1. Troubled about status and position

   “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” – John 1:11.

2. Seeking

   “For by gold the power of a king is signified, by frankincense the honor of God, by myrrh the burial of the body; and accordingly they offer Him gold as King, frankincense as God, myrrh as Man.” – John Chrysostom

3. Another Way

   “Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'

   Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.' Frodo: 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.'

   Gandalf: 'So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”

   Spiritual Practice

   1. It's ok to be troubled/ask questions. Let those moments change you toward a better relationship with Jesus and others

   2. Seek community and seek Jesus. Ask someone to hang out this coming week. Start a book club with this community. Start engaging with people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus and invite them into the community.

   3. Maybe it's time to go another way. You've been in sin, you have been putting yourself before others. Turn and ask Jesus to help you on this hard journey toward the one who saves.

Advent

1. Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day in which the Church anticipates the future arrival of Christ by remembering His first arrival.

2. Although it may seem counter to the festivities of Christmas, it is important to practice waiting.

3. And in our waiting we focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love along with the rest of the global church

In First John, the Author summarizes his time with Jesus, his long career as an apostle, and a lifetime of reading the scriptures with three words.

“God is love.” – 1 John 4:8, 16

“The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” –Exodus 34:6.

“I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” –Psalm 108:3–4.

“...God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. –1 John 4:8-9.

We miss that this is a season that shows off the love of God, in part because we often confuse love with sentimentality.

But sentimentality is not love – it is a counterfeit.

Sentimentality is to experience the internal emotions of love– but to do nothing with it.

The four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each tell of God’s Christmas love from a different angle.

Emphasizing the Love of God, not with sanitized cliches or impersonal definitions; but through dysfunctional family trees, gritty action, strange stories, and dirty glory.

The Gospel of Matthew and the God of love in a dysfunctional family tree.
The first book of the new testament, written by Matthew for Jewish people, starts by thoroughly arguing that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah.

He argues that the Creator has entered the family tree.

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers…” – Matthew 1:1–2.

Like a house built brick by brick, the story of God’s love is told name by name through Jesus’ family tree.

And the family Jesus came from tells us everything about the Family he came for.

The love of God shows up in dysfunctional family trees intent on redemption and writing a new story.

The Gospel of Mark; The God of Love in gritty action.
Mark’s nativity jumps straight into the action with Jesus being baptized, being tempted in the wilderness, and kicking off his ministry with an announcement;

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”–Mark 1:14

God’s love for humanity is broadcast through Jesus’ every movement as he touches the sick, hurting, and vulnerable. It is Jesus’ willingness to reach out and touch that God’s love is made palpable.

Mark does not begin with our king in a crib, but he tells of our God’s loving action– moving towards our deepest brokenness and his healing touch.

The Gospel of Luke: The God of Love in unlikely places.
A young engaged-to-be-married woman pregnant. She bears the weight of assumptions, disapproving looks, whispers, and small-town gossip.

A working-class family, a feeding trough for a crib, minimum-wage shepherds, foreign seekers, and political refugees.

In the most unlikely of places begins a complete reversal, an inverting of everything, the dawning of an upside-down kingdom.

The God of Love displays his affection through the strangest stories with the most unlikely characters.

“And that is the wonder of all wonders, that God loves the lowly.… God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The Gospel of John: The God of Love in dirty glory.

“14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” –John 1:14

“The Word Became Flesh”; this is the hinge by which all of John’s Gospel turns.

John speaks of Jesus as “the Word [that] was with God, and the Word [that] was God” (John 1:1). In Jesus, “all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” says the Apostle Paul (Col 1:19).

What does it mean that the God of Heaven became flesh? That he took up residence amongst us? That he dared to be seen, touched, carried, held, struck, hated?

The love of God is not pristine white garments pressed for Christmas day, it is in a dirt-caked robe of a middle eastern carpenter.

Our God became flesh and dwelt with us, in dirty glory.

Advent

1. Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day in which the Church anticipates the future arrival of Christ by remembering His first arrival.

2. Although it may seem counter to the festivities of Christmas, it is important to practice waiting.

3. And in our waiting we focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love along with the rest of the global church

Tension is a part of our lives and is often present whether we recognize it or not. And tension is a key part of the season we now find ourselves in: Advent. For while we are celebrating, we are also waiting. We are waiting for Christ to come again.

And tension is not absent from the world that we are a part of. Right now, there is a large tension after the midterm elections, as if politics was tension-filled enough. Every week, especially during the holidays, we are bombarded with advertisements drawing us to consume, to obtain more. There is a tension of asking ourselves what to buy, how ethical it is, do I really need this?

“When Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit and conceived the Son of God, her body became the inner court of the Holy of Holies (the place where God’s presence dwelled in the Temple). Never before had a woman entered this sacred space, but in the incarnation, the Holy of Holies came into her space.” – Cheryl Bridges Johns

Mary’s joy in her song is found in three things: her Reflection of the Past, the Work of God in the Present, and the Promises of the Future.

Reflection of the Past:

God’s people, the Israelites, have endured through a tried and troubled history. In the midst of this, God has never left them or forsaken them. Joy is found through God’s unyielding faithfulness.

Our joy can be found through remembering the past. Paul tells us that through our faith we have been grafted into the family tree of God that the Israelites were a part of. In a beautiful way, God gives us a family history, a history that extends back to the beginning of the world. The tension filled, faithfulness-filled, and joy-filled history of Israel is also our history. We can look to our relatives in the faith and their examples and find joy even in the midst of our tension-filled world.

God’s Work in the Present:

“Joseph: I made you this pie.
Mary: Did you steal it?
Joseph: Nope! Made it from scratch.
Mary: We don't have an oven!
Joseph: God helped!
Mary: Silence….
Joseph: You see how weird that sounds right?”
–Dr. Kevin Young

When joy is hard to come by in our current predicament, we, like Mary, can find joy through the lives of others and be sustained by it. For Mary, it was God’s work in the life of her cousin Elizabeth. She was going to have a son in her old age!

When we enter this sanctuary without joy, the lives of others can often sustain us until we are ready and able to find our own.

Promises of the Future:

For Mary’s future, Christ would be the things that Israel had hoped him to be. He would be the perfect king, the perfect priest, and the perfect prophet.

As we wait, we wait for Christ’s return. And we know with his track record that we can find joy and hope in His promises and his plan.

It is a future we may not fully understand at this moment. I doubt that Mary knew God’s full plan the moment she sang this song or gave birth to Christ. However, in the midst of the mystery, in the midst of not knowing, she expressed joy for the future; a future that we can look forward to, just as Mary did.

Practice

This is why Mary can be such a model for us, the Church, that her Son established. This is why her song can be something that we look to for a reminder of joy in the midst of tension-filled times.

Let’s end with this. As we look at the OT, we find the book of Psalms. Did you know that 71 percent of those are laments? But we also find a solitary line that the author writes to remind the reader that this state will not last.

That the faithful God of Israel, of Adbraham, of Mary, and of us, the Body of Christ, will continue to be faithful and will not abandon us in our downtrodden state. The Psalm is David’s way of finding joy in the past. Present, and future, even in the midst of tension. Let’s all join him in this practice as we listen to his words.

“You have kept count of my tossing; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? 12 I must perform my vows to you, O God; I will render thank offerings to you. 13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”

–Psalm 56:8-13

Advent

1. Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day in which the Church anticipates the future arrival of Christ by remembering His first arrival.

2. Although it may seem counter to the festivities of Christmas, it is important to practice waiting.

3. And in our waiting we focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love along with the rest of the global church

10 ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the angel said to them. ‘Look: I’ve got good news for you, news which will make everybody very happy. 11 Today a savior has been born for you—the Messiah, the Lord!—in David’s town. 12 This will be the sign for you: you’ll find the baby wrapped up, and lying in a feeding-trough.’

13 Suddenly, with the angel, there was a crowd of the heavenly armies. They were praising God, saying, 14 ‘Glory to God in the highest, and peace upon earth among those in his favor.’ –Luke 2:10-14

“If you try to point out something to a dog, the dog will often look at your finger instead of at the object you’re trying to point to. This is frustrating, but it illustrates a natural mistake we all make from time to time. It’s the mistake many people make when reading the Christmas story.” -N.T. Wright

Our familiarity with the word peace or the idea of peace on earth, has kept us from understanding the real message of Advent.

God’s peace comes from costly obedience.

God’s peace is disruptive.

“When we feel peace in this world, it is probably because we are drifting with the cultural moment.” - Pastor Jon Tyson

“The safest road to hell is the gradual one - the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” -C.S. Lewis

God’s peace is antifragile.

“Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” -Nassim Nicholas Taleb

“Sooner or later if we follow Christ we have to risk everything in order to gain everything. We have to gamble on the invisible and risk all that we see and taste and feel. But we know the risk is worth it because there is nothing more insecure than this transient world.” -Thomas Merton

God’s peace is miraculously ordinary.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” -John 16:33

The question remains, do we want this real peace? And if so, are we willing to open ourselves up to it, up to Jesus?

Advent

1. Advent consists of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day in which the Church anticipates the future arrival of Christ by remembering His first arrival.

2. Although it may seem counter to the festivities of Christmas, it is important to practice waiting.

3. And in our waiting we focus on the themes of hope, peace, joy, and love along with the rest of the global church

Patience sets a good example for others, aids in decision-making, increases success, and even helps you see waiting as a positive thing - Sarah Landrum, Forbes

Poems must be approached slowly, paying attention to detail and imagery to capture the author’s full intent.

“Hope commits us to actions that connect with God’s promises. What we call hoping is often only wishing. We want things we think are impossible, but we have better sense than to spend any money or commit our lives to them. Biblical hope, though, is an act—like buying a field in Anathoth. Hope acts on the conviction that God will complete the work that he has begun even when the appearances, especially when the appearances, oppose it.” ― Eugene H. Peterson

Hope is holding the tension of doubt, trust, and faith all together.

Hope is not the outcome but the waiting.

“Christian hope is a BOLD choice to wait for God to bring about a future that is as surprising as a crucified man rising from the dead” - Bible Project

Hope is found not just at the end of the positive outcomes or even in the outcomes I envision.

Hope is in the Jesus I find in the valley waiting with me, and in the curious unexpected outcomes.

Hope is in the Jesus I have holding my weary soul in the waiting and on the other side, win or lose, no matter my perception of the outcome.

Advent is a time when we get to remember what we are waiting on. We remember why we have hope and who our hope is in.

What has increased/decreased my hope in Jesus today?

What promises am I waiting on Jesus to answer right now?

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Our confession today is;

”I believe in the Resurrection of the Body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”

Often, that phrase is mistaken for –

“I believe I will go to heaven when I die.”

These do not mean the same thing.

The Gnostic Heresy.

Gnos·ti·cism /ˈnästəˌsizəm/

1. is an ancient philosophy that claims the material world is evil and the “spiritual” is good.

When asked what Christianity is about, many would say something about good deeds, going to heaven when you die, and leaving behind the material world. This story is more gnostic than Christian.

Ultimately it misses that God is not interested in taking us to heaven– but bringing heaven to earth.

The Christian story is that the Creator God has demonstrated in Jesus’ resurrection what he intends to do for the whole world.

Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians

Paul’s outline of Jesus’ Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

• Jesus died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures.

• He was buried.

• He was raised on the third day.

• He appeared to many witnesses.

Paul goes on to describe the implications of Jesus’ resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:12-52)

1. our resurrection

2. the transformation of our bodies

3. our life in the everlasting kingdom.

“Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. – 1 Corinthians 15:12-22

Our inheritance from the first humans, Adam and Eve, is sin and death. But in our new inheritance in Christ is resurrection.

Easter morning is not a one-time occurrence but a preview of our own resurrection.

On that day we will be transformed.
Not into disembodied spirits, but into a new form of physicality.

Depending on your translation you may read in verse 44; “It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.” or in verse 50 “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” These don’t quite do justice to what Paul is conveying.

He is not drawing a distinction between physical forms and nonphysical forms; or flesh and spirit. Rather, he is drawing a distinction between our first form and our second form.

The way we should understand this is that when the human body is glorified– transformed and freed from some of its previous limitations.

“Why will we be given new bodies? According to the early Christians, the purpose of this new body will be to rule wisely over God’s new world. Forget those images about lounging around playing harps. There will be work to do and we shall relish doing it. All the skills and talents which we have put to God’s service in this present life—and perhaps, too, the interests and likings we gave up because they conflicted with our vocation—will be enhanced and ennobled and given back to us to be exercised to his glory” – NT Wright, Surprised by Hope

Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. – 1 Corinthians 15:24–25.

And The End will Come.
Not the destruction of the world, but the end of the present order. It is God uniting heaven and earth.

When we read “heaven” in the scriptures we should think of “God’s presence”, not a spiritual location.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”– Revelation 11:15.

This is to say Jesus is the King of the world, and we’re just waiting for him to make his move.

Our future is an everlasting kingdom, and in it, we will be freed from the touch of death.

“There is a nice symmetry in this: Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man. Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ. But we have to wait our turn: Christ is first, then those with him at his Coming, the grand consummation when, after crushing the opposition, he hands over his kingdom to God the Father. He won’t let up until the last enemy is down—and the very last enemy is death!”– 1 Corinthians 15:21-26 (Message Paraphrase)

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?” — 1 Corinthians 15:54-55

Christ has gone first overcoming death, then at the right time, we, his followers will be brought back to life.

As with Christ, so with us.

Spiritual Practice: To Imagine Our Promised Future.

J.R.R. Tolkien has an essay, called “On Fairy-Stories;” and in it, he suggests that there are longings in every human that only fantasy, fairy tales, or science fiction can really speak to. We have this curiosity and fascination with cheating death, escaping time, and friendship with other living things.

Tolkien, the Lord of the Rings author, the world-builder, and Christian believed we long for the infinite because we were not created to die, but to experience life everlasting.

"We are built to live in the kingdom of God. It is our natural habitat." – Dallas Willard

As we head into Advent, the whole season is about cultivating a longing for the arrival of our King.

It is to wait with anticipation and expectation about the new world He is bringing.

My suggestion this week is to imagine the future we’re promised in Christ.

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

“[Sin is] rejection or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling against him by living without reference to him, not being or doing what he requires in his law- resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.” – New Gospel Catechism

“Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house, and Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.” – Luke 22:54-55

In Isolation Sin Attacks

Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” – Luke 22:56-60

The Weight of Sin

“And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”And he went out and wept bitterly.” —Luke 22:54-62

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” – Colossians 3:12-13

Forgiveness and breakfast

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” –John 21:15-19

“We believe that we stand not by our own achievements but by the achievements of Jesus death and resurrection. We believe that the spiritually strong and the spiritually weak are both sustained by the same forgiving grace.” –Ben Myers

Spiritual Practice

1. Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive? What is keeping you from forgiving?

2. Is there someone who you need to ask for forgiveness? What is keeping you from confessing?

3. How is your unforgiveness or lack of confession in your life affecting your relationship with others and with God?

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 GOOD LIFE IN OUR CULTURE

In our culture, the good life can be based on individualism and the next new thing.

In our culture, the good life is all about ourselves, and the next new thing:

THE GLOBAL CHURCH & THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

The Global Church includes “the holy ones”, “the saints”, the people who live in community with God and each other. This community regularly shares gifts with each other. These gifts include encouraging each other’s faith, offering each other excessive grace, serving one other and loving each other.

“The lives of the Saints are the hermeneutical key to Scripture.” – Stanley Hauerwas

EPHESIANS

Ephesians was not written so much to address problems in a particular church; more so, it was written to explain some of the great themes and doctrines of Christianity.

While previous letters from Paul focus more on God’s work in us as individual followers of Jesus, Ephesians focuses on the communion of Saints.

Some believe that this letter was not simply written to be heard and kept in one church in Ephesus, but to be heard in Ephesus and distributed to many different churches in different cities… the global church.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD LIFE

ONE: Disconnect & Rebellion

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins” – Ephesians 2:1

In this sense, “dead” implies the disconnect between us and God while “trespasses” implies our intended or unintended rebellion towards God

“Sin is an unwillingness to trust that what God wants is our deepest happiness.” –Saint Ignatius

TWO: Disobedience

“in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” –Ephesians 2:2-3

THE GOOD LIFE

ONE: Connected & Loved

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:4-7

The Not-So-Good Life leaves us disconnected from the greatest love there is, at odds with ourselves and others, and consumed with ourselves.

The Good Life leaves us connected to the greatest love, that of Jesus. A love that was available in our rebellion. A love that looks past our past, allows us to be deeply connected to Jesus in the present, and promises us immense grace in the future

TWO: Obedience

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” – Ephesians 4:8

SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

ONE: MICROCHURCH

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22

Microchurch is the full expression of Christ’s church in smaller, everyday environments like a living room, coffee shop, or kitchen table. Microchurches are the primary way we reveal the Kingdom of Jesus, together, in Kansas City.

“When I do surround myself with people, I make sure that I’m able to contribute to them. And in fact, that’s the best part… is when I am there, I am really there. And I go way out of my way to show the people that I love, that I care about them, that I understand them, and that I will do what I can to support them.”

While the burdens of this life can tend to tear us down, the good life of community can build us up by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Good Life is discovered, learned, and lived with:

1. FELLOWSHIP at Midtown Church.

2. JOINING a Microchurch

3. And building the Good Life TOGETHER

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

HOLY SPIRIT IN CULTURE

For many, the Holy Spirit has not been acknowledged or even worse, has been used as a weapon. And for those who do not belong to the Christian community, the spirit has become a thing of good vibes, a feeling.

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that research has shown that US adults have very little understanding of the Spirit. In a study conducted by LifeWay Research in 2018, a majority of US adults, 59%, say that the Holy Spirit is a force, not a personal being.

The Holy Spirit in the story of scripture:

1. Creation

2. The Old Testament

3. Jesus

4. The Early Church

5. Us

CREATION

“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.” –Genesis 2:20-22

OLD TESTAMENT

Fast forward in the story to Exodus 40 where we see God’s presence no longer in us, but as a dense, visible cloud by day and a fire by night that led the Israeliteis out of Egypt.

In 1 Kings 8, the tabernacle has become a more permanent home called the temple. And as we see throughout the rest of the Old Testament, the temple is good but it is incomplete. It is good because God's presence is with God’s people.

JESUS

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

The word became flesh is the person of God becoming the living, breathing, physical being of Jesus.

The Greek word for dwelt means Jesus in the flesh pitched his tabernacle or lived in his tent among us.

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” – John 20:21-23

We learn that upon resurrection Jesus says the spirit that I was given, that has been in me, is now given to you. As I have been a living, breathing tabernacle, you are now a living breathing tabernacle.

THE EARLY CHURCH

In Acts, the early church, the disciples begin to do the very things that Jesus had been doing.

The disciples are freed from prison

Paralytics are healed

Paul heals a man who falls out of a window while he is preaching

Daily they feed people

And they also suffer just as Christ suffered.

“16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”– 1 Corinthians 3:16

US

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?”– 1 Corinthians 6:19

Once again, the Spirit of God is tabernacled within us just as it was in creation.

In creation, the Holy Spirit is seen through Adam and Even as God affirms their bodies as a dwelling place for God’s spirit- living temples.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is seen through Moses’ tabernacle and Solomon’s temple as he comes to live in the heart of a city with God’s people.

In Jesus, the Holy Spirit is seen through Jesus as it comes to live in Jesus. And through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection every barrier between God and us is broken.

In the Church, the Holy Spirit is seen through the gathering of God’s people. God’s spirit binds us every time we are together and we know he is here in our midst.

In us, the Holy Spirit takes up residence. He dwells in us as our bodies become temples. It is intimate and it is offered to anyone who accepts Jesus’ offer of grace. We are filled with God’s spirit exactly as Jesus was.

God’s Presence

“God’s goal was never to get us into his presence. It was to get his presence into us.” – Tyler Staton

“7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.” – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

“It is the lived conviction that everything, absolutely everything in the scriptures is livable, not just true, but livable… This is the supernatural core, the lived resurrection and Holy Spirit core of the Christian life.” – Euguene Peterson

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

American Christians have a unique obsession with the end times.

From doomsday predictions to rapture anxiety, the Return of Christ is a doctrine obscured by exaggeration, anxiety, and speculation. One influence on America’s end-time obsession is a theological scheme called Dispensationalism.

Developed in the early 1800’s dispensationalism broadly divides biblical history into seven ages or “dispensations”.

1. Judaism is treated as the secret to ancient and hidden knowledge. While, our faith, our story, and our Christ have their roots in ancient Judaism– it is not the key to deciphering the mysteries of the universe.

2. Dispensationalism reads the biblical prophecy as predictive of our future. One of Dispensationalism’s core tenets is a historical-grammatical interpretation of everything in scripture. Everything from OT prophecies to the apostle’s metaphors are turned into items to watch for.

3. A theology of Escape in an event called “the rapture”. Theology of the rapture comes from one verse in the new testament, 1 Thessolians 4:16-17. Nowhere else in scripture is this idea of a flight away from the world. This theology of Escape is not found in the teaching of Jesus, Paul, or any other New Testament writer. Rather, the New Testament describes God’s plan to restore His world and that plan culminates in Christ’s return.

Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead.

“The Day of the Lord” or the Day of YHWH

1. The day when God (YHWH) would defeat all of Israel’s enemies.

Παρουσία | parousia

1. presence

2. coming

Ἔσχατος | eschaton

1. The last thing, finality

2. The final event of the divine plan

All three terms refer broadly to the idea that God is guiding all of history toward His ends. Where his good creation will be liberated and healed from corruption, decay, and abuse it has endured.

It is the world to come, and the world we long for – the Kingdom of our Good God.

“The New Testaments' language about the future is a signpost pointing into the mist.” – NT Wright, Surprised by Hope

And while we do not know the timeframe– we may cultivate hope for the future knowing three things–

1. One day–Jesus will be personally present with us on Earth

2. Death will be reversed

3. All of Creation will be judged by our King.

Jesus will be personally Present with his people.

“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.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” – Revelation 21:3–5.

The parousia literally means presence. We await the day in which our King will be present, dwelling with us– He will be our God, and we will be his people.

Death will be reversed.
Resurrection is always bodily. It always involves flesh and bone restored from the decay of death.

“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” –Romans 8:11.

The Kingdom of God, your future and mine, is flesh and bone– not disembodied spirits.

The Apostle John seems to believe that all people, believers and unbelievers, will be resurrected. of Jesus’ teaching.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” – John 5:25–29.

At the coming of Christ, death will be reversed.

Everyone throughout human history will be resurrected and subject to the judgment of Christ.

Throughout the biblical narrative, the coming Judgement of Jesus is depicted as good news

“4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD! 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! 8 Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together 9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.” –Psalm 98:4–9.

Creation itself, the rivers that have been filled with pollutants, the forests that have been decimated, the plains that have been littered– aches for one to set things right.

In the writings of John love and Judgement are not depicted as separate acts but as one.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” –John 3:16–21.

Our life of apprenticeship to Jesus is a life of training to become the kind of person who will deeply enjoy and fit right in his Kingdom.

When Jesus came preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, it always came with visual aids– It came with him saving people from sickness and death.

He offered people an up-close presentation of what he was promising in the future.

We have moved from a majority Christian culture to a post-Christian culture.

For the first two centuries of our nation’s history, the Christian faith was the assumed default for most people. But over the last two decades, the west has shifted from a majority Christian culture to a post-Christian culture; And our city is no exception to that.

As our team prepared to begin ministry in Kansas City, we did our best to research the spiritual, religious, and cultural environment we were stepping into. And we made three observations about the relationship between Christianity and our city–

1. The population has very little understanding of the person of Jesus.

Many in the community might say “I believe in a God of Love”, but that God of love is totally disconnected from the Incarnation of Jesus.

“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’ message was that God rule is here and now, it is everything we’ve ever longed for– rethink everything and commit to learning its ways!

2. The synchronism of Christianity and nationalism.

This is the belief that America is uniquely blessed by God and particular values must be upheld in our culture with influence and power. The emphasis of this religion is not following the way of Jesus, but securing power at all costs.

3. The population of our city and our neighborhood is continuing to grow in its distrust of religious institutions.

Our neighborhood’s thoughts on religious institutions are complicated and painful. At a national level, we continue to see the fall of prominent Christian leaders. Locally, many bare wounds received at the hands of Churches in our city. And while we can say that we were wounded by Christians, and not by Christ–learning to trust a Christian community takes time and healing– and many are never able.

Faithful Christians have moved from the majority to the minority; from the center to the fringe; from well-thought-of to the weird.

This idea of cultural displacement or exile cuts through the entirety of scripture; an theme that can offer us guidance as we navigate life as a minority.

In 587 BC Israelites were taken into exile by the Babylonian Empire.

Home, family, temple, culture, and language– everything familiar left behind as they arrived in Babylon. The Israelites found themselves in a strange land disconnected from everything they held dear.

One day, two messengers arrive from Jerusalem with a letter from the prophet Jeremiah.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare[shalom] of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare[shalom] you will find your welfare [shalom].” – Jeremiah 29:4-7

Shalom is wholeness. It is this idea of a vibrant and healthy community that is driven forward with a divine purpose toward human flourishing. It is a society living in the goodness of God, where all are taken care of.

God is working to reveal himself in the everyday and ordinary elements of life on planet earth.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you” –Jeremiah 29:11–14.

The promise of Jeremiah is not that everything you do will be blessed; but that what God is bringing about in His promised future is better than anything we can imagine.

Whatever cultural displacement we feel; whatever exile we experience; whatever isolation and alienation may come–if we search the raw materials of life we will find God in our midst.

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

1. Reveal the Kingdom of Jesus

2. Belong to a Microchurch

3. Gather on Sunday

4. Serve

5. Be Generous

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.

“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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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:

1. Loneliness

2. Anxiety,

3. Broken relationships, and

4. 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.

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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?

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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:

1. Some of us have never observed what a loving parent-child relationship looked like.

2. 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.

Summary of the Apostles’ Creed

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.