How Does Jesus Darken The Doors Of A Church?
ASHLAND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
COURSE PAPER
FORMATIONAL HERMENEUTICS
BY
DAVE AMBROSE
ASHLAND, OHIO
DECEMBER 1, 2013
One of the most common struggles of pastoral work is ministering to people who come to church deflated, de-fused and defeated in their spiritual lives. Many people never muster up the courage to walk through the doors of a church because they’re afraid of what God may think about them, and many of those who actually do darken the doors of a church are all but convinced that they are dreadfully sinful people deserving of nothing more than God’s wrath and punishment.
When the journey of faith begins at the intersections of sin and shame, the destination …show more content…
If God can refer to the entire nation of Israel as ‘gods’ and ‘sons of the Most High’, then Jesus has provided historical precedent for why He chooses to refer not only to Himself as the “Son of God” throughout the Gospels, but specifically why it’s completely appropriate, even more, why it’s preferred that we understand our own identity as ‘gods’ and ‘sons of the Most High’ as we live the Christian life today. (Gaebelein 1991, 535) Indeed our complete goal in this life according to C.S. Lewis is to become a “little Christ” and to begin living out of this life-transforming truth! (Lewis 1952, …show more content…
An effective parent wants nothing more than for their children to know who they are at their core and to live out of that unique, God-given identity. An effective pastor also wants the members of his or her congregation to understand who they are created to be and to be able to live out of that identity. The problem with so many Christians today is that they’ve never been taught who they really are in Christ: At their core being, according to Jesus’ own teaching in John 10, they are gods. As followers of Christ, they have Christ’s unique DNA inside of them and that should make an immediate impact in their life as they learn to live as Children of God in this
COURSE PAPER
FORMATIONAL HERMENEUTICS
BY
DAVE AMBROSE
ASHLAND, OHIO
DECEMBER 1, 2013
One of the most common struggles of pastoral work is ministering to people who come to church deflated, de-fused and defeated in their spiritual lives. Many people never muster up the courage to walk through the doors of a church because they’re afraid of what God may think about them, and many of those who actually do darken the doors of a church are all but convinced that they are dreadfully sinful people deserving of nothing more than God’s wrath and punishment.
When the journey of faith begins at the intersections of sin and shame, the destination …show more content…
If God can refer to the entire nation of Israel as ‘gods’ and ‘sons of the Most High’, then Jesus has provided historical precedent for why He chooses to refer not only to Himself as the “Son of God” throughout the Gospels, but specifically why it’s completely appropriate, even more, why it’s preferred that we understand our own identity as ‘gods’ and ‘sons of the Most High’ as we live the Christian life today. (Gaebelein 1991, 535) Indeed our complete goal in this life according to C.S. Lewis is to become a “little Christ” and to begin living out of this life-transforming truth! (Lewis 1952, …show more content…
An effective parent wants nothing more than for their children to know who they are at their core and to live out of that unique, God-given identity. An effective pastor also wants the members of his or her congregation to understand who they are created to be and to be able to live out of that identity. The problem with so many Christians today is that they’ve never been taught who they really are in Christ: At their core being, according to Jesus’ own teaching in John 10, they are gods. As followers of Christ, they have Christ’s unique DNA inside of them and that should make an immediate impact in their life as they learn to live as Children of God in this