What's in a Name?

February 5th, 2023 - Rev Jon Storck

Portions of Genesis 10 to 11:9

[1] These are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Sons were born to them after the flood. [2] The sons of Japheth… Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan… [5] From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands, each with his own language, by their clans, in their nations.

[6] The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan. [8] Cush fathered Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. [9] He was a mighty hunter before the Lord. Therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.” [22] The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud, and Aram. [31] These are the sons of Shem, by their clans, their languages, their lands, and their nations.

[32] These are the clans of the sons of Noah, according to their genealogies, in their nations, and from these the nations spread abroad on the earth after the flood.

[1] Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. [2] And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

[3] And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. [4] Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

[5] And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. [6] And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. [7] Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.”

[8] So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. [9] Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

ESV

The Futility of Hiding and the Remedy to Shame

January 22, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 9:18-29

[18] The sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) [19] These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the people of the whole earth were dispersed.

[20] Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. [21] He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. [22] And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. [23] Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father's nakedness.

[24] When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, [25] he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”

[26] He also said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. [27] May God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, and let Canaan be his servant.”

[28] After the flood Noah lived 350 years. [29] All the days of Noah were 950 years, and he died.

ESV

The God Who Remembers

January 22, 2023 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 7:17-9:17

17 The flood continued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. 20 The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved on the earth, birds, livestock, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm on the earth, and all mankind. 22 Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. 23 He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days.

The Flood Subsides

8 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 2 The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

6 At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh—birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth—that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him. 19 Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark.

God's Covenant with Noah

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

9 And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
    by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image.

7 And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it.”

8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (ESV)

Obedience in the Face of the Storm

January 15th, 2023 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 6:9 - Genesis 7:16

[9] These are the generations of Noah.

Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

[11] Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. [12] And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. [13] And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. [14] Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. [15] This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. [16] Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. [17] For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. [18] But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. [19] And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. [20] Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. [21] Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them.”

[22] Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.

Genesis 7:1-16

[1] Then the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation. [2] Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, [3] and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. [4] For in seven days I will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.”

[5] And Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.

[6] Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. [7] And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood. [8] Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground, [9] two and two, male and female, went into the ark with Noah, as God had commanded Noah. [10] And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.

[11] In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. [12] And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

[13] On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah's wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, [14] they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. [15] They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. [16] And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

ESV

A Tale of Two Cities

November 20, 2022 - Jon Storck

gENESIS 4:17-5:32

[17] Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the

name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. [18] To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad

fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. [19]

And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

[20] Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. [21] His

brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. [22] Zillah

also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of

Tubal-cain was Naamah. [23] Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:

I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

[24] If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

[25] And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she

said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” [26] To

Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call

upon the name of the LORD. This is the book of the generations of Adam.

[1] When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. [2] Male and female he

created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. [3] When

Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named

him Seth. [4] The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons

and daughters. [5] Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. . . . . .

[21] When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. [22] Enoch walked with God

after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. [23] Thus all the

days of Enoch were 365 years. [24] Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

[25] When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. [26] Methuselah lived after he

fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. [27] Thus all the days of

Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. [28] When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered

a son [29] and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed,

this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” [30] Lamech

lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. [31] Thus all the

days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. [32] After Noah was 500 years old, Noah

fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (ESV)

It Could be Worse

November 15th, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 4:1-16

[1] Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” [2] And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. [3] In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, [4] and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, [5] but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. [6] The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? [7] If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

[8] Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. [9] Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?” [10] And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. [11] And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. [12] When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” [13] Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. [14] Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” [15] Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. [16] Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

ESV

When All Hell Breaks Loose

October 30th, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 3:8-15

[8] And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” [10] And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” [11] He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” [12] The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” [13] Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” [14] The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. [15] I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

ESV

The Anatomy of Temptation

October 23, 2022 - Jon Storck

Genesis 3:1-9

[1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had

made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the

garden'?" [2] And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the

garden, [3] but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the

garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" [4] But the serpent said to the woman, "You will

not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will

be like God, knowing good and evil." [6] So when the woman saw that the tree was good for

food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one

wise she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her,

and he ate. [7] Then the eyes of both were opened, a and they knew that they were naked.

And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

[8] And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and

the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the

garden. [9] But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"

Note on the Sermon: The first minute or two of the sermon was not recorded; it consisted of Jon asking whether the audience had seen The Chosen, and noting that it did a much better job of portraying Jesus as human than is normal for popular media. Apologies are requested by the tech team.

Is God Not Enough for You? (Part III)

October 16th, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

GENESIS 2:18-25

[18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” [19] Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. [20] The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. [21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. [22] And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. [23] Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

[24] Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [25] And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

ESV

Is God Not Good Enough For You? (Part II)

October 9th, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

GENESIS 2:18-25

[18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” [19] Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. [20] The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. [21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. [22] And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. [23] Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

[24] Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. [25] And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

ESV

God. and Our Work

October 2nd, 2022 - Mr. Roger Qi

Genesis 2:5-17

 5 When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground, 6 and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. 8 And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 And the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon. It is the one that flowed around the whole land of Cush. 14 And the name of the third river is the Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

ESV

Isn’t God Enough For You?

September 25, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 2:18-25

[18] Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a

helper fit for him.” [19] Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the

field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call

them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. [20] The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But

for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. [21] So the LORD God caused a deep sleep

to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

[22] And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and

brought her to the man. [23] Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called Woman,

because she was taken out of Man.”

[24] Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they

shall become one flesh. [25] And the man and his wife were both naked and were not

ashamed.

The "Rest" of The Story

September 18th, 2022 - Rev. Jon Storck

Genesis 2 : 1-3

[1] Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. [2] And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. [3] So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

ESV

Truly Human: God Made Me, Therefore I Am.

September 11, 2022 - Jon Storck

Genesis 1:26-31

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have

dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and

over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[27] So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

[28] And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth

and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens

and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” [29] And God said, “Behold, I have given

you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its

fruit. You shall have them for food. [30] And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the

heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I

have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. [31] And God saw everything that he had

made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth

day. (ESV)

The Beginning Matter and Why the Beginning Matters

August 28, 2022 - Jon Storck

Genesis 1:1-2

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.