Our Relentless Pursuit of Informational Enlightenment, Behavior Modification, and Emotional Therapy.
Information
• Becomes a game of knowing: Who can know and defend what they know.”
• Don, “Biblical Trivial Pursuit”
• Our Approach to the Bible: To Figure It Out
Behavior Modification
• In MC, just get them to stop ______.
• Our Approach to the Bible: List of things to Do and Don’t do
Emotional Therapy
• Tell yourself “I’m allright” enough.
Q: Do you see yourself doing one of these? How so?
Luke 6:45-46
“One’s response to Jesus’ query is not simply to begin doing what he says! The issue is one of lordship, commitment, the offer of allegiance and fidelity.” (Joel Green)
Jesus pursues not less than these…
Jesus’ Relentless Pursuit of our Hearts
Define heart:
Honey Illustration
- Throughout the gospels Jesus is concerned for our heart. (Greatest Commandment)
- Throughout the OT, God is concerned for Israel’s heart. (Isaiah 1)
- NT Writers concerned with heart. (1 John 5)
Our hearts are not neutral!!!
What Idols Do
Idols enslave us.
Idols lie to us.
Idols fail us.
Idols steal worship from God.
Q: Does that make sense?
Q: How do you think “Idols” are effecting our community?
“There is only one Master, who can forgive (none of the rest ever will), and who will last (none of the rest ever can).” – Tim Keller
The Plan for June
Requirements
1. Gospel. You will never have the freedom or clarity to confront your idols if you do not have a firm and growing grasp on the gospel and how it is utterly opposed to both Irreligion and Religion. If you are not at home here, please work through this first.
2. Community. If you attempt this surgery on yourself without honest, loving, trusting community… you will bleed out. You are unable to battle your functional saviors alone.
3. Smashing. I’ll be honest. Because most people don’t have the first two working in their lives, most people don’t take the step from Section 2 to Section 3. They will identify their idols. But they will not dismantle them and replace them with Jesus. The final prerequisite is to commit to Smashing!