DETRIMENTAL COMPETITION-IV—John 3:22-36
Attention:
Another Pizza Please:
Deciding to have pizza for dinner, Mr. Collins called one of the pizza houses in the neighborhood & ordered a jumbo deluxe. He told the person on the other end of the line that He’d pick it up in 30 minutes. When Mr. Collins arrived, his mouth watering for hot pizza, he was told that his order had never been received. Furious, he lectured the young clerk on the poor service before storming out. On the way home, Mr. Collins, still hungry for pizza, stopped at a competing pizza shop & requested a jumbo deluxe.
“That's funny,” the young man said as he took his order. “You're the second person named Collins to order the same pizza in the last 45 minutes. I don't think the other guy is going to show.”
Mr. Collins was in competition with himself!
A person who undoes their own success thru their prideful attitude!
Christians & the Church indeed have ‘the market’ on truth. We are in competition with false doctrine. But the Church invites grave difficulties upon herself when they become competitors among themselves...i.e., When their competition becomes detrimental to God’s desire.
While empowered & triumphant in Christ, individual Christians within the church, & even the local Church, can become a breeding ground for a Competitive spirit, driven by turning privilege in Christ into entitlement & deserving. Such a Competitive spirit is unhealthy & Detrimental to the Christian faith.
A biblically doctrinal(truth) understanding is vital to your growth as a Christian! We must stand firm for the truth, & we must also be certain to avoid standing firm for that which is contrived of man!
*Verses :25 & 26 form the hinge/focus around which this passage flows.
John the Baptist pointed out the weakness/detriments/absurdities/incompatibilities of competitive ministry.
A competitive spirit can be detrimental to Christian ministry.
cf.—Php. 1:15-18—“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy & strife, & some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; & in this I rejoice, yes, & will rejoice.”
“The last thing...Jonah wanted...was for [the city of ]Nineveh to repent at his preaching; but” his... “message[from God]...produced repentance in spite of his ill intentions.”—MNTC
Local churches can operate & function as if they are in competition with other churches in the area. Any true church’s ‘competitive edge’ is supplied by Christ Jesus Himself! Together, we must be defenders of the faith(1Pet. 3:14-16; Jude :3-5).
We are always best served, & the Good News is best served, & the Kingdom of God is best served, by those who preach Christ from good will, rather than from envy & strife.
Jesus said, in Mark 3:24, 25—“If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”
*Example:—Any Christian ministry(VBS/Missions/Worship) can be an outreach OR a competition between churches.
When is a competitive spirit detrimental to Christian ministry?
9 detriments of a competitive spirit to Christian ministry.
(And these all center around ‘me,’ ‘my,’ & ‘mine’!)
We have already seen that,
A competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when...
1. Your LAND/AREA is Best(:22-23)
2. Your IMMERSION/Baptism is Best(:23-24)
3. Your PURITY is Best(:25-26)
Our concern at FBCC is that you leave the ‘land’ of YOUR’ for the ‘land of the LORD!’
4—A competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when...
Your PLAN is Best(:27-28)
Explanation:(27-28)
:27—“John answered & said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.”
John answered the competitive fears of his disciples by reiterating Jesus’ place in God’s plan/history. He called attention to the fact that no man can accomplish anything in God’s will unless God’s “heaven” itself allows it.
In other words, John was commending Jesus’ ministry as being from God, & thereby being worthy of the attention & devotion of others(:26), even if those others were John’s former disciples.
“Answered”—apokrinomai—Verb—1) To give an answer to a question proposed, to answer; 2) To begin to speak, but always where something has preceded(either said or done) to which the remarks refer. Strong—To conclude for oneself, i.e. by implication--To respond; by Hebraism[compare hne[To eye, heed, respond; speak; sing, shout, announce]--To begin to speak(where an address is expected).
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)—&—krinw—properly--To distinguish, i.e. Decide(mentally or judicially); by implication--To try, condemn, punish.
“Can”—dunamai—Verb—1) To be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability & resources, or of a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom; 2) To be able to do something; 3) To be capable, strong & powerful. Strong—To be able or possible.
“Receive”—lambanw—Verb—1) To take—1a) To take with the hand, lay hold of, any person or thing in order to use it—1a1) To take up a thing to be carried, 1a2) To take upon one's self, 1b) To take in order to carry away—1b1) without the notion of violence, i.e To remove, take away, 1c) To take what is one's own, to take to one's self, to make one's own—1c1) To claim, procure, for one's self—1c1a) To associate with one's self as companion, attendant, 1c2) Of that which when taken is not let go, to seize, to lay hold of, apprehend, 1c3) To take by craft(our catch, used of hunters, fisherman, etc.), to circumvent one by fraud, 1c4) To take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. To appropriate to one's self, 1c5) Catch at, reach after, strive to obtain, 1c6) To take a thing due, to collect, gather (tribute), 1d) To take—1d1) To admit, receive, 1d2) To receive what is offered, 1d3) Not to refuse or reject, 1d4) To receive a person, give him access to one's self, 1d41) To regard any one's power, rank, external circumstances, & on that account to do some injustice or neglect something, 1e) To take, to choose, select, 1f) To take beginning, to prove anything, to make a trial of, to experience; 2) To receive (what is given), to gain, get, obtain, to get back. Strong—a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally & figuratively [properly objective or active, to get hold of; whereas decomai is rather subjective or passive, to have offered to one; while aireomai is more violent, to seize or remove]).
“Nothing”—oudeiv, including feminine--oudemia & neuter--ouden—Pronoun—1) No one, nothing. Strong—Not even one(man, woman or thing), i.e. None, nobody, nothing.
From—oude—Not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even—&—eiv—(including the neuter -(etc.)- en hen); A primary numeral; one.
“Unless”—ean mh—Conjunctive Particle—1) If not, unless, whoever ... not. Strong—If not, i.e. unless.
“Given”(See :34, 35)—didwmi—
“From”—ek/ex—Prep.—
“Heaven”(See :31)—ouranov—Noun Masc.—1) The vaulted expanse of the sky with all things visible in it—1a) The universe, the world, 1b) The aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds & the tempests gather, & where thunder & lightning are produced, 1c) The sidereal or starry heavens; 2) The region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal & consummately perfect where God dwells & other heavenly beings. Strong—perhaps from the same as orov(through the idea of elevation—Probably from an obsolete orw(to rise or “rear”)); The sky; by extension--Heaven(as the abode of God); by implication--Happiness, power, eternity; specifically, the Gospel(Christianity).
:28—“You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ ”
John now turns his own disciple’s attention to the fact that he-(John)- himself had previously & openly declared that he was not the “Christ”/Messiah(1:19-23).
Jn. 1:19-23—“Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests & Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, & did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the LORD,”’-(Isa. 40:1-5)- as the prophet Isaiah said.””
Isa. 40:1-5—“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, & cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’S hand Double for all her sins.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain & hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Not only that, but John also had unabashedly declared that his own purpose was bound up in his being “sent before” “the Christ.” John was the promised herald/harbinger of the Lord’s Christ to make ready a people prepared for the Lord”(Lk. 1:15-17).
Lk. 1:15-17—Gabriel prophesies to Zacharias regarding his son, John the baptist—“For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, & shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit & power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ & the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John’s purpose in his baptizing the multitudes(?) & specifically in baptizing Jesus, was directly tied to revealing/introducing Jesus to Israel as her Messiah(Jn. 1:31-34).
Jn. 1:31-34—“I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, & He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, & remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ “And I have seen & testified that this is the Son of God.”
*John’s disciples should have all gone to Jesus but yet John was called to physically baptize people, calling them to repentance for the remission of their sins(Mk. 1:4-5).
However, that actual ‘remission’ would only be fully accomplished in Christ at the Cross with His subsequent resurrection & ascension.
Mk. 1:4-5—“John came baptizing in the wilderness & preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, & those from Jerusalem, went out to him & were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”
Yet even John the Baptist (rightly)questioned his own understanding(partially formed by cultural acceptance & teaching) of Messiah Jesus!:
Lk. 7:18-23, 29-30—“Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things-(about Jesus’ ministry)-. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, & evil spirits; & to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered & said to them, “Go & tell John the things you have seen & heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”.....“And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees & lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.”
“You”—umeiv—
“Yourselves”—autov—
“Bear...Witness”[See :26—“Testified”]—marturew—Verb—1) To be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. To affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration—1a) To give(not to keep back) testimony, 1b) To utter honorable testimony, give a good report, 1c) Conjure, implore. Strong—To be witness, i.e. Testify(literally or figuratively).
“Said”-(See :26, 27)-—epw—
“Not”—ou, ouk, or ouc—Particle—1) No, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer. Strong—a primary word; the absolute negative [compare mh] adverb; No or not.
“Christ”—Cristov—Adj.—Christ = “Anointed”—1) Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God; 2) Anointed. Strong—Anointed, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.
From—criw—probably akin to craomai[to furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, “graze”[touch slightly], light upon, etc.), i.e. (by implication--To employ, or by extension--To act towards one in a given manner] through the idea of contact; To smear or rub with oil, i.e. by implication--To consecrate to an office or religious service.
“Sent”-(See :34)-—apostellw—Verb—1) To order(one) to go to a place appointed; 2) To send away, dismiss—2a) to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty, 2b) To order one to depart, send off, 2c) To drive away. Apostellw includes a reference to equipment & suggests official or authoritative sending. Strong—Set apart, i.e. by implication--To send out(properly, on a mission) literally or figuratively.
From—apo—a primary particle; “Off,” i.e. Away(from something near), in various senses(of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative).—&—stellw—properly--To set fast ("stall"), i.e. figuratively--To repress reflexively--Abstain from associating with.
“Before”—emprosyen—Adverb—1) In front, before—1a) before, i.e. In that local region which is in front of a person or thing, 1b) before--In the presence of, i.e. Opposite to, over against one, 1c) before--In the sight of, 1d) before--Denoting rank. Strong—In front of(in place [literally or figuratively] or time).
Argumentation:
Abraham(patriarch of Israel ~3500 years ago):
Gen. 15:1-5—“After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, & the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside & said, “Look now toward heaven, & count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
Gen. 16:1-4—“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai. Then Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, & gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan. So he went in to Hagar, & she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress became despised in her eyes.”
Gen. 18:9-15—Then they-(YHWH & 2 angels)- said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” So he said, “Here, in the tent.” And He said, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, & behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” (Sarah was listening in the tent door which was behind him.) Now Abraham & Sarah were old, well advanced in age; & Sarah had passed the age of childbearing-(89yrs)-. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also-(99yrs)-?” And the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ “Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. And He said, “No, but you did laugh!”
Solomon(king of Israel 970-931 BC):
1Kgs. 11:1-8—“But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, & Hittites-- from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, & three hundred concubines; & his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; & his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, & after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, & did not fully follow the LORD, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, & for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense & sacrificed to their gods.”
2Kgs. 23:13—King Josiah’s reforms included Solomon’s still standing worship sites for foreign gods ~300 yrs. prior—“Then the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, which were on the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, & for Milcom the abomination of the people of Ammon.”
Jeroboam(king of the northern kingdom of Israel):
1Kgs. 12:20, 25-33—“Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him & called him to the congregation, & made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.”.....“Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, & dwelt there. Also he went out from there & built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, & they will kill me & go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, & said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And he set up one in Bethel, & the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places, & made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, & offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, & offered sacrifices on the altar & burned incense.”
Ps. 2:1-12—“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD & against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure: “Yet I have set My King On My holy hill of Zion.” “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, & I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”
Ps. 33:10-22—“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance. The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. No king is saved by the multitude of an army; A mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, On those who hope in His mercy, To deliver their soul from death, And to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help & our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, Because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, Just as we hope in You.”
Prov. 15:22—“Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.”
Prov. 19:20-21, 23—“Listen to counsel & receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days. There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’S counsel--that will stand.”.....“The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”
Jer. 29:11-14—“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace & not of evil, to give you a future & a hope. Then you will call upon Me & go & pray to Me, & I will listen to you. And you will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, & I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations & from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, & I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
**1Cor. 2:4-14—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
**1Cor. 1:18-25—“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, & Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block & to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews & Greeks, Christ the power of God & the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, & the weakness of God is stronger than men.”
**Php. 4:13—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Illustration:
There are so-called ‘churches’ that decide it is best to forego anything associated with a vicarious blood atonement, along with the criminal shame & necessity of a crucified Christ who is the Son of God, so they can reach a larger audience...Which will in turn get them more money...Which in turn affords more space & larger pay-checks, & greater creature comforts...Which in turn, placates a spoiled entitled constituency with no adherence to the true Christ!/Such ‘churches’ are fleshly, worldly, a sham, a blasphemy, & a stench in God’s nostrils!
From: The Unitarian Universalist Association(‘church’):
“We are people of all ages, people of many backgrounds, & people of many beliefs. We create spirituality & community beyond boundaries, working for more justice & more love in our own lives & in the world.”
“Unitarian Universalism affirms & promotes seven Principles, grounded in the humanistic teachings of the world's religions. Our spirituality is unbounded, drawing from scripture & science, nature & philosophy, personal experience & ancient tradition as described in our six Sources.”
“Rev. Kathleen Rolenz said, “Throughout history, we have moved to the rhythms of mystery & wonder, prophecy, wisdom, teachings from ancient & modern sources, & nature herself.”
7 Principles:
The inherent worth & dignity of every person;
Justice, equity & compassion in human relations;
Acceptance of one another & encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
A free & responsible search for truth & meaning;
The right of conscience & the use of the democratic process within our congregations & in society at large;
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, & justice for all;
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
6 Sources:
Direct experience of that transcending mystery & wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit & an openness to the forces which create & uphold life;
Words & deeds of prophetic women & men which challenge us to confront powers & structures of evil with justice, compassion, & the transforming power of love;
Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical & spiritual life;
Jewish & Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason & the results of science, & warn us against idolatries of the mind & spirit;
Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life & instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
“Unitarian Universalists have many ways of naming what is sacred. Some believe in a God; some don’t believe in a God. Some believe in a sacred force at work in the world, & call it “love,” “mystery,” “source of all” or “spirit of life.” We are thousands of individuals of all ages, each influenced by our cultures & life experiences to understand “the ground of our being” in our own way. Unitarian Universalists are agnostic, theist, atheist, & everything in between.”
Application:
?In YOUR mind, Is YOUR PLAN Best?
?Is YOUR spirit Detrimental to OR Conducive to Christian Ministry?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
“That's funny, ...You're the second person named Collins to order the same pizza in the last 45 minutes."
Action:
A competitive spirit is detrimental to Christian ministry when...
4. Your PLAN is Best(:27-28)
1. Your LAND/AREA is Best(:22-23)
2. Your IMMERSION/Baptism is Best(:23-24)
3. Your PURITY is Best(:25-26)
Pt. 4 only! presented 06/11/2017am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE(Ave. A)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
