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The Trinity and Personal Growth series. 1) Trinity thinking E nlarges ‘Gospel’ and growth

The Trinity and Personal Growth series. 1) Trinity thinking E nlarges ‘Gospel’ and growth. Normative. Situational. Existential. Recapping the story so far... . Reframing the Christian agenda. 1 Positive 2 God’s “growth” 3 We participate. 4 Context = creation 5 Trajectory = glory

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The Trinity and Personal Growth series. 1) Trinity thinking E nlarges ‘Gospel’ and growth

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  1. The Trinity and Personal Growth series.1) Trinity thinking Enlarges ‘Gospel’ and growth Normative Situational Existential

  2. Recapping the story so far... Reframing the Christian agenda 1 Positive 2 God’s “growth” 3 We participate 4 Context = creation 5 Trajectory = glory 6 Measure = Christ Six Principles ‘Religious model’ to growth model Defining ‘growth’ without ‘sin’?? Trinitarian Architecture for growth

  3. So manage growth using this model Understand His will and His story“Grow in the knowledge of God” NormativeUNDERSTANDING SituationalDESIGN ExistentialAFFECTIONS Design my life and areas of service (my sandpit) Write my story inside his storyBe Logos in the situation. Devotions & Affections Rejoice in Him and love Him. Manage my inner journey

  4. All great leaders operate out of strong ‘ethos’ ETHOS Normative LOGOS PATHOS Situational Existential The three indispensable faculties of the Leader (speaker) (in Greek rhetoric)

  5. The Goal?Transformational shift from my perspective to God’s

  6. Paul’s great goal for Christians??? The Object of our knowledge The Effects of that knowledge For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying & asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.... And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God...Ephesians 1: 15 - 17 Note: Paul does not assume this knowledge was accomplished at conversion; this is an ongoing prayer for Christians who already believe

  7. What is the ‘will of God’? I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believeEphesians 1:18-19 Knowledge of His Will??? Hope? = Eschatology (Future order of creation) Inheritance? = God’s not ours Power? = Resurrection operating on our behalf & reordering the cosmos

  8. The cosmic will of God And He made known to us the mystery of His will ... Which He purposed in Christ ... To bring all things together in heaven and on earth together under one Head, even Christ...Ephesians 1: 9 – 10

  9. 2 The Curriculum?The ‘argument’ not the text

  10. The Gospel is an ‘argument’ The modus operandi of the Kingdom is the word not the sword (Matt 13) • Arguments persuade and compel belief • Arguments frame action and direction • Arguments transform situations • Arguments create communities & cultures BUTMost arguments are implicit not explicit Worldviews& Arguments = World of the Text

  11. The AcdB model:The architecture of a strong argument B Where are we heading? C What is the big idea/lever? Hope? Telos?(Imagination) Hypothesis: Invention & decision Things can be other than they are... A What is the “situation”? Problematic?Necessity D So how do we move ahead? Consequences & Commitments -Communities of action

  12. 3 What is the substance of our argument? The Traditional argument has narrowed the gospel

  13. Four Spiritual Laws is an example of traditional evangelical arguments Law 1 God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life. BUT Why is it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life? Law 2 Man is sinful & separated from God. Therefore he cannot know & experience God’s love and plan for his life. Holy God Sinful Man ‘The wages of sin is death’ (spiritual separation from God)Romans 6;23

  14. The 4 Spiritual Laws continued... Law 3 Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life. Law 4 We must individually receive Christ as Saviour and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives. Holy God Sinful Man Christ comes into our lives to forgive us our sins and make us what He wants us to be. ... (Believe) that Christ died on the cross for our sins...

  15. Framing the problem is very significant... A What is the “situation”? Platonic view of ‘earth & heaven’ Assumptions & context Individual’ s life System in focus • God has a plan for my life • My Job is find it & comply • But life is not fulfilling.. WHY? • Sin is the problem • (Going to hell...) • Death = spiritual separation from God... Problem features – ‘People divide over solutions but unite over problems’

  16. All arguments imply a goal B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? Go to heaven when the ‘plan’ is over & I die Platonic view of ‘earth & heaven’ Noble PurposeWhy? Telos – We are creatures of the End Individual’ s life Know & Experience God’s love & plan for your life Operating visionWhat?Imagination & Desire • God has a plan for my life • (My job is find & comply) • But life is not fulfilling.. WHY? • Sin is the problem • (Going to hell...) • Death = spiritual separation from God...

  17. The hypothesis is the crux of the argument A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? C Hypothesis : “What can we do?” • Christ died on the cross to forgive our sins... • ...so that we can experience God’s love and plan for our lives Every hypothesis should compel faith Holy God Accomplish huge leverage Sinful Man That comes from understanding a large conceptual operating system And thus yields the benefits and goals Thus all hypotheses require education as part of the argument. Great hypotheses are not obvious and they require extraordinary insight

  18. All arguments mobilise action B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? C Holy God Hypothesis : “What can we do?” Sinful Man Consequences & Commitments D * Hypotheses lie behind all human actions * ‘Logos’ for the Greeks* Most are unconscious of the hypotheses... * But they infiltrate and influence all courses of decision and action • The evangelical call to decision... • Receive Christ as Saviour and Lord • Trust Christ to come into our livesAnd sanctification ... • Christ is on the throne of my life

  19. The evangelical ‘argument’ A B What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? Go to heaven when the ‘plan’ is over & I die Platonic view of ‘earth & heaven’ C Hypothesis : “What can we do?” Know & Experience God’s love & plan for your life Holy God Individual’ s life Sinful Man • God has a plan for my life • (My job is find & comply) • But life is not fulfilling.. WHY? • Sin is the problem • (Going to hell...) • Death = spiritual separation from God... • Christ died on the cross to forgive our sins... • ..so that we can experience God’s love & plan for our lives D Momentum & action • Decision...& Sanctification • Receive Christ as Saviour and Lord • Trust Christ to come into our lives • Christ is on the throne of my life

  20. If you narrow the problem... A What is the “situation”? Jesus’ real domain is heaven ... 1 Platonic view of ‘earth & heaven’ 2 Individual’ s life It is all about me..Fragile foundation Before After • God has a plan for my life • My Job is find it & comply • But life is not fulfilling.. WHY? • Sin is the problem • (Going to hell...) • Death = spiritual separation from God... The beginning = My Conversion 3 Defining the problem as ‘sin’ will moralise the debate (Cf Acts 17 & John) Death is minimised to a ‘spiritual’ experience: this is the necessary corollary of the Platonic assumptions which minimises the physical and elevates the ‘spiritual’

  21. Feuerbach on ‘Death & Immortality’ On death - “And this gap, which cries out to heaven, this most dreadful of all lacks, this empty space, which should have been a stumbling block for you ... This great rent in creation, is the end, the limit, the negation of life itself, is death. For there is no life in death; it is the purest desolation, the most dreadful gap in life. ...this being, which now exists , will someday be no more; this determinate being never returns, is eternally gone. The place where this being used to be remains empty forever... The whole world is as porous as a sponge; the whole earth is as punctured as a sieve; everywhere there are rents, splits, fissures. As many as died, so many empty spaces and unoccupied places exist; every death is a powerful rent and crack in living nature.” Thoughts on Death and Immortality 1830

  22. The sense of the “end” is very weak... B Where are we heading? • Heaven is the goal of all – we go to God’s place • The earth is destroyed and creation is no more • What is our role there??? • It is ‘foreign’ territory for us – strange and alien Go to heaven when the ‘plan’ is over & I die Know & Experience God’s love & plan for your life • Notice that God has no plan for himself – no agenda of his own • His purpose is reduced to ‘loving’ us • Why does God save us? – Because He loves us... • Our plans seem to be the focus of his efforts • By implication the real goal is happiness in this life

  23. The achievement of Christ is minimised... B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? C Hypothesis : “What can we do?” For all Christians, Christ is the great hypothesis But framing the problem as sin & the individual - Focuses on the Cross as central mechanism of salvation Resurrection is an ‘after-event’ not intrinsic to salvation(not mentioned directly in 4 Spiritual Laws) Holy God Sinful Man 3) Christ & gospel is God’s rescue mission(ie bungee jump model of salvation) Heaven … Christ Heaven Earth

  24. The achievement of Christ is minimised... D Jesus real home is heaven ... Momentum & action • The evangelical call to decision... • Receive Christ as Saviour and Lord • Trust Christ to come into our livesAnd sanctification ... • Christ is on the throne of my life • We get the trajectory wrong – both ways • Christ comes to me upon conversion... • I go to Christ’s home when I die... • Biblically – I am included in Christ when I believe... & • He comes to my home in the end of the times • Christ is on the throne of the cosmos and the created order – not my life • My choice is to join His kingdom – voluntarily • and acknowledge him as Lord of all (not just my life)

  25. Can we do better???

  26. Reframe the problem as God’s not ours... A What is the “situation”? Trinitarian view of creation as good & expression of God Character of God is ultimate context The created order with potential for life (God’s presence)... System in focus(Narrative of creation) • Role of humanity = agents of glory (high office) • But we don’t see this... ‘creation groaning’ & death... • Role of humanity = limited and dangerous (lost office) WHY? • ‘Takeover’ not the ‘fall’ • System of death reigns over creation • Death = corruptibility & decay – it is physical • God is not king of the creation – Lost kingdom • The god of this world system rules created order Problem features – Inclusive and shared by all... Find common ground for all humanity Cf Acts 14 & 17)

  27. Build a strong ‘hope’ or telos B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? Trinitarian view of creation as good & expression of God Created order filled with eternal life & presence of God The created order with potential for life (Garden) • Role of humanity = agents of glory (high office) • But we don’t see this... ‘creation groaning’ & death... • Role of humanity = limited and dangerous (lost office) WHY? • ‘Takeover’ not the ‘fall’ • System of death reigns over creation • Death = corruptibility & decay – it is physical • God is not king of the creation – Lost kingdom • The god of this world system rules created order New Jerusalem New Humanity Ruling creation with ChristResurrection redefines matter

  28. Christ & Resurrection coheres everything B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? Trinitarian character...The creator The new creation(Hope of all) C Hypothesis : “What can we do?” The created order • Lost Glory • Lost Office • Death reigns • Creation groans... • Takeover... • Thus God is not King Heaven New Jerusalem New Humanity Recreate the cosmos ... In person of my Son Regain glory & regain office – Christ regains throne & God becomes king Resurrection is central mechanism of salvation – becomes forge for new matter Christ forever remains ‘man on the throne’ and is prototype for new humanity...

  29. A whole new agenda emerges... B A What is the “situation”? Where are we heading? Trinitarian character...The creator C Hypothesis : “What can we do?” The new creation(Hope of all) Recreate cosmos in my Son ... The created order • Lost Glory • Lost Office • Death reigns • Creation groans... • Takeover... • Thus God is not King D So what are the consequences & commitments? New Jerusalem • Evangelism declaration changes – Declaration that Christ is Lord of all & clearly deserves our allegiance • Reposition resurrection as central to theology • Kingdom began at Calvary so continuity between now and new heaven and earth • Grow into sharing ‘rule’ with Christ • Sandpit is earth (not church) and includes its social systems • Our ruling role is to bring life and meaning not control New Humanity

  30. 4 The Nature of ‘Rule ’?Sailing between Schylla & Charybdis....

  31. The Central paradox of governance How do we control human behaviour, systems and outcomes? IndividualisedCreative Chaos Centralised Command & control ??????? • Rules and procedures • Exhaustive list • Universal templates • Blank sheet of paper • Self expression • Individuality • Inflexibility • Repression • Burden of details • Chaos & anarchy • No consistency • Lack of direction

  32. The ‘third’ way between control & chaos? God loves order – but what kind of order and how does it work? Chaos Control Core & Coherence Context “Create” CORE “Contingency” PS Many thanks to Mark Strom for this model “Mission centred leadership”

  33. Is this Core and Coherencemodel Biblical? “I no longer call you ‘servants’ because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you ‘friends’, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” John 16:15 “As long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees... But when the time had fully come ... We received the full rights of sons. So you are no longer a slave but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir” Galatians 4; 1- 7

  34. The helpful idea of the ‘canon’ “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything: what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule ...” Galatians 6:16 ‘Kanon’ denoted a straight rod or measuring instrument. So in music, a canon is composition in which a given melody is the model for the formation of all the parts. In general the word thus came to serve for anything regulating the actions of men as a standard or principle. Canon: the Theme is Christ. We are variations on the theme... Which vary, extend and deploy the melody into wider scales and tunes

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