Sunday, January 24, 2010

Responding to God

To listen to audio click on the title above or subscribe to podcast on ITunes.

Life: Connected
Responding to God
Speaker – Crispin Schroeder

I. Intro
II. Common Views of Ancient World Religions:
1. Gods/Goddesses are many
2. Gods/Goddesses aren’t Good
3. The World is Bad and Humans are Insignificant
4. Humans Must Appease the Gods
5. No Relationship Between Humans and Gods

III. View of God in the Bible
1. God is One (Deut. 6:4)
2. God is Good – The Biblical narrative starts with a good God creating a good world.
3. Evil, Sickness, Suffering Are Ultimately the Result of Sin not God – (Romans 8:19-20)
4. Humans Can Have Relationship With God

IV. Ramifications on Worship – Worship is Our Response to Who God Is and What He’s Done (1 John 4:19, Phil 2:5-11)

V. Barriers to Responding to God in Worship
1. Shame—We don’t deserve a relationship with a good God
2. Appeasing Rather than Receiving
3. Trying to Pay God Back for His Goodness
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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for reviewing those ancient world religions as I certainly would not have remembered the particulars. Their erratic nature sure misses the mark when it comes to a God that unconditionally loves us just because… which is mind blowing, is it not? Makes me think of the simple but beautiful song, “Oh, How I Love Jesus!” Why? Because He first loved me… Awesomely simple and profound at the same time. It again ties in with the “blessed to be a blessing” sermon, the nature of true servant-hood to others, in our response to worshiping God, does it not? The verse on how creation itself is suffering has always been eye opening. And your comments on shame…they really hit home for so many of us. Thank you, God, that you don’t put the barriers up that we somehow construct ourselves. May we allow you to tear those barriers down daily as we receive your gifts graciously. May we truly believe that you do so out of your unconditional love for us, because of who you are, and not out of a sense of somehow we must pay you back. Amen.

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