Tag: Genesis 6

“The Need for Cleansing: The Flood, part 1”

Matt EricksonLeave a comment

This past weekend at Eastbrook, we contimued our preaching series, “Fractured,” drawn from Genesis 4-11. This is the second part of a two-part series on Genesis 1-11 that will stretch from January through Lent up to Easter. You can access the first part of this series on Genesis, “In the Beginning,” here. This third week of the series I preached from Genesis 6:9-8:1, walking through the first part of the flood narrative with Noah and his family.

You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

“Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.” 
(Genesis 6:11-12)

A New Generation (6:9a)

The story of Genesis as a story of God working across the generations 

  • The ten toledot of Genesis
  • The generation of Noah and his family
  • Leads up to 10:1 with the generation of Noah’s children

The Tension Between Noah and His Generation (6:9-12)

Noah as righteous, blameless, and walking with God

Noah’s generation as corrupt and full of violence

The Tension Between God and a Disordered World (6:13-22)

God’s heart vexed by what God sees

God’s judgment on corruption, violence, disorder

Two asides

  • about comparable ancient stories of a flood
  • about dates, times, geography, and expansiveness of the flood

The Tension Between God’s Judgment and God’s Mercy (7:1-24)

The Cataclysmic Nature of God’s Judgment

The Generative Nature of God’s Mercy

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

  • Memorize Genesis 6:18 or 8:1
  • Draw, ink, or paint this first half of the story of the Flood in Genesis 6:9-8:1. As you do that, consider what God is speaking to you about your own heart. When you finish, consider sharing your prayer reflections and/or artistry with a friend.
  • Read through other references to Noah in the Bible: 1 Chronicles 1:1-27; Isaiah 54:8-10; Ezekiel 14:12-23; Matthew 24:36-41; Luke 3:23-38; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:19-22; 2 Peter 2:4-10. 
  • Read one of the following:
    • Peter Spier’s Caldecott Medal winning children’s book, Noah’s Ark

Eastbrook at Home – March 12, 2023

Matt EricksonLeave a comment
Eastbrook-At-Home-Series-GFX_16x9-Title

Join us for worship with Eastbrook Church through Eastbrook at Home at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM. This weekend we continue our preaching series entitled “Fractured” based on Genesis, chapters 4-11, by looking at the expansion of evil and need for cleansing that led to the flood as described in Genesis 6-7.

Here is a prayer for this third Sunday in Lent from The Book of Common Prayer:

Heavenly Father, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look with compassion upon the heartfelt desires of your servants, and purify our disordered affections, that we may behold your eternal glory in the face of Christ Jesus; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

If you are able to do so, let me encourage you to join us for in-person services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM this weekend at the Eastbrook Campus.

If you are new to Eastbrook, we want to welcome you to worship and would ask you to text EBCnew to 94000 as a first step into community here at Eastbrook.

Each Sunday at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM, you can participate with our weekly worship service at home with your small group, family, or friends. This service will then be available during the week until the next Sunday’s service starts. You can also access the service directly via Vimeo, the Eastbrook app, or Facebook.

If you are not signed up for our church emailing list, please sign up here. Also, please remember that during this time financial support for the church is critical as we continue minister within our congregation and reach out to our neighborhood, city, and the world at this challenging time. Please give online or send in your tithes and offerings to support the ministry of Eastbrook Church.

“The Expansion of Evil: Before the Flood”

Matt EricksonLeave a comment

This past weekend at Eastbrook, we contimued our preaching series, “Fractured,” drawn from Genesis 4-11. This is the second part of a two-part series on Genesis 1-11 that will stretch from January through Lent up to Easter. You can access the first part of this series on Genesis, “In the Beginning,” here. This second week of the series I preached from Genesis 4:17-6:8, walking through the expanding cycle of disorder from Adam and Eve up to the life of Noah.

You can find the message outline and video below. You can access the entire series here. Join us for weekend worship in-person or remotely via Eastbrook at Home.

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis 6:5)

The Internal Conflict of Humanity (4:17-26)

Cain and future human accomplishment: a city, technology, the arts

Lamech: a representative of vengeance beyond Cain

Seth: a new beginning and the worship of the Lord God

The Generations (5:1-32)

The story of Genesis as a story of God working across the generations (toledot)

The generation from Adam to Noah

Examples to explore:

  • Enoch who walked with God
  • Lamech and his son, Noah

The Sons of God and the Daughters of Men (6:1-4)

Who are the sons of God?

  • Godly descendants of Seth versus descendants of Cain?
  • Angelic beings of some sort?
  • Dynastic tyrants descended from Lamech?

The absolute contamination of even the best humanity 

The Response of God to the Expansion of Evil (6:5-8)

God sees

God grieves

God acts

God extends favor

Dig Deeper

This week dig deeper in one or more of the following ways:

Eastbrook at Home – March 5, 2023

Matt EricksonLeave a comment
Eastbrook-At-Home-Series-GFX_16x9-Title

Join us for worship with Eastbrook Church through Eastbrook at Home at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM. This weekend we continue our preaching series entitled “Fractured” based on Genesis, chapters 4-11, by looking at the expansion of evil before the flood as described in Genesis 4-6.

Here is a prayer for this second Sunday in Lent from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities that may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

If you are able to do so, let me encourage you to join us for in-person services at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM this weekend at the Eastbrook Campus.

If you are new to Eastbrook, we want to welcome you to worship and would ask you to text EBCnew to 94000 as a first step into community here at Eastbrook.

Each Sunday at 8, 9:30, and 11 AM, you can participate with our weekly worship service at home with your small group, family, or friends. This service will then be available during the week until the next Sunday’s service starts. You can also access the service directly via Vimeo, the Eastbrook app, or Facebook.

If you are not signed up for our church emailing list, please sign up here. Also, please remember that during this time financial support for the church is critical as we continue minister within our congregation and reach out to our neighborhood, city, and the world at this challenging time. Please give online or send in your tithes and offerings to support the ministry of Eastbrook Church.

“Fractured” (Genesis, part 2) – a new series at Eastbrook Church

Matt Erickson2 Comments

This coming Sunday at Eastbrook Church we begin a new preaching series entitled “Fractured.” This will be the second of a two-part series on Genesis, chapters 1-11. This series explores Genesis 4-11, picking up where our earlier series, “In the Beginning,” left off. Genesis is a book of beginnings, setting the stage for all that comes afterwards not only in that book but in the entire Bible. Each of these messages will explore the reality of a humanity’s fracturing from God and how we see that in each descent of the Fall through these stories. Each of these early stories speak of our need for God and leads us through a season of lament and repentance consonant with the season of Lent. This series is also accompanied by our annual devotional written by members of Eastbrook Church.

Here are the weekly topics for this series, which begins with Ash Wednesday and carries through Palm Sunday:

February 22 [Ash Wednesday] – “Dust to Dust” – text: Genesis 3:19

February 26 – “The Power of Anger: Cain and Abel” – text: Genesis 4:1-17

March 5 – “The Expansion of Evil: Before the Flood” – text: Genesis 4:17-6:8

March 12 – “The Need for Cleansing: The Flood, part 1” – text: Genesis 6:9-7:24

March 19 – “Healing for the Earth: The Flood, part 2” – text: Genesis 8:1-9:17

March 26 – “Faltering at the Finish line: After the Flood” – text: Genesis 9:18-10:32

April 2 [Palm Sunday] – “Confusion Among the Nations” – text: Genesis 11:1-32