give a thought to it. She's asking about Steve.

Can I, can I go ahead and say it for all of us here? Here's my thoughts. I think that, that we probably should hold off on this. And the reason why is because there's not, not everything has been brought out.

Let's, let's hold off before we put our foot in our.

Mouths and say too much. Yeah. And I, and also with that, I think we should be praying for him and his family, his wife, his family, but also I'm not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Like if I do that, I have to not read anything of David, not read anything of Peter, the stories of Samson.

Like what he did was all, if it's true, what he did is awful. However, it's sin. He doesn't need to be in the pulpit, so on and so forth. However, we don't need to.

Throw the baby out the bathwater. He has a lot of good stuff out there. And he's, and he's probably done more for the kingdom than everybody put together watching this show. Yeah. So, but.

If I could, I think the real problem is, is, is that men should not be idolized. So think about like, yes, if you have 50 men in a room and then you have a guy like Steve Lawson walk into the room and the next thing you know, all these men who are chill, they're calm, they're collected, they see Steve Lawson and they're like, Oh, Steve Lawson.

They start fanboying over, getting into a line to shake his hands. What are the women in that room thinking? The men want to be him. So therefore the women want to be with him. Like, like it's a slippery slope and all it's going to take for, for any guy, some pretty woman to wink the eye and motion them over.

Men are weak in the same way that we use creeds and confessions to read our Bibles. When we travel, we need to have other men of God with us to be our creeds and confessions and our holiness, but I'll get off my high horse.

Uh, do you mind if we have, uh, the question by Jesse Killinger on here?

Okay. Which one is it? It's just shortly up from the bottom. Is it, uh, can you discuss chapter three?

Yep. Okay. Jesse Killinger is a good friend of mine. Good brother in Christ right there. I work with him. Uh, so he says, can you discuss chapter three, paragraph one, and talk about God's relationship with sin?

Is God the author of sin? Why does he allow it? If he is indeed sovereign, does he just allow it for his glory, et cetera? That's a great question.

So to begin with, I would say that this is actually a topic that I don't think people should tread on, but I will give you my response, but I want to hear what these gentlemen say just in case they say something crazy.

I'm going to have to fire on.

Oh my goodness. Yeah. So it says in there, uh, so I'll read the paragraph. It says from all eternity, God decreed everything that occurred without reference to anything outside of himself. He did this by the perfectly wise and hostly counsel of his own free will or his own will freely and unchangeable.

Uh, yet God did this in such a way that he is neither the author of sin or has any fellowship with, uh, with any in their sin. This decree does not violate the will of the creature or take away the free working of contingencies of second causes.

On the contrary, these are established by God's decree. And these, uh, in this God's decree, God's or in this decree, God's wisdom is displayed in directing all things and his power and faithfulness are demonstrated in accomplishing his decree.

And so what the second cause in here, I'll just, I'll preface this in chapter five, it talks about that. The first cause is, is God, is God acting God, predestinating God, causing something to come about.