Hello blogging buddies!
I just want to let you all know that I am tentatively penciled in to deliver a sermon at the Devonwood Community Church of the Nazarene on Sunday May 17th at 11:00 a.m.; and I want to send this warm invitation to all who are willing and able to come and visit us that day.
I titled the sermon Blockheads and Icons. My thesis is that we humans were created to bear the image and likeness of God (i.e. the concrete reflection of the character and glory of God) in and to his creation. As a consequence of the fall we find ourselves in the paradox of still carrying the purpose of divine image bearers, without the ability to fulfill that purpose, we have essentially become ‘cracked icons’. As a result we have become idol worshippers (blockheads) and have taken on their character traits, a sure sign by our lifestyles that we are not god-fearers. But God, through the first fruits of Christ - the new creation - has made us into a new creation so that we are transformed once again into the likeness of God, and are changing from one state of glory to another; and if this is not evident by the fruit of our lives (i.e. the Spirit in us), then we are not bearing God’s image and need to search our lives for whatever idol it is we are worshipping instead – to destroy it.
The references I will be using to assist in formulating my thoughts are We Become What We Worship by G.K. Beale; In The Beginning by Henri Blocher; and A Community Called Atonement by Scot McKnight.
Pray for me in the weeks and days leading up to the sermon; pray especially that I would never forget to seek that God would stir up and execute this gift in my life, that I would not rely on the so-called ‘talents’ of the flesh in delivering this (or any) sermon; ‘cause when I do, I fall flat on my face.
I hope to see you there!
Derek
I just want to let you all know that I am tentatively penciled in to deliver a sermon at the Devonwood Community Church of the Nazarene on Sunday May 17th at 11:00 a.m.; and I want to send this warm invitation to all who are willing and able to come and visit us that day.
I titled the sermon Blockheads and Icons. My thesis is that we humans were created to bear the image and likeness of God (i.e. the concrete reflection of the character and glory of God) in and to his creation. As a consequence of the fall we find ourselves in the paradox of still carrying the purpose of divine image bearers, without the ability to fulfill that purpose, we have essentially become ‘cracked icons’. As a result we have become idol worshippers (blockheads) and have taken on their character traits, a sure sign by our lifestyles that we are not god-fearers. But God, through the first fruits of Christ - the new creation - has made us into a new creation so that we are transformed once again into the likeness of God, and are changing from one state of glory to another; and if this is not evident by the fruit of our lives (i.e. the Spirit in us), then we are not bearing God’s image and need to search our lives for whatever idol it is we are worshipping instead – to destroy it.
The references I will be using to assist in formulating my thoughts are We Become What We Worship by G.K. Beale; In The Beginning by Henri Blocher; and A Community Called Atonement by Scot McKnight.
Pray for me in the weeks and days leading up to the sermon; pray especially that I would never forget to seek that God would stir up and execute this gift in my life, that I would not rely on the so-called ‘talents’ of the flesh in delivering this (or any) sermon; ‘cause when I do, I fall flat on my face.
I hope to see you there!
Derek
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