We pray and reflect about becoming like family as a church community scattered and gathered.
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CloseRyan Sim - March 26, 2014
Wednesday - Change It - Reset Society
Hi, welcome to Redeem the Commute. I'm Ryan your host of the Daily Challenges. Here we are in nature. And that's because this week we're studying how following Jesus resets our views of society’s divisions. We saw yesterday a vision of those in Christ being one with no divisions due to class, race or gender. Unfortunately there have been many divisions between Christian individuals and churches from history, influenced by wars, political differences, etc. but that is no excuse. For Christians this passage makes it clear that nurturing divisions from other Christians for race, class or gender comes under God’s judgement. Note the particular emphasis on Christians here – those who have been baptized into Christ. He’s reflecting on the ways a committed follower of Jesus acts in response to the gospel. His emphasis on baptism didn’t mean he thought a Christian was made by water – he’s so clear elsewhere that one is saved by faith alone. Water signifies what happens on the inside, and wouldn’t have been taken lightly in his day. No one was likely being baptized out of tradition, like we unfortunately have today. Only those who deliberately meant to follow Jesus, and were willing to risk everything for it, including family, social standing, inclusion in their ethnic group, would bother being baptized. The baptized risked these things for Christ, and gained a new family, a new society that is meant to be unified. To see further division in that would be a terrible shame, and undermine the message. When people are bound by Christ, those differences are not cause for division, but can be celebrated. Now this isn’t a statement that all religions are equally valid and good. Nor is it a statement that everything in every culture should be celebrated. He is saying those who say they follow Jesus need to overcome the divisions that others may promote. Here’s how John Stott put it: Celebrate richness of culture but not the idolatry that may be at its heart. What comes first is the faith and baptism into Christ. Then that changed, and reset heart can be led by the Holy Spirit to discern what parts of culture, ethnicity, gender roles, etc. are of Christ, and what is about idolatry – of the religious variety or the selfish variety. Paul himself tried to navigate this carefully. When he spoke in Athens, he explored a city full of altars to various gods, including one to an “unknown god”. He told them he knew the unknown God they’d been looking for. He found the one thing in their culture that he could celebrate. Question: Think critically: What parts of your own culture are rooted in idolatry? Idolatry doesn’t just mean worship of golden statues, but worship anything God created – things like money, power, ego, etc. What parts are compatible with life in Christ?
Related Topics: Class, Diversity, Gender, Race, Reset, Society | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "Reset"
When our computers get bogged down and unmanageable, we know to hit a reset button to simply start over. Wouldn't a reset button be great in life? We know it would be complicated, with all our responsibilities and routines to consider, but imagine the freedom and refreshment of a new start in life! What would you do differently? What would you pay more attention to, and what would you ignore? How would you avoid getting bogged down and broken again? The great news is, in coming to earth as Jesus Christ, God has begun to "reset" our universe, our world, and even us. We're invited to start over with him, in what he calls his kingdom. We're invited to start a new life with a clean slate. What gets wiped clean, and lived differently, when God resets our lives? We'll explore how God resets these key areas of our lives: Reset: Goals Reset: Time Reset: Money Reset: Work Reset: Body & Food Reset: Sex & Marriage Reset: Family Reset: Compassion Reset: Nature Reset: Society Reset: Death Join us for the next several weeks, and invite God to reset your life.
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
Jesus Is...Alive - Thursday | March 31, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Wednesday | March 30, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Tuesday | March 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Monday | March 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Thursday | March 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Wednesday | March 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Tuesday | March 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Monday | March 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Thursday | March 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Wednesday | March 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Tuesday | March 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Monday | March 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Thursday | March 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Wednesday | March 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Tuesday | March 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Monday | March 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Thursday | March 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Wednesday | March 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Tuesday | March 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Monday | February 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Thursday | February 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Wednesday | February 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Tuesday | February 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Monday | February 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Thursday | February 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Wednesday | February 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Tuesday | February 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Monday | February 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is.... Teacher - Thursday | February 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher- Wednesday | February 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher - Monday | February 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher - Monday | February 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Thursday | February 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Wednesday | February 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Wednesday | February 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Tuesday | February 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Monday | February 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Thursday | January 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Wednesday | January 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Tuesday | January 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is.. Perfect - Monday | January 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Thursday | January 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Monday | January 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Thursday | January 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Wednesday | January 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Tuesday | January 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Monday | January 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Friday | January 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Thursday | January 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Wednesday | January 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Tuesday | January 5, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Monday | January 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - God Is...Holy - Thursday | December 31, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - God Is...Encouraging - Wednesday | December 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - EPIC: Noah - Tuesday | December 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - EPIC: Adam and Eve - Monday | December 28, 2015 | Extra | Watch | Listen | |
God Is...Here - Thursday | December 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Wednesday | December 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Tuesday | December 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Monday | December 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Thursday | December 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Wednesday | December 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Tuesday | December 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Monday | December 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Thursday | December 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Wednesday | December 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Tuesday | December 8, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Monday | December 7, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Thursday | December 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Wednesday | December 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Tuesday | December 1, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Monday | November 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Thursday | November 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Wednesday | November 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Tuesday | November 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Monday | November 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Thursday | November 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Wednesday | November 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Tuesday | November 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Monday | November 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Thursday | November 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Tuesday | November 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Monday | November 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Thursday | November 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Wednesday | November 4, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Tuesday | November 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Monday | November 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Thursday | October 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Wednesday | October 28, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Tuesday | October 27, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Monday | October 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Thursday | October 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Wednesday | October 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Tuesday | October 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Monday | October 19, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Thursday | October 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Tuesday | October 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Wednesday | October 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Monday | October 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Friday | October 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Wednesday | October 7, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Tuesday | October 6, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Monday | October 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Friday | October 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Thursday | October 1, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Wednesday | September 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Tuesday | September 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Monday | September 28, 2015 | Waterworks | Watch | Listen | |
God Is...Saviour - Friday | September 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Thursday | September 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Wednesday | September 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Tuesday | September 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Monday | September 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Friday | September 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Thursday | September 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Wednesday | September 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Tuesday | September 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Monday | September 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen |