The Bullpen with J.D. Greear

By J.D. GreearReligion & Spirituality Christianity

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The Bullpen with J.D. Greear episodes

November 11, 2019Why doesn’t the Bible condemn slavery?
Pastor J.D. explains why slavery isn’t a problem we should brush aside and how we should view it through the lens of Scripture.
A glimpse inside this episode:
I want to start by pointing out that this isn’t a problem we should just brush aside. It’s a good thing for us to be offended at depictions of slavery, even in the Bible.
We ought to be troubled by things and not explain them away… So, for instance, when we hear the basic story of the first slave described in the OT (Hagar), we are rightly troubled. Abraham sleeps with his wife’s slave girl. That’s not just slavery; that’s sex slavery.
We ought to be troubled by things and not explain them away… I get it. There’s a sense in which you don’t want to judge people of old by today’s understanding, I get that. But you don’t want to lose the horror of it.
That people in the NT like Philemon didn’t immediately recognize the injustice of the practice.
A couple of key concepts to keep in mind:
There is a big difference between description and prescription.
In other words, just because the Bible talks about it, doesn’t mean the Bible approves of it. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
When Abraham took Hagar as a sex slave, the results were disastrous for everyone involved.
Preferring the older brother
Here’s another: Progressive Revelation
It’s the recognition that Scripture sometimes left deficient systems in place, while planting the seeds into the system of its undoing.
For example, here’s one we don’t often think about: primogeniture, where the eldest son got all the inheritance and the younger son got the shaft, was clearly practiced in the OT.
But in Genesis, God always chose the younger. God subtly overturned the system.
Many scholars see something similar happening throughout the Bible with slavery.
When we look to slavery in the Bible, there are three things we need to keep in mind:
1. In the NT, the “bondservant” practice of the 1st century is nothing like what we think of when we say, “slave” (i.e. where you take someone captive and force them into labor.)
That kind of slavery is explicitly condemned in the Bible:
“Anyone who kidnaps another and sells him must be put to death” (Ex. 21:16).
Or, in 1 Tim 1:8–10 Paul puts slave traders in the same category as those who kill their parents, adulterers, perjurers, and perverts.
So, that can’t be the kind of servant Onesimus was. This was more like what we think of as indentured servanthood; and it was part of the economic system in Rome.
If someone became extremely poor, or consumed with debt, the only thing left for them to sell was their labor. So in agreement for paying off debts and the promise of provision they would sell themselves to a wealthy person like Philemon.
Now, that’s not to say this was a good system, or that it ever part of God’s plan…
2. The New Testament subverts the entire premise of (any form of) slavery.
The entire NT ethic can be summarized as, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” and “love your neighbor as yourself.”
It calls us to treat one another as “brothers and sisters,” and tells us that in Christ there is neither “slave nor free.” That new view of humanity would ultimately undo any form of slavery.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross: one RACE: human. One CLASS: sinner. One HOPE: JESUS. One FUTURE: resurrection. One FORTUNE: the eternal riches of Christ.
3. Rather than issuing a political manifesto, God planted seeds which undid the current order.
Had God said, “This system is wrong; get rid of it now,” Jesus followers may have focused exclusively on political action. (And there is a time to work politically). But God had a different way of going about his agenda on earth: he was transforming the world from within, and the place he started was in the church.
Eventually, this new vision of humanity will transform the whole society, but it starts in the church.
Even the slave masters recognized the push of the Bible toward liberation! In the Museum of the Bible, I saw “The Slave Bible” where they had cut out large sections of Old and New Testament they thought would push the slaves toward desires for freedom!
D.A. Carson says that the best work on slavery is by an African-American scholar named Thomas Sowell. Massive: 3 vols. He points out slavery was universal. The terrible European slave trade trafficked 11 million Africans; but twice that many were bought and sold on the Arabian Peninsula during that same time period. Furthermore, he says, almost every slave he says sold in the European slave trade were enslaved and sold to them by other Africans. So, in other words, slavery was a nearly universal problem. Here’s how Sowell put it:
Thomas Sowell on slavery: “Although slavery was a worldwide institution for thousands of years, nowhere in the world was slavery a controversial issue prior to the 18th century. People of every race and color were enslaved – and enslaved others. White people were still being bought and sold as slaves in the Ottoman Empire, decades after American blacks were freed.
Everyone hated the idea of being a slave but few had any qualms about enslaving others. Slavery was just not an issue, not even among intellectuals, much less among political leaders, until the 18th century – and then it was an issue only in Western civilization. Among those who turned against slavery in the 18th century were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and other American leaders. You could research all of the 18th century Africa or Asia or the Middle East without finding any comparable rejection of slavery there.”
Why, he asks? Slavery is universal, but what stopped slavery it in the West? His answer? Undeniably, the Great Awakening: The preaching of men like John Wesley and the reforms of Christian statesman William Wilberforce.
The gospel plants seeds that ultimately undid the broken systems of the world from within.
Yes, Christians have been hypocritical with this down through history. But when they really reckoned with the gospel (as in the Great Awakening), it brought the entire system of slavery down on its head!
11 min
November 04, 2019Is Masturbation a Sin?
Pastor J.D. discusses some misconceptions and implications regarding the issue of masturbation.
A glimpse inside this episode:
A friend of mine named Todd Wagner offered some helpful clarification for what it’s not:
The unforgivable sin
An unavoidable sin (1 Corinthians 10:13)
A single man’s struggle (70% of married people—men and women—struggle with this question)
A male problem (89% of women struggle with masturbation)
FYI: “Onan’s” sin in Genesis 38 was not the sin of masturbation.
What we do know: Lust is sinful.
The classic Protestant answer follows a relatively simple syllogism:
Lusting after women is a sin.
It is difficult to masturbate without looking at or imagining a woman who is not your wife.
Ergo, masturbation should be discouraged.
But what if I think of something else while I’m masturbating? Not entirely possible–how God wired it.
John Piper: “I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is dependent on the thought or images in our minds.”
Something else: It can be dangerous because it can be addictive.
The physical act of orgasm releases certain chemicals (oxytocin, epinephrine, etc.). It has become a legitimate addiction for many people. We shouldn’t play with it.
Hooked—it’s not a Christian book, but a scientific study written by a couple of neurologists showing how sexual stimulation rewires the brain
Also, it objectifies the opposite sex and reduces sex to an erotic pleasure
What about thinking of my spouse during masturbation?
If a woman gives her husband permission to do this—maybe during a long military deployment—this is different, but I would still discourage it.
Romans 8:12 says we are not under obligation to our flesh. Don’t be captive.
Good news of God’s grace:
We shouldn’t beat people up because of their sin. But we shouldn’t indulge their sin either.
11 min
October 28, 2019Is Marijuana Ever OK for Christians to Use?
Pastor J.D. talks about whether the legal use of marijuana is wise or helpful for Christians.
A glimpse inside this episode:
In the past, this was an easy enough question, because marijuana was illegal. It wasn’t a “gray area” for Christians. The drug was illegal, so it was off-limits to those who are “subject to the governing authorities” (Rom. 13:1). But as recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states, some Christians are having conversations about whether there could be an acceptable use.
While the Bible never mentions marijuana, it does prohibit intoxication. If one hit of marijuana makes you high, there’s no way to smoke it and obey the Bible’s commands against drunkenness. No drug should not move us to the point of losing control. But that’s much of the intrigue and mystique of marijuana.
Furthermore, marijuana has been demonstrated to have a lot of addictive qualities, more so than alcohol and nicotine, and Paul says: “Though all things are lawful, but I will not be ruled by them.”
So, on the whole, it’s just hard to see how this could ever be wise. And that’s the wisest question: Is it helpful?
I will add: marijuana use makes you demonstrably dumber. I mean, so does watching the Bachelor or 5–6 hours of golf. But it’s not a helpful variable in this equation.
One deeper issue: the effects of marijuana work against the kind of community we should seek in the body of Christ.
In Ephesians, Paul contrasts being drunk with wine vs. filled with the Spirit. That’s not an accidental comparison. Both are ways you deal with stress and problems. Wine (and we could add marijuana) dull your awareness of reality. The Spirit heightens your awareness of an alternate reality–the promises of the gospel and the sovereignty of God. And you speak those to one another in the church, in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.
Some who speak from experience say that getting high “pulls you within yourself, causes you to become more disengaged, not only from people, but also from life in general.”
One says: “Before I was a Christian, I smoked marijuana to . . . disengage from both people and issues.”
One guy said: “By causing users to disengage from life, marijuana works against the love of neighbor Jesus commands. Christians seeking to honor God with their lives would do well to avoid it.
10 min
September 30, 2019 Leadership Series: A Praying Life
To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This has been a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share.
Oftentimes, Pastor J.D. will ask the staff of The Summit Church to read a book before our monthly large team meeting. In our episode today, J.D. is teaching the staff from the book A Praying Life by Paul Miller.
14 min
September 23, 2019 Leadership Series: Disciple Making Values
To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September.
In our episode today, J.D. works quickly through value statements about disciple making at The Summit Church.
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This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

15 min
September 16, 2019 Leadership Series: Work and Rest
To kick-off our new season, we want to share some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September.
In our episode today, J.D. very quickly answers some common questions around working – specifically working in a church. How many hours should we expect our team to work each week? What does rest look like while in ministry?
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This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.
8 min
September 09, 2019 Leadership Series: Learning from “Creativity, Inc.”
To kick-off our new season, we are sharing some of our favorite leadership lessons from Pastor J.D. This will be a minor departure from our question/answer format, but these quick thoughts on different leadership topics are too helpful not to share. You don’t want to miss any week in September.
Oftentimes, Pastor J.D. will ask the staff of The Summit Church to read a book before our monthly large team meeting. In our episode today, J.D. is hitting three quick leadership application points from the book Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull, the president of Pixar and Disney Animation.
Join Pastor J.D. as he talks about setting and changing culture.
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This Episode’s Sponsor: You’ve probably heard about the movie OVERCOMER. But you may not know there are a few books and Bible studies inspired by the film. One is called Defined by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, which is a book and Bible study based on insights from the Book of Ephesians. You can find these books and Bible studies at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.

12 min
August 12, 2019What Do You Do if You Find Out About Sexual Abuse Situations? — Re-Broadcast
In one of our two most popular episodes from season one, Pastor J.D. shares four important things to keep in mind when responding to instances of sexual abuse. Enjoy this re-broadcast, and watch for season two in September.
A glimpse into this episode:
This is an extremely important question, so much so that after becoming SBC president, the first thing I did was appoint a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group to lead our denomination. They have been leading in dozens of ways—one of the biggest is they’re developing a curriculum to help churches answer this very question. Churches should be a safe haven for the vulnerable, so we need to do everything we can to make our churches safe for survivors and safe from abuse.
A few preliminary thoughts:
Don’t be shocked it’s happening.
Prioritize the protection of victims, not the guarding of your reputations.
Your goal is not to meet the minimal requirements–but as a shepherd to protect your flock.
This is just the start of an answer, but here are four important things to keep in mind:
Disclosing sexual abuse takes an enormous amount of courage, so we should honor that.
This may be the least understood aspect of sexual abuse—it results in a huge loss of voice for the victim. Abuse is usually followed by threats not to say anything, and that’s usually what happens.
What you need to know is that the first time you hear about an instance of abuse, chances are the person talking to you has been carrying this for years. They’ve been terrified about what people will think. They’ve assumed they wouldn’t be believed. To speak up takes bravery.
Now, there are important responses and action steps after you hear of abuse. But don’t be so quick to rush to the action step that you forget your first response—listening to a person, made in God’s image, reveal one of the most hurtful experiences of their lives. Listen, listen, listen.
If you know of a report of sexual abuse against a minor, you are legally obligated to alert the authorities.
This is not a “Matthew 18” situation. This is a “Romans 13” situation. Because certain sins are not only immoral; they are also illegal. This is never clearer than in the case of sexual abuse against minors.
If you know of sexual abuse against a minor, no matter who you are, no matter who they are, your first response is to alert the authorities. Call CPS or call the police. You may not know all of the best next steps. But they do, and you need to bring them in. The safety of more children than you know may be on the line.
If an abuser has access to minors at your church, remove the access immediately—and, again, call the authorities.
Statistics here are horrifying. Those who abuse minors don’t just do it once or twice. They do it repeatedly, even after they’ve been caught (if given the opportunity). So if you know about one case, you need to see that as dozens of more potential cases. This isn’t a gray area: Bring in the authorities.
We need to reject any understanding of grace that puts the vulnerable in harm’s way by giving abusers a chance to do it again
Help connect the survivor to other resources.
If someone has disclosed to you, that’s an honor. And you will have a key role in their healing process. But you need to know you shouldn’t be shouldering this alone.
Questions are going to come up—pretty early—that are best processed through a counseling relationship. So one of the best things you can do for a victim is to get them connected to a counselor. This isn’t a handoff—you need to remind the victim that you are still there and want to process everything with them—but it allows other people more trained in abuse care to do what they do best.
Conclusion: It’s a gospel issue
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This Episode’s Sponsor: With Ministry Grid’s library of over 3,000 training videos, it’s now simpler than ever to train every volunteer and leader in your church. And this is training you can trust. Each Ministry Grid video features an experienced ministry leader who has been where you are now. Learn how to get unlimited access for you and your church at MinistryGrid.com.
14 min
July 15, 2019What Is the Greatest Need in the American Church? — Re-Broadcast
In one of our top two most popular episodes from season one, Pastor J.D. explains that the gospel must be of first importance, both empowering and informing the church. Enjoy this re-broadcast from Ask Me Anything. Season 2 begins this September.
A glimpse inside this episode:
I actually wrote a book about this, called Above All.
The greatest need now is the same as the greatest need 100 years ago. It’s the same as the greatest need 2,000 years ago. It’s to keep the gospel above all.
Above all preferences, preferences, priorities, politics, etc.
In fact, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that the gospel is of “first importance.” First importance means other things are important, too. But this is of first importance. This means the gospel is what should characterize us
1 Corinthians 2:2: some scholars say an exaggeration?
Is that really new, though? Aren’t churches already doing this?
Churches haven’t stopped saying they believe the gospel. But many churches are looking elsewhere for the source of their renewal.
The gospel, you see, should both empower and inform everything we do.
Empowers
Spurgeon’s trough back to the gospel.
The gospel is the power in all that we do: It’s not just the diving board, it’s the pool
Informs
The gospel shapes our mission.
Jesus described his mission as: To seek and save the lost.
It should be our identity: We are a gospel people. When people think about and talk about us, they should think about and talk about the gospel
Why we don’t talk about politics: We don’t want to get distracted by secondary agendas that get in the way of gospel proclamation and disciple-making.
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This Episode’s Sponsor: The Overcomer movie has inspired the creation of several resources. For small groups, there is the Overcomer Bible study. For individuals, there is a book called Defined. Both are based upon powerful insights from the Book of Ephesians. Learn more about all the resources at LifeWay.com/Overcomer.
11 min
June 17, 2019Aren’t Short-term Mission Trips a Big Waste of Money?
Pastor J.D. discusses some of the major objections to short-term mission trips and how we can participate in and facilitate them wisely.
A glimpse inside this episode:
Well, I hope they aren’t a huge waste of time and money, because I’m about to go on one for the next few weeks.
Actually, I think what I’ll be doing shows the ways that short-term trips can go well. (John Crist video reference)
You see, short-term mission trips get a bad rap because so many of them are done very, very badly.
Are they a big waste of money, gobbling up money that could just be given to indigenous church planters directly? Don’t a lot of church people use them to scratch their “foreign travel itch”—i.e., “vacationaries”? Aren’t a lot of short-term trips unhelpful to the work on the field—forcing church planters to take time from real ministry to serve as tour guides and babysitters for curious Christians? And why would we go overseas to help there, when our communities are in such need here—isn’t that arrogant?
But just because they’re done badly doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be done.
Here’s what I’ll be doing: Ministry to missionaries in Thailand and live with a family from our church for three weeks and join their ministry.
Here are some of the biggest objections I get to short-term trips, and why I think we should keep doing these trips—wisely—despite the objections:
“Short-term trips are a waste of money.”
Dollars spent on short-term trips are not zero-sum—that is, every dollar spent on a mission trip is not one less dollar you can give to people serving permanently on the field. Quite the opposite: people who see mission firsthand typically give more in missions offerings. In other words, money spent on short-term trips multiplies itself by creating greater willingness to give in the future among those who go.
Plus, an extraordinary number of mid-term (one year or longer) and career missionaries trace their call, in part, back to a short-term mission trip. God often uses what we see and experience on a trip like that to shape the rest of our lives.
“Short-term trips are really just exotic vacations for curious Christians: vacationaries.”
Sadly, too often true. But it doesn’t have to be.
We also use the lead-up to a mission trip as an intense discipleship experience. In preparing for a short-term trip, members read books, memorize verses of Scripture, keep a prayer journal, and share their faith. Ironically enough, many who enter the process with a motivation of simply seeing the world have their hearts changed along the way. I’ve seen it time and time again: potential “vacationaries” have their hearts touched by the global need for the gospel and return with new eyes and fresh vision.
“Short-term trips don’t make sense when there is so much need here.”
Error of sequentialism, etc.
“Short-term trips are more harmful to the field work than helpful.”
Again, this is often the case, even for the well-intentioned. One mission agency leader told me that there is a city in Mexico that is a popular destination for American church mission trips, and the number of conversions reported in one year for that city was three times the population of that city. Not helpful.
A helpful resource to counteract this problem is Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert’s book, When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor. They show that much of the “helping” that we do actually ends up being harmful to those we intended to help. When we do for people what they can (and should) do for themselves, it may make us feel good, but it can hinder those groups from developing the leadership necessary to meet their own needs—leadership capacity that God has put in them as much as he has in us.
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14 min

About The Bullpen with J.D. Greear

From the publisher's feed

Every sermon starts with more than can fit into a message. For years, Pastor J.D. Greear has filled his sermon notes with extra illustrations, questions, insights, and rabbit trails that never made…