The Church as a Community of the Kingdom of God
The recordings below are from a conference led by Todd Hunter and Dallas Willard at Church of the Open Door in Minneapolis, MN November 4-7, 2004
The Kingdom as Reality
meditatively read Col 3.1-17 three times/day during conference. memorizing would be better.
being saved is being caught up in what X is doing on earth
our death is in the past
when X appears, we will be revealed. we are glorious beings
many of these passages are basically saying the same thing in different ways, b/c they're describing a life
cf. 1 Cor 13. all of these passages end with agape
Jesus invites us to live in the K
Ps 23 (I'll not want)
Mt 6.33 (seek first ... and all these things will be added)
Jos 1.8 (then you will make your way prosperous and have good success)
the Law is one of the best ways that you can find the KoG, if you will receive it by grace. Law is a manifestation of grace.
He restores my soul -- Ps 23
the Law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul -- Ps 19.7
you have to love the Law (see the goodness of God in it) or it will kill you (if you try to follow it)
[for all my concern about Dallas' overall interp. of the Beatitudes, he makes a great point in his favor when he goes on to 'you are the light of the world', which J's hearers most certainly would not have been regarded as, then or now]
God's problem: relating to us w/o blowing us away (by His nature and power)
no man can see God and live. we have to keep the Sun 90M miles away to live with it, and it's nothing compared to God.
difference b/t setting off an atomic bomb and using atomic power
human life is meant to run on divine power
sometimes with prayer, we have to change before we can get the answer we're praying for
[how do I need to change?]
we live in a cosmic shooting gallery. God has protected the earth during the time of human development.
we are to have dominion, which is responsibility
people feel responsible for creation, like whales. it's the remnant of the sense of being made in God's image
we even take on crazy stuff, like foresting Mars and controlling earthquakes
the K is real. ie, you can count on it
reality it's general: it's what you run into when you're wrong
Jesus invites us into the K and we get to know it by counting on it
the organ of spiritual knowledge is obedience.
temptation is your greatest opportunity to know the K
ambiguous in Scripture: temptation and trial
trials are temptations to sin
Js 1: count it all joy when you fall into all kinds of temptations
practically a good thing to work on
don't do what we're tempted to do. do what is right. trust God. and then watch for the hand of God
conforming to the law is a way of seeking the K
we can't do it on our own, but we don't have to. God will help.
but if we turn our back on God, we won't see Him acting.
[or, if we try to do it ourself]
baptized in the HS: God is acting all around and within you
important not to be misled by the fireworks. God used fireworks on Pentecost b/c He was doing a new thing
Pentecost was a continuation of the teaching ministry of Jesus
He said 'I'm going to go away. If I don't, the Spirit can't come. When I go away, the Father will send His promise of the Spirit'
Jesus went into the heavens/sky
wait until you endowed with power from on high
Pentecost began with hearing a sound from the heavens
Jesus had just gone into the heavens and this was coming from Him
the great announcement of the different, spiritual presence of X in their midst and the power of that
external manifestations were important, kind of incarnational witness to presence of Spirit
what was really important was the 'apostles' went from being scared, hiding in a room, running away, denying Him to standing up and speaking and thousands of people's hearts were changed
Vision: The Cooperative Friends of Jesus (Part 1)
spirituality is not mechanical. you don't identify laws and work system (like Xian Science)
the KoG is a person. prayer is a conversation.
difference b/t baptism in Spirit and filling with Spirit
baptism means to be surrounded or immersed in
there's a different emphasis in filling
we're commanded to be filled with the Spirit, but we are not commanded to be baptized with the Spirit
to be filled, there is initiative on the part of the fillee
means the same thing as grow in grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior JX
2 Cor 4.16-18
when we allow God to act when we're tempted, it adds spiritual substance to your history with God (weight of glory)
Jn 17.3: eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and JX
(only def. of eternal life in the Bible)
we tend to identify the filling with the manifestations
being alive in the Spirit puts you in a position to act, including being filled
filled by surrendering every aspect of life to action of God
Col 3.17
don't keep parts that you run. trust God with everything.
in the degree to which the Spirit moves in all aspects of our life b/c we have surrendered to it, we are filled with the Spirit
it includes special experiences, but don't confuse with them
salvation is not the same as a conversion experience. salvation is the larger life you move into through conversion
some people are saved w/o a distinct conversion experience, including great, evangelical saints
eg Robert Murray M'Cheyne
raised in families that breathed only the air of the KoG
we have overdone experiences and underdone growth
there's a process before and after conversion
some people think [and have been taught] that if they have had a conversion experience, there's nothing more that need be done
some people think the same about the baptism of the Spirit
result of baptism or conversion should be living in the Spirit
[but, again, our lack of good teaching confuses us here, not least not entering into immediate, practical discipleship complete with spiritual disciplines]
thinking about living in the KoG must include growth as a natural part
back to 2 Cor 4.17: momentary affliction is producing suffering
how do we grow? v18: look not at things that are seen, but at things that are unseen. seen = temporal, unseen = eternal
the K is not seen. your spirit is not seen.
take affections and will and everything in us and focus them on God's K. as we do, we become increasingly [spiritually] substantial, growing into the fullness of what God intends us to be
issues like baptism and filling are ways of understanding that growth
not the only ways. others are learning, d'ship, disciplines and so on; essential to practice of looking at things that are unseen
Scripture memorization, fasting
when you fast, you're looking away from biscuits and gravy that are seen
you're looking to the Word of God. Man shall not live by bread alone...
Heb 11: everything seen is made out of what is unseen, the Word of God, not quarks and strings and atoms ultimate level of reality is the Word of God, God in action
what we really believe about who Jesus is is the single most significant thing about anyone
Peter got it right, but it wasn't what he thought. He thought his man won the election (and that he was in the inner circle and bound for glory soon)
that's how we grow: sometimes we have the right answer but we don't know what it means. it's important that we said them, because we're going to find out, like marriage vows
Mt 16.16-18. K and church come together. keys to the K. what do you do with keys? go in. will build church on rock of confession. out of it comes com'ty which He is building
we can count on Him to build it. it's something He does, but we have to act, like growing in grace.
combination of active and passive that confounds some people. question is: who are we trusting?
we get to see people walk in w/keys to the K (Jesus is the One) and receive what they need
out of that comes the glorious com'ty of the Body of Christ, stretched out through space and time
the purpose of human history
Jn 15
when you come into the K, one of the things that happens is the transformation of your emotional life
joy and peace come with entering into the K
Jn 14: If you love me you will keep my commandments
Not that we obey to prove our love but that it is love that empowers us to obey
love produces obedience
Jesus called us friends b/c we know His will and what He's doing. So we're a Com'ty of friends
one way to witness: are you a friend of Jesus?
it's hard for people to say no. everyone knows and feels Jesus is good and different.
we cannot understand how shockingly revolutionary the love teachings of NT were, even of the OT
Lev 18: love your neighbor as yourself, love the alien
search literature since then and you won't find anything comparable
that's why Jesus said by this all men will know you are my disciples: if you love one another
He wasn't talking about dancing around in Fellowship Hall. He was talking about the kind of love that He had: life in the K under that administration of the Spirit
that love translates into doing everything that He said, like the SotM
we can gradually grow to be people who obey
it's easy to turn Jesus' teaching into legalism. eg, I won't say people are fools, but I will think it.
any explicit teaching can be turned into legalism by the ingenuity of human will
Jesus isn't giving laws. He's illustrating life in the K.
love is a set of the will: willing the good of the the person loved (the object)
to love God is to want what God wants
can be delight involved, but not always
may have to start with respect and move toward delight
with people, we have to watch out for our desire and theirs
especially in this day and age, we're tempted to say 'if you love me, you'll do what I want'
it depends on what you want. if i love you, i will your good, and if you want something that's not good for you, then i won't will that
we live in a culture largely incapable of distinguishing desire from love, and many people don't know there is a difference. that's why we have a lot of our social problems, including homosexuality. we're confused about the difference b/t desire and love
so when Jesus says love like i love you it has a tremendous amount of power in it
what would such a com'ty be like and how do you get it there?
what kind of fellowship would have to be in such a com'ty?
do we, in our congregation, do the things that will come together in such a way that love of this kind will be the bedrock reality?
we're scared of being know, b/c we're not sure people love us, and if they get to know us and don't love us, they could hurt us
if I love my fellows in the congregation, i might have to do things I don't want to
this kind of loving requires tremendous strength. you can't do it w/o God. it will pull you too hard. you have to be anchored in God.
Jesus says you're going to be living in the KoG, i've shown you how that's done, i've set you and example, we've seen something of the character and power and it will be made available to you, with that as a support, it's possible to step into the K of love
it affects the interactions we have with one another
if someone wants to talk with me, i have to listen, pay attention.
the first act of love is attention
one of those people that it's like you're the only person in the world that they have to pay attention to and they do
if you present a need to me, i have to approach it with my hand in God's hand. i can't meet that need, but I'm on the spot. God has to come in and I have to allow Him to work and not try to take control.
grandparents are given a great gift of love for their grandchildren. there's a level of attention. they really pay attention.
what if we were paying that kind of attention in our fellowships? that would be getting there.
no longer do I call you slaves
a friend has thought through and committed self, understands what needs to be done, doesn't stand around asking what to do next. they've entered in and they know what to do in trust of God
WWJD? Jesus would not have to ask what to do. He would know.
praying is a K interaction and you really count
many people let God off the hook by praying 'if it be your will'
much of the time we should know what would be a good thing for God
we take initiative. we pray for what is good. we ask that it glorify Jesus and to allow us to know the KoG. we don't just stand around saying 'what should i do?' that's a part of being responsible in God's image, stepping out toward what is good, trusting God to go with you. not just in prayer, but also in plans for business, church or whatever. Col 3.17
sometimes God will speak to you. sometimes He will not. He wants you to count and not just be a robot. someone who's new on the job has to be told everything. after a while, she needs to begin to know what to do.
we should be able to begin to act in faith based on what we know to be good
sure, we'll make mistakes, but we don't have to avoid that at all costs. some desire to know God's will is to not have to be responsible. Jesus teaches this throughout his teachings. we have to make a judgment. if we try to turn His teachings into laws, there will be gaps.
in a com'ty of love, you're free to make decisions, you're expected to and you make them in a framework of people who understand what their Master is about
this is a difficult point and why, almost without exception, people who get serious about Jesus' teachings turn them into laws
but they will not work as laws and are not meant to
Eph 4, 1 Cor 13, SotM, Col 3: they don't say the same things b/c they're not laws.
if you can do one of these [if you've become that kind of person], you can do the others
don't worry about the whole range (in our churches). just take some of the central things and concentrate on teaching people how to do them.
learning to do one will carry over to most of the rest
we're talking about a life, individually and together
living together, being open and candid about your life and theirs
it will require a different kind of covenant in most churches, but we can move toward that
we don't have an understanding of Jesus that automatically leads to d'ship. we don't have an understanding of grace that genuinely liberates us from legalism
Vision: The Cooperative Friends of Jesus (Part 2)
a part of what it is to love is not withdraw
but in our self-righteous concerns with correctness b/c we haven't gotten past legalism, can justify attacking and withdrawing within the fellowship of believers
[I'm almost a slave to my defensiveness]
since X is building His church, we can speak the truth in love b/c we're trusting grace
love people who disagree with me, including loving, blessing actions that are appropriate
eg, Aaronic blessing
beyond that, blessing those who curse us
if that's the heart of our fellowships, we can be intimate with one another w/o fear
we can give and pray more effectively for those who are around us
we learn to look at them as fellow pilgrims full of glory on their way to glory
we're getting toward a com'ty which can stand in the earth and bring forth the blessing to mankind of the Abrahamic covenant
you only get this through a decision to be a disciple of Jesus
a disciple is a student, with someone learning what they know
I'm learning from Him how to live my life as He would live it if He were I
take His teaching and recognize where they apply
open days and hours to Him. listen.
He's told us a lot in the Scriptures that won't be set aside.
then go beyond into things Scriptures don't speak to, like committee meetings
we do what is right, in love, and God will take care of us.
is it true? that's the acid test. how will God take care of me?
have to come by experience. being told will not bring conviction.
enter K, surrender life to Him as much as we know
act on faith you have, experience of reality of K give you more faith
Jesus' confidence often look ridiculous
'What, me worry?' -- Alfred E. Neumann ;-)
we have to act or nothing will happen
power steering
the way you know the presence of the Spirit in human life is that the outcome in incommensurable with the input
Spirit v. Flesh
Ishmael is child of flesh (God was not required)
Isaac is child of Spirit b/c he was beyond capabilities of Abraham and Sarah
be filled with Spirit. make more and more space for God to be present
break habits. our habit is to seize stuff and make it go
Paul knew that when he spoke, God spoke with him
when you act for God, you don't trust your capacity. you do your best. but you don't trust that.
you're active, but you don't trust in your action. you trust in the God who acts with you.
'without Me you can do nothing'
but if we do nothing, it will be without Him
normal, human relationships are a combination of activity and passivity that you can't separate out, like conversations or dancing
turn lose of your kingdom and in that way die to self
die to self: if I don't get my way, it's no big deal
one benefit of fasting is learning to be sweet and strong when you don't get what you want
for example, someone verbally mistreats me. if it's nothing, that's death to self.
i am important to God and others, but that's not an ego thing
you are something very important, but you're not the King
with that one move, most anger is eliminated b/c we get angry when someone crosses our will
we have a will, and that's good, but not if we want it to be accomplished most importantly of all
since I'm not running the show, I don't have to stick up for my importance
How Spiritual Formation Empowers and Informs Kingdom Living
2 Pet 1
the need of the church is never more money, people or credentials b/c the church has been at its best when it had the least of those
it had people of transformed character
Xianity is contagious. people catch it by contact.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence,[d] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
Rom 13: he that loves has fulfilled the law
when the will is turned away from God it becomes blinded, the mind becomes unreliable
Rom 1
when people refused to retain God in their knowledge, their minds become reprobate and their feelings went crazy
how is the heart going to be turned back to God? there has to come to it, through the mind, the Gospel of the Kingdom: there is a God who love you and invites you to become a part of His life
Jn 3.16 is basic information
the Bible has the best information on the most important issues of human life
with the change of thoughts, the feelings also change
as I think of God as someone who has loved and provided for me, my feelings begin to change
am I going to continue to trust myself and try to be the king of my life or am I going to choose to trust God?
make choices, interact with God, receive and grow in grace: in our hearts, soul, mind, body there is more of the action of God, the grace of God in action, changing each of those areas
are you ready to abandon lust?
we're in a desire culture. we think desire is something to be fulfilled, it's good.
it goes with God-given right to pursue happiness
how do you pursue happiness? you do what you want
that's a pure prescription for destruction
given our understanding of Xianity, is this passage from 2 Pet something we should do?
do we proceed on the assumption that people are making progress?
do we teach lessons that build on one another?
there are no prerequisites in Xian ed
we don't think of what we're learning that proceed through learning and habit-changing and growth
for example, someone who had progressed through a certain course wouldn't struggle with lust anymore
we tend to teach the same round of subjects to the same round of people
part of learning is having a clue about what is coming
Peter got blindsided by his own denial
Jesus was teaching him something
Jesus could have stopped Peter from denying Him
J was more interested in Peter's growth than in his momentary obedience
this is how grace comes into a life of growth
grace will put you in a situation where you can fail in order that you can be stronger b/c of what you've learned
when P said he wouldn't deny J, he probably envisioned a soldier saying 'I will kill you if you don't deny X'
but it was a little girl standing around a fire and he was not on guard
intentions only work if you're on guard (and then sometimes they don't)
the problem was his body's habitual behavior in a social context
context and habits ran ahead of intentions. he'd already done what he said he wouldn't do.
spiritual transformation is not just a matter of training the will
it comes through cooperation of Spirit, Word and will
it's not through your effort (but you must make an effort)
your will has to be engaged with changing what is in your mind (thoughts and feelings), body, social relationships and eventually soul
your heart with the mind minimally adjusted can direct your body into circumstances where your mind and soul and body and social relationships will be changed
all spiritual disciplines are bodily behaviors
we can direct our body under mind and will toward situations that will change everything in our being
those are generally spiritual disciplines
one way of discussing spiritual disciplines is to divide into imposed and voluntary
eg, driving to work
can listen to Scripture tapes and songs
can pray and meditate, eg, Hallowed by Thy Name
Peter changed through failure
we can try to change before and instead of failing
[Solitude, Silence and Sabbath can prepare us to abandon outcomes to God]
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