Elements City Church
Good & Beautiful & Kind series - The Forces Behind our Fractures
As we look around at our world and wish for it to be better. We must acknowledge the forces behind the fractures that we all see and feel. Though we are weary of what is, we must hold to the truth that there is a hope that has been released. It’s the hope founded in Christ. Jesus has the power to push back against the brokenness of sin and darkness. And Jesus has enlisted his followers to be a part of the solution, releasing more of his goodness, beauty and kindness into our world.
Locations & Times
Elements City Church
1825 N Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712, USA
Sunday 5:00 PM
Welcome to Elements City Church
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https://share.fluro.io/form/6329f633da0feb00250cbd5fPOEM:
“Tired” - by: Langston Hughes
I’m so tired of waiting,
Aren’t you,
For the World to become good,
And beautiful and kind?
Let’s take a knife
And cut the world in two -
And see what worms are eating
At the rind.
This is NOT further language of division …
This is language of inspection…
We must get at the roots of the chaos in and around us.
“Tired” - by: Langston Hughes
I’m so tired of waiting,
Aren’t you,
For the World to become good,
And beautiful and kind?
Let’s take a knife
And cut the world in two -
And see what worms are eating
At the rind.
This is NOT further language of division …
This is language of inspection…
We must get at the roots of the chaos in and around us.
*remember a portion of the LORD'S PRAYER
May your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven.
(May the way things operate in heaven, operate here more and more)
The call of us Christ followers is to be part of God’s solution, not further stoke and exasperate the world’s problems…we’re to leverage our lives for God, His good and His gospel within our weary and broken world.
May your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in Heaven.
(May the way things operate in heaven, operate here more and more)
The call of us Christ followers is to be part of God’s solution, not further stoke and exasperate the world’s problems…we’re to leverage our lives for God, His good and His gospel within our weary and broken world.
This series premise flows from a book entitled: Good and Beautiful and Kind, by pastor Rich Villodas
How did we get here?
Today we’re going to look at some of the forces behind the fractures we see and feel.
How did we get here?
Today we’re going to look at some of the forces behind the fractures we see and feel.
Genesis 1-3 survey...
SIN has fractured all things.
And we’re still dealing with the consequences…
At the core, SIN is missing the mark of perfection; violating a rule - but is also violating relationship and it is failure to love — it’s a power that ‘curves us inward’ - in the words of Saint Augustine 400 AD (North African Bishop)
— humanity is: INCURVATUS IN SE, (CURVED IN ON ITSELF)
SIN usually conjures up images of lawbreaking, trespasses and debt (all helpful metaphors for understanding our relationship to God).
SIN is also a violation of love.
see Matthew 22:37-40 and 1 Cor. 13:13
If love is the greatest good, sin must be the antithesis of it.
Sin is not just a violation of a law — it’s the disruption of love.
following Jesus is to be ultimately measured by LOVE.
LOVE FOR GOD, EXPRESSED IN LOVE FOR NEIGHBOR…that’s the litmus test! (see Matthew 22:37-40)
SIN has fractured all things.
And we’re still dealing with the consequences…
At the core, SIN is missing the mark of perfection; violating a rule - but is also violating relationship and it is failure to love — it’s a power that ‘curves us inward’ - in the words of Saint Augustine 400 AD (North African Bishop)
— humanity is: INCURVATUS IN SE, (CURVED IN ON ITSELF)
SIN usually conjures up images of lawbreaking, trespasses and debt (all helpful metaphors for understanding our relationship to God).
SIN is also a violation of love.
see Matthew 22:37-40 and 1 Cor. 13:13
If love is the greatest good, sin must be the antithesis of it.
Sin is not just a violation of a law — it’s the disruption of love.
following Jesus is to be ultimately measured by LOVE.
LOVE FOR GOD, EXPRESSED IN LOVE FOR NEIGHBOR…that’s the litmus test! (see Matthew 22:37-40)
The entire story of the Bible is one person after the next, after the next, after the next, is MESSED UP!
Quote:
“All these people are a mess …. except this one guy.”
-Homer Simpson (his take on the Bible)
Quote:
“All these people are a mess …. except this one guy.”
-Homer Simpson (his take on the Bible)
Jesus came to rescue us from under the weight of sin…
Romans 3:24
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith…
All have sinned — and Praise the Lord - God has done something about it!
Romans 3:24
24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith…
All have sinned — and Praise the Lord - God has done something about it!
Theologian Karl Barth Quote:
“The reality of sin cannot be known or described except in relation to the ONE who has vanquished it.”
Whenever we talk about sin, we must immediately announce that it has been conquered by Jesus! At the cross we find humanity at its very worst
and yet God at his very best!!
“The reality of sin cannot be known or described except in relation to the ONE who has vanquished it.”
Whenever we talk about sin, we must immediately announce that it has been conquered by Jesus! At the cross we find humanity at its very worst
and yet God at his very best!!
Jesus Christ has defeated Sin and now invites us to a new life of helping introduce His healing within our world.
But SIN is still present and active within our world. And even bigger than the foundational problem of our individual sin — our world encounters a force that fractures things - that feeds on sin and brokenness of humanity — a force that is still active against the ways of God.
But SIN is still present and active within our world. And even bigger than the foundational problem of our individual sin — our world encounters a force that fractures things - that feeds on sin and brokenness of humanity — a force that is still active against the ways of God.
We have a great enemy — and it’s NOT against flesh and blood.
One of the schemes of Evil One is to have us believe that there is no Evil One.
(Quote)
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which humans can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…”
--C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
One of the schemes of Evil One is to have us believe that there is no Evil One.
(Quote)
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which humans can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…”
--C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
a definition of powers and principalities as:
"…spiritual forces that become hostile, taking root in individuals, ideologies and institutions, with the goal of deception, division and depersonalization”
(Rich Villodas)
3 key outflow workings of these powers and principalities - they're busy stirring up:
Deception
Division
Dehumanization
"…spiritual forces that become hostile, taking root in individuals, ideologies and institutions, with the goal of deception, division and depersonalization”
(Rich Villodas)
3 key outflow workings of these powers and principalities - they're busy stirring up:
Deception
Division
Dehumanization
Quote:
One of the biggest temptations in our world today is to dehumanize those we disagree with and in that process, we actually don’t know that we’ve done it. Not only does it harm the other person we’re bullying or mocking, but I think there’s something that’s being lost in our own soul flourishing as well.
-Eugene Cho (pastor / author)
One of the biggest temptations in our world today is to dehumanize those we disagree with and in that process, we actually don’t know that we’ve done it. Not only does it harm the other person we’re bullying or mocking, but I think there’s something that’s being lost in our own soul flourishing as well.
-Eugene Cho (pastor / author)
HOLD ONTO THE CROSS (always and forever)
Jesus died to destroy the work of SIN and of Satan and defeat the powers of the evil one, and in Christ (alone; through faith) we have overcome.
Jesus died to destroy the work of SIN and of Satan and defeat the powers of the evil one, and in Christ (alone; through faith) we have overcome.
God’s goodness, beauty and kindness marches on ever since that resurrection Sunday and it will find consummation one day when Christ returns...
His beauty, kindness and goodness is on the move in our here and now through His Church - his followers leveraging their lives to point people to the HOPE we have and the renewal Jesus can bring…
His beauty, kindness and goodness is on the move in our here and now through His Church - his followers leveraging their lives to point people to the HOPE we have and the renewal Jesus can bring…
Quote:
“The world’s problems are ultimately solved not through our actions but through Christ’s love. That’s where we place our hope: not in something we do, but in something God has already done.”
- Rich Villodas
“The world’s problems are ultimately solved not through our actions but through Christ’s love. That’s where we place our hope: not in something we do, but in something God has already done.”
- Rich Villodas
We're so grateful for our financial partners...
Thank you for giving your tithes and offerings. They enable us to be the church, and they help fuel the mission of Elements City Church. Our capacity to function as a church on a daily basis is directly impacted by your support, and we are so grateful for it! You can give online at the link below, or through the Elements City Church app.
http://elementscitychurch.org/giveWe're so glad you came to church tonight!
Gathering together as a church body to worship in song and in the Word is the best way to be refreshed in God's presence. We pray tonight has been a blessing to you as you start your week.
Next Sunday we continue our new series:
"Good and Beautiful and Kind"
Join us next Sunday evening for worship and stay current with all upcoming events in the Elements app:
- Faith and Family Night at the Tucson Roadrunners hockey game on Friday, Nov 22nd - get link to tickets in our app
-Cookies and Cocoa in the Courtyard, Sunday December 15th.
Gathering together as a church body to worship in song and in the Word is the best way to be refreshed in God's presence. We pray tonight has been a blessing to you as you start your week.
Next Sunday we continue our new series:
"Good and Beautiful and Kind"
Join us next Sunday evening for worship and stay current with all upcoming events in the Elements app:
- Faith and Family Night at the Tucson Roadrunners hockey game on Friday, Nov 22nd - get link to tickets in our app
-Cookies and Cocoa in the Courtyard, Sunday December 15th.