One of my
favorite teachings in the last ten years is the teaching in this message that
describes what I’ll refer to as the redemption pattern we see in
people/civilization prior to Abraham.
Mr. Johnson describes the pattern as grace, rebellion, judgment, and
then new grace. He uses the verse Romans
5:30 as an illustration of the pattern and paraphrases this truth by saying “where
sin is running out of control, grace is running even faster ahead of it.” He then torpedoes me with his account of the
Tower of Babel where the story concludes apparently with a Grace Vaccuum. Instead of new grace filling the rebellion
and judgment with redemption and grace Babel appears to spiral into the void.
No light, no truth, no hope, no grace.
Mr. Johnson captures the forlorn emptiness with this quote from Gerhart
Fan Ruhdt. “The whole primeval history therefore seems to break off into shrill
dissidence. And the question urgently
arises is God’s relationship to the nations finally broken? Is God’s gracious forebearance now exhausted? Has God rejected the nations in wrath
forever?” He then drops this crazy
cinematographic moment on the desolation spiral with this quote “the camera which
had been spanning all these universal themes zooms in on one man and on one
woman in one particular city of the earth.”
The fact that God’s universal, cosmic plan finds it fulfillment through
one particular dude and His wife stings the psyche. To think THE grand plan for space and time can
find its root in human particularity – Abraham’s life, my life, your life leaves
me dog faced twisted with wonder and amazement.
The scope of what God does through our particular lives is beyond
imagination. I wouldn’t believe God
works to the extent that He does through us without the grace inspired testament of the law,
prophets, & apostles. 1 Cor. 2:9 “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[a]— the things God has
prepared for those who love him—“
Romans 11:35 - Oh,
the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are
his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! To think that God redeems
all creation through particulars like you and
I is one of THE emotional/spiritual jolts that plows me into stunned worship. It is one of a select few TRUTH TAZES whose beauty & power inspires instantaneous absolute praise (For me at least) I LOVE THIS GOD!
TRUTH TAZE! I picture being zapped by a tazer with the truth, dropped to my knees or face down on the pavement immobilized by the power and every muscle fiber going haywire in praise! Love it! Yes it was super interesting to hear about the "redemption pattern". When Mr. Johnson was talking about the camera zooming in, I thought of scrolling through Google Earth and zooming from a view of the earth, to a view of Africa, to the town where Abraham and his wife lived, basically getting the camera lens foggy with the breath of these people as He calls them to follower ship.
ReplyDeleteI hear the makings of a Memorial Day Retreat sermon...."Taze Me Bro, Come On... Taze me!!!!!" Andy actually just volunteered to be tazed in front of the whole staff during your sermon. I can't wait!
ReplyDelete