Alright... we're nearing the end. These questions are great, everyone. Keep them coming.
- HT
* * *
Q: If God created everything, how was He created? Why does He get to choose how life is?
A: God was never created. He has always existed as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One God in three persons. This is hard for us to wrap our minds around because everything we know had a beginning point, but that is why He is God and we are not. He gets to choose how life is because he created life; he sustains life and will continue to exist because he says so. It is humbling for us as humanity to know that our lives do not exist for us, but for Him. But if you think about it, it makes sense. It would be sort of silly if God created all life and then made it all about us – small, finite creatures who have nothing to do with either the creation of this world or the sustaining of it.
Q: If religion is destructive, why does James 1:27 say that “pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is [to care for orphans and widows]?” Even the Greek shows us that it is the same.
A: The Greek word that you are referring to, which is translated “religion” in most English Bibles carries with it more the idea of worship than a religious structure. When I speak of religion from the front, I am usually speaking of religious systems that exist to try and justify ourselves before God. I’m not referring to the true worship of God. James is pulling his imagery from the book of Isaiah and the book of Amos where God communicates to his people that He does not want their religious worship if they are not taking care of the poor and oppressed. So you might say, true worship in the sight of God is to care for the poor and downtrodden alongside offering our hearts and devotion to God; not to become justified before God, but because we are justified before God based on what Jesus has done. James is not using this word in the sense of saying that if you want to make yourself justified in the sight of God care for orphans and widows. He is saying that if you are truly justified before God you will do these things. It’s a sort of fruit or proof of your justification and not religion in the modern sense of the word.
Q: Why do you think God gave us this earth to rule over when He knew that He would destroy it little by little?
A: As far as I know, God does not destroy the earth little by little. Sin destroys the earth and humanity, in its fallen and sinful state, destroys the earth, but God does not. God’s ultimate plan is to renew the earth by recreating it as the new heavens and the new earth (see Romans 8). In the same way that Jesus is going to resurrect our bodies and give us a perfect one, Jesus is going to “resurrect” the earth and make it a perfect one.
Q: I see that it makes a laugh to talk about sex being the first commandment, but doesn’t it say “be fruitful” first? And isn’t it talking about the fruits of the spirit?
A: I do not mention sex being God’s first command as a matter of comedy, although it is ironic, but as a matter of theology. When Genesis 1 talks about being fruitful, it is talking about sex and reproduction. You can see this when you look at the command to the animals and to the sea life that they, too, must be fruitful. And the result of being fruitful for animals and humans is to fill the earth. I’m glad that you’re thinking about the scriptures and comparing scripture with scripture, but this is a case where “fruit” in Genesis 1 means something completely different than “fruit” in Galatians 5 (fruit of the Spirit) and different than “fruit” in Genesis 2. Context determines the meaning of the word.
Q: If the Garden of Eden is an actual place, somewhere in the Middle East, why haven’t we found it?
A: I think the answer is in ABC’s show Lost. Just kidding. Either God destroyed it, took it away or has hidden it so that we cannot find it.
Q: How can people be showing God, both Christians and non-Christians when they do horrible things?
A: All humans are created in the image of God and because of the fall all humans are afflicted and infected with sin. Christians are redeemed from the power of sin, but not yet the presence of sin. Christians are fallen and redeemed at the same time. Christians are forgiven and being transformed by the Spirit of God they are still capable of doing evil when they walk in disobedience to God. Non-Christians still bear the image of God, but sin by nature and choice and are not forgiven of sin. God offers to forgive and restore anyone who will turn to Jesus, but until Jesus comes back, all humans will struggle with sin. Humans show God through bearing the image of God, without even trying. All humans have within them traces of His goodness.
Q: According to the book of Genesis, how old is the earth?
A: Come back on March 1st and we’re going to spend the whole service discussing creation, evolution and the age of the earth.
Q: I think environmentalism can go too far by worshipping the earth instead of God, the created instead of the Creator.
A: Not really a question, but good point.
Q: How can I show God and know God when I want to work with animals? How can I make and/or be a disciple when I want to work with animals?
A: Sounds like my job. I would just say that I am sure that either through the church or through your job or through your interactions with people in other spheres of life you will have opportunity to make disciples.
Q: Why does God love us when no when else does?
A: God loves you because He created you; He put His image in you and is offering to redeem you. God’s love is not conditional, but is based on his perfect will and affection. His love is not like the love of people.
Q: Could you clarify why God hated Esau? If God loves each of us, why does Psalm 5:4-5 state, “you hate all workers of iniquity”?
A: There is a sense in which God loves all that He has created including humanity. Jesus says that God shows his love to the unrighteous by giving them rain and food and seasons (Matt. 5:43-48). Right before that Jesus tells us to love our enemies. There is even a sense that before you were saved by God that God hated you in your sin because God hates sins and so his hatred would extend to sinners. The paradox in the Bible is that God loves his enemies and redeems those whom he formally hated. Esau never came to God’s redemption and therefore remained in God’s hatred of sin and sinners. I do not know how the love of God and God’s hate for sin connects, but I know they exist side by side and in God’s infinite mind they co-exist just fine. We have to be okay with the mysteries in scripture.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Another Thing...
Don't forget that LS is only meeting at the Keystone Campus this Sunday. Come to Reno High School at either 10am or 12pm. It'll be packed out, so be on time. Also... remember that the whole point of canceling the Robb gatherings is so that we can all -- even me -- be missional this Super Bowl Sunday. So, go be missional.
- HT
- HT
Q&A from Genesis... Part II
Okay -- my wife Rachael and I are working overtime on these text questions. Feel free to offer us a nice dinner for our hard work (kidding). Just so you know, we'll get them all on the blog by Friday. Also, if your question wasn't answered, it's not because we didn't like it... it's because we didn't understand it. If that's the case, please feel free to ask your question in person on Sunday. Alright, here we go with Part II.
- HT
* * *
Q: Is it okay to use fertility drugs and treatments to help married couples have children?
A: Absolutely! This is one of the benefits humanity derives as we explore science and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28). We learn the things in the earth that God has made possible for us to do. Sometimes, in exploring God’s world in science we find solutions that help us battle the effects of the fall.
Q: If we are commanded to fill the earth, will Christ not come back until we do so?
A: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that humanity has to reach a quota of persons before Jesus comes back. The one thing we do know is that Jesus said this Gospel must be proclaimed to all nations and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). It’s not the filling of the earth that brings the end, but rather the full preaching of the gospel throughout the world to all of God’s elect.
Q: Does anyone today know where the Garden of Eden was?
A: Through what the text says, people come to the conclusion that it was either in modern day Iraq or in modern day Turkey, west of Lake Van.
Q: Doesn’t Genesis 2:5-8 contradict the creation account? In Chapter 1, God created land and the plants first, then man. In Chapter 2, He stops to create man, and then plants a garden. Explain.
A: What we have in chapter 2 is God zooming in on day 6. None of this contradicts the creation account in chapter 1. In Chapter 1, you still have plants on the earth and then He created man. Chapter 2 is referring to the garden, which was a special area of plants that God created after he created man. It is not referring to Him creating foliage in the entire earth. We are focused in on the garden part of the creation.
Q: If God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then why create the tree? Why did God allow the serpent to tempt them? (God knew Adam would fail, is this what He wanted?)
A: First thing I would say is that God has all wisdom and we do not. The second thing I would say is that this question assumes that the scope of history would have been better off if humanity had not fallen. What this assumption leaves out is the most important part of the story of the Bible. Because humanity fell, God sent Jesus. This is the greatest thing that could possibly happen to humanity. It is even greater than the glory of Him creating the garden and man before the fall. Jesus’ coming is the most important event in all human history and greatest thing for our souls to understand and experience God. So we must just trust God, that what God allowed is what is best for His glory and our good. If man is made in the image of God, but has the knowledge of good and evil, is man born inherently good or evil?
Man is born both inherently good and inherently evil. He has goodness in him because he is created in the image of God. He has evil in him because of the infection of sin which corrupts the totality of his being. Therefore the goodness that is in him is not complete or whole. Romans 3:10 says, “No one is righteous, no not one.” Is there goodness in man? Yes. Is there evil in man? Yes. Is man righteous? No. This is why we had to have what Martin Luther called the Great Exchange. Christ’s righteousness was given to us in exchange for our sin. That’s what we call the Gospel. After a human believes in Christ, he is, as Martin Luther says, “both fallen and redeemed.” That’s why we wait for the return of Jesus when our redemption will be brought to completion when Jesus heals our body from sin the way he has healed our soul from sin. (Romans 8:18-25)
Q: According to Colossians 1:15, is Jesus a created being? (“Firstborn of all creation”)?
A: No. Verse 16 says, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Everything that was part of creation was created by Jesus; that would mean He is not created. When the Bible speaks of firstborn, it is referring to the prominent relationship that a firstborn son would have in the family. The firstborn son would take over leadership of the family. What Colossians 1:15 is saying is that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is the ruler of all the creation of God. Firstborn is referring to Jesus’ authority over creation.
Q: If I have done so many sins, how come I’m still in this life?
A: Because God is merciful and not wishing that you should perish, but He is hoping that you will come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Q: I’m taking a Core Humanities class this semester. One of my discussion questions involves the meaning of the “fall.” What’s your take on that?
A: I’m preaching on this on February 8th. Come back and you’ll get the full low down on what I think.
- HT
* * *
Q: Is it okay to use fertility drugs and treatments to help married couples have children?
A: Absolutely! This is one of the benefits humanity derives as we explore science and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28). We learn the things in the earth that God has made possible for us to do. Sometimes, in exploring God’s world in science we find solutions that help us battle the effects of the fall.
Q: If we are commanded to fill the earth, will Christ not come back until we do so?
A: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that humanity has to reach a quota of persons before Jesus comes back. The one thing we do know is that Jesus said this Gospel must be proclaimed to all nations and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). It’s not the filling of the earth that brings the end, but rather the full preaching of the gospel throughout the world to all of God’s elect.
Q: Does anyone today know where the Garden of Eden was?
A: Through what the text says, people come to the conclusion that it was either in modern day Iraq or in modern day Turkey, west of Lake Van.
Q: Doesn’t Genesis 2:5-8 contradict the creation account? In Chapter 1, God created land and the plants first, then man. In Chapter 2, He stops to create man, and then plants a garden. Explain.
A: What we have in chapter 2 is God zooming in on day 6. None of this contradicts the creation account in chapter 1. In Chapter 1, you still have plants on the earth and then He created man. Chapter 2 is referring to the garden, which was a special area of plants that God created after he created man. It is not referring to Him creating foliage in the entire earth. We are focused in on the garden part of the creation.
Q: If God knew that Adam and Eve would sin and eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, then why create the tree? Why did God allow the serpent to tempt them? (God knew Adam would fail, is this what He wanted?)
A: First thing I would say is that God has all wisdom and we do not. The second thing I would say is that this question assumes that the scope of history would have been better off if humanity had not fallen. What this assumption leaves out is the most important part of the story of the Bible. Because humanity fell, God sent Jesus. This is the greatest thing that could possibly happen to humanity. It is even greater than the glory of Him creating the garden and man before the fall. Jesus’ coming is the most important event in all human history and greatest thing for our souls to understand and experience God. So we must just trust God, that what God allowed is what is best for His glory and our good. If man is made in the image of God, but has the knowledge of good and evil, is man born inherently good or evil?
Man is born both inherently good and inherently evil. He has goodness in him because he is created in the image of God. He has evil in him because of the infection of sin which corrupts the totality of his being. Therefore the goodness that is in him is not complete or whole. Romans 3:10 says, “No one is righteous, no not one.” Is there goodness in man? Yes. Is there evil in man? Yes. Is man righteous? No. This is why we had to have what Martin Luther called the Great Exchange. Christ’s righteousness was given to us in exchange for our sin. That’s what we call the Gospel. After a human believes in Christ, he is, as Martin Luther says, “both fallen and redeemed.” That’s why we wait for the return of Jesus when our redemption will be brought to completion when Jesus heals our body from sin the way he has healed our soul from sin. (Romans 8:18-25)
Q: According to Colossians 1:15, is Jesus a created being? (“Firstborn of all creation”)?
A: No. Verse 16 says, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Everything that was part of creation was created by Jesus; that would mean He is not created. When the Bible speaks of firstborn, it is referring to the prominent relationship that a firstborn son would have in the family. The firstborn son would take over leadership of the family. What Colossians 1:15 is saying is that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, is the ruler of all the creation of God. Firstborn is referring to Jesus’ authority over creation.
Q: If I have done so many sins, how come I’m still in this life?
A: Because God is merciful and not wishing that you should perish, but He is hoping that you will come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)
Q: I’m taking a Core Humanities class this semester. One of my discussion questions involves the meaning of the “fall.” What’s your take on that?
A: I’m preaching on this on February 8th. Come back and you’ll get the full low down on what I think.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Q&A from Genesis
For the next few posts, I'm going to focus on some of the unanswered questions from last week's Q&A on Genesis. For context, listen to last week's sermon, Origin of Humanity, on iTunes. Comment back if you have more questions.
- HT
* * *
Q: Biblically, how do you view the choice of how many kids to have by married couples? Keep multiplying until bodies are unable? Or limit the number?
A: The Bible doesn’t give us any direction on this. I think you just need to go with your gut. Children are a blessing from the Lord and the Scripture says, “Blessed is the man who has a quiver full of children.” (Psalm 127:3-4) In our family, we’re about to have our third child and who knows, we might have four or five. Or we may just stop at three. Pray with your spouse and God will give you direction. The Bible tells us to be fruitful and multiply, but God doesn’t give us a quota. If you have one kid, that’s fruitful. If you have ten kids that’s hella fruitful.
Q: If we are to be fruitful, than why does God allow miscarriage?
A: First of all, if this has happened to you, as I know it has happened to many women in our community, I grieve with you. I can’t imagine the pain you’re experiencing and have experienced. What is interesting is that many holy women of the Bible were unable to have children. The Bible is filled with couples calling out to God to give them children. And sometimes God did and other times He did not. I’m not sure why God allows miscarriage. But, I am sure that things like miscarriage are a result of the fall and the effects of sin on humanity. You must remember that there is no passage of scripture indicating that your miscarriage was a direct result of your personal sin. Just as the starving child in Africa is not suffering for his own personal sin, he’s suffering because of the sins of humanity and as a result of the fall. We should turn our anger to sin and not to God. God is good and always does what is right. Even when it doesn’t seem like the best choice to us, we can never put ourselves in the position where we—as creatures—think that we are wiser and more righteous than the Creator. Often when people are angry with God, it is because they assume that God has done them wrong, which is a form of self-righteousness because we are saying we are more righteous than God. So, when it comes to horrible things like miscarriage, we must know that God grieves with us in our pain. Scripture says that God keeps every one of our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). This means that God is collecting our tears because they are precious to Him. If miscarriage is a result of the fall and sin in the world, then we must remember that our Savior came to take away sin by entering into our pain and suffering as we do. God, in the midst of our pain, brought redemption. It’s possible that redemption for you would be to try for another child. It’s possible that redemption for you would be to adopt a child, saving the child from living without parents just as Jesus saved you from living without a heavenly Father.
- HT
* * *
Q: Biblically, how do you view the choice of how many kids to have by married couples? Keep multiplying until bodies are unable? Or limit the number?
A: The Bible doesn’t give us any direction on this. I think you just need to go with your gut. Children are a blessing from the Lord and the Scripture says, “Blessed is the man who has a quiver full of children.” (Psalm 127:3-4) In our family, we’re about to have our third child and who knows, we might have four or five. Or we may just stop at three. Pray with your spouse and God will give you direction. The Bible tells us to be fruitful and multiply, but God doesn’t give us a quota. If you have one kid, that’s fruitful. If you have ten kids that’s hella fruitful.
Q: If we are to be fruitful, than why does God allow miscarriage?
A: First of all, if this has happened to you, as I know it has happened to many women in our community, I grieve with you. I can’t imagine the pain you’re experiencing and have experienced. What is interesting is that many holy women of the Bible were unable to have children. The Bible is filled with couples calling out to God to give them children. And sometimes God did and other times He did not. I’m not sure why God allows miscarriage. But, I am sure that things like miscarriage are a result of the fall and the effects of sin on humanity. You must remember that there is no passage of scripture indicating that your miscarriage was a direct result of your personal sin. Just as the starving child in Africa is not suffering for his own personal sin, he’s suffering because of the sins of humanity and as a result of the fall. We should turn our anger to sin and not to God. God is good and always does what is right. Even when it doesn’t seem like the best choice to us, we can never put ourselves in the position where we—as creatures—think that we are wiser and more righteous than the Creator. Often when people are angry with God, it is because they assume that God has done them wrong, which is a form of self-righteousness because we are saying we are more righteous than God. So, when it comes to horrible things like miscarriage, we must know that God grieves with us in our pain. Scripture says that God keeps every one of our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). This means that God is collecting our tears because they are precious to Him. If miscarriage is a result of the fall and sin in the world, then we must remember that our Savior came to take away sin by entering into our pain and suffering as we do. God, in the midst of our pain, brought redemption. It’s possible that redemption for you would be to try for another child. It’s possible that redemption for you would be to adopt a child, saving the child from living without parents just as Jesus saved you from living without a heavenly Father.
Friday, January 16, 2009
This week, we will begin our new series through the book of Genesis. This is an exciting new chapter (or 50 chapters) for the LS Community. The book is not only the first to appear in the Bible, but it brings weight to the old adage that you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been. Genesis is a look at what was, what is, and what is to come because it examines the person and work of God, who Himself was and is and is to come.
For the first couple of months we are going to camp out on the first few chapters of the book in both Large and Small Group Gatherings. Here’s a highlight to be aware of—on Sunday, March 1st, we’ll host a forum in which we will bring in some experts to talk about creation, evolution, science and the age of the earth in response to some of the issues that Genesis provokes. Next, we’ll look at some of the pre-historic narratives like the Noah and the Flood and the Tower of Babel. These stories have been hijacked by a lot of cheesy Christian media, but we’ll try to cut through the junk and get to the meat. After that, we’ll move to The Patriarchs of our Faith—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The lives of these men and their interactions with God truly inform our own… probably more than we’d like to admit at times. This whole process will take us until September.
You may not see the name of ‘Jesus’ recorded in the Book of Genesis, but He’s written all over its pages. This will be a great series to invite unchurched people to as it will talk about the beginnings of many things which will naturally unfold questions about the Gospel.
So come. Learn. Do Mission. Join us as we press forward by going back to the start.
For the first couple of months we are going to camp out on the first few chapters of the book in both Large and Small Group Gatherings. Here’s a highlight to be aware of—on Sunday, March 1st, we’ll host a forum in which we will bring in some experts to talk about creation, evolution, science and the age of the earth in response to some of the issues that Genesis provokes. Next, we’ll look at some of the pre-historic narratives like the Noah and the Flood and the Tower of Babel. These stories have been hijacked by a lot of cheesy Christian media, but we’ll try to cut through the junk and get to the meat. After that, we’ll move to The Patriarchs of our Faith—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The lives of these men and their interactions with God truly inform our own… probably more than we’d like to admit at times. This whole process will take us until September.
You may not see the name of ‘Jesus’ recorded in the Book of Genesis, but He’s written all over its pages. This will be a great series to invite unchurched people to as it will talk about the beginnings of many things which will naturally unfold questions about the Gospel.
So come. Learn. Do Mission. Join us as we press forward by going back to the start.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Keystone Campus
A new chapter in the History of the Living Stones Community began this weekend.
This Sunday morning at 10am, Living Stones launched its first Sunday morning gathering at the Keystone Campus with around 150 people in attendance. It was absolutely amazing. What does this mean for the Living Stones community? A lot of things.
This gathering is not only another way for Living Stones to continue growing and proclaim Christ, but it provides whole new campus/church in the center of the City—a vastly unchurched region. Will there be anything different about the Keystone Campus from the Robb Campus other than the location? Essentially, Keystone will continue to echo what you’ve come to expect from LS. I (or whoever is teaching that week) will preach the same sermon in the morning at the Keystone Campus as in the evening at the Robb Campus. Bands, however, will vary between campuses on any given Sunday. One of the 4 LS Bands will lead us in worship at Keystone and then another of the 4 will lead in the evening at Robb. What do we need to do? We desperately need to open around 100 seats at the 7pm Robb Campus gathering and around 50 at the 5pm gathering to continue to make room for people to come hear the good news about Jesus.
So—if you are not already moving to the Keystone Campus, would you consider it?
This Sunday morning at 10am, Living Stones launched its first Sunday morning gathering at the Keystone Campus with around 150 people in attendance. It was absolutely amazing. What does this mean for the Living Stones community? A lot of things.
This gathering is not only another way for Living Stones to continue growing and proclaim Christ, but it provides whole new campus/church in the center of the City—a vastly unchurched region. Will there be anything different about the Keystone Campus from the Robb Campus other than the location? Essentially, Keystone will continue to echo what you’ve come to expect from LS. I (or whoever is teaching that week) will preach the same sermon in the morning at the Keystone Campus as in the evening at the Robb Campus. Bands, however, will vary between campuses on any given Sunday. One of the 4 LS Bands will lead us in worship at Keystone and then another of the 4 will lead in the evening at Robb. What do we need to do? We desperately need to open around 100 seats at the 7pm Robb Campus gathering and around 50 at the 5pm gathering to continue to make room for people to come hear the good news about Jesus.
So—if you are not already moving to the Keystone Campus, would you consider it?
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