Hey folks,
At our retreat in May, I said that I would try to create a discussion forum to provide thoughts, ideas, insights, etc. about whatever was discussed the previous Sunday. Well, it's taken me 1 1/2 months to finally get around and do it. What I will try to do each week I am there is to provide a summary, thoughts, and provoking questions on what we discussed each week. The goal (mine at least) is for people to respond in whatever way they want. It could be further thoughts on something, questions, insights, personal stories, whatever. My hope is that it will function in a few ways. First, I think it will provide Sam some feedback on where people are, and perhaps some ideas on where to head the following Sunday. Next, I hope it will encourage us to be thinking "God thoughts" throughout the week. And, ultimately it's just another way the Body of Christ can be the Body of Christ since it's partially through listening to and sharpening each other in Jesus that we are more of who he intended us to be.
Recognize that some of the initial thoughts here may come directly from the Sunday, discussion, some from me, and I may have missed some things as well, so extending grace to me on this is assumed.
Sermon on Revelation 7
1. Sam talked a lot about where we get our identity from (people, trends, the types of flip-flops we wear), but that our id. is in Christ and the fact that we are 'sealed' in him. This makes us distinct, and should make us stand out in some way. In what ways should we stand out? We spent some time discussing what that looks like as individuals and as the Body. Thoughts......
2. There was some discussion on the 144,000 who are sealed, mention of the Jehovah's Witnesses and their belief that there will be 144,000 who will be 'saved.' (please don't interpret this as their doctrine, as I don't know it that well). Sam, sorry you lost me on the specifics of the 144,000. Thoughts....
3. There was also talk about how Revelation uses the language of conquering, and that the 144,000 refers to the 'church' being a set aside group whose goal is to 'conquer.' However, the Church does not conquer through physical violence, but by the lamb who was slain, by the blood of Jesus, and so we identify with the 'Lion of Judah' who was also the 'lamb who was slain.' Gosh, there is so much here because Jesus conquered by willingly submitting, not by exerting his will. ('not my will, but YOURS be done,' 'He became nothing, talking on the very nature of a servant'). I suppose we should ask ourselves what it means to identify with the lamb who was slain and what that sort of 'conquering' looks like.
4. I'm sure I missed a lot, so feel free to add any other threads to this. My hope is that this forum can also be a safe place where people don't post thoughts and questions because they feel like they will appear ignorant. We're all brothers and sisters, so let's build one another up....
-Michael
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ReplyDeleteHey folks:
ReplyDeleteHere are some thought on this week which will also be posted on the blog as well:
Revelation 8 (sort of)
1. Sam talked about ways we envision our Christian life: he suggested in his past the 'travel agent for God,' the 'moral police,' the 'counselor for inner peace,' and a 'Political Action Committee' (PAC)
2. He also suggested that the people of God are to be a Kingdom and priests (we are the priests!)
3. He brought up that the world gloats over our sufferings as we are faithful witnesses and do not appear to find the kind of success the world values (Moses and the plagues on Egypt were used here).
4. he brought up that we are not called to any kind of earthly success, but simply to be faithful witness, and that furthermore we are not entitled to know the outcome of this faithful witness in this life.
5. He concluded by sharing the faithful witness of Jesus, "who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but was made nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant.... (Philippians 2?)
My thoughts:
I thought of the idea of my life as a Xian being a PAC. When I was in an evangelical group in college, I was told that I should target my witness toward those in power since they could influence others the most. But, I relaize how wrongheaded this is. For how are we to know the heart of God or that of the person sitting next to us. Our job is just to live out the life of Christ with whoever is placed in our path.
I also hit on the idea the idea of us being priests. I love that we have direct access to God through Jesus, and that we don't need to go through a priest, but that we are priests.
Finally, the visual picture of Jesus as a servant is so powerful. The way to God is not through power but through humility. So true but so hard to practice.
Happy blogging.
-Michael