Part 7: Speaking the Truth in Love, Really

Free to Love: How to Leave the Judging to the Judge
Part 7: Speaking the Truth in Love, Really


November 1, 2009 | by Ken Wilson

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Truth Concern Survey:

1. In general truth is under assault in our time.
2. In matters of morals, the greatest danger is relativism.
3. An emphasis on love can sometimes disguise a lack of concern for truth
1= strongly disagree……………………………………………………..…………..5=strongly agree

Teaching of Jesus echoed in Paul & James on not judging is meant for those with a rock solid commitment to truth [score 12+]

As Truth Himself appears on world stage he comes with a warning: "judge not." If we pooh-pooh this warning, it is a sign we don't appreciate the power of the truth we bear.

Judging ban is a subordinate truth to the ruling truth that God is love. Love is the aim--"not judging" is the means to that end, not the end itself.

Today: Speaking the Truth in Love, Really.

Ephesians 3: 14-19

Paul did most of his theology out of direct experience. Paul knew God as his father and as father of every family ("in heaven & earth" a way to emphasize EVERY.)

Ephesians 3: 20-21

This revelation is more than we could ask or imagine, requiring full power of God at work;
"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Eph. 4:1)

How might we live a life worthy of the calling? Something Paul is begging us to do:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Eph. 4:2)

How do you balance humility & gentleness with something else? Not by being completely humble and gentle. Yet this is what Paul urges.

Ephesians 4: 3-6

Make every effort: more than reasonable, good, heroic effort; completely expend till none is left. 

Ephesians. 4: 7-13  Extended parenthesis, leading to…

Ephesians 4: 14-16

Make Your Move (toward speaking the truth in love)

1. By understanding what the phrase means

If Paul had said, "speaking the truth in a swimming pool," we would understand--love is to be the surrounding context of our truth speaking. Otherwise, keep a lid on it.

2. By walking past our fear of conflict.

Forbearance is one thing, avoidance another.
We forebear out of love, we avoid out of fear.

Love drives out the fear that keeps us from going directly to each other to iron out our relationship wrinkles. "If you have something against your brother, go to your brother" --Jesus

3. By embracing the full dimensional love of God that Paul met on his knees.

Sometimes eyes of our heart have to be opened to see the love that is actually surrounding us. Our love blindness compromises our truth speaking.

3. By working on the "completely humble and gentle" part.

Paul's insistence on humility & gentleness is consistent with what we now know about how the brain functions. [Compliment-Criticism Ratio]


PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Do a 30 day fast from using E-mail to speak any truth that might be perceived as criticism.

It's nearly impossible to speak the truth in love via E-mail, if there is any even mildly negative content in E-mail. You might as well just yell your criticism, because that is how it will be received.

2. If after seven sermons, still dubious about importance of not judging, put it to the test: practice not judging for the 30 Days, and see if you experience more of the love of God.

By "practice not judging" I mean: when in doubt don't judge.
Go overboard in not judging, but just for the month. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Look up the following terms: "aggressive," "passive," "passive-aggressive," "assertive." Which do you tend to be? Which would you like to be?

2. Is there a situation in your life where you're afraid to practice assertiveness, "speaking the truth in love?" Why?

3. Is there someone you need to speak to directly, because there is a longstanding issue between you that hasn't been resolved?

4. If there were someone who was really angry with you, how would you want them to communicate this to you?

5. Who is the most "humble and gentle" person you know?

6. What's the best "constructive criticism" you've ever received? How did it feel to receive it?

7. Is there someone you may have hurt by offering criticism without love? How can you make it right?

Part 6: Intimacy, Accountability, & Judging (1 Cor. 5)

                      
                      

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 6: Intimacy, Accountability, & Judging (1 Cor. 5) October 25, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY Review: Last week compared two different mindsets regarding truth:  Greek Mindset: abstract, precise, universal; Hebrew Mindset:  personal, holistic, paradoxical. Today text stands in paradoxical tension with judge not: 1 Cor. 5, p. 782 1 Cor. 5: 1-6 Paul misjudged by moderns as trigger happy bad cop; but he is a mystic, a pastor, a missionary; in his day, he was mainly accused of being soft on righteousness, that his gospel promoted sin (See Ro. 3:8) Extreme case: a man (adult) sleeping with his father's wife; something condemned even by the sexually permissive Corinthian pagans. Background: Corinthian church thought they had superior knowledge that placed them completely above any law or rules. (See 1 Cor. 4:8, 6:12) "hand this man over to Satan": unclear, could mean if he is out of church will be handed over to accusation of rest of society (under the Satan's rule) and be in heap of trouble; will have only God to turn to, who can then talk sense into him. 1 Cor. 5: 6-13 A careful reading reveals challenge of applying: sexually immoral = porneia; drunkards, greedy, idolaters, bullets not easily dodged. Example Greed: global scale of wealth. Poorest of poor =  no family,  job, housing, health care, place to die; Ordinary poor = limited access to income, housing, food, health care; Ordinary wealthy = access to jobs, housing, food, health care, transportation; Wealthiest of wealthy = billionaires Most of us are "ordinary wealthy" [some ordinary poor].  For follower of Jesus what's expected in are of giving? Maximum: give away everything; Minimum give away a tenth. [Spiritual disciplines = discipline of disciples] If we have access to income, housing, food, health care, transportation and don't do the minimum expected of disciples, might we be at ask risk of being evaluated as greedy?  At risk of being evaluated as serving money above God (idolatry.) Doesn't mean this is not inspired Scripture, it is. Doesn't mean we should be casual about sin just because it's common. We shouldn't, especially not our own. Does mean we should not cherry pick when it comes to application.  And we should cry out to the Spirit for a genuine work of repentance-revival. Sidebar: speaker's frustration with those who complain about pastors being "soft on sin" We misapply this text when we forget the context: a community of believers in intimate relationships, house church, small group, high level of financial sharing.  [contrast with modern "community"]  (see Acts 5: 32-35; 1 Cor. 16: 19-20) Modern churches are semi-public venues that offer opportunity for growth toward the kind of community experienced as normative in NT era (and much of developing world today) HOW IT WORKS: A small group learns to love each other: bear each others burdens and so fulfill law of Christ [Royal Law] (see Gal. 6:2)  Over time [not automatic, requires intention, discipleship to Jesus, leading of Spirit] people share their burdens, little ones first, then big ones, most personal & sensitive later.  In such setting accountability works and is life-saving as it probably was in 1 Cor 5  [2 Co 2: 6 indicates redemptive effect] Modern church has taken a different path: attempted high accountability, low intimacy...and shocked (!) when it doesn't work.   [Example: modern emphasis on moral policy statements that are developed like planks in a party platform, adopted at a convention run like a political convention.] Paul's approach: Create a community of those pursuing Jesus. Form households, cells, small-intimate units where people practice Royal Law with each other.  Coach them along the intimacy-accountability scale until they can actually speak truth in love.   Jesus taught need for accountability in church: Matt 18: 15-20   Text about confronting sin in church. Context: intimate circle of believers (wherever two or three are gathered). [See wider context of Matt. 18: 15-20, emphasizing gentleness, mercy] For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

                      

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. If part of a small group: Discuss the intimacy-accountability scale. 2. If desire to move up scale, consider how. Invite additional coaching as desired.  Read Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer 3. For those with nerve, curiosity and sense of adventure: invite a trusted friend to offer you input on any area of your life.  Ask them to be prayer before offering it. Take whatever they offer to prayer. See if God speaks to you through this.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Is your own way of thinking more in line with Greek thought or Hebrew thought? 2. Which spiritual disciplines are the most challenging for you?  Are there any disciplines which you haven't tried to incorporate into your own life? 3. Which of the sins listed by Paul in 1 Cor 5 is the most promenint in members of the American church today? 4. Do you consider yourself wealthy? Take the quiz at the Global Rich List.  What percentile are you at? Does this change your perspective? 5. Which sins is the American church most soft on? 6. Do you have people in your life with whom you share both intimacy and accountability? If you don't, how could you begin to experience this? 7. How do we apply the teaching of Paul in 1 Cor 5 in light of the Royal Law (James 2:8)?

Part 5: James Weighs In on Judging

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 5: James Weighs In on Judging October 18, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY We struggle with biblical teaching on judging. Bible seems to ban it in one place, do it in another. Within the same book, or letter even. We struggle because we have a different truth mindset than Bible. Greek Mindset                  Hebrew Mindset abstract                             personal precise                               holistic universal                             paradoxical Greek mindset wants to understand truth systematically. Hebrew mindset: Why would we need a system if we have a person? In Greek mindset, seek to master truth, get it down pat. In Hebrew mindset we seek to be in a functioning relationship with true God. James powerfully shaped by Sermon on the Mount: In form of "stringing pearls of wisdom" First Pearl: warning against anger: James 1: 19-20 God judges because evil angers him. Can't appreciate evil without sensing God's personal reaction: anger. Our anger, however, is not so reliable. Second Pearl: social bias is judging: James 2: 1-4 Modern church riddled with bias-judging Third Pearl: For humans, judging hinders loving: James 2: 8-12 Pattern is straight out of his brother's most famous sermon: Watch out for anger. Don't judge, lest you be judged. In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you--this is the Bible.  "If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself...  you are doing right." We want to understand all distinctions--what is judging vs. discerning, appropriate judging vs. inappropriate judging--but Bible not so helpful. Not a biblical concern Jesus: If you're to follow me, I will lead you on the path to radical-self-giving love. This is narrow way, not broad path. And judging, one of main duties of man's righteousness will hinder you on that path.   Often we don't love well because our judging gets in the way. We judge people as adulterers, thieves, idolaters, one thing or another. Problem with "love the sinner, hate the sin": nice theory, but we often use it as a dodge. We are all "one thing or another"; adulterers, thieves, gossips. If you have broken any part of law, you are a law-breaker. Speak and act as those who are going to judged by the law that gives freedom. + reference to the "Royal Law," i.e. Messianic King's Law (Mt. 7:12) + "You will be judged by this Law" is a way of saying "Pay attention to this one!" A simple law (idiot proof righteousness?) as it only takes a little imagination: how do I want to be loved? We have to start loving others like that. And judging gets in our way. Fourth Pearl: Speaking against is a form of judging: James 4: 11-12 To slander is to "speak against" another Job 1: 9-11  Example of devil's speaking against Job (a fairly mild criticism of Job) We must read this personally, not abstractly (seeking to distill theory): prayerfully, vulnerably, humbly, non-defensively, listening for the Spirit: James 4: 11-12. "Who are you to judge?" Notice, it's not that your judgment is accurate or inaccurate. It's that there is a judge who is on duty already. "God is a righteous judge; God sits in judgment every day." (Ps. 7:11) Fifth Peal: James 5: 7-9 Numbers as background: people impatient with fulfillment deferred are prone to "grumble against" each other. For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1.   Identity a Numbers-esque situation in your life. 2.   Ask, "Has a key relationship been affected?" 3.   Is my grumbling against them a symptom of my beef with God? 4.   Mediate on James 5: 7-9 5.   Ask for a creative idea to reverse the grumbling effect. 6.   Once the idea arrives, do it. 7.   How did it go?  Assess impact on your heart or on the relationship?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Have you ever been bothered by what seems to be a contradiction in Scripture? Which? 2. Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality inventory? How do you think your personality influences the way you read and understand Scripture? 3. What's the difference between intelligence and wisdom? Which do we tend to value more, and why? 4. What kind of social biases do you see in the church today? How do we overcome this tendency? 5. What does "love the sinner, hate the sin" mean. How does this work in actual practice? 6. Read Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; and Psalm 111:10. What do these verses mean? Discuss with others at our sermon blog.

Part 4: Paul Weighs In on Judging

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 4: Paul Weighs In on Judging October 11, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY Like Jesus in Sermon on Mount Paul sees gospel as a new path to righteousness: "For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed" (Ro. 1: 17) For rest of ROMANS 1, Paul sets us up for this new path by exposing the root & fruit  paganism, because he's writing to center of Empire Romans 1 traces the downward spiral of paganism from ingratitude to idolatry to "a depraved mind" and its fruit: greed, envy, gossip, slander, absence of covenant love. Might expect Paul to rally the troops in a moral crusade against pagan sins.  Instead, Paul unleashes the sword that pierced his soul when Jesus knocked him off his high horse of judgment when he was an up & coming Pharisee: Romans 2: 1-4, Paul's version of "Don't judge or you will be judged." (Mt. 7:1) Fast forward to Romans 13: 8-10 Love is our aim! Same two-fold emphasis in Sermon on Mount "Do not judge or you too will be judged." (Mt. 7:1) followed by a laser focus on love: "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  (Mt. 7:12) Ro 13 love focus followed by judgment prohibition: Ro 14: 1-13 These debates in early church were a REALLY BIG DEAL, as fierce as any today. A PAUSE IN THE SERIES TO REVIEW AND CLARIFY People unfamiliar with the teachings of Jesus, might hear sharp teaching about not judging as gentle Jesus meek & mild saying, Anything goes! If it feels good do it! Meanwhile mature believers get nervous that "not judging" could lead to moral anarchy, and their ears get thick to the word of the Lord. The Bible says the original choice not between good & evil, but between tree of life and knowledge of good & evil. Our lives will revolve around something, and the choices are these: TREE:      Knowledge of good & evil    or    Life [eternal] FRUIT:     JUDGMENT & JUDGING                 LOVE               We shift orbits from the knowledge & evil and the judging that characterizes this form of righteousness, to the tree of eternal life,  and the rule of love that is the fruit of this tree. Jesus transfers us from one domain to another: domain of knowledge of good & evil to the domain of eternal life.  Two domains, two kingdoms, two ruling powers: judging or love And this is where mature believers get hung up. We're fear that if we give too much room to this "Don't judge" business, all we have left is anything goes! Gosh, just what this world needs more of: the anything goes mentality! You've got men who go to Thailand for a weekend of sex with girls sold as slaves, quoting "Judge not, lest ye be judged!"  Right? Does anyone share this concern? It makes you so nervous, you feel like "Don't judge" is just a cover for anything goes. BUT....LOVE IS A DOMAIN: 1 Cor. 13: 4-13 Jesus brings the RULE of Love, as his is the gospel of the KINGdom! Examples of love ruling: + The young man offered "friends with benefits" + The office gossip + The tightwad at tax time Pure Love is near, and ready to RULE if our hearts are open. Paul's message sequence in Romans 13-14: Love your neighbor as yourself. The Day is near. Don't judge. But this cuts both ways! As a mature believer, you cannot let your nervousness about the judging ban change your response to the ban from Yes, Sir! To Yes, but! Judging is occupational hazard of mature believers, and it feels like zeal for righteousness. But it doesn't work the righteousness of God. For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Greet every person you see with the thought, "Here is another precious image of God." Try it for a day or two and see what God does in your heart. 2. Meditate on 1 Cor. 4: 1-5 with the person you want to love without judging in mind. How certain are you of your own motives?  How accurate is one person in "discerning" the motives of another?  How do you feel when others "discern" your motives.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Paul probably wrote the letter to the Romans from the city of Corinth, where the temple of Aphrodite was located. Do a Google search on the "cult of Aphrodite." How does this information influence how we read Romans and 1 & 2 Corinthians? 2. What is "paganism," and how does it contrast with the Christian faith? 3. If Paul were to write a "letter to the church in Ann Arbor," what do you think he would say? 4. In light of this series, how should we relate to a close friend who is engaging in hurtful and self-destructive behavior? What would be the difference between judging and loving? 5. How difficult is it to really love? See 1 Cor. 13.

A Careful Look at the Sin of the Pharisees

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 3: A Careful Look at the Sin of the Pharisees October 4, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY Reminder: EACH OF THESE SERMONS IS A FIRST WORD, NOT A FINAL WORD REVIEW: Primary choice not between good & evil,  righteous & sinners but between competing visions of righteousness. Hence primary conflict: Jesus and the Pharisees. Disciples heavily influenced by Pharisees. One of reasons for Sermon on Mount: reveal contrast between his path and theirs: "For I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  Mt. 5: 20 Jesus' sharpest disagreement with Pharisees aimed at their foundation: Mt. 7: 1-5 "The Pharisee is that extremely admirable man who subordinates his entire life to his knowledge of good & evil and is as severe a judge of himself as of his neighbor to honor of God, whom he humbly thanks for his knowledge....The Pharisee is not opinionated; special situations and emergencies receive special considerations; forbearance and generosity are not excluded by the gravity of the knowledge of good & evil....The Pharisee is fully conscious of his own faults and of his duty of humility and thankfulness to God." Ethics, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 30-31 "For the Pharisee every moment of life becomes a situation of conflict in which he has to choose between good and evil."  Ethics, p. 30 Not a matter of how strict or lenient, but a more fundamental posture: an understanding of righteous rooted in tree of life or knowledge of good & evil? Move from the Sermon on the Mount to the Sermon on the Lake: Mt. 13: 1-3a  Mt. 13: 24-30 Mt. 13: 36 Disciples as about the parable of the weeds, because it hit them in their blind spot, the same blind spot as the Pharisees. Mt. 13: 40-43 Key to the parable: the disciples' offer to pull up the weeds Why pulling up the weeds is a bad idea after all: Move from the Sermon on the Lake to Sermon Back Home 3 more parables, including another version of parable of weeds [parable of net] "Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Mt. 13: 47-50) Background, see John 21: 1-14. Fisherman typically throw out nets, haul in catch, then finally, separate the catch. But when Jesus shifts from fishing to "the way it's gonna be in real time" he "once again"  says., "the angels will come and separate" Fishermen think it's their job to separate the fish and normally it is.  Pharisee think it's their job. Disciples think it's their job. These parables are saying: IT'S NOT YOUR JOB! Jesus anticipates that this is going to be a struggle for us as much as it was for Pharisees. But if we receive this instruction, he can really make us of us! (Mt. 13: 51-52) Let's distill what we're learning as it applies to loving: 1. The judging that Jesus warns about tends to separate us from others. 2. We tend to separate ourselves from others by judging them. 3. Judging often leads to premature separation For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Identify someone you are called to love...but you feel your heart "separating" Ask the Holy Spirit: Am I judging them? 2. Write down your judgments concerning them on a piece of paper and ask God's guidance on how to relate to each one. Would Jesus like you to speak directly to the person to work something out? Would Jesus like to adjust your perspective? Would Jesus like to say, "Thanks for the help, but I'll do the judging when the time comes" 3. When you're ready to release the judgments to God, go outside [be safe!] and burn the piece of paper along with a prayer of surrender. See if this doesn't release your heart to love more freely.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Who were the Sadducees? Why did they oppose Jesus? How did they differ from the Pharisees? 2. What's the difference between relying on our knowledge of good and evil, and relying on what we see the Father doing? What impact would this have on our lives if we did the latter? 3. In what sense is Jesus "strict"?  In what sense is he "lenient"? How does this differ from the Pharisees? In what ways are we to be "strict" or "lenient"? 4. In what ways do you find yourself separating people into "good" and "evil" categories? Is this something we're supposed to do? Why or why not? 5. What are the positive connotations of the word "judge"?  And the negative? 6. What's the most challenging thing for you so far in this sermon series?

Part 2: How Big a Deal is This to Jesus?

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 2: How Big a Deal is This to Jesus? September 27, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY Series topics: 1. The Original Sin: Eating from Knowledge of Good & Evil [last week] 2. The EMPHASIS in gospels on love without judgment 3. The Sin of the Pharisees 4. The EMPHASIS in Paul on love without judgment. 5. The EMPHASIS in James on love without judgment. 6. The teaching of Paul in 1 Cor. 5-6 about the need to judge in the church 7. The teaching on speaking the truth in love to each other, in light of the fact     that true community includes accountability. Today: How big an emphasis is this in gospels?  Why is it important to pay attention to what Jesus emphasizes?  Because it is an important safeguard in our pursuit of truth. Jesus emphasizes: 1. It is not our job to judge, 2. It is our job to love. Jesus & Judgment in John's Gospel The Genesis Backdrop in the Gospel of John + the creation accounts in Genesis 1 & 2 + Gen. 1:1-2 The Eternal  Life Theme + big in John's gospel: Jesus gives eternal life + evokes Gen. 2: 9, the tree of life [for it's eternal nature Gen. 3: 22] The Choice in John's Gospel: + is not between good & evil, per se [or good-bad; righteous unrighteous] + but between two competing visions of righteousness  Jesus: Rooted in the Tree of [Eternal] Life  Pharisees: Rooted in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil Read gospel of John with this backdrop: Jesus is offering the tree of life--the one that we eat in order to live for ever, eternal life--to people who are used to feasting on the knowledge of good & evil. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."   (John 3:17) Context: Jesus tells Nicodemus that he has to start over: a whole new approach to righteousness. John 4: Jesus and Samaritan woman. A woman in a continuing state of adultery plants the first Jesus community. John 5:19, 22, 24:  Jesus, who is authorized to judge doesn't; he gives eternal life. John 6:  What's to eat? (Feeding of 5,000; Jesus, the Bread of Life) Corresponds to Gen. 2: 16-17, which answers same question. John 8: 1-11 Jesus, the Pharisees and the woman caught in adultery "You judge by human standards, but I pass judgment on no one" (Jn. 8:15) Notice he doesn't say, "You judge by human standards but I judge by Godly standards."  He is holding them to a higher standard: not  just correct judgment: withhold judgment John 9, Pharisees investigate Sabbath healing [Often we judge without bothering to investigate; in this respect their righteousness is superior to ours.] They use their judgment to exclude [as we often do] To this, Jesus says: "For judgment I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will be blind!"  (John 9:39)  The only people Jesus judges in the gospel of John are the people judging. John 12: 47-50  Jesus is all about giving eternal life and withholding judgment. Food he offers is from the tree of life, not the knowledge of good & evil. If you are a member of the moral outcast class, Jesus is protecting you from the  judgments of the righteous people who are using their knowledge of good and evil to exclude you. He offers you eternal life.  Jesus is pressing the restart button on sin, righteousness, judgment, holiness, religion, how God and humans connect.  Everything before was rooted in old order. He had to work with people who had eaten from tree of knowledge of good and evil...so they could be like God and judge. And that had its place. But he is replacing that order! Christianity is not about enforcing righteousness! Christianity is not about separating the wheat from the chaff. The wheat will be separated from the chaff one day, but NOT NOW! Christianity is about something else. It has a different EMPHASIS! For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Try to remember a time when you were walking in darkness in some way, and someone loved you without judging you, and how God worked in your life through that particular way of being loved. 2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone in your life right now who needs to be loved like that by you.  During this series, storm the heavens until God enables you to love that person like that. This week, ask the Holy Spirit to sensitize you to this tendency to judge. Ask God if this is a big deal in your life.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Do you often find yourself making judgments about people? Who are you most likely to judge? 2. What are the topics in the Bible where you see the most disagreement and confusion among Christians? 3. Is there a clear difference between "discerning" good and evil and "judging"?  If so, what is it? 4. What do you imagine when you read the words "eternal life" in the Bible?  What does it look like? 5. Who are the people in our world Jesus would be defending from the religious authorities, as he did the woman caught in adultery? 6. Jesus says, "You judge by human standards..."  (John 8:15) What does he mean?

The Original Sin as the Original Impediment to Loving Others Freely

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

Series: Free to Love - How to Leave the Judging to the Judge Part 1: The Original Sin as the Original Impediment to Loving Others Freely September 20, 2009 | by Ken Wilson SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY How can we be free to love with the extraordinary, supernatural, mind-blowing, world changing love that Jesus sets loose in the human heart: holy love, healing love, bring-you-to-your knees love, set-the-captives-free love. The last time we were truly free to love is recorded in Genesis 1-2. Gen. 1: God is free, creative, love in action Gen. 2: Human beings freely created in love by LOVE: as God breathes into the human the gift of life and the human become a nephesh--a soul, a living being.  But....something happens that takes away our freedom to love. What is that something? Foreshadowed in first command of love to first human:  And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will certainly die." (Gen. 2: 16-17) How this first command violates our common sense: Don't we need the knowledge of good and evil in order to be good people in a good world created by a good God? When this command comes in the bigger story: just before Adam meets Eve and has the first opportunity to love another human being. Did he need this command in order to be able to love freely? Gen. 2: 18-25: The love-fest. Then Gen. 3: our original sin and its consequences. Gen. 3: 1-11 Is this a simple story with a simple-to-grasp point?  Or is it a complex story that requires our willingness to wrestle with it in it order to extract the blessing? What happened to the love between the two people?  It soured. How do we know? First accusation: "The woman you gave me, gave it to me, and I ate." Was the accusation accurate?  Was the accusation self serving despite being accurate? What two parties are implicated in Adam's accusation? Do we implicate God when we accuse others? Is Adam using his forbidden knowledge of good and evil to accuse others, while excusing himself?  Is this a powerful human tendency? Is there anything about the original command that bothers you?  Isn't God and religion about morality? And don't we have a responsibility, in order to be moral agents, to have this knowledge? God and religion are about morality. There are moral imperatives.  But there is a common sense approach to morality that gets in the way... I think this is the first test in the Bible. Are we going to choose common sense over spanine sense?  Are we going to choose our common sense over spanine revelation? And this command was necessary in order for us to love. The reason we're not free to love isn't that we disobeyed any old command.  It's that we disobeyed this command. Can you see how the original sin relates to the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7:1-2, Judge not, lest ye be judged? Who in the Bible is the judge? God. What does a judge need in order to do his job?  The knowledge of good and evil. What is our job? Upcoming sermon topics: 1. The OVERWHELMING EMPHASIS in the gospels on not judging as a requirement for loving others freely. 2. Judging Others: The Sin of the Pharisees 3. The OVERWHELMING EMPHASIS in the writings of Paul on not judging as a requirement for loving others freely. 4. The OVERWHELMING EMPHASIS in the writings of James on not judging as a requirement for loving others freely. 5. The teaching of Paul in 1 Cor. 5-6 about settling disputes between brothers in the church and the occasional need to kick someone out of the community. 6. The teaching on speaking the truth in love to each other, in light of the fact that true community includes accountability. For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1. Try to remember a time when you were walking in darkness in some way, and someone loved you without judging you, and how God worked in your life through that particular way of being loved. 2. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you someone in your life right now who needs to be loved like that by you.  During this series, storm the heavens until God enables you to love that person like that. Don't go through the series as an academic exercise. Go through the series as an exercise in regaining the ability to love others freely.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. How have you understood the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? What has it always meant to you? How has this sermon challenged those ideas? 2. Does the word "judging" have positive or negative connotations for you? Why? 3. Can you think of times in your life where "spanine sense" has conflicted with "common sense"? Which won out? 4. Why do we desire to have the knowledge of good and evil? 5. How does judgment get in the way of loving people and loving God?

A Conversational Relationship with God

SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY

A Conversational Relationship with God September 13, 2009 | by Don Bromley SERMON OUTLINE & SUMMARY Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  (Mark 1:35; p.684) ...But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  (Luke 5:16; p.705) solitary does not mean alone Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.    -Mother Teresa we weren't made to be alone The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Genesis 2:18; p.2) friends of God The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. (Exodus 33:11; p.62) "But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend... (Isaiah 41:8; p.493) You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:14-15; p.739) friendship        conversation    intimacy do you talk to God? 78% of all Americans pray at least once a week 57% pray at least once a day Of the 13% of Americans who are atheists or agnostics, nearly 20% pray daily. does God talk to you? problem #1: it's hard to believe God would talk to me But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. (1 Corinthians 1:27; p.780) I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:17; p.718) problem #2: "God said to me..." problem #3: it's harder to listen than to speak problem #4: I can't seem to hear it what's it like? The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13; p.244) a still small voice thoughts        impressions            dreams God is talking are we listening? making space to converse with God what works for you? For complete sermon notes online, visit our sermons page.

PRACTICAL TIPS

1.  If you can, schedule a silent retreat for yourself. There are many places you can do a directed retreat, such as Manresa Jesuit Retreat House. 2. If you can't do a directed silent retreat, try to set aside a day or half-day where you are in a quiet place, without phones, computers, or other media. Spend the time praying, walking, reading the Bible, or meditating. 3. Try a few prayer/meditation methods you haven't used before: prayer walking, praying as you listen to worship, praying as you drive, The Spanine Hours, listening to the Bible on your MP3 player, or pray-as-you-go.org. 4. Write down the thoughts, images, impressions, or sensations you experience as you pray or meditate.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Do you agree that loneliness is the most terrible poverty? Why? 2. Who in your life do you have regular conversations with? Are these the people you feel the most intimate relationship with? 3. Do you think of Jesus or God as your "friend"? Why, or why not? 4. How often do you pray? What's the form of prayer that works the best for you? 5. Have you ever experienced God "speaking" to you?  What was it like? How often does that happen?