The Way of Jesus

The Day Everything Changed: What's Her Name?

Download "What's Her Name?"  Day 50 of our 50 days of Easter Celebration and the final teaching in our "The Day Everything Changed" series.  In this teaching we explored the history of Pentecost and the way God has moved his redemptive story from Abraham to the birth of the church up till today.  We looked at the theme of name changes throughout God's story and introduced, according to this theme, a name change to our local church.  This is an important listen.  Shalom.

The Day Everything Changed: In Memoriam

Download "In Memoriam"  In Memory of...

The writers of the New Testament have a running theme.  In light of Easter Day, you have died with Christ and are raised with Christ.  "For you died..." (Col. 3:3).  How does this dramatic event shape our life now in Jesus?

The Day Everything Changed: Forgive, Aaron Merritt teaching

Download "Forgive"  Our Senior High Student Ministries Pastor, Aaron Merritt brought home the teaching this week.  Jesus' death and resurrection makes forgiveness possible.  It makes forgiving others possible. "Forgive just as the Lord has forgiven you".  Thanks Aaron for a great teaching.

Legacy of Life: The Day Everything Changed

Download "Legacy of Life" Happy Mother's Day.  This teaching focusses on Deuteronomy 6.  We look at intention, symbol, story, and spirit as critical aspects to living in and passing on the legacy of life.  We see how the exodus event and then the new exodus event in Jesus resurrection are the days that shape the why behind everything we do. shalom.

Already, Not Yet: The Day Everything Changed

Download "Already, Not Yet"  The term "Already, Not Yet" I believe was coined by George Eldon Ladd, former theology professor at Fuller Seminary.  His Theology of the New Testament is a common standard in Biblical Theology classes across the country.  It has been deeply helpful to me in understanding the tension between Jesus' first and second coming.  

What does it mean when the scriptures attest to the reality that The kingdom of God is already here? That it was inaugurated in the life and ministry of Jesus and won the decisive victory over sin and death through his sacrificial death and resurrection.  Yet, the complete restoration of all things has yet to happen?  It is not yet fully consummated.  We find ourselves living in the already and not yet of God's mission for us and his creation.  I believe the writers of the New Testament call people to allegiance to Jesus for their own rescue and for a vocation to be a sign.  God's family is to be a visible witness that what God did for Jesus on Easter day he will do for the whole of his creation (Paul says the church is the firstfruits, and Jesus is the firstfruit of the resurrection).  God will be all in all.  All things will be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.  Therefore, the church is called out to be the already, in a not yet world.  This reality is total, all encompassing, and challenging.  

This is where our study of Matthew 11 comes to bear.  John the Baptist is wrestling with the promises of the kingdom and their seemingly incomplete results.  "Are you the one" is John's question to Jesus.  Then why am I in prison?  Doesn't the Kingdom win? (I am guessing these are some of John's questions behind the question)  Jesus' answer, like most of his about the kingdom, take repentive ears to hear. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of Heaven has been subject to violence and violent people have been raiding it" (Matt. 11:12).  This passage is hugely complex and I commend it to you for ongoing study.  For it helps unravel Jesus' understanding of his mission as embodying YHWH to Israel and the world and prepares his disciples and all future followers of Jesus for embodying now the Kingdom of God in a world that is waiting for God's ultimate and decisive sorting out of this broken and rebellious world.

  

By your Holy Spirit, Father, empower us to be your already, in this not yet world.  Amen.

The Day Everything Changed: Once for All

Download "Once for All"  ephapax - once for all.  Jesus changes our view of God and what is necessary to approach Him.  The writer of Hebrews poses some incredibly provocative statements "the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins.  God does not desire sacrifices, He is not pleased by them."  What was the purpose of the levitical sacrificial system?  If they weren't for God than who were they for?  Why? My approach to this teaching was influenced a lot by Rob Bell's "the god's aren't angry" tour which you can see on dvd.

The Day Everything Changed, April 19th 2009

Download "The Day Everything Changed continued"  Day 8, Week 2 of our Fifty Days of Easter Celebration. We gave props to Polycarp of Smyrna and fleshed out a few practices that come from Resurrection...worship, sharing, and peace making.  Shalom.

N.T Wright on not trivializing Easter

Here is a link to a great little article by Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright on why Easter is the day everything changed.  Click here Stop Trivializing Easter.

The Day Everything Changed, Easter Sunday April 12th 2009

Download 01 The day everything changed  We begin our fifty days of Easter celebration and this years teaching series will be on how the reality of Jesus' resurrection changes everything.  Jesus is risen indeed and my prayer for us is that this deep reality would form and reform the whole entirety of our lives.  shalom.