SERVE

God calls us to serve to bless others’ lives, to find a sense of community and to increase our own capacity to love. Whether you want to serve inside the Vineyard, on our city streets, or in another country, we have exciting ways for you to get involved.

HERE

It takes hundreds of volunteers to provide us with the opportunity to gather like we do each weekend. We’re always looking for people to do everything from hang out with kids to make coffee, from playing the guitar in the Worship Band to simply helping someone find a parking spot. Choose an area of interest and sign up to SERVE HERE!

NEAR

We are a people moving beyond the four walls of this building to be the church in the world around us, through our everyday ordinary lives, in order to see lives radically transformed by the love of Christ. Sometimes the best place to start is right here in our own community. Sometimes it’s doing yard work for someone who is unable; sometimes it’s investing time with the same child every week. It might mean feeding a hungry family. No matter how you SERVE NEAR, you’re sure to impact lives in the process—including your own!

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FAR

We also work for measurable change in our world.

​I. THE REALITY OF THE FUNKY IN‐BETWEEN (COLOSSIANS 1:26‐29)

A. It may be awkward.

B. It is filled with unavoidable tension.

C. It seems to be necessary.

II. THE GOAL OF THE FUNKY IN‐BETWEEN (COLOSSIANS 1:26‐29)

A. The mystery gets revealed. (v26)

B. The barriers are removed. (v27)

C. The body of Christ is empowered for mission. (v28)

D. The body of Christ will be presented blameless. (v29)

III. LIVING IN THE FUNKY IN‐BETWEEN

A. His body, his blood…broken and poured out

1. His or ours?

B. Discerning the body…

1. 1 Corinthians 11:29

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 Why was it important for the “mystery” to be revealed among the Gentiles?

 Does the use of “every person” in verse 28 imply automatic salvation for every human being? Why or why not?

 What does Paul mean when he says we will all be presented complete in Christ? What does that look like and when will it happen?

 How does living in a loving and forgiving community of faith assist our growth in Christ?

 What did you think of the “discerning the body” bit? Is there more than one application of the text?

I. THE HEAD AND THE CHURCH (COLOSSIANS 1:15‐20)

A. An exalted view of Jesus

B. An exalted view of humanity

C. An exalted view of the church (verse 18)

1. Greek – ekklesia – a calling out; gathering; called out people

2. In spite of its checkered history, the church is still the hope of the world.

II. THE HEAD, THE CHURCH, AND ME

A. The “body” metaphor for the church implies two very distinct and important movements.

1. A MOVE upward that is a manifestation of an utterly dependent relationship to Christ, the Head

2. A MOVE inward that is a manifestation of a mutual interdependence upon each other, the church

B. The implications for me…and you!

1. We can have hope for the church and the world.

2. We cannot opt out of the church.

3. We can be used by God to lead in creation’s restoration work just as we once led in creation’s fall.

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 What has been your experience with the church? (Discuss freely and honestly without any church‐bashing!)

 What did you think about the exalted view of the church in light of her history?

 Do you think that the church, including the Vineyard, is gettng better or worse at representing Christ on earth? In what ways?

 How will/might you MOVE upward in your everyday life recognizing Jesus as your head?

 How will/might you MOVE inward showing mutual interdependence with other Christians?

I. THE RETURN OF THE KING: "FOR GOD WAS PLEASED TO HAVE ALL HIS FULLNESS DWELL IN HIM [JESUS]...."

 Jesus returns to God's creation in the form of a human being.

 Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father.

II. THE MISSION OF THE KING: "...TO RECONCILE TO HIMSELF ALL THINGS..."

 Jesus has returned to take back what is righfully his, which turns out to be everything.

III. THE METHOD OF THE KING: "...BY MAKING PEACE THROUGH HIS BLOOD..."

 Jesus uses the Satan's best weapon ‐ violence and death ‐ against itself and against the Satan to defeat in one fell swoop violence, death and even the Satan, himself.

IV. THE RESPONSE OF THE RECONCILED: "...CONTINUE IN YOUR FAITH, ESTABLISHED AND FIRM, NOT MOVING FROM THE HOPE IN THE GOSPEL..."

 The hope in the gospel is salva

I. CIVIL WAR (Colossians 1:13‐17)

A. How do we reconcile evil with the goodness of God?

1. Providential purposes?

2. The nature of freedom?

 Free‐will agents are the explanation for their behavior!

B. Civil War

1. “…and by Him all things were created…” Colossians 1:16

 Created but not controlled…and not equal

2. Casualties of war are the result of evil intentions and the “say‐so” of human and/or angelic agents.

3. Although we live in the midst of a civil war in territory occupied by rebel forces we can be certain…

II. RESPONSE TO TRAGEDY

A. Legislation due to the symptoms of cultural shift

B. Legislation due to symptoms of moral decay

C. Understanding and living in a war zone

1. Free will assimilation, isolation, or engagement

III. CONCLUSION

How could a man do that?

Why would a man do that?

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 What stood out in your mind as you listened to the talk?

 What did you think of the civil war analogy? Did you find it helpful or confusing? Why?

 Do you believe that legislating morality can be helpful? How? Whose morality would we legislate?

 How should Christians fight in this civil war? How should we respond to tragedy?

GOOD READS:

N.T. Wright

I. IMAGES, IDOLS, AND ICONS (COLOSSIANS 1:15‐18)

A. Ancient Near Eastern culture

B. Ancient Israel

1. Exodus 20; Genesis 1:26‐27

C. Humanity and the image of God

1. Alive, ruling, and loving

II. THE TRUE IMAGE

A. A stained image; sinful humanity

B. The True Image; Jesus (Colossians 1:15)

1. Fully alive, fully submitted to God’s rule; fully loving

C. Reconciliation and birth of new humanity (Colossians 1:18)

1. The result of the creation of a new humanity is that humans can now be fully alive, fully submitted and ruling, and we can experience an unending capacity to love like God.

III. LIVING AS IMAGE BEARERS (MATTHEW 25:34‐35;37;40)

A. “We love God as much as the person whom, we love the least.”

‐ Dorothy Day

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 What hinders us from fully living out the image of God?

 What about this thing of “ruling”? What does our “say‐so” really mean and what impact does it have in our lives and world?

 What about the people we do not love? What happens when we think about them as image bearers of God?

​GOOD READS:

N.T. Wright

Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon

I. COLOSSIANS 1:15‐20

II. FALSE IMAGES OF GOD

A. Our image of God affects the whole of our lives.

B. False images in…

1. History, philosophy, and religion

2. Composite images of God…even in the church!

C. Our passion for God cannot outrun our image of God.

III. GOD’S ICON…JESUS ‐ COLOSSIANS 1:15

A. Jesus is the only true and full revelation of God.

1. Col. 1:15; John 1:1; John 14:6; John 1:14; Hebrews 1:3

B. The contrast of past revelations of God with Jesus. (Hebrews 1:1‐3)

1. John 14:6‐9; Matthew 11:27

2. John 1:1; 1:14; 17:22; 1:15; 5:36; Matthew 11:11; John 1:17‐18

 Old Testament < John < Jesus

IV. READING THE OLD TESTAMENT

A. Always read it through the lens of God’s Icon…Jesus!

B. When you see an image of God that does not look like Jesus…

1. Assume it says more about the people He was working with than it does about God’s nature.

2. Realize that it is not the full revelation of who God is as seen in Christ.

3. Remember that God looks like Jesus no matter what!

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 Think about how you imagine God. Share your thoughts with the group.

 Where did you get your image of God? How much of a “composite” is it?

 Why is it so difficult to believe in the true image of God as revealed in Jesus?

 What did you think of the suggested (not dogmatic) approach to the Old Testament images of God?

Paul Copan

N.T. Wright

Gregory A. Boyd

I. REDEMPTION (COLOSSIANS 1:12‐14)

A. Slavery

1. The evils of slavery; physical and spiritual

B. Redemption

1. Apolutrosis (Greek for redemption)

2. To purchase freedom by payment

C. The ultimate abolitionist…Jesus!

1. Jesus redeems humanity from the domain of darkness

II. FREEDOM

A. The challenge of discipleship is to allow the truth of freedom “in Christ” to permeate our being.

1. Galatians 5:1 – “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

B. The challenge of living in the Kingdom

 Acknowledge the truth.

 Appropriate the truth.

 Give the truth of freedom more authority than any other thing…to define and guide.

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 Why is it difficult to live in the Kingdom of God? What challenges do we face once we leave the domain of darkness?

 What are some ways in which you still live under the domain of darkness? What residue gives you the most difficulty?

 What would it look like to acknowledge, appropriate, and act on the truth of freedom in this area of your life?

 Have you tried imagining your life without this piece of residue in your life?

I. THE BAD NEWS (COLOSSIANS 1:13; EPHESIANS 6:12; 1 JOHN 5:19)

A. The reality of the dominion of darkness

B. The reality of the human condition (Ephesians 2:1‐3)

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II. THE GOOD NEWS (COLOSSIANS 1:13‐14)

A. God has rescued humanity

1. Qualified; made us fit

2. For the inheritance of the saints

B. God has relocated us!

III. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! (COLOSSIANS 1:13‐14)

A. The realities of God’s kingdom

1. Realized eschatology

B. The reality of our new location (Philippians 1:27; 3:20)

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 Why is it so difficult for people today to believe in a “domain of darkness”?

 Where do you think the idea of human goodness came from? Do you believe that human beings are innately good? Why or why not?

 How is it possible for God to “transfer” humans into another realm and leave them in this one at the same time?

 What do you make of the phrase, “realized eschatology”? How does that reality work out in your everyday, ordinary life?

GOOD READS:

N.T. Wright

 

I. CONFRONTING FAULTY ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT GOD’S WILL (COLOSSIANS 1:9‐12)

A. The assumption that everything that happens is a part of God’s plan and therefore must be His will

1. The all‐controlling God

B. The assumption that we should decide everything based on what God tells us to decide

1. The all‐opinionated God

C. The assumption that we should do nothing without a green light from God

1. The all‐directing God

II. GOD’S WILL IN EVERYDAY LIFE (COLOSSIANS 1:9‐12)

A. God does have a plan.

1. Plans are intentions not detailed, preordained scripts!

B. How, then, do we live?

1. Trusting God…

…communing

…imagining

…discerning

…deciding

…doing!

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION:

 How have you thought about God’s will in the past? Was it helpful or hurtful?

 What kinds of problems arise when we assume that everything that happens is God’s will?

 What about when we assume that God wants to speak about every decision in life?

 Did anything in today’s talk seem to diminish the sovereignty of God?

GOOD READS/VIEWING:

Gregory A. Boyd

Gregory A. Boyd

Matt Damon & Emily Blunt

​N.T. Wright