This sermon series actually did change my life. No hyperbole here. If there's anything I would want anybody to read on this entire blog, this is it. It seems to me to be of massive importance.
If you knew me in high school or college, I was really into politics. I'm not anymore. If you wondered why that side of me seemed to fall off so drastically, this blog post is your answer.
This blog post also took a long time, because I felt my notes needed to do the sermon series justice. But then I realized that if I kept trying to write "perfect" notes, this would just never get done. So I encourage you to listen to the sermons if you're interested AT ALL about the relationship between Christianity and politics. I did the best I could with my notes, to keep it short (lol yeah right), but to convey all the information it needed to. In the future, I'll probably be revising these notes constantly anyways.
The Cross and the Sword: Sermon Series
What Kingdom Are We Fighting For?
There is a difference between the "Kingdom of the World" and "the Kingdom of God." And it makes all the difference, and since most Christians don't make a distinction, it has tragic consequences to the people the church are trying to reach AND the church itself.
Kingdom of the World (the Sword) - This is a "Power-Over" type of kingdom. In order to function, it conforms the behavior of its' citizens via threats ("don't break this law, or you'll go to jail"). It ultimately isn't concerned with motives, only behaviors. In other words: the state does not care that I hate my neighbor, it only cares that I do not murder him. Also by nature, it is tribal: it protects a certain group of people from other groups of people that may choose to harm it. It looks out for its' own citizens, they're the #1 priority ("bring jobs back to America!" is a common political sentiment)
Kingdom of God (the Cross) - This is a "Power-Under" type of kingdom. In order to function, it aims at serving its' citizens. This radical love and service will transform the heart of its' citizens, which will lead to changed behaviors, because they are changed people. They'll love because they first received love (1 John 4:19). It's all about the heart. If you hate your neighbor, you have murdered him (1 John 3:15.) By nature, it is also universal: there are no tribal restrictions as to who is allowed to enter the Kingdom of God. Americans aren't the #1 priority: all of humanity is. (Galatians 3:28)
Showing posts with label Greg Boyd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greg Boyd. Show all posts
Monday, June 24, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Jesus Starter Pack: Why believe in any of this?
Step One: Dealing with morality and the purpose/meaning of life
http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/other-media/conferences-seminars/letters-from-skeptic
Check out Week 2's Introduction: "Why Believe in God?"
OR
this testimony (it's the same as above, a bit more detailed):
http://reknew.org/2013/05/gregs-testimony/
OR
C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (here's the entire book):
http://usminc.org/images/MereChristianitybyCSLewis.pdf
My notes: This is my favorite theologian, Greg Boyd (you'll be seeing a lot of him on this blog. Probably too much), and it's a sermon that revolves around his testimony. The main points revolve around dealing with finding meaning in life. He talks about his struggle with nihilism, dabbling in drugs and Eastern religions, and going in and out of the Christian faith.
The main tidbit here is his realization: If life has no purpose or meaning, why should human beings almost universally evolve to desire purpose and meaning? Where does that come from? There's no other unfulfilled desire in the world that has no answer for it: when we're hungry, we can eat. When we're horny, we can have sex. This is very similar to C.S. Lewis' main argument in Mere Christianity: If there is no meaning to life, how should we ever realize that there is none?
Step Two: Why believe in Jesus as the son of God
http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/sermon-series/jesus-for-thinking-people
Check out the entire series
My Notes (summary of the above sermons. However, I suggest you listen to it, because Boyd is much better at presenting this argument. I'm seriously just taking notes here):
http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/other-media/conferences-seminars/letters-from-skeptic
Check out Week 2's Introduction: "Why Believe in God?"
OR
this testimony (it's the same as above, a bit more detailed):
http://reknew.org/2013/05/gregs-testimony/
OR
C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (here's the entire book):
http://usminc.org/images/MereChristianitybyCSLewis.pdf
My notes: This is my favorite theologian, Greg Boyd (you'll be seeing a lot of him on this blog. Probably too much), and it's a sermon that revolves around his testimony. The main points revolve around dealing with finding meaning in life. He talks about his struggle with nihilism, dabbling in drugs and Eastern religions, and going in and out of the Christian faith.
The main tidbit here is his realization: If life has no purpose or meaning, why should human beings almost universally evolve to desire purpose and meaning? Where does that come from? There's no other unfulfilled desire in the world that has no answer for it: when we're hungry, we can eat. When we're horny, we can have sex. This is very similar to C.S. Lewis' main argument in Mere Christianity: If there is no meaning to life, how should we ever realize that there is none?
Step Two: Why believe in Jesus as the son of God
http://whchurch.org/sermons-media/sermon-series/jesus-for-thinking-people
Check out the entire series
My Notes (summary of the above sermons. However, I suggest you listen to it, because Boyd is much better at presenting this argument. I'm seriously just taking notes here):
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