Rolled Away Your Reproach

·34 min·3 clips

Pastor Steve Wilkins explains why following Christ smells like death to the unbelieving world.

The sermon opens by establishing that God's people frequently endure reproach, scorn, and mocking from others. Pastor Steve Wilkins uses Paul's words to the Corinthians to frame Christians as an 'aroma of death' to those who are perishing. He illustrates the human instinct to avoid death with examples from modern life, including a 'Survivor' contestant who liberated chickens and the historical shift from home 'parlors' used for wakes to 'living rooms.' Wilkins defines biblical reproach as being treated as worthless, linking it to death through the power of the tongue. He cites Proverbs and the Apostle James on bridling the tongue to avoid heaping death on others. The sermon explores how reproach causes shame by stripping one of honor, likening it to nakedness. Wilkins contrasts the human instinct to conceal shame with achievements to being clothed with Christ through baptism. He examines the lament of the sons of Korah in Psalm 44 and David's grief in Psalm 55 over betrayal by a close friend. The core exegesis focuses on Joshua 5, where Joshua circumcises the Israelites with flint knives at Gibeath-haaraloth. Wilkins explains this as a 'second Passover' event that adopts a new generation as sons of Yahweh's household. He interprets the 'reproach of Egypt' as the taunts from Egyptians who mocked Israel's God for letting them die in the wilderness. After this reproach is rolled away, Israel celebrates Passover at Gilgal. The sermon then connects this to Abraham, whom God renamed 'father of a multitude' while he had only one son, inviting ridicule before God gave him Isaac. Wilkins references theologian James Jordan's insight that removing reproach opens the future to new possibilities. He also mentions Rachel from Genesis, whose reproach of barrenness was taken away with the birth of Joseph. Wilkins briefly alludes to a modern movie that draws on Jacob and Rachel's story. The sermon culminates by linking these themes to Jesus, who endured the cross and whose reproach was rolled away with the resurrection stone. Wilkins applies this to the church's life, urging believers to use their tongues to build up rather than reproach one another and to rejoice when scorned for Christ's sake.

As heard by us

A grave Joshua 5 sermon on God's household, ritual belonging, and reproach borne for Christ.

This single-episode sermon reads scorn against God's people as the friction that comes when those claimed by God meet a world that recoils from Christ.

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Why you'd press play

You want Joshua 5's bloody ritual tied to Passover, adoption, and the reproach of following Christ? Press play.

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