Greg continued his sermon series on discipleship by preaching on the principle that what’s best for a person is when the good of the community is also considered. The world illustrates this relationship between the individual and the whole in such things as animals, the sciences, and economics.
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Me, We, and the Trinity
• Greg Boyd
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Greg continued his sermon series on discipleship by preaching on the principle that what’s best for a person is when the good of the community is also considered. The world illustrates this relationship between the individual and the whole in such things as animals, the sciences, and economics.
The evidence of this within creation should not be surprising for this type of “win-win” relationship reflects the very nature of God. God is an eternal relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit. They do not act in competition to each other, but instead find their identity in each other.
Humanity is also designed to model the unity in diversity that marks God, though it is not forced to do this. Humanity has a choice. The Fall recorded in Genesis 3 illustrates that instead of being defined in relationship to God, humanity chose to be in competition to God.
When we seek our fulfillment by seeking the good of others, we find the cure to fractured relationships. The Bible portrays this most clearly in the description of the marriage relationship found in Ephesians 5:21, 25-28. The instructions are for both the husband and wife to “be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.” This principle also applies generally: you are most yourself when you’re not trying to be yourself over and against others, but being yourself in loving union with others.
Not only does this life of unity bring fulfillment, but it also enables the accomplishment of seemingly impossible things. The Civil Rights Movement is a classic example. When African-Americans and others banded together to stand up against racial injustice, there was nothing that could stop them. Individually it was difficult to overcome the system, but together it was possible.
The same holds true for the Church. The Church is a community of individual followers of Jesus. The biblical metaphors for the Church (e.g. Body, Temple, and Army) show the individual blessing the whole, and the whole blessing the individual. For followers of Jesus to be all they can be and to make as great an impact as possible means that they need each other.
As Woodland Hills begins a fund drive to remodel more of the building and to support other ministry projects, Greg challenged us to remember this principle. Though this drive involves raising money, the major goal is to build the kingdom of God. The slogan for the campaign describes this goal, “Growing in the Spirit: Becoming, Building, Bridging.” When we connect with others, exponential growth occurs, whether that involves leading people to the Lord, saving marriages, reaching youth with the Gospel, breaking down racial walls, or taking the Gospel around the globe. When we unite as a team great things will happen in furthering the Good News of Jesus.
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Focus Scripture:
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Ephesians 5:21,25-28
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing [a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
