White Board Image #1: Redemptive History

This is from Sunday, February 15. (Click to enlarge.)

Redemptive History

A week after my sermon, I wonder how much of the big-picture story of the Bible that I shared last week we remember. Happily, there was alliteration to help! Here are the eight P's:
- Kingdom Pattern
- Kingdom Perished
- Kingdom Promised
- Kingdom in Part
- Kingdom Prophesied
- Kingdom Present
- Kingdom Proclaimed
- Kingdom Perfected

I didn't remember to plug this during the message, but reading through the Bible is probably the best way to see how the big picture fits together. I have been working my way through a plan this year, and it has been great.

Download mp3

The Holy Spirit & The Church

Is the local church an organism, or is it an organization? On Sunday night, we discovered that it is both. The local church is an organism in that it is a living, breathing, active, moving thing with elements of both predictability and unpredictability in its behavior. The local church is an organization in that it has leaders, systems, strategies, plans, etc. Both of these identities of the local church are evident in the pages of the New Testament.

The Greek word translated “church” is ekklēsia. It is a word that was appropriated from the culture of the day and means roughly “assembly” or “gathering.” (For example, in the Roman Empire, the assembly of the citizens of a polis or city for political purpose was an ekklēsia.) Why did the early Christians appropriate this word for describing the new thing that God was doing in their midst? In part, because it conveys two important things about the local church: (1) The church is people; it is the community of Jesus’ disciples; (2) The church is an event; it is something that happens ... it is the gathering of Jesus’ disciples.

So ... this ekklēsia is both an organism and an organization. The former identity is granted by many today, but the latter identity meets with some resistance. (Consider this common sentiment: “I just don’t like organized religion!”) However, as we read through the New Testament, it is evident that even the early church had leaders, systems, strategies, plans, etc.

With respect to his missionary journeys, the Apostle Paul organized his travel plans in advance and strategically focused his efforts on major urban centers. (Tim Keller has a great article about focusing on major urban centers here.) In those cities, he made disciples, appointed leaders, and then departed (see Acts 14:21-23). Acts 6 shows the division of labor, which is another feature of organizational life. Acts 15 shows the first church council ... the early church had meetings! :-)

Thus we can establish that the local church is, in fact, a kind of organization. But if this is true, what makes it different from other organizations?

Here is my thesis: It is the person and work of the Holy Spirit that sets the local church apart from every other organization on earth.

The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not an impersonal force. He is nothing less than the Spirit of God, equal in power and glory (essential being) with the Father and the Son, but different in function and role, actively working to regenerate those who are dead in sin, bind them together in community as Jesus’ disciples (a community called “the church”), transcending all conceivable social barriers to unity (esp. racial, socioeconomic, & gender), and empowering the community to carry out the mission of God (missio Dei) in the world.

From this summary, we can see three important ways that the work of the Holy Spirit sets the local church apart from other organizations:

1. The Holy Spirit changes people’s hearts (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:3-8)

How do people change? What causes their behavior? What changes it? We see in Scriptures such as Jeremiah 17:9 that behavior is a function of the heart. It comes from within. However, we also see in Scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 15:33 that behavior is a function of the environment ... Paul says that a bad environment can actually corrupt a good heart. So we see that behavior is a function of someone’s heart + their environment.

The truth is, we can’t change people’s hearts. Only God can do that. However, we can change their environments. Therefore, it is the task of the church to create environments that facilitate worship, growth/maturity, community, etc. (In fact, that is all any organization can do to effect change in its people: create new environments, or change the existing ones.) Beyond that, as the church we must trust the Holy Spirit to do his work.

The work of the Holy Spirit is regeneration. (This is what we see in John 3 and Titus 3, referenced above.) The Holy Spirit changes people by changing their hearts. He changes us from within and places us together in community as “the church.”

2. The Holy Spirit binds Christians together in unity (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:26-28)

What binds people together in other organizations? A common mission, shared goals, social bonds, etc. These things bind us together in the local church as well, but are they strong enough bonds to overcome our biggest differences and divisions? No. We need the Holy Spirit.

The work of the Holy Spirit transcends all conceivable barriers to unity in the church: specifically, racial, socioeconomic, and gender barriers (as identified by Paul in Galatians 3:26-28). A beautiful example of this is the partnership between my church in Kansas City (historically white - located in one of the wealthiest counties in the Midwest) and Christian Fellowship Baptist Church (historically black - located in the urban core of KC).

3. The Holy Spirit empowers us for mission (Luke 24:45-53; Acts 1:1-11, 16:6-10)

The mission of the church is all about being and making disciples. If people are not meeting Jesus and growing in him, then we are not delivering on our mission.

What empowers the church to deliver on its mission? Is it education, finances, influence, talent, competency, skills, charisma, etc., as in other organizations? Although these things are often helpful, ultimately, it is the work of the Holy Spirit that empowers us for mission, as we see very clearly in Luke-Acts. In fact, Jesus specifically told the first disciples to refrain from mission until they had been clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Thus we see that it is the person and work of the Holy Spirit that sets the local church apart from every other organization on earth. This reality permeates every aspect of the life of the church.

So what does all of this mean for our community? What does it mean for Regeneration?

Generally, this means being and making disciples for Jesus. Specifically, I would like to cast the following vision for our community:

1. Vision: To see young adults transformed into disciples of Jesus, for God’s glory and kingdom. (This is in alignment with God’s aim to create a worshipping community for all of eternity.)

2. Mission: To create environments at BVC where young adults can connect with each other (community), grow in Christ, and engage the culture by doing culturally strategic gospel ministry. In this, we should strive to develop a blended community that welcomes college students and career professionals, singles and married couples, of any background, of any racial identity, recognizing that we are one in Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit.

What do you think?

Incarnation

For those who may be interested in the formal formulation of the incarnation, here is the text of the Definition of Chalcedon, from the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. This has been the standard of orthodoxy since that time:

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us. (Source, including the original Greek wording)

One of the difficulties that I felt in preparing the message this week was in not being able to adequately express the glory and mystery and greatness of God that the Incarnation demonstrates. I can only pray that God will take the words of Scripture and press them into our hearts through the Holy Spirit so that we will embrace Jesus as Lord and Christ with all that we are.

The other difficulty that I felt was in not being able to draw out all of the implications of the incarnation for us as believers in Christ. Perhaps we can tag on more here at the blog than the three that I highlighted in the message (i.e. we can worship Jesus, we can know God, and we can live a new life). What do you think? What are some other implications of the incarnation for the way we think or live?

Transcendence & Immanence

I have not been able to write up a sermon summary yet, but here are my notes for part two of six in our theology series: What Christians Believe: Transcendence & Immanence.

Little Wonders

Last night, in his sermon on transcendence and immanence, Andrew mentioned something that got me thinking a lot.
He used the term "little wonders", or something similar, to describe the little things that God reveals of Himself to us on any given day. Andrew said that since we live in a world torn by Satan, sin and death, God knows that we need little pick-me-ups in the day to keep us going.
I was pondering what my "little wonders" have been, and the answer came right away: At my work, I see about two hundred Little Wonders every week! I've been having such a bad attitude about my job, and I don't know why. But I have resolved to try to think of it as the place where I meet all my "little wonders". I would have a harder time seeing the small miracles of God if I stayed home in my robe and drank tea all day and played Mario Kart on the Wii (although as a vacation, that sounds awesome!). Instead, I drive half an hour to and from work four days a week to witness the miracles that each have a name and a face. I am so blessed! What do I have to complain about?
This brings me to two points. Hopefully I am not spoiling a surprise, but it will be awesome that we are going to have a sermon series on work coming up soon in Regen. Hurray!
And two: I want to know what "little wonders" God has been revealing Himself through for all of you, my friends? Let us all hear them and praise God together.

The Trinity

Finally, my first post in some time. This is our first installment of a short series of selected topics on theology. Much of my material here is from Louis Berkhof, Stanley Grenz, and Millard Erickson.

1) What is theology?
- a term derived from "God" and "word/study," so formally it is the study of God.
- It has regretably grown out of style but essentially been replaced by words like "biblical" or "worldview," both of which incompass the same idea.
- Theology is what Christians believe and how it affects what they do in all aspects of life. Every Christians is a theologian and needs reflect on their God and their life theologically so we can be "in the world but not of the world." Jn 17:6-18

2) How do we do theology?
- Traditional there are four sources of theology, for protestants in order of importance: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience
- Ours is an age where experience rules and tradition is culturally relative and this is where the order is important. The only constant in this entire process is Scripture and it needs the most prominence and all else is subjected to it. Experience itself should never become a means of interpreting something in isolation. That is, always speak with your church community about your experience with God so that you may gain from the wisdom God has provided you and not ruled by your emotions.
- The way I stated how theology is done at the present moment: Theology is the result of reflection on Scripture, clarified by Tradition, explained by reason and tested by experience.

For the trinity Grenz states it well in Theology for the Community of God. When he says that the early church had to reconcile the reality that the Bible teaches that there is one God and that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.

3) What is the Trinity?
- A shorthand term for the reality of one God who exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- It is the very being of God and thus foundational for all other topics.
- A universal belief of all Christian traditions, on this we are clearly united.

4) Old Testament Support
- Gen 1:26; 11:7. The plural language is best understood as God's fullness being present in creation which upon the further revelation of the New Testament as the Trinity.
- "Angel of the Lord" or other theophanies. Gen 16:7-13; 18:1-21; 19:1-28; Mal 3:1
- God, Messiah, and Holy Spirit. Is 48:16; 61:1; 63:9-10

5) New Testament combined with Old
- God is savior of his people (OT) more clearly Jesus Christ is the Redeemer and Savior of all people. Mt 1:21; Lk 1:76-79; 2:17; Jn 4:42; Acts 5:3; Gal 3:13; 4:5; Ph 3:30; Tit 2:13-14
- God dwells among his people and moves their hearts (OT), more clearly, the Holy Spirit dwells in the Church (believers)
Acts 2:4; Rom 8:9-11; 1 Cor 3:16; Gal 4:6; Eph 2:22; Jas 4:5
- God sends the Son, Jn 3:16; Gal 4:4
- Father and Son send the Spirit, Jn 14:26; 15:26; Gal 4:6
- All three clearly seen in the baptism of Jesus and great commission, Mt 3:16, 17; 28:19
- Named together, 1 Cor 12:4-6; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2

6) Summarizing the important points
- God is One, The Divine Being has one indivisible essence
Deut 6:4; Ex 20:2-3; Mt 22:34-40; Jas 2:19
- “Three-in-one-ness,” Three individual subsistences or persons
Mt 3:16-17; Mt 28:18-20; 1 Cor 12:4-6;
- Undivided and Equal in Belonging
- All are equally God and are equally holy, righteous, merciful, powerful, etc.
- Completely involved in all acts together, never separate
- Subordinate in how they relate or work in creation but not in essential being.
I understand this is a controversial topic these days which is basically the result of people thinking equality is an absolute term as if we cannot make distinctions in what a being does and what is its nature. These tendencies are seen in the homosexial debate and gender roles. The modal distincation of Francis Suarez helps us in this matter (for you metaphycians out there). What a being does is not identical to what it is, though its act is necessarily dependent upon its nature but its nature is not dependent upon its act (c.f. JP Moreland, Univerals). I believe that functional subordination and ontological equality can be maintained, and well trained theologians in philosophy do so without serious difficulty. Its symantics and culturally people do not like the term "subordination" because they ascribe to it a negative connotation of inequality.
- How Father, Son and Holy Spirit works together
- Thus “all things are out of the Father, through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit.”

Berkhof, “Just as human nature is too rich and too full to be embodied in a single individual, and comes to its adequate expression only in humanity as a whole so the divine Being unfolds itself in its fullness only in its three fold subsistence of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

7) Examples of Distinctions within the persons of God
-The Father is God (Mt 6:5-15; 1 Cor 8:4-6)
Designing creation and redemption, and knows the end of all things
-The Son is God (Jn 8:58; Lk 7:36-50; Ph 2:5-11)
Creation and redemption were done through Him, and will come again to do the work of the final judgment
-The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; Jn 16:5-16; 2 Sam 23:2)
Completes the work of creation and redemption, and will complete the work of uniting God to his people for all eternity

8)Essential Elements
- There is one God and He is one
- Father, Son and Holy Spirit are equally God
- They each have distinctive functions

7) Common Erros
-Absolute Monotheism, Islam/Monarchism, no indivisible persons
- Tritheism, Three gods
- Modalism, three different ways or manifestations of God at different times, i.e. God was the Father, then became the Son, and is now the Holy Spirit
- Arianism (Jehovah’s Witnesses), Jesus only a man adopted by God and the Holy Spirit an impersonal force or influence from God
- That any human being can fully understand it. It is a divine mystery which our finite minds can only undestand in part. Our knowledge is still sufficient for knowing the one true God

8) Significance
- God is a completely self-sufficient and independent personal being
- God created us out of his own freedom and not because he was lonely or lacked anything of any kind. How glorious is his love!
- We are created in his image and thus are intrinsically relational beings who live life in relationship to God and other human beings
- The Trinity is involved in all works of God (this is a modern insight from what I understand perhaps as a result of the work of Moltmann and Pannenberg)
- The church should reflect the unity and diversity of God in both the cooperation of all the gifts of spirit in one body, and of the diversity of humanity (all races and cultures) are to be united in worship and service to the one God
- We do not serve ourselves but each other as the each person in the Trinity seeks the glorification of the others.
- Some say that the family best reflects the Trinity. One man and one woman united who then give life to a child.


Blessings in our pursuit of God to know him as he is in all his fullness.