Archive for the ‘Cross’ Tag
Grace To A Runaway Slave!
Filed under: Bible, By Ann Vinson, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Active Participation With Jesus, Adoption, Christian Living, Christian Reconciliation, Christian Unity, Christianity, Cross, Cross of Christ, Discipleship, Duty, father, former slaves to sin, GCI Baltimore, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God Incarnate, God Likes You, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Salvation, God's Unconditional Love, Gospel, Gospels, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Grace Communion International, Grace To a Runaway Slave, heralds of reconciliation, Humanity Uplifted, Humility, Humility of God, Humility of Jesus, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus Is God's Salvation, Jesus Is Our Salvation, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, jesus ministry, JESUS THE CHRIST, Jesus Transforms, Jesus' Reconciliation, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Presence, Jesus: True God True Man, law, Love, Obligation, Oneness, Oneness in Christ, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Participation with Jesus, Participation with Jesus Christ, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Perichoresis, philemon, Philemon 8-22, Purpose, Racial, Racial Reconciliation, Receiving God's Love, Reconciled, Reconciled To God, Reconciliation, Reconciliation to Jesus, Reconciliation with God, Relationship With Jesus, Relationships, Salvation, Salvation By Grace, Salvation By Grace Alone, Salvation In Christ, sameness, Sharing God's Love With Others, Slaves, Spiritual Maturity, The Father, The Father's Love, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Holy Spirit's Power, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Unconditional, unconditional acceptance, Unconditional Love, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Union with Jesus Christ, Wholeness in Christ, Worship, Worshipping Jesus
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verse: Philemon 8-22
Introduction:
In his short letter to Philemon, Paul made an appeal for oneness and unity in Jesus Christ. He placed himself in the middle of a broken relationship between Philemon, a slave master, and Onesimus, a runaway slave. Contained within this story of reconciliation, grace, and de-exaltation is the gospel itself. A slave himself, Paul urged Philemon to consider love—not law, duty, or obligation. His instruction to receive Onesimus as a brother, not a slave, challenges us to evaluate our pride and align our perspectives of others with Christ’s perspective. In this letter, Paul helps us reflect on the racial, radical, and redemptive reconciliation Christ offers.
“The salvation secured by Christ in the gospel is more comprehensive than justification alone: it brings repentance, wholeness, love for brothers and sisters in the Christian community.” –D. A. Carson
Outline:
1. Appealing to Love, Not Obligation (Philem. 8-14)
Like Philemon, love is to be our motivation for obeying God in all things. We can easily fall into the trap of obeying God primarily out of obligation. We obey because we have to. We know we should. While this is certainly true—God has given us commands, not suggestions in Scripture— obligation cannot be what prompts our obedience. Love must be.
Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commands (John 14:15). Love fuels obedience; obedience verifies love. A steady diet of love fattens obedience, but obligation will starve it at some point. This is why Jesus fused the two together. Our love for God produces obedience that pleases Him and also brings Him glory as the world around us sees us joyfully obey.
2. Accepting a Brother, Not a Slave (Philem. 15-17)
“Love all men, even your personal enemies, not because they are brothers but in order that they may be brothers, in order that you may always burn with brotherly love, whether for one already become a brother or for an enemy so that by [your] loving he may become a brother.” –Augustine
3. Anticipating Grace, Not Duty (Philem. 18-22)
If we as Christians only obey God out of a sense of obligation or duty, then we commit the sin of the Pharisee: righteousness without right-heartedness. God desires that our obedience come from the heart.
After committing adultery with Bathsheba, David discovered, “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God” (Ps. 51:16-17). God cannot overlook a broken heart. He collects them, tends and mends them. Duty is a harsh master, but through the cracks of a broken spirit, the Holy Spirit enters into us and distributes grace to every limb. Paul had a broken heart when he penned his letter—a heart that Philemon could heal by demonstrating the grace of Christ to Onesimus. “Refresh my heart in Christ,” he instructed (Philem. 20).
Theological Theme:
Christian reconciliation models the cross of Christ.
Contained within this story of reconciliation, grace, and de-exaltation is the gospel itself – a gospel that regardless of background, skin color, class, or cultural difference unites God’s [Father-Son-Holy Spirit] family members and demonstrates the reconciling power of the cross. Christian unity is not about sameness; it’s about oneness.
Christ Connection:
When Paul appealed to Philemon on behalf of the runaway slave Onesimus, he placed himself in the middle of their broken relationship. In order to make peace, he volunteered to pay Onesimus’ debt. Through this action, Paul modeled Jesus Christ, who is the peacemaker between God and sinful humanity. By volunteering to pay our debt, Jesus reconciled us to God and to each other.
Missional Application:
God, through his Holy Spirit, calls us to live as peacemakers who reflect the heart of our crucified Savior.
Conclusion:
Jesus once promised that He would “go away and prepare a place for you” (John 14:3).
After the toils of life are over, God will declare your emancipation also. Like Paul, you will escape “this body of death” (Rom. 7:24) and abscond to your mansion in glory—a home where “neither moth nor rust destroys” and “where thieves don’t break in and steal” (Matt. 6:20). This future home is what should motivate us today. Because we anticipate entering Christ’s presence and basking in His love and grace as His brothers and sisters, we give to others today what we will receive then. It is the least we, all former slaves to sin who are now one family in Christ, can do for one another.
“We have but one leading aim, to which it is our deliberate and unreserved desire that every thing else in which we are concerned may be subordinate and subservient—in a word, that we are devoted to the Lord, and have by grace been enabled to choose him, and to yield ourselves to him, so as to place our happiness in his favor, and to make his glory and will the ultimate scope of all our actions.” –John Newton
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The Preeminence Of Jesus Christ!
Filed under: Bible, By Richard Andrews, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, GCI Windsor Mill, Maryland, God, God Father Son and Spirit, God the Trinity, God's love, good news, Gospel, Grace Communion Baltimore, Grace Communion International, identity in Christ, Inclusion, Jesus Christ, Liturgy, Love, Ministry, New Life Fellowship Of Baltimore Maryland, New Life Fellowship Of Windsor Mill, MD., On Mission with Christ, Participation with Christ, Participation with Jesus, Pentecost, Perichoresis, Prayer, relationship with God, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Church, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Father, Son and Holy Spirit, The Gospel Project, The Holy Spirit, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, union, Union In Christ, Union with Christ, Witness, Witnessing to God, Witnessing to Jesus, Worship, Worshiping God, Worshipping Jesus | Tags: Active Participation With Jesus, Adoption, All Are Included In Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Colossians 1, Colossians 1: 15-23, Cross, Discipleship, father, focused on Jesus Christ, Fruit of God's Grace, GCI Baltimore, God - Father-Son-and Holy Spirit, God Father Son and Spirit, God in Flesh, God Incarnate, God Is Love, God Likes You, god the father, God the Trinity, God's Faith, God's Faithfulness, God's Gift, God's Grace, God's Healing, God's Hope, God's Humility, God's love, God's Love And Life, God's Mercy, God's Mission, God's Patience, God's Power, God's Presence, God's Unconditional Love, Gospel, grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, Grace Communion International, heralds of reconciliation, Humanity Uplifted, Humility, Humility of God, Humility of Jesus, identity in Christ, Incarnation, Included In Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Is God's Love Revealed, Jesus is the way the truth and the life, jesus ministry, JESUS THE CHRIST, Jesus the preeminent one, Jesus Transforms, Jesus' Authority, Jesus' Cross, Jesus' Presence, Jesus: True God True Man, Love, Outpouring Of The Holy Spirit, Participation with Jesus, Participation with Jesus Christ, Pastor Timothy Brassell of New Life Baltimore, Perichoresis, preeminent, Purpose, Receiving God's Love, Reconciled, Reconciled To God, Reconciliation, Reconciliation to Jesus, Reconciliation with God, Relationship With Jesus, Relationships, resurrection of Jesus, Salvation, Salvation By Grace, Salvation By Grace Alone, Sharing God's Love With Others, Spiritual Maturity, Spirituality, The Father, The Father's Love, The Father-Son-and-Spirit-God, The Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit Of Love, The Preeminence Of Jesus Christ, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Unconditional, unconditional acceptance, Unconditional Love, Union and Communion, Union With Jesus, Union with Jesus Christ, Wholeness in Christ, Worship
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Part A:
Part B:
Full Message:
Bible Verses: Colossians 1:15-24 2: 3
Introduction:
What is the outlook you have in your life? Do you see Jesus?
How and what we see is so important for the life we live today, the relationships we have, and to the words we speak today. Our outlook/view is so important to our walk, ministry and testimony.
“We should be focused on The Father, Son and Holy Spirit and The God who is revealed in Jesus”
“We should be (given the context of the lives that we live today, given all things that we’re going through, through the tears, celebration, through the relationships, through the work and through the worry) focused on Jesus, who is supreme, who is central, and who is sufficient in and for all things, and for all times.”
Paul wrote the letter to the church at Colossae when he learned through Epaphras that heretical teachings were running through the church. Paul’s letter pointed the church to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The cross of Christ is not merely a theory for theologians to ponder; it’s a real-life, realtime reality that heals, restores, and reconciles. Through the cross, Christ reconciled us to the Father, reconciles all things in Himself, and reconciles us to one another.
Paul focuses on the reconciling work of Jesus and focuses our attention on reconciling in 3 different areas in our lives:
1. Christ is preeminent in His reconciling all things. (Col. 1:15-20).
2. Christ is preeminent in His reconciling us to God. (Col. 1:21-23).
3. Christ is preeminent in His reconciling us to one another. (Col. 1:24–2:3).
Theological Theme:
Through His work on the cross, Christ is restoring the world and reconciling us to God [Father-Son-Holy Spirit] and to one another.
Christ Connection:
Jesus is the preeminent one. Growth and maturity are firmly established on that precept.
“For everywhere He is first; above first; in the Church first; for He is the Head; in the Resurrection first.” –John Chrysostom
In prison, Paul encouraged God’s people by proclaiming the magnificence of Christ—His identity as God’s Son and His work on the cross to reconcile us to God. Christian growth and maturity does not take place through moving beyond the gospel to other Bible teaching but through continually refocusing our attention on Christ—who is the focus of the Scriptures and the head of the church
Missional Application:
God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us, as those who have been reconciled to God, to be heralds of reconciliation to the world.
Conclusion:
Just as Christ is preeminent in His reconciling creation, He is preeminent in His reconciling us to God, which He accomplished through taking on flesh and then laying His life down on our behalf. Because of the blood He shed on the cross, we are no longer alienated, hostile, and evil. That is the old person who has been put to death with Christ on the cross. In that person’s place, we have received new life, new identity, in Christ. And it is this new person who has been declared holy, faultless, and blameless whom Christ presents to the Father. This is the fundamental change of Christ’s reconciliation. He has undone sin’s curse. He has restored that which was broken. He has made right that which was wrong. He, not us, has accomplished this work of reconciliation. And this is why He receives all the glory of our salvation.
By the cross, Christians enter into a personal relationship with the Man of Nazareth who, being fully God and fully man, suffered with us, suffered for us, and suffers through us as we “weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15). The beams of the cross point us upward (Christ), downward (grounded in the faith), and outward (loving others). Be careful to keep those three beams together, for if we become deficient in one, the others will fall apart. May we proclaim a whole redemption through a whole Christ to a world that is not yet whole.
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Why we crucify
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity | Tags: anthropology, Cross, Jesus, mimetic theory, rene girard, scapegoat, Trinity
Comments (8) “The Cross alone exposes for the first time the real condition of mankind… [It] is the supreme revelation of the sin of mankind.” – T.F. Torrance, The Doctrine of Jesus Christ, p. 158.
What does the Cross say about the human race? That we kind of suck? Yes, but there’s more… Because what we did to Jesus was not unusual behavior for us. Anthropological evidence suggests that the lynch mob is one of THE constant features of all human societies. Isn’t that interesting?
Homo sapiens is the species that crucifies.
Why do we crucify? Because we must.
“Hanging Tree” by BigFace. Purchase a print at http://fav.me/d1uq4yd
At least we think we do.
I submit for your consideration an approach to anthropology called “Mimetic Theory,” which starts with the observation that humans crucify. For anthropologist Rene Girard, this theory arose from an intuition shared by us at TrinityAndHumanity.com — that Jesus on the Cross is the clue to what really makes humans tick.
Mimetic Theory suggests a universal pattern that all human societies follow –– When their social cohesion is threatened by internal conflict, they will resort to scapegoating. They find someone to hate, and that shared hate unifies the community.
It’s the exact opposite of the Trinity.
The Triune Life consists in the mutual self-giving of Father, Son and Spirit. This is THE inner logic of the Divine Life which the incarnate Christ is earthing in the world, the kind of Communion in which each gives one’s whole self for the good of others.
When you flip that perfectly upside-down, you get Scapegoating –– laying down someone else’s life for the benefit of the rest of us. Ultimately, all of human civilization is held together by the logic of none other than Caiaphas the High Priest—“It is better to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed” (John 11:50).
Girard seeks an understanding of the human race which starts with the inner logic of the Cross. I think he’s onto something.
What do you think?
God’s Goodness Despite The Spread Of Sin!
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Humor, Love, Ministry, Prayer, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Plan of Adoption, Timothy Brassell, Trinity, Uncategorized, Worship | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Cross, Evangelism, evil, Forgiveness, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God's Wrath, God's good news, God's Mission, Gospel, Grace, Great Commission, Incarnation, Jesus, jesus crucifixion, Justice, Love, Mercy, new life fellowship, Overcome, overcoming evil, Pastor Tim, Relationships, repentance, Restorative Justice, Salvation, Sin, Trinitarian Theology, Trinity, Worship
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As the graciously adopted children of God, Father, Son and Spirit, He calls us to participate with him in slowing the spread of sin by being salt and light in our world and by proclaiming the peace and joy of His Kingdom (Jesus!)
*photo courtesy of dailybiblememe.com
How To Share God’s Good News With Others! pt.6
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Humor, Love, Ministry, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Plan of Adoption, Trinity, Uncategorized, Worship | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Co-suffering, Cross, Crucifixion, disciples, Discipleship, Evangelism, Faith, Finances, Financial Stewardship, gifts, God Likes You, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God the Trinity, God's Judgment, good news, Gospel, Grace, Grace Communion International, Great Commission, Hell, Hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jesus crucifixion, jesus ministry, Judgment, Love, minister, Ministry, Mission, money, new life fellowship, Participation, Participation with Christ, Pastor Tim, personal hell, Preaching, Relational God Revealed, Relationships, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture, Scriptures, Sharing Christ, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Sharing Jesus, sharing your faith, Spiritual Gifts, Stewardship, Suffering, Sufferings of Christ, talents, The Good News, Timothy Brassell, Trinitarian Theology, Union and Ministry, Worship, Wrath
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In the POWERFUL conclusion to this series, where it is proclaimed that you are CALLED, EMPOWERED and SENT by the FATHER, through JESUS THE SON, and IN THE SPIRIT, understand:
- How to be a faithful steward of time in this hectic world to which you are sent!
- How to be the best steward of gifts and talents and experience God’s best even through discouraging personal weaknesses that can distract you!
- How to organize money and maximize its impact in participation with Christ in this world that’s trying to consume it all!
You won’t have time to sleep on this one cause you’ll be either glad or mad! hahaha
Then:
1.) get this NEW and UPDATED WORKSHEET you’ll want to keep for review: goroncy-a-theology-of-mission-share-God’s-good-news copy 2, , and…
2.) grab a pencil or pen
3.) fill-in-the-blanks as you prepare to share with others what you are learning to others who can share what their learning to others!
Here is part 1 if you are wondering: https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/14/some-things-jesus-come-before-other-things/
Here is part 2 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/21/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-2/
Here is part 3 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/28/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-3/
Here is part 4 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/10/05/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-4/
Here is part 5 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/10/19/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-5/
Photo courtesy of: http://www.lifeway.com
How To Share God’s Good News With Others! pt.5
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Humor, Love, Ministry, Relationships, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Plan of Adoption, Trinity, Uncategorized, Worship | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Co-suffering, Cross, Crucifixion, Difficult scripture, Evangelism, Faith, God Likes You, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God the Trinity, God's Judgment, good news, Gospel, Grace, Grace Communion International, Hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jesus crucifixion, jesus ministry, Judgment, Love, minister, Ministry, new life fellowship, Participation, Participation with Christ, Party, partying, Pastor Tim, Preaching, Predestination, Relational God Revealed, Relationships, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture, Scriptures, second coming, Second Coming of Christ, Sharing Christ, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Sharing Jesus, sharing your faith, Suffering, Sufferings of Christ, The Good News, Theology of Glory, Timothy Brassell, Trinitarian Theology, Union and Ministry, Worship, Wrath
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15.10.18 How To Share God’s Good News With Others, pt.5 (1 Cor 15, Rev 21.22-26) – TAH
As the saying goes, you can live one minute without air but not one second without hope! Could you use some hope and clarity about your present purpose and destiny?; hope about life even in this present evil age? If you answered YES then this is a message for you! In this message of God’s Good News get good Christian responses to your questions like:
Why am I working so hard and long on the job and in the home? Why am I hanging in there in my marriage and relationships? Why am I attending this particular school of higher learning? Why should I take time off from work and rest, or take a vacation! Why am I learning to be so patient, peaceful, and persevering in traffic, and even in tragedy?! Why am I learning to be so prickly, perturbing, and provoking even though I am by nature more meek, shy and non-disturbing?
Bottom line: Understand the importance of sharing Jesus’ Hope with others in word and deed as we participate with Him, presently, in the Spirit!
1.) grab a pen or pencil,
2.) download this worksheet: How To Share God’s Good News With Others- TAH (fill in the blank), (or use the one you have already printed out), and,
3.) fill-in-the-blanks as you prepare to teach what you are learning to others who can teach what their learning to others!
Here is part 1 if you are wondering: https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/14/some-things-jesus-come-before-other-things/
Here is part 2 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/21/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-2/
Here is part 3 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/28/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-3/
Here is part 4 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/10/05/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-4/
Photo courtesy of: http://www.k180.org
How To Share God’s Good News With Others! pt.4
Filed under: Ascension, Ascension of Jesus, Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Church, Evangelism, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Humor, Love, Ministry, Perichoresis, Prayer, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Plan of Adoption, Trinity, Worship | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Co-suffering, Cross, Crucifixion, Difficult scripture, Evangelism, Faith, God Likes You, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace, Grace Communion International, Hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jesus crucifixion, jesus ministry, LGBT, Love, minister, Ministry, new life fellowship, Participation, Pastor Tim, Preaching, Relational God Revealed, Relationships, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture, Scriptures, Sharing Christ, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Sharing Jesus, sharing your faith, Suffering, Sufferings of Christ, The Good News, Timothy Brassell, Trinitarian Theology, Worship
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15.10.04 How To Share God’s Good News With Others, pt.4 (Rom 8 The Msg) – TAH
Do you realize the opportunity you have been given to reach those who have not yet received the Jesus Who has received them? Pastor Timothy reminds you how your union with Christ means your participation with Jesus Christ, our Lord, in this present evil world. God has called you to participate with Him in sharing Himself with others so others can walk with us even as we all struggle together worshiping our Father in the Spirit! As a child of God, Father, Son and Spirit, you have the empowerment of the Spirit to see lives joyously transformed as people are informed by His light of love in this world, in and through you!
Plus…
In this very practical message, be reminded HOW to share God’s grace graciously… How TO share, and how NOT to share, the Good News with those struggling in the LGBT community… Be reminded of a better image you and everyone should have in mind about our present trials and pains… Understand how to point people to the real intent and subject of scripture so that scripture reading becomes less burdensome and more joyful and hopeful as they meet Jesus there…, Grasp an often overlooked “cure” for depression if other medical, biological and spiritual reasons can be ruled out… plus LOTS more!
So,
1.) grab a pen or pencil,
2.) download this worksheet: How To Share God’s Good News With Others- TAH (fill in the blank), (or use the one you have already printed out), and,
3.) fill-in-the-blanks as you prepare to teach what you are learning to others who can teach what their learning to others!
Here is part 1 if you are wondering: https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/14/some-things-jesus-come-before-other-things/
Here is part 2 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/21/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-2/
Here is part 3 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/28/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-3/
Photo courtesy of: http://www.k180.org
How To Share God’s Good News With Others! pt.3
Filed under: Bible, By Tim Brassell, Christian Living, Evangelism, Gospel, Grace Communion International, Love, Ministry, Prayer, Relationships, Scripture Paraphrases, Sermons, Spiritual Warfare, The Dance and Dream of the Trinity, The Plan of Adoption, Trinity, Uncategorized, Worship | Tags: Bible, Christian Living, Christianity, Church, Co-suffering, Cross, Crucifixion, Difficult scripture, Evangelism, Faith, God Likes You, god the father, God the Holy Spirit, God the Son, God the Trinity, good news, Gospel, Grace, Grace Communion International, Hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, jesus crucifixion, jesus ministry, Love, new life fellowship, Participation, Pastor Tim, Preaching, Relational God Revealed, Relationships, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture, Scriptures, Sharing Christ, sharing in Jesus' humanity, Sharing Jesus, sharing your faith, Suffering, Sufferings of Christ, The Good News, Timothy Brassell, Trinitarian Theology, Worship
Leave a comment Are you suffering in either a small or great way?
Do you know anyone who is suffering?
How do we understand suffering in the Light of the God Revealed in Jesus?
In this message, understand the place of suffering in sharing God’s Good News with others and be sure, again, to:
1.) grab a pen or pencil,
2.) download this worksheet: How To Share God’s Good News With Others- TAH (fill in the blank) , or use the one you have already printed out, and,
3.) fill-in-the-blanks as you prepare to teach what you are learning even in the middle of your suffering!
Here is part 1 if you are wondering: https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/14/some-things-jesus-come-before-other-things/
Here is part 2 https://trinityandhumanity.com/2015/09/21/how-to-share-gods-good-news-with-others-pt-2/
Photo courtesy of: http://www.k180.org
Did God forsake Jesus?
Filed under: By Bill Winn | Tags: abandoned, Bill Winn, Christ, Church, Cross, eli eli, father, father's day, forsaken, Holiness, holy, Jesus, Love, relationship, Separation, Sin, with
Comments (4) Did God ever Forsake Jesus? Consider these words of Jesus on the Cross, “Eli Eli lama sabachthani?” These words translated are “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Did God the Father abandon or forsake Jesus on the Cross? Did the Eternal Father of the Eternal Son really pronounce him accursed? Is it possible that the same Father who declared, “This is my beloved Son in whom my soul delights.” really turned his back on Jesus so that he suffered alone and isolated in his hour of greatest need? Much has been written about this subject so let me throw in on the matter. Let’s look at what the Bible has to say and let our minds be conformed to the mind of Christ .
If we begin with the character and nature of God we will see a clear answer to this question.
Is it possible that the Father forsook Jesus?
In John 1:1 we read; “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God.” The Greek word for with in this passage indicates a face-to-face, personal, and intimate relationship. Jesus and his Father have eternally been in this intimate face-to-face relationship in the communion of the Holy Spirit. There has never been a time when the Father, Son, and Spirit have not been in intimate loving relationship. The Triune God exists as relationship and is Love. The Father, Son, and Spirit know no other way to be toward one another than to be as Love.
On the Cross Jesus is executing a rabbinic exercise where the teacher begins to quote a Psalm and the congregants there finish it. Jesus is quoting Psalm 22 which begins “My God my God why have you forsaken me?” The Psalm does not end in defeat it ends in victory. The point made by Jesus is victory not defeat or having been forsaken.
Also who is Jesus’ God? What God does Jesus worship? Well Jesus does not have a God he is God with the Father and the Spirit so just on that point alone the idea that Jesus is literally telling us that the Father has forsaken him cannot be accurate. In I Corinthians 12:3 Paul says, “Therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, ‘Let Jesus be cursed!” I would hazard a guess that God the Father speaks by the Spirit. It is not the Father who put Jesus to death on the Cross… it was us. (Heb. 12:3) Consider II Corinthians 5:19 “…that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself…” The word for in there really means in. In John 14:20 Jesus says, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.” Jesus and the Father mutually indwell one another and the Holy Spirit is facilitating this relationship at all times.
Some argue that because Jesus took on our sin God the Father had to turn his back on him because God cannot have any part with sin. Let us never forget that Jesus is God- co-equal with the Father and the Spirit. If God can have no fellowship with sin how did Jesus eat with sinners, become human, and finally take on all of our sin!
Also ponder this… there is a politician I know of that is on his third marriage. When he married wife number one he said, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” Then he cheated on wife number one with the woman who would become wife number two. When he married wife number two he said, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” Then he cheated on wife number two with the woman who would become wife number three. When he married wife number three he said, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” Well neither wife number two nor three have any basis on which to believe him because of what he has actually done. He has proven that he will in fact leave and forsake. So if the Eternal Father of Jesus would leave and forsake him in his hour of greatest need how can we ever believe that he will never leave nor forsake us?
Let me say with clarity and determination… God the Father most certainly did not forsake Jesus on the Cross and Jesus did not say that he did. This Father’s Day as we celebrate all that is good about our dads let us put away in our hearts, minds, and in our Faith the blasphemous notion that Jesus’ Father ever turned his back on him and let us celebrate that he will never turn his back on us!
~ Bill Winn
Noah’s Ark and the Eucharist
Filed under: By John Stonecypher, Gospel, Trinity | Tags: Christianity, Church, Communion, Cross, Eucharist, Gospel, Jeus, Noah, Perichoresis, Trinity
Comments (1) One can find Communion preaching texts in the most unexpected places…
The Noah story in Genesis starts with some disturbing words about the grief suffered by Yahweh as he experiences the reality of human brokenness. He is suffering pain at the hands of his creatures. His pain is real, but he finally decides to stay with the pain for the sake of staying with humanity. He is free to escape the situation, but he chooses instead to bear in his own soul the terrible contradiction between himself and his self-destructing creatures.
This is the essence of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Let’s say I have wronged you in some hurtful way. If you bear a grudge against me, it means you are choosing to hold on to the pain I have caused you, so that you might give that pain back to me at some later date. So you hold the pain close, letting it wound you over and over again (when you don’t really need to experience the wound more than once). Of course, you’ll discover this doesn’t work. Even if you get revenge on me and cause me pain, YOUR pain will still not go away.
The only way for you to be freed from the pain is to let go of it, which means letting go of those possible futures in which you might get to dish it back to me. In other words, you need to forgive me, not for my sake, but for YOURS. Forgiveness doesn’t make it okay that I did what I did to you. What forgiveness does is set you free from being wounded any more than you already are.
Now, you may well decide to forgive me but never talk to me again. It may be that I am a destructive force in your life, and you need to set up boundaries to protect yourself from future damage (This kind of forgiveness is often necessary in abusive relationships, for example).
Reconciliation takes it a step further to seeking healing for the relationship. And it can happen if both of us are willing to reconcile. But if you want reconciliation but I don’t, then you have a problem. You either need to give up on your dreams of reconciliation, or you can choose to keep seeking reconciliation in the hopes that I will someday come around. It’s a choice to take a long and painful journey that may never pay off.
This is what I see in Yahweh’s decision to not destroy the whole human race in the Flood. Not only is he forgiving, but he is choosing the bloody path of hoped-for reconciliation. It’s a path that will one day get himself killed by human hands.
He shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins.
I used to think this meant that the Father was feeling wrathful and therefore couldn’t extend the gift of forgiveness without first receiving a bucketful of blood, so Jesus gave him HIS blood, and then the Father felt appeased and agreed to give out forgiveness.
But I don’t believe that anymore. Forgiveness/Reconciliation is part of the divine nature. God don’t make no junk, and God don’t hold no grudges, neither. To the Trinity, forgiving and seeking reconciliation is a “Well, DUH!” kind of decision.
But forgiveness/reconciliation hurts. It comes at a cost. Yahweh’s choice to stick with humanity has HURT him. We see it in his grief in the Noah story, and we ultimately see it on the cross. On the cross, we see exactly how far Yahweh is willing to go to maintain his commitment to forgive us and seek reconciliation with us.
His choice to forgive our sins means choosing to shed his blood. And he is perfectly okay with his decision.
~ John Stonecypher
Trinity and Humanity 