2017 THEME INTRODUCITON
VIDEO 1 – Theme
Introduction
Hebrews 1:1-3a
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many
times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his
Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the
universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation
of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
Why a theme? Why this scripture text? What will it teach us?
What are the challenges?
WHY? A yearly
theme comes from my relationship with God and His Word. It must be something I believe is preachable
and meaningful enough to be preached for our community – those of faith and
those not yet of faith. It must be something that gives us a focus for one year
so that we get more of that ‘one thing’, rather than total random messages from
week to week, while at the same time allowing every week to stand alone.
WHY HEBREWS 1:1-3a? As
you will see, this text provides way more than enough foundation for an entire
year’s worth of preaching form the Word of God. If I said, describe what the
Bible is about in one word – what would you say? Love! Faith! Jesus! Salvation!
Grace! People! All are good answers, my one word for the Bible has always been
“RELATIONSHIPS”! If the Bible is about one thing it is about Relationships! Our
relationship with God. Our relationship with one another. Our relationship with
creation, with food, with systems, governments, institutions, with sin, with
morals, with wellness, with life and death and on and on but primarily the
first two – relationship with God and one another = 1st commandment
LOVE GOD 2nd commandment LOVE OTHERS everything else rests on these
two!
Therefore, if
1st purpose of the Bible is concerning relationships, the 2nd
is like it, Communication. The Bible is God’s primary way to communicate with
us about those relationships.
Therefore,
The Bible is God’s Social Network!
In the past God spoke through the prophets, but in these last days by
his Son, sustaining all things by his powerful word – communicated by the Holy Spirit through the Bible!
WHAT WILL THIS
THEME TEACH US?
It will teach us how God
communicates with us, as well as the passionate desire God has ‘to’ communicate
with us. That God’s Social Network was not just ‘back then’ but is now with us
as much as it was with those…we read about in the bible. It will teach us that
God’s methods of communication has no limits, even as current Social Media Networks
have no limits (none of which were even imagined when I was young). Our great
social media technology was two (SLIDE 2 Tin Cans) tin
cans and a string. // Just like Facebook – God ‘likes’ us, has us in his
‘friend’ list and wants to share with our friends and friends of friends. Like
Instagram, God communicates to us though pictures – snapshots of his love and
grace. God communicates like Twitter – quick messages when we are in a tough
place and need help or an answer right now. God communicates like Pinterest
where He gives us a bulletin Board with several good options and the common
sense to choose wisely. Sometimes God communicates like snapchat, giving us a
chance to laugh at ourselves and realize the human condition, as serious as it
is, also has moments where we just have to do a face swap and laugh.
To some,
primarily those older than me, I have just spoken in a foreign language. But I
want you to be a missionary with me – who’s first job is to learn the language
of the people they are ministering too. Our younger generations don’t have the
typical communication generation gap like our grandparents did when we started
using words like hip, cool and groovy. They have entirely different systems of
daily communication. So often I hear people say; “Oh I hate that facebook and
don’t even know what a Tweet is.” I used to think – Oh I get it, why learn
something knew if you don’t have to. Now I think – we in the church have to be
at the forefront of Social Media. It is neither good or bad. Just like words
which are neither good or bad – it is how they are used. If we were
missionaries in Uganda, do you know what language we would speak? English – but
also Bantu, Central Sudanic, Nilotic, Swahili and Luganda. What if we were in
El Sal Vador? Spanish but of the Caliche vernacular. Do you get the point? We can no longer afford to see ourselves as
evangelists. We are missionaries in a foreign country. The language of
younger generations for now and forever is Social Media and the dialects are
ever changing. To effectively communicate the gospel we need to speak the
language.
Therefore, we
want to look at turning Social Media on its head and show that God has been
using Social Media and Social Networks since the garden of Eden. The first
recorded words ever spoken were - Gen 1:3 And
God said, "Let there be light,"
and there was light.” The word had power to communicate as well as create.
Then God created man and beasts from the ground and said, Gen 2:18 "It is not good
for the man to be alone.” And for this special relationship created
the one suitable for him, not from the ground like all others, but from his own
rib creating a new kind of Social Network!
WHAT ARE THE
THEME’S CHALLENGES?
You will be challenged to memorize the theme passage. To
read and study the Bible more. To become better than any church in the U.S. at
using Social Media as a way to communicate the truth of scripture and the good
news of Jesus with others. To find a life verse and find a way to creatively
share why it is your life verse.
Slides 3 and 4
Nov. 4 1974 for the first time I heard the word of God in my
own language…
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