Together
A DECLINE IN FORMAL RELIGION
A study from the Pew Research Center found that Christians accounted for about 90% of the population 50 years ago, but as of 2020, that figure has slumped to about 64%.
The study found that the number of people who identify as “religiously unaffiliated” is on the rise. Although some of these individuals are atheists, it mostly comprises a population that is agnostic, spiritual, or nothing specific. This percentage is currently projected to overtake the US Christian majority by the year 2070.
"Some scholars say that it's just an inevitable consequence of development for societies to secularize. Once there are strong secular institutions, once people's basic needs are met, there's less need for religion… Other people point out that affiliation really started to drop in the '90s. And it may not be a coincidence that this coincides with the rise of the religious right and more associations between Christianity and conservative political ideology." – Stephanie Kramer
PRIVATIZED RELIGION
This is when one believes they should rely on themselves rather than the established or organized religious traditions to answer spiritual questions – “I am into Jesus, but not the Church.”
JESUS AND THE CHURCH
As evident in the scriptures, Jesus believed in the church, not just in the Christian community but also in the institutional religion of his day.
“For Jesus, the church was never optional. Jesus was not anti-institutional. He regularly led his disciples and himself into the church of the first century which was the synagogue and temple…. [Jesus] immersed himself in the relationships at the temple, he went to the temple for prayer, and he added his own voice to the teaching of that temple.” – Tyler Staton
HOW DO WE DO CHURCH TOGETHER IN 5 COMMITMENTS
Reveal the kingdom of Jesus
The kingdom of Jesus or the reign of God, is not simply the rule of God in each believer's heart, but a kingdom that pervades every aspect of our lives- the spiritual and the physical- and looks utterly unlike the kingdoms of this world.
It is an upside-down Kingdom, a new world order– under the leadership of Jesus. It is a Kingdom that we were made to be a part of.
"We are built to live in the kingdom of God. It is our natural habitat." – Dallas Willard
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”– Mark 1:15
Belong to a microchurch
Micorchurch, is prayer, scripture, and mission.
So just like the disciples, we may be a messy bunch of people with varying beliefs and backgrounds, but we come together time and time again, in the midst of laughter and conflict, to shape one another.
So here is my encouragement to you today…
If you are not a part of a microchurch, consider joining one or starting one. Sign up for Dinner Party.
If you are already in a microchurch, re-evaluate and commit to being part of that community.
Regularly attend unless you’re out of town, sick, or there is an unforeseen, unavoidable circumstance outside of your control.
Give your wonderful mirochurch leader a 24 hours notice for any absence.
Actively participate: help with the meal, hosting, and clean up. Add to the conversation, prayer, and discussion.
Lead a microchurch. We need more microchurch leaders who are willing to open their homes and hearts to pastoring people. If you are interested in this, talk with your current microchurch leader or one of our pastoral team members.
Gather on Sunday
We still believe in the value of the Sunday rhythm. There is something about gathering together, letting the voices of those around you carry you, hearing the stories of the people of God, being reminded of the teachings of Jesus, being challenged to commit to a spiritual practice every week, confessing with one another and taking communion with one another that forms us and shapes us to be the sent people of God.
Serve
Jesus’ teachings and the depictions of the early church in the New Testament is filled with instruction to us regarding service. To name a few…
Mark 10:44-45 says, “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 4:10 says, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.”
Galatians 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Jesus and his disciples instructed in and demonstrated service to one another and to those in need. And it is our desire to reclaim the full breath of the word service including both those two things: serving one another and the community of Kansas City.
Serve one another on a Sunday. At Midtown Church, we desire to be a place where many do a few things instead of the few doing many. So, here is my request: please consider serving one another 1-2 times a month, to say I am going to contribute to serving this community of Jesus followers on a regular basis.
Serve the community throughout the week. Service should always extend much farther and wider than these four walls to the people of Midtown and to Kansas City. At Midtown Church, we want to shift from a praxeology that says only certain people or ministries are called to serve and love the poor, oppressed, and marginalized to a praxeology that says all are called. Jesus’ teachings are pretty clear that serving the marginalized is a Gospel mandate.
This month, our serve day is Trunk or Treat on October 29. Last year we had 500 people in attendance, a vast majority of which are local and from low-income families.
Be Generous.
We are descendants of an ancient church that has historically practiced a 10% tithe. And as a participant in this community, we ask that you work toward that 10%.
“Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” – Mark 12:41-44
This is why we pray our generosity prayer every week as we work to shape our hearts and minds toward the person of Jesus and not the idol of money. As we work to be more like the poor widow than the rich people in this story.
Five Commitments
Reveal the Kingdom of Jesus
Belong to a Microchurch
Gather on Sunday
Serve
Be Generous
Revealing the Kingdom of Jesus
Have you given up on trying to heal the world?
Maybe we’ve given up because we’ve been let down or we’ve just grown old enough to recognize our way of doing things is not going to get the job done.
What if you were to learn that we are being invited into a conspiracy that will radically reshape the universe?
The Gospel Jesus preached.
For many of us, this description of a conspiracy to restore our broken world is nothing like “the Gospel” that we learned in Sunday school. To answer the question, “what is the gospel” the best place to begin is with the gospel Jesus preached.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17 (ESV)
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” – Matthew 24:14 (ESV)
“I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” – Luke 4:43 (ESV)
“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)
Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel [euangelion] of God.” (v. 14)
70 years prior to Jesus’ birth, Caesar Augustus unified a divided Rome into what would be known as the Roman Empire. The Emperor became known as “Son of God”, “Lord”, “Savior”, and “Prince of Peace” In fact, one ancient inscription reads;
“The birthday of the God (Caesar Augustus) was the beginning for the world of the glad tidings [good news] that have come through men through him.”
A euangelion in the ancient world was a royal announcement about a king and a kingdom.
Jesus says, “The time is fulfilled…”;
The Old Testament, its prophesies and predictions, are about to come to pass.
“The Kingdom of God….” [the Kingdom of Heaven in the gospel of Matthew]
1: the range of God’s effective will.
2: Or as Jesus’ definition goes it is the space in which “God’s will is done on Earth as it is in heaven.”
Many will translate it as the “reign of God” because it communicates something more active for the English hearer.
The Kingdom pervades all parts of life and it is a Kingdom that is utterly unlike the kingdoms of the world.
"We are built to live in the kingdom of God. It is our natural habitat." – Dallas Willard
“…the kingdom of God is at hand”
God’s conspiracy to take back his world from Satan, sin, and death has begun in the person of Jesus. His method for overthrowing the powers is not military force or political coercion– it is suffering love.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 22:1-5
The good news is that the one true God has now taken charge of the world, in and through Jesus and his death and resurrection. The ancient hopes have indeed been fulfilled, but in a way nobody imagined. God’s plan to put the world right has finally been launched. The ancient sickness that had crippled the whole world, and humans with it, has been cured at last, so that new life can rise up in its place. Life has come to life and is pouring out like a mighty river into the world, in the form of a new power, the power of love. The good news was, and is, that all this has happened in and through Jesus; that one day it will happen, completely and utterly, to all creation; and that we humans, every single one of us, whoever we are, can be caught up in that transformation here and now. This is the Christian Gospel. Do not allow yourself to be fobbed off with anything else.” – NT Wright, Simply Good News
We will only discover how to follow the way of suffering love if we heed Jesus’ instructions to “repent and believe”. (v.15)
Repentance as is used by Jesus is an invitation to ‘rethink everything.”
Belief in Christ is an act of allegiance; an allegiance that leads us to do things strange to this culture for the sake of the Kingdom.
Repentance is to rethink what is possible and belief is to risk for what could be.
The Ascension
“On her way home she usually buys a slice of honey-cake at the baker’s as her Sunday treat. But to-day she passes the baker’s by. She climbs the stairs, goes into the little dark room - her room like a cupboard - and sits down on the bed. She sits there for a long time. The box that the fur came out of is on the bed. She removes the fur quickly; quickly, without looking, and lays it inside. But when she puts the lid on box she thinks she hears something cry.” – Kathleen Mansfield Murry
In certain seasons of life, we feel this pain not just in our earthly relationships but with God. God is supposed to be so near to us yet he feels so far.
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” –Acts 1:8-11
ASCENSION AS IMPORTANT
Matthew Bates in his book Salvation by Allegiance Alone, refers to the ascension of Jesus as one of the most important parts of the gospel for today. But widely, it is not discussed and it is misunderstood as we don’t spend much time talking about it in church circles.
Question 1: Did Jesus take off into outer space or float off into the clouds far far away?
The short answer to this question is no.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”– Genesis 1:1
Heaven = God’s Space
Earth = Human Space
God is not ultimately creating a supernatural space where he lives separated from humans. God's vision for heaven and earth- God’s space and human’s space- is that they both become one, that they overlap.
Question 2: What does Ascension to the right hand of the Father mean?
The concept of ascension can actually be traced throughout the biblical narrative.
In the Genesis account, the Garden of Eden was set on a mountain or as Tim Mackey calls it, “the cosmic mountain garden temple.”
Similarly in the Exodus account, God calls Moses and his fellow leaders to come up to the mountain to have a meal from God and receive his instructions.
“Moses' priestly ascension is a recreation of the Eden ideal: humanity resting within God’s presence on a cosmic mountain temple.” – Tim Mackey
In the Deuteronomic code, we see the instructions for the Day of Atonement. On one day each year, the high priest would symbolically ascend to meet God by making a sacrifice to cover all the sins of the Israelite community to make way for the people to live in God’s presence.
We see David go to the high hills of Israel to construct a temple which includes details harkening back to Eden.
People will go up or ascend to Jerusalem to see this very temple singing the Psalm of Ascent as they ascend into the presence of God.
Jesus himself ascends up Jerusalem to be put on trial. He will be condemned to death and lifted up onto a cross. Three days later he will rise from the dead.
“Adam and Eve experienced this kind of overlapping togetherness with God only in part. But Jesus experiences it fully because he chose to follow God’s will from beginning to end. And his uniting of Heaven and Earth in himself is now complete, or as he said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).” – Tim Mackey
Having ascended up as he did, Jesus now exists permanently in both God’s space and human space at once as the ultimate priest.
Question 3: Why does Ascension matter?
It matters because for the first time in human history, if we make the choice to follow Jesus, to ascend with him, God’s presence is guaranteed- constant- will always be there.
“This is what the author means in when he says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”– 1 Peter 2:9-10
Once we just occupied human space, now we occupy God’s space and human space through Jesus. Our bodies have become a temple that houses the presence of God.
Some may think that Jesus’ ascension removes him from us; Jesus’ ascension guarantees his presence with us. For the first time in human history– God’s space and humanity’s space are fully integrated in us.
HEAD AND HEART ALIGNMENT
How do we work to align the knowledge of God’s presence with what we feel in our hearts?
Suggestion 1: Slow down
“Hurry is the great enemy of our spiritual lives today.” –Dallas Willard
As the mystics say, “the problem is not that God is absent but we are absent.”
Sometimes one of the best ways to help our heart catch up to our head is to simply slow down, remove the distractions, and make ourselves available to hear God. In doing so we often find his presence has been with us all along, we just haven’t noticed it.
Suggestion 2: Practice Gratitude
In moments where we feel God’s absence, it can be really hard to express any abundance or gratitude. But the practice of gratitude can help us realize that God is really there.
Suggestion 3: Read the scriptures
The presence of God can be felt through the reading of the scriptures.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” –Hebrews 4:12
Sometimes we forget that the words of God, the scriptures, are his recorded presence. One of the best ways to sync our heads with our hearts is to read the scriptures
Death & Resurrection
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
We live the entirety of our lives caught between beauty and brokenness, good and evil, life and death. It is the tension between life and death, where two disciples’ have a surprising encounter in Luke 24.
A Dangerous World of Death & Tyrants
“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” – Luke 24:13-21
The Emmaus-bound disciples go on to describe the events of the weekend. We live in a dangerous world; one that is often more like a warzone than a garden.
“Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26)
A STORY OF SUFFERING & GLORY
We do not have any record of what Jesus said to the Emmaus-bound disciples, but we have the Scriptures that are the prequel to the Jesus story. Without the details, it's a fragmented story.
So if we have any hope in understanding the phrase– “He descended to the dead, on the third day he rose again.” – we must look to the same scriptures and recreate the story Jesus told his disciples–
The Creation
The Fall
“Sin in is an unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.” – Saint Ignatius
What God deems sin is not bad because it is forbidden; it is forbidden because it is bad. The fallout of our choice to do what is right in our own eyes is exactly as God predicted in Genesis 2–
“you will die” (Genesis 2:17).
Or as the Apostle Paul put it–
“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Genesis 4-11 tells the story of people choosing to do what is right in their own eyes, and the devastating consequences on themselves, those around them, and creation as a whole.
The Nation of Israel.
Israel fails to trust that what God desired for them was simply the good life. From Exodus to Judges from First Samuel to Second Kings– time and time again, the Israelites go about things their own way– doing what was right in their own eyes – and the fallout is pain, suffering, violence, and death.
The Suffering Servant
At one point the Nation of Israel is split in two– the nation to the south a smoldering ruin– its people taken into captivity. The northern nation suffering under corrupt rulers and unholy alliances.
“The servant grew up before God— a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand… But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.”– Isaiah 53:1,5-6 (MSG)
OF BROKEN BREAD & BURNING HEARTS.
”And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight” –Luke 24:31
On the third day, he rose again.
He was dead, but now he is alive.
And in resurrection Death is defeated.
Upon the realization that Jesus was back from the dead, the disciples exclaim–
“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” –Luke 24:32–33
Our task is to practice resurrection– to bear witness to the preciousness of life and the sacredness of connection.
We practice resurrection with long walks with good friends. We practice resurrection by checking in on a friend and asking – “what’s been going on?” We practice resurrection by reading, pondering, and teaching the Story of Jesus. We practice resurrection by sitting at a dinner table with people we don’t know.
They are as ordinary as bread and cup– but they point to something stronger than death itself.
He suffered
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
The Church and church people are way more acquainted with the God of the mountain top than we were with the God of the valley.
What would it look like to develop a theology of the valley?
“He suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried.”
“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” – Luke 22:39-48
In this passage we see Jesus experience the fullness of human suffering in four themes:
Loneliness
Anxiety,
Broken relationships, and
Death
Theme 1: Loneliness
“To be crucified was to be cast out of the human community, rejected by God, and the world- a fate worse than death.” - Benjamin Myers, Apostles Creed
Theme 2: Anxiety
Theme 3: Broken relationship
Theme 4: Death
“Because in Jesus, God has fully shared our condition there is no human experience that can alienate us from God- every affliction is an opportunity to identify with Jesus- to suffer with him so that we may be glorified with Him. We die differently because the Son of God has touched our frail mortality and has drawn it into the wider context of his life. We die differently because we know that “neither death, nor life … will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Benjamin Myers, Apostles Creed
STEP 1: Experience Grief
STEP 2: Re-story
STEP 3: A New Narrative Emerges
We can find God in moments of suffering when we allow ourselves to experience grief, restory, and emerge with a new narrative, one that knows how to walk with Jesus in the valley.
In the Power of the Spirit and of the Virgin Mary
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
The fragile, messy human life of Jesus shows us God is personal and cares about the most mundane things in our life as well as our most significant moments.
Bible Study Note: Pay attention to literary style! It helps us understand what the author is trying to communicate.
The incarnation makes it possible to know God in ways never before possible.
“In God’s Incarnation, in the human Jesus of Nazareth, the Absolute became relative, the Almighty a baby, the Ancient of Days nowadays, the divine-human, the eternal temporal, the immortal mortal, the infinite finite.” - Dale Bruner
In order to understand the incarnation of Christ & the virgin birth, one must understand the beginning of creation & Israel’s history as told in the holy scriptures.
Jesus shows us a new way to be human.
The life of Jesus is our road map, not just on how to act but how to live life to the fullness of God’s intent!
It’s not a question of seeing God, but of seeing with God.
To be human is to be connected to reality and appreciate it.
Spiritual Practice: Slow down & find the beauty in the mundane, connect to reality & appreciate it
The Creator of Heaven and Earth
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
“CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH”
The Apostles' creed rifts on the first words of scripture, as well as many other text throughout the biblical narrative;Exodus 20:11, 31:17, 2 Kings 19:15, 2 Chronicles 2:12; Psalm 115:15, 121:2, 124:8, 134:3, 146:6; Isaiah 37:15-16; Acts 17:24-25; 2 Peter 3:7; Revelation 14:7.
ANCIENT GNOSTICISM
“Gnostic” can literally be translated as “knowers”, and it was a diverse school of philosophy; but it generally describes a dualistic conviction that the material world (earth, stars, water, grass, animals, people, and coffee) is evil and the “spiritual” is good.
MODERN GNOSTICISM
Modern Gnosticism takes the form of a separation between our Sunday convictions and our Monday vocation. It takes many forms, but one of the most pervasive is a philosophy that our theology is of little consequence to the rest of our lives; and that the rest of life is of little consequence to our theology.
AN GNOSTIC TELLING OF CREATION AND CHRISTIANITY.
The story arch of scripture in three parts; (1)Creation, (2) Decreation, and (3)Recreation.
CREATION: THE KINGDOM BEGINS
Earth= human space
Heaven= the sky, God’s space
“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.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness” –Genesis 1:2-4 (ESV)
The testimony of Genesis 1 challenges any idea that the material reality doesn’t matter; our environment, our planet, our possessions, our body, and our neighbors matter.
CREATION PT 2: PARTNERS FOR THE KINGDOM
“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.” – Genesis 1:26–28.
Genesis 1 is not primarily about the creation of the universe– it is primarily about God's creation of humankind– and his efforts to prepare a beautiful place in which he may dwell and partner with those made in his image.
“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… 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it”. – Genesis 2:7-8,15
“The image of God in the human person is a mandate of power and responsibility. But it is power exercised as God exercises power. The image images the creative use of power which invites, evokes, and permits. There is nothing here of coercive or tyrannical power, either for God or for humankind.” – Walter Brueggeman, Genesis
DECREATION: A RIVAL KINGDOM BEGINS
The central features of the Creation story become the central motifs of the biblical narrative.
God moves toward humanity in loving kindness.
He invites them into relationships and partnerships.
And humanity ruptures the relationship by choosing to do what was right in their own eyes.
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” – Romans 8:20–23.
RECREATION: THE KING ARRIVES
“1, In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him, all things hold together.” – Colossians 1:15-17
“17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:17
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… [he is] making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth”. – Ephesians 1:3,9–10
“13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” – 2 Peter 3:13.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” –Revelation 21:1–4.
ALIGNING OUR STORY WITH HIS STORY.
This is the hard work of properly framing our view of scripture not as a reference book to my life, but as the story that I am joining.
“[We are invited] to see Scripture as the narration of the unfolding drama of the God who acts. We are called to be characters in this story, to play the role of God's image bearers who care for and cultivate God's creation, to the praise of his glory. To learn this role is to become what we were made to be. This is not playacting or pretending: it is the role we were born to play. In becoming these characters, we become ourselves. To assume this role is to find our vocation.” – James KA Smith
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE–
We must recapture the understanding that what we spend most of our time doing whether that is welding, accounting, writing, cleaning, or parenting matters.
And it matters how we show up to these things.
The obvious question is how do I show up in the way Christ would want me to?
“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
–Colossians 3:17
I think a simple rubric is asking; Am I advancing the cause of (1) Beauty, (2) Justice, or (3) love?
The Almighty Father
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
“THE FATHER ALMIGHTY”
The description of God as Father is hard for not all of us but for many, the word “father” feels problematic to our 21st-century ears.
Interestingly enough, the concept of God as father was just as difficult, if not more shocking, to Jesus’ first-century audience.
FATHER NOT GENDER
“Do you take it that our God is a male because of the masculine nouns ‘God’ and ‘Father’? Is the ‘Godhead’ a female because in Greek the word is feminine?” Such crude biological thinking would be pagan, not Christian.” – Gregory of Nazianzus
“For christians the word describes a relationship and nothing more- the father is the source- the origin- the wellspring of divine life and the son derives from that source. According to early christian teaching that was all we were meant to think of when we say the word father.” –Benjamin Myers
LORD’S PRAYER
In first-century Jewish culture, God was never referred to in an intimate way but always in a formal and reverent one. The disciples could have gotten on board with the almighty part of the Apostles’ Creed, but father- that was scandalous, even disrespectful.
GENESIS
The Genesis account depicts the original sin of humanity, the ruptured relationship between human and God, the breaking of trust between the creation and the creator.
It reminds us that the Bible is one big unified story.
“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’?” – Genesis 3:1
In Genesis 2, God is referred to as Yahweh Elohim or Lord God. But when the serpent comes onto the scene in Genesis 3:1 he refers to God by only using the word Elohim.
Scholars call this keeping the abstract but dropping the personal.
And unfortunately, as many of you know, humanity chooses to believe this lie and our relationship with God is ruptured. Our understanding of God as personal, as father is broken.
JESUS RESTORES
Jesus comes on the scene to confront these lies spoken by the enemy and believed by humanity. He comes to restore the original name of God. He says God is not simply Elohim. He is Yahweh Elohim, he is a present, intimate knowable father.
HARD TO BELIEVE
We have a hard time believing this for one of two reasons:
Some of us have never observed what a loving parent-child relationship looked like.
Some of us have such a low view of who we are that we find it hard to believe we are lovable.
PARABLE OF THE RUNNING FATHER
11 “There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’ 20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.”
–Luke 15:11-24
BACKWARDS
Your Kingdom is simple, as simple as love
You welcome the children, You stop for the one
We wanna see people the way Jesus does
Your Kingdom is simple; Lord, teach it to us
Your Kingdom is backwards, it flows in reverse
What You call a treasure this world calls a curse
The small become great and the last become first
Your Kingdom is backwards; Lord, teach us to serve
–Bryan Torwalt | Cody Carnes | Katie Torwalt | Paul Duncan
God is almighty and all powerful because he chooses to love us as the running, forgiving father loved his son. Our world tells us that power is derived from control, subjugation, distance, and imposed force.
Jesus tells us God’s power is backward from what we know. God’s power looks more like the breastfeeding mother than the lording ruler. God’s power comes from his ability to love us with an illogical, unfounded, undeserved type of love.
The story of the prodigal son or as scholars refer to it as the running father, reveals to us the true nature of our father God who continues to love us with a backwards type of love.
FATHER WOUNDS
Identify your parental wounds whether those be from your biological parents or spiritual parents. Then I would like you to identify attributes of God that exist in opposition to that.
I Believe in God
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
The "Secular", is not a place of anti-religion or neutrality, it is the space of contested belief.
Everyone in the Secular Age experiences what Charles Taylor calls "cross-pressure"; We have all come to realize that what we believe cannot be taken as the default of society anymore.
“I don’t believe in God, but I miss him." – Julian Barns, Nothing to be Frightened of
As we wrestle with our doubts, I think Jesus' encounter with Thomas in John 20 offers us the most beautiful glimpse into God's reception of the doubter.
“So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again." The disciples said to him, "Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover." Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." – John 11:6-16 (ESV)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going." 5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" – John 14:1-5 (ESV)
“Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." –John 20:24-25 (ESV)
In the midst of Thomas' disappointment and doubt, God, in Jesus, draws close.
“Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe." 28Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" –John 20:26-28 (ESV)
Jesus invites us to come to him, fully human; full of hope and cold hard facts.
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; unbelief is.
“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." –Matthew 28:16-20
They worshiped and doubted– and changed the world.
Even at the Great Commission, the disciples held doubt and faith together.
“We don’t believe instead of doubting; we believe while doubting. We're all Thomas now.” – James KA Smith, How (not) to be Secular
Thomas embodies the human condition; full of faith and trust one moment and full of questions and doubts the next.
To say, “I believe in God” is not made, without doubt, it is to trust in the midst of doubt. The biblical concept of faith is not an illogical leap but a trust in the nature of God.
“...Christian belief is [not] an irrational leap into the dark. It is more like tasting a dish that you have never tried. You have seen other people enjoying it; you have read the reviews; the chef swears you’ll like it. There are good grounds for trusting, but you will never know for sure until you try it. “Taste and see that the Lord is good,” sings the psalmist (Ps 34:8). The first act is an act of trust that gives rise to ever-increasing [confidence], which in turn nourishes a deeper and a more knowledgeable trust.” –Ben Myers, The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism
Four ways in which we can cultivate a life of faith amid the cross-pressures of our moment.
1. Rethink success, not as certainty or control, but as trust. The biblical concept of faith is trusting in the nature of God.
2. Doubt your Doubts. We should be equal opportunity doubters, not just of belief but of disbelief as well.
3. Strive for Emotionally Health. Wrestling with anything, including doubt, becomes exponentially more complicated when we struggle with our emotional health.
“Sometimes doubt is fostered by sleep deprivation especially in those who are overworked or are students… it comes from bad habits, zealous perfectionism, and bad time management… The point is that as human beings our mind, body, matter, spirit all work together and if you push yourself to the limit you are inviting depression, breaking down, and looking at the world through dark, gloomy habits, and then the godliest thing you can do in universe is get some sleep!” –DA Carson, Scandalous
4. Lean into the community of God. God is not unknown, he can be known. Joining in the songs of the saints, dinner with your microchurch, and the stories of God's activity creates an environment in which faith can grow.
Psalm 99
THE POSITION OF GOD IN OUR CULTURE
Position 01: God’s Reign
“The Lord reigns, let the people tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!” –Psalm 99:1
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” – Amos 5:24
Amos is considered a “minor prophet of the Bible” that covers a time when Israel experienced economic advancement that led to significant social injustice.
Position 02: God’s Greatness
“The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!“ – Psalm 99:2-3
Zion was a city of refuge if you will… a city of protection against the evils of the world… safe space.
Position 03: God’s Justice
“The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!” – Psalm 99:4-5
THE JUSTICE OF GOD IN THE BIBLE
“Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.”
– Psalm 99:6
God uses Moses, a product of injustice, to OVERTHROW AN EMPIRE BUILT ON SLAVERY.
God uses Aaron as an ALLY OF THE PEOPLE AND ACTIVIST AGAINST OPPRESSION.
God uses Samuel, who even under the umbrella of monarchy, deeply associated with kings even, REFUSED TO ABUSE POWER WHEN HE HAD A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SO.
“God is a just God who challenges us to: learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s case.” - Isaiah 1:17
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE: THE WAY OF GOD IN US
Seek God
”They called to the Lord…” – Psalm 99:6Follow God
“and he answered them. In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them; they kept his testimonies and the statute that he gave them. O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings.”
–Psalm 99:6-8Worship God
“Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy!”
–Psalm 99:9
Psalm 8
3 things to keep in mind about the Book of Psalms:
Composed of 150 Hebrew poems. 73 of them were written by David.
Scholars say the Psalms are broken in 5 sections with an introduction and an ending. The ending is 5 chapters of praise to our God.
Lament and praise are the main expressions in Psalms. Lament is an appropriate response to the evil that we see in the world. While praise expresses joy and celebration of the goodness of God.
Psalm 8; A Psalm of Praise.
The significance of Psalm 8 being squished between two disparities helps us to understand that the poor & afflicted are the ones chosen to rule the world.
Psalm 8 opens with words of praise “O LORD our Lord”; better be translated as “Oh Yahweh, our Adoni”. This phrasing tells us so much about who we are crying out to in our prayers.
The name ‘Yahweh’ reveals God to mankind as the majestic, all-powerful, self-sufficient Creator who knows us and desires to be known by us personally.
Adoni, meaning King is important to remind us that God is the King of the universe and King of our life.
The Psalms express what creation tells us about God & His power.
Creation itself praises God (Psalm 19:1, 96:11-12, 98:4-8)
All things originate with God (Psalm 33:6)
Creation tells us of God’s wisdom (Psalm 104:24), love (Psalm 36:5), and power (Psalm 148:5)
“It suddenly struck me that that tiny pea, pretty and blue, was the Earth. I put up my thumb and shut one eye, and my thumb blotted out the planet Earth. I didn't feel like a giant. I felt very, very small.” – Neil Armstrong
“...creation invites us to participate in its joy in God, and in giving ourselves willingly to this joy, we discover our true purpose as creatures made in the image of a joyful God: to faithfully reflect the divine image in all contexts of our created life as royal representatives of our Creator-King.” – W. David O Taylor
In moments of powerlessness, we can either run away from God or run toward God. If we choose to run away from God we breed hopelessness and pride. If we choose to run toward God we breed healing and praise in our lives.
God’s glory is displayed through weak people who he has chosen to do His great work.
In vs. 2 David says God defeats his enemies and makes His name majestic through using our weakness even that of babies.
The entirety of David’s life is an example of God using weak people.
Jesus and the incarnation is the greatest example of God’s transcendent power through the weakness of humans. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
God’s Role for Mankind
Made in God’s Image (Gen 1:27)
Children of God (1 John 3:1; Rom 8:14)
Co Heirs with Christ (Rom 8:16-17)
God has bestowed all of us with dignity & dominion.
“Our royal dominion, therefore, is qualified by our priestly calling: to offer the things of God in love to all of creation and, in turn, to offer all the things of creation back to God in love.” – W. David O Taylor
We were created with a purpose, but when that got messed up in the Garden of Eden, Jesus died to restore that purpose.
“...to live a life marked by joyful praise, wonder-filled thanksgiving, care-filled stewardship of creation, hopeful work of restoration and reconciliation, gracious communion with others, and faithful living.” – W. David O Taylor
Worship requires space to reflect.
Spiritual Practice
The Divine Game of Pinzatski: one person points out an object in nature and another says what that object might say about God and why.
Read One Psalm a Day: The Psalms reframe our sense of life
Let’s form habits that lead our hearts to praise!
Psalm 22
The First Forsaken King
“According to The Doe of the Dawn, A Psalm of David”
Psalms by David normally have two headers:
Of David, a Psalm
A Psalm of David
Psalms that start with “of David, a Psalm” are when David finds himself directly in the presence of God. As a result David picks up an instrument and plays.
Psalms that start with “A Psalm of David,” David does not find himself in the presence of God but rather picks up an instrument and begins to sing about what he is experiencing in the moment.
“My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Contrast with Psalm 139, “Where can I go from your presence?”
Not only a question, it is also an assumption by David.
“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” - C.S. Lewis
The alternating themes of Psalm 22
David begins to recount the goodness of God from the past
David focuses on himself again in the third paragraph, “I am a worm”
He goes back to focusing on the goodness of God, ending with a plea to God
The danger of isolation
We can isolate ourselves from the church, family, and God as a result of our feeling abandoned.
This is damaging to our spiritual health as well as our health in general.
“The lies of the enemy thrive in isolation” - Alex Ferren
The church culture of being composed
Sometimes questioning God makes us feel like we don’t have everything together and that is okay. It is okay to not be okay.
There is value in crying out to God because by doing so we are in communication with God.
There is comfort in knowing that the God we cry out to, knows exactly what we are going through. He’s lived it.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” – Hebrews 4:15
The Second Forsaken King
The prophetic elements of Psalm 22
Psalm 22:1 Both David and Jesus say, “My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Verse 7-8 both had insults thrown their way, both mocked for their trust in God. Matthew 27, the governor’s soldiers mock Jesus as the king of the Jews. Matthew 27:43 tells us that people would walk around Jesus on the Cross almost taunting him saying “Let God rescue him now if he wants him.
Verse 16 David says his hands and feet are pierced, Jesus were as well.
Verse 18, Lots were cast for Jesus robes in Psalm 27:35.
“I am a worm”
Jesus in John 5:58 goes from saying “Before Abraham was born, I am” to quoting the same chapter that says, “I am a worm”
The crimson worm, Tola.
Immanuel, God with us
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:17
Christ feels as though God is away from him for the first time in Christ’s entire existence. In desperation, Christ cries out to the Father.
God hurts with us.
“He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” - Psalm 34:8.
“Jesus doesn’t just teach us what to believe, but how to believe.”– Heath Adamson
Spiritual Practice
“I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me against the rock of ages” – Charles Spurgeon
The lessons from the Forsaken Kings
Our first prayer and request on a daily basis should be, “God, be not far from me.”
Jesus cries out to God, why have you forsaken me? But Matthew ends with Jesus promise of “I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Who are we in proximity with? We should help carry each other’s burdens
The strength in our vulnerability helps us build community.
Psalm 142
Summary of Psalms
Composed of 150 Hebrew poems. 73 of them were written by David.
Scholars say the Psalms are broken into 5 sections with an introduction and an ending. The ending is 5 chapters that end in praise to our God.
Lament and praise are the main expressions in Psalms. Lament is an appropriate response to the evil that we see in the world. While praise expresses joy and celebration of the goodness of God.
“With my voice, I cry out to the Lord; with my voice, I plead for mercy to the Lord. I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him” – Psalm14 2:1-2
“Caves make good closets for prayer; their gloom and solitude are helpful to the exercise of devotion. Had David prayed as much in his palace as he did in his cave, he might never have fallen into the act which brought such misery upon his later days.” – Charles Spurgeon
“When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.” – Psalm 142:3-4
“I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’” – Psalm 142:5
“Attend to my cry for I am brought very low Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me! Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.” – Psalm 142:6-7
The story of David isn't one that celebrates only mountain tops; It's one that shows the practical struggles and God still being faithful to us.
Spiritual Practice
Lament and praise. Take time to grieve the hard and trying times. But also give thanks and praise to God in the bad and good.