This Weekend's Message: All Together Separate

There are many books are movies that present a bleak view of the future. Books like 1984 and Brave New World present a vision in which individuality is squelched in favor of uniformity. Everyone must look the same, act the same, and think the same for the purpose of keeping society running in a well-ordered manner. In these grim visions of the future, there is no room for diversity.

Some people believe that within Christianity there is no room for diversity. After all, all Christians are required to have the same beliefs and the same morality. Don’t all Christians have to act the same, think the same, and worship the same? The big question behind this view is this: Is Christianity – and the God of the Bible – the enemy of diversity? The even bigger question is this: What does the Trinity have to do with making room for diversity?

Dan

This Weekend's Message: The Tie That Binds God

Many of us have worked in environments that used organizational charts. These charts help bring clarity about who is in charge, who answers to whom, how conflicts are resolved, and how decisions are made. The idea is that there needs to be some foundational idea behind making an organization work the way it should, instead of spinning out of control.

The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is not an individual in isolation, but rather a community of persons. He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, crude as this question may sound, how does this community of persons work? Is there an organizational chart, outlining clear procedures for decision-making? Does the Godhead function like a military with a chain of command? How does this whole thing work?

Dan

Does The Trinity Matter?

By Dan Franklin, Pastor of Teaching 

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the 

fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” 2 Corinthians 13:14 

Simplifying the Complex 
Whenever I have to explain something to my son, I am faced with the challenge of simplifying the complex. Sometimes I joyfully find myself cutting through the complexities and giving good explanations on questions about marriage or death or racism or other tough subjects. Other times I find myself stumbling along, trying to use words and ideas that make sense to a child.

Giving simple explanations to my kids has made me realize how often I accept certain ideas without understanding them at their most foundational level, without asking why I believe them or whether or not they even make sense. In the end, it is hard to embrace something when you don’t understand it at its most foundational level. A surface understanding only allows for a surface-level embrace.

Un-simplifiable? 
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most complex and confusing ideas ever posited. One God and three persons?! How can three be one? How can one be three? How can Jesus be equal to the Father and yet distinct from the Father? The Trinity is such a confusing idea that some consider it an outright contradiction. Others follow the adage, “The Trinity is the most mysterious doctrine in the Bible, and thus best left alone.”

The doctrine of the Trinity, however, is so core to the Christian faith that throughout history it has been considered a watershed issue. While Christians disagree on church structure and end times events and spiritual gifts, the Trinity is not a take-it-or-leave-it teaching. To deny the Trinity is to deny a central tenet of the Christian faith and a foundational reality about God. Throughout history men and women have chosen death rather deny that God is Triune.

Does This Really Matter? 
Many Christians affirm the Trinity, but don’t necessarily see the practical importance of the doctrine. We accept this confusing idea that there is one God and three persons, but it is only a surface acceptance.

However, it seems unlikely that a doctrine worth dying for wouldn’t have a practical impact on how we live and think and act. The fact is that the Trinity is not simply a theoretical doctrine. Far from it. The Trinity provides the basis for the nature of God, that he is not an individual in isolation, but a community of persons. It provides the basis for the nature of mankind, that we are created in God’s image as relational beings.

And it provides the basis for relationship, that we can be one as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one.

The implications of the Trinity are so far-reaching that when we ignore it, it is to our own peril. We end up living with an inferior view of God, of humanity, and of the great work of salvation that God has accomplished. But when we embrace the Trinity, we are set free to live and love in ways that we never would have thought imaginable.

In November, we will spend three weeks prayerfully and carefully approaching the biblical teaching on the Trinity and its implications for our lives. Invite someone to join us!

This Weekend's Message: The Deep Truth of God

Probably the most mysterious and confusing teaching in the Bible is the doctrine of the Trinity. It has a way of defying analogy. How can the one and only God be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? How can three be one, and how can one be three? Isn’t this a straightforward contradiction?

When we ignore the doctrine of the Trinity, many harmful things happen. For starters, we feed a habit of suppressing our natural questions about God. Also, we choose not to pursue a reality that will bring us joy and understanding. On top of these, we practice a pattern of separating our faith from our daily lives. The harmful impact of ignoring what the Bible teaches about God will have far-reaching effects in our lives, whether we realize it or not.

We are going to dive into the doctrine of the Trinity, starting this Sunday. Come ready not to solve a riddle, but ready to explore the identity of the God who created you and loved you enough to rescue you.

Dan