Firbush Retreats Firbush retreats are organized and led by Robert T. Walker. Firbush retreats are designed to make the best theology accessible to as many people as possible and especially those not trained in theology and often not familiar with routine technical terms. They combine times of worship and prayer with reflection on a theme related to Torrance theology. For more information see https://tftorrance.org/firbush. ----------- Firbush Retreat Summer 2015 Baxter Kruger, "The Message of the Gospel: I" https://tftorrance.org/firbushS2015 The audio recording for this presentation is available on the Firbush Retreat section of the website for the Thomas F. Torrance Theological Fellowship. The following AI transcript is too rough to rely upon, but perhaps useful for word searches and time-stamps. It is unretouched; if anyone wishes to listen to it and clean it up we will be happy to post an improved version (contact the webmasters). We invite speakers to send us slides for their talks, which we will post alongside the audios and transcripts. If any speaker wishes to have their talk removed from the website, just let us know and we'll take down both the audio and the transcript. ------------ 00:00-00:07 Advanced Greek grammar exegetical paper on that very passage and as I was studying that very passage I came across the question 00:07-00:12 Is Paul talking about until we attain to unity of the faith and of knowledge of the Son of God? 00:12-00:19 He's talking about our faith and our knowledge of the Son of God. Is he talking about Jesus' faith and his knowledge becoming ours? 00:19-00:26 I never thought about that. So I started researching it and the more I researched it the more I realized you are in trouble here 00:27-00:31 This is reformed theological seminary and this is a very conservative 00:31-00:35 Calisthenic school and they don't talk about things quite this way 00:35-00:38 And you know what I discovered as I looked into this question 00:38-00:43 Art is all talking about our faith and knowledge or is he talking about Jesus' faith and knowledge 00:43-00:50 It became more and more clear to me that he was clearly talking about Jesus' faith and Jesus' knowledge and that's how I discovered T.F. Torrance 00:50-00:55 He was one of the ones who started this debate back in the 50s 00:55-01:01 I don't remember the detail of the name of the article, but I read it and of course he's very strong on 01:01-01:03 This is the faith of Jesus 01:03-01:05 And of course, that's what Paul was saying. He said it earlier 01:05-01:10 There's only one faith and that's the face of Jesus and he's the author and finisher of faith 01:10-01:16 So I worked from that that was amazing to me and that launched me into sort of a little bit of a closet 01:16-01:19 study of T.F. Torrance and 01:19-01:25 I was fascinated but what fascinated me and one thing in my heart was that 01:25-01:30 When I was in college, this would have been four, three, four years earlier 01:30-01:35 I came across Athanasius' little treatise on the incarnation of the word of God 01:35-01:40 And he rocked my world with one little phrase, one little statement 01:40-01:45 He said what then was God, this is in section six if you want to note 01:45-01:49 What then was God being good to do 01:49-01:53 When his creation was on the road to ruin and lapsing into non-being 01:54-02:02 And something in that spoke deeply to my heart because it changed my basic or challenged my basic vision of God 02:02-02:06 Because for Athanasius, God is good, not good sometime or good toward the elect 02:06-02:09 but good 02:09-02:12 And he loves his creation not just part of it 02:12-02:19 But all of it and it quickened me and it set me on a journey through college and then eventually led me to seminary 02:19-02:24 But in between college and seminary was this little camp in North Carolina called Camp Rockmart 02:24-02:31 And I was sitting, I signed up late to be a counselor and I was the last counselor to sign up 02:31-02:36 So I guess I got the hardest group and the hardest group of the 13 year olds 02:36-02:40 They were all veteran they'd been there since they were six. They knew every trip. They would not do anything 02:40-02:44 And I could not get them up and one morning we had a special 02:44-02:50 devotion and it was together instead of doing cabin wise like we did every morning 02:50-02:54 We had a we had a whole camp life and it met in gymnasium 02:54-03:00 And I could tell by the way the announcement was that we were all expected to be there and be there on time 03:00-03:05 And there was no way you're getting 13 year old boys to go to you know a devotion at 730 in the morning 03:05-03:08 But I bribed them I told them we weren't going to do the girls dance 03:08-03:14 So we were still late and we walked in and the only seats available right here on the front 03:14-03:18 and I sat right there and my boys were right here and 03:18-03:25 We were waiting for this all of a sudden the door opens and in walks Billy Graham 03:25-03:28 He just happened to live right around the corner 03:28-03:30 He was personal friends with the camp director 03:30-03:35 And I didn't know it was the tradition for him to come and speak and that man had brother spoke and he was this close 03:35-03:41 And you could feel you could feel the reality of the spirit from him 03:41-03:46 I don't think he and I would agree on our theology at points 03:47-03:53 But I know he looked at me or it felt like he looked at me and he said these words 03:53-03:56 and you shall know the truth and 03:56-03:58 Truth shall set you free 03:58-04:01 and 04:01-04:05 That answered the first question of my life 04:05-04:08 My whole life and my mother was here 04:08-04:13 She would tell you I was born wrestling with all these things the question of the first part of my life is 04:15-04:22 What is the answer what am I searching for and the answer with according what Jesus is saying what Billy Graham spoke to me is 04:22-04:26 You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. I look back now 04:26-04:31 30 something years later and I realized that that was also a question 04:31-04:33 What then is the truth? 04:33-04:38 And what does it mean to know it and what is this freedom? 04:38-04:44 And I heard this echo in that do not accept any substitutes 04:45-04:49 You will know you've discovered the truth when you're absolutely set free by it 04:49-04:52 Don't compromise go for it 04:52-04:55 So I didn't know at the time I was a junior in college 04:55-04:58 I didn't know at the time that I had just been summoned. I 04:58-05:01 Didn't know that this was going to be the question of my life 05:01-05:03 I didn't know that I was going to go to seminary 05:03-05:05 I didn't know that I didn't up in Scotland and 05:05-05:09 Believe it or not. I never went to seminary and I didn't come here to study because I wanted to be a preacher 05:09-05:11 I never felt called to be a preacher 05:12-05:15 Until August, I mean October to October's ago now 05:15-05:17 I've been preaching my whole life as many of you know 05:17-05:24 But I had not felt called what I've got called to is find out what Jesus meant when he said you shall know the truth 05:24-05:29 And the truth shall set you free because in my world it looked like the church was trying to set us free 05:29-05:35 And in my world it looked like the church was really struggling to figure out how to set people free 05:35-05:39 but Jesus is saying you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free and 05:40-05:44 That became the question of my life and it eventually led me here, but because 05:44-05:51 When I started reading TF Torrance, I felt like I was in touch with Athanasius either this guy knows that the nation 05:51-05:54 He's the same spirit the same heart 05:54-05:58 the same vision the same huge Jesus 05:58-06:02 The dwarf the Jesus that I grew up with in my Calvinism 06:02-06:09 so TF by this time had retired the baby was in an Aberdeen and I applied and I didn't think I would ever get in and 06:10-06:13 I did I came I got the study with JB 06:13-06:16 And got to listen to him. I 06:16-06:19 Remember he did this a lot 06:19-06:23 He had his black teaching gown on hair was silver and blown back and he had these eyebrows 06:23-06:29 And he had black teaching gown with 30 years of chalk dust and he had it. He had his little electric 06:29-06:35 He would do his 06:35-06:38 Confessio 06:38-06:40 Contritio satisfaction 06:40-06:44 so said the Catholics if you confess your sins and 06:44-06:52 if you're contrite and if you make reparation then and only then will God be gracious to you and forgive you a 06:52-06:54 Yoke grievous to be born 06:54-06:57 Calvin in the reformers said no 06:57-07:01 And then he would say you do it and he would say 07:01-07:04 forgiveness is 07:04-07:08 Logically prior to repentance and I sat there and 07:08-07:12 I thought 07:12-07:14 You have just in one phrase 07:14-07:18 Systematically undone 07:18-07:20 the entire edifice of 07:20-07:28 Western modern evangelical thought in one single phrase and I asked him about it later. I said you do realize 07:28-07:31 What you're doing and he says oh dear 07:33-07:37 I said, how do you deal with this? He says he says prayer I 07:37-07:44 Came here to this country because I felt in my heart that in this conversation 07:44-07:49 that JB tarps and TF tarps and the first person I actually met was Mary and 07:49-07:53 she's the one that told me to read Bart and 07:53-07:56 That was the older sister 07:56-08:01 And I felt like there was something here in this conversation 08:01-08:06 It was absolutely at the heart of the gospel something that I had not seen that I could not see that 08:06-08:10 I could not break out of and I could feel it and I could taste it in TF and I read and read and read 08:10-08:12 And read read 08:12-08:15 And one day I was sitting reading the John's gospel 08:15-08:18 And I suddenly saw it 08:18-08:25 And I saw it as only Jesus can say it and as only John would be able to recognize that this needs to be recorded 08:25-08:27 and handed on and 08:28-08:34 It's verse 20 of chapter 14 and I suddenly realized that here in this verse 08:34-08:39 Is Jesus grabbing the entire message of the scripture and John? 08:39-08:45 Recording it and he's squeezing it and squeezing it and squeezing it and squeezing it says you want to know what the truth is here 08:45-08:49 It is it drops out one little drop one little tiny verse 08:49-08:55 Jesus is speaking to his disciples in the upper room and they are 08:56-08:58 They are streaking the sadness 08:58-09:01 They have thrown in their life with Jesus 09:01-09:05 and he's fixed to be gone and they don't know what to do and 09:05-09:10 they're sad and they're afraid because they know they don't have the power to do what they're supposed to do and 09:10-09:13 Jesus says to them I will not leave you off 09:13-09:16 Which alone is good enough. I 09:16-09:22 Will not leave you orphaned. I will come to you and not only that but I'm going to send another 09:23-09:29 Paraclete or endorser one who will bear witness with your spirit in here as to who you really are 09:29-09:32 And he says in that day 09:32-09:35 Which is and this is verse 20 in that day 09:35-09:39 You will know 09:39-09:45 That I am in my father and you are in me and I am in you 09:48-09:54 And when I read that I thought how in the world have I missed this all these years 09:54-09:59 What is the truth that sets us free? It's right there. Jesus says it's me and 09:59-10:02 Not just me alone 10:02-10:09 But me in my father me in my relationship with my father and you not outside looking up but you in me 10:09-10:15 And not just you in me, but I knew and what John does 10:15-10:21 Quoting Jesus a lot, but John does this all through his gospel. He makes these declarations. I 10:21-10:24 Come from a world where it's all about invitation 10:24-10:29 And John's not an inviting man. He doesn't invite you he declares 10:29-10:32 He quotes Jesus. I am the light of the world 10:32-10:35 not I will be I 10:35-10:41 Am the light of the world and I'm he doesn't even say I'm the light of the Christians 10:41-10:45 He says I'm the light of the whole cosmos 10:45-10:51 I am the light of the cosmos and the one who follows me or as I like to say the one who's willing to raise 10:51-10:53 His or her hand and say Jesus 10:53-10:58 Would you give me your eyes because I don't see this and it doesn't look this way to me 10:58-11:02 But I want to see things the way you see them and I want to take sides with you Jesus against the way I see 11:02-11:04 myself and other people and creation 11:04-11:07 That's what repentance is 11:09-11:16 Metanoia is changing the way you see it's saying to Jesus. I want to see with your eyes. I want to hear with your ears 11:16-11:20 I want to love with your heart. I want to know with your mind 11:20-11:23 Your fullness I want to share you 11:23-11:27 Jesus take my mind 11:27-11:33 And I think I've got a new translation of Romans where Paul says be transformed by the renewing of your mind 11:33-11:37 I think that should be translated be transformed by the blowing of your mind 11:37-11:44 Because the Jesus Christ that John is talking about is not the Jesus we've been talking about 11:44-11:48 This is where we have died of boredom in the Western Church 11:48-11:53 We've been having these peripheral theological conversations over here 11:53-12:00 But they have not been about the main thing and the main thing is the truth that can set the entire world free 12:00-12:07 And his name is Jesus and he's not this little shrunken Jesus that we can make Lord of our lives at some point 12:07-12:11 And I was reading this passage all this lights going off and it's taking me all these years 12:11-12:16 25 years to begin the process and think and understand and then it hit me 12:16-12:19 John 12:19-12:21 Starts his gospel right there 12:21-12:29 In my world we started with God is holy and we fail Adam botched it and Jesus has to come and fix this thing 12:29-12:35 He's got to come straighten this mess out and that wretched doctrine of penal substitution 12:35-12:42 Where we have the father the son at odds and the father turning his back upon his son. I don't mind telling you 12:42-12:45 That's some sick stuff 12:45-12:48 What John is telling us in his very beginning of his gospel? 12:48-12:53 Is that in the beginning is this relationship father and son in the beginning is the word? 12:53-12:58 What's the word and the word was with God and the word was God and the word that he uses in that passage is? 12:58-13:04 The word props which doesn't mean just with like side by side. It means to be turned toward it means to be face to face 13:04-13:06 He's 13:06-13:11 Starting out his entire gospel exactly what he's saying in John 14 20 in that day 13:11-13:14 You're going to know you're going to come to know something is truth before you make it true 13:14-13:17 And in my world in the United States 13:17-13:23 I I think that most Christians think that it's not true until they make it true by their faith 13:23-13:26 And so their faith is actually the magic in the universe 13:26-13:30 John is saying in that day when the Holy Spirit 13:33-13:34 Shines the light 13:34-13:41 When the Holy Spirit brings about this awakening when the Holy Spirit is at work inside of your mind and inside of your heart 13:41-13:45 You are going to be focused on something other than yourself 13:45-13:51 And he starts his gospel there to focus them from the very beginning in the beginning was the word and the word was face to 13:51-13:54 Face with the father he ends his prologue in the same place 13:54-13:59 No, man has seen God at any time the one who is in the bosom of the father 14:00-14:06 He starts this his gospel at with a relationship and please notice with me. It has nothing to do with you or me 14:06-14:09 the bedrock foundation JB said this a 14:09-14:16 Thousand times and I can close my eyes and hear the heart of the New Testament is the relationship between the Father and Son 14:16-14:20 It's not just the heart of the New Testament. It's the heart of all creation 14:20-14:27 The very first thing where we go for renewal where we go to be reawakened where we go when we're being overwhelmed 14:27-14:32 Because it doesn't look this way on planet Earth right now where we go is right back with John to see and behold 14:32-14:34 This relationship between the Father and the Son 14:34-14:39 And I can tell you this relationship. It is not sad 14:39-14:44 And I can tell you that Jesus does not have a little pocket little card in his pocket that he pulls out 14:44-14:48 Ten things I must do to make sure my father likes me today 14:48-14:55 And what do you think Jesus hears when he's turned face to face with his father? What do you think he hears? 14:55-14:57 Straighten up 14:57-15:02 What do you think he hears when he hears the father call his name I 15:02-15:07 Can tell you what when my father called me by my full name. I wasn't coming 15:07-15:10 What do you think Jesus hears? 15:10-15:13 What is John trying to help us to do? 15:13-15:18 He's trying to help us to see that the most important thing in the universe is this relationship 15:18-15:21 Well, let's talk about it for a minute. I mean Jesus. What does he hear? 15:22-15:25 Does he hear look Jesus? I hadn't made up my mind about you 15:25-15:28 I'm not sure 15:28-15:35 Doesn't he hear you are my beloved in whom my soul delights in whom I'm thrilled 15:35-15:40 Doesn't he hear something that no one in the entire old that's been heard 15:40-15:43 and 15:43-15:50 Doesn't Jesus respond with a word that as far as we know was never used in terms of personal expression toward God 15:51-15:53 Abba I 15:53-15:58 Know all the academic discussion about all over she know in the bottom line when you read through all that 15:58-16:03 Jesus says I'm a father because what he means by I was a little bit different than father 16:03-16:07 This is intimacy 16:07-16:09 This is Papa. I 16:09-16:11 Know who you are 16:11-16:16 I've known you from all eternity and I've known your love for me from all eternity 16:16-16:21 And Johnson start right there 16:21-16:26 And look at this. I mean, how beautiful is this relationship? Is this religious? 16:26-16:29 Is it about obedience? 16:29-16:34 Is it about external doing a certain way is it or is it about heart to heart face to face? 16:34-16:38 And really that's the beginning of the doctrine of the Trinity right there in the prologue that very first word 16:38-16:42 I mean to think this through is going to lead you to the doctrine of the Trinity 16:42-16:46 Because how do you talk about being face to face how far the space to face go? 16:47-16:53 Face to face tumbles into fellowship does it not and fellowship tumbles into intimacy and intimacy tumbles on the Union and before long 16:53-16:56 You can't just say face to face. You got to say in 16:56-16:58 That the Father loves the Son with such 16:58-17:02 unclouded and such right love and such 17:02-17:09 Goodwill and the Son loves the Father and hears the Father respond to the Father from such a pure place his heart is unclouded and 17:09-17:14 Non-religious that the only way we can talk about this relationship is to say they're in one another 17:14-17:17 Yet they don't cease to be themselves 17:17-17:22 It's not an end like if I took my coffee cup and poured it into your coffee cup now 17:22-17:25 We've got an end, but now we also have no other 17:25-17:28 It's not absorption 17:28-17:32 Think this is a place where we have a voice in the wider world 17:32-17:40 Everywhere you look at marriage and relationship you are looking at two people who want to be in one another yet not get lost 17:40-17:43 Are you not? 17:43-17:49 We have a place right there where we can have a conversation because we know something about the nature of this one 17:49-17:54 Ness without being losing one another in the process not being absorbed 17:54-18:03 John directs your mind and mine in his beginning of his gospel not with God is holy we fail 18:03-18:06 But he says in the beginning face to face 18:06-18:08 cross 18:08-18:12 He's in the bosom of the Father. I want to show you something 18:12-18:14 and 18:14-18:19 I will tell you I I struggle to know how to read these words 18:19-18:23 Because I I 18:23-18:27 Think John wept and wept and wept when he wrote them 18:27-18:30 And I think that we will know 18:30-18:35 That we are actually recovering and believing the gospel when we can't read these words 18:35-18:41 When we find ourselves on our faces with great tears of joy welling up within us 18:42-18:47 Listen to what this Jesus who is face to face with his father says in his prayer 18:47-18:55 He says Oh righteous father although the world has not known you I 18:55-19:00 Have known you and 19:00-19:08 These have known that you sent me, and I have made your name known to them, and I will make it done 19:10-19:16 In order that the love with which you love me may be in them and I in them 19:16-19:24 Do you know how far that is from external obedience to a distant deity 19:24-19:30 Jesus's heart the reason for his coming here 19:30-19:37 Was not written merely to do something on the cross that would make that God okay with him 19:37-19:42 Jesus's mission is I am going to find my way inside of every person on planet earth 19:42-19:45 Because I will not rest until they know what I know 19:45-19:53 Until they see what I see and they feel what I feel when I hear you are my beloved son in whom my soul delights 19:53-19:59 And they're going to know what I know when I say Abba father back, and we hadn't even talked about the Holy Spirit yet 19:59-20:05 This is what Jesus comes to do we'll talk about that in the next 20:05-20:07 Lecture 20:07-20:14 He is the one who's face to face with the Father and he has come to take that 20:14-20:17 Relationship and put it inside of you and me and everybody on the planet 20:17-20:21 And I will tell you right now if I didn't believe that was the truth I 20:21-20:23 Would never speak 20:23-20:25 anywhere 20:25-20:30 Because then it would be about simple and pure academic theology 20:30-20:35 But I have to find a way then to convince you that I'm right and get you to agree with me in our heads and 20:35-20:37 Then we're going to argue and arguing arguing arguing arguing 20:37-20:40 Then you're gonna and it's all gonna be a big long argument about about this 20:40-20:46 But you see if Jesus Christ is taking up residence inside of you or inside of anybody that you'll meet on planet earth 20:46-20:49 Then all we have to do is talk about it 20:49-20:53 All we have to do is talk about Christ in you the hope of glory all we've got to do is say 20:53-20:57 In that day you will know 20:57-21:02 And what happens it starts resonating and now we've got a different discussion 21:02-21:09 It's resonating inside here and what's resonating inside of them. I believe that would be Jesus 21:09-21:15 That was the beginning of knowing the truth and beginning to be set free by Jesus directs us 21:15-21:18 First instance in that day. You will know that I'm in my father. I 21:18-21:27 Am the one has relationship with the father and I find great great relief here because I have spent a lot of time in my 21:27-21:34 Life trying to have my own relationship with the father like Jesus has you know, then I'm watching what Jesus does and trying to imitate 21:34-21:38 Imitation is not what Jesus 21:38-21:42 Is saying he says I am the one who's face to face with the father and I have been from all eternity 21:42-21:49 In the freedom and the joy and the bounding life of the Holy Spirit, which is another subject that another beautiful one 21:49-21:53 How the Holy Spirit is in the midst of this relationship 21:55-22:02 But Jesus is saying to his beleaguered and saddened disciples who know they are overwhelmed and they're outclassed and they're outgunned 22:02-22:07 It's there's only 12 and one of them is a betrayer and soon they're all going to leave 22:07-22:10 Even Peters gonna bail 22:10-22:16 And they don't know what to do and Jesus says I'm sitting in the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit's come you're going to come 22:16-22:18 To discover something that's being true that you did not know was true 22:19-22:25 That you're not going to make true. It is true. It is the light and when you see it 22:25-22:28 It begins to give you a place to stand inside of your own self 22:28-22:32 That's bigger than you are and bigger than anything in your life and bigger than anything in this cosmic 22:32-22:41 Because Jesus shifts and says once you see that this is about me and my relationship with my father and I love I love George 22:41-22:44 McDonald he's one of my favorites. He's got this 22:44-22:51 If you saw my McDonald book, I've got it's like all my TF books. I might as well just not underline it 22:51-22:54 Everything is dog-eared and underlined it started 22:54-22:59 But George McDonald says as long as the father loves the son and the son loves the father 22:59-23:02 All is well with the little ones 23:02-23:08 This is the fundamental relationship in this universe is the relation between the father and the son 23:08-23:13 In the freedom and the joy of the Holy Spirit and Jesus says you suck you go focus there 23:13-23:21 You talk to people about that relationship take their eyes off of their their religion and what they must do and what they have to do 23:21-23:23 I 23:23-23:25 Mean it's it's appalling 23:25-23:30 To turn on the radio in my country and listen to what these babbling preachers are telling people 23:30-23:35 Somebody needs to stand up and say be quiet unless you're going to talk about the father and son 23:35-23:41 Because if you're not talking about the father and son you're telling poor people what they must do and we've had enough of what we must 23:41-23:46 Do and this is why I have hope I have hope because the Holy Spirit stacked the deck 23:46-23:49 We've got millions of people on this planet right now 23:49-23:56 All over this world that are tired of trying to get inside of that relationship trying tired trying to please the distant God 23:56-23:57 They've done it 23:57-24:02 They've done what the preachers told them to do and they burned out and they crashed and they're sitting on the back view many of them 24:02-24:04 Have left and you know what they haven't heard yet 24:04-24:08 They haven't heard the real gospel yet 24:09-24:14 And we're the ones that are being called to stand up and go tell people let me tell you who you are I 24:14-24:18 Was preaching this out with a group out in I think was in California 24:18-24:24 And that evening some of the younger people left the meeting they were all excited 24:24-24:28 And they've told me about this the next day says we went out and there was a homeless guy out there 24:28-24:32 And we went up to him and told him he wasn't homeless 24:32-24:34 And we told him who he belonged to 24:35-24:39 You know and he said we we ended up taking to get something we talked about the father and the son 24:39-24:42 And that's our origin. That's where he comes from 24:42-24:46 It doesn't take but just two seconds. There's a quickening 24:46-24:51 There's there's a resonance something goes off inside of you that you know is in you, but you know it's not you 24:51-24:55 And that's a place to stand that's a place to return to 24:55-25:01 And Jesus says now when you see the relationship that I have and the right relationship that I have with my father 25:01-25:06 And you see that I am the one who's face-to-face with him and he's and he's thrilled with me 25:06-25:12 And I love him and we're both in the spirit, and that's the that's the foundation of this universe 25:12-25:16 He says now you're poised to make the most astounding discovery 25:16-25:21 You're going to discover now that you're not outside of this relationship 25:21-25:29 That I have taken responsibility for my creation, and I have given you a place inside this relationship 25:30-25:35 If you want to talk about the fullness of God that is the fullness of the relationship with the Father and Son 25:35-25:41 And that's why the Apostle Paul says that in Jesus dwells the fullness of deity and you have been made full in him 25:41-25:43 The word is play Roma 25:43-25:49 In Jesus dwells the play Roma the fullness and in him you've been play Roma tized. That's what he's saying 25:49-25:55 We're included in this relationship one of my questions, and this is one of the things that I that only 25:55-25:58 the Torrance brothers have answered in 25:59-26:01 my studies 26:01-26:04 How did Jesus do that 26:04-26:11 If I suddenly discover that I'm not outside looking in trying to figure out how to get in and I'm not I'm no longer vulnerable 26:11-26:15 To everybody telling me how I can go about doing that I now have a hope 26:15-26:19 But how did Jesus get me inside that relationship? 26:19-26:24 How did he get you how did he get the human race inside of his relationship with the Father? 26:24-26:29 Because you see we're still talking about the gospel. We're not talking about our response to it yet 26:29-26:33 We're still talking about what Jesus has done and who he is we're talking about him 26:33-26:38 The truth that sets us free is Jesus who he really is he's the one who's face to face with the Father 26:38-26:45 he's the one who has included the human race in his place in his relation with his father and in his 26:45-26:48 Anointing in the Holy Spirit 26:48-26:56 Which is a whole as I said a whole nother subject which maybe we can talk about during the Q&A 26:58-26:59 John 26:59-27:01 Is an amazing theologian? 27:01-27:05 And it's amazing to realize that he was a quote unquote uneducated 27:05-27:13 Fisherman and that brother wrote not only the book of Revelation in the third three epistles. He wrote the gospel and 27:13-27:17 People say well he could not have because he was uneducated 27:17-27:25 Now what happened to John was he met Jesus and met Jesus in here and Jesus is educated 27:26-27:33 Jesus is the log off Jesus and he shares his mind with John and John said Jesus. I want to take sides with you 27:33-27:36 I want to see things the way you you see him. I want to know your father 27:36-27:39 We wait, you know, I want to know everybody on earth the way you see them Jesus 27:39-27:45 And that baptism of his imagination led John to think here and he remembered 27:45-27:51 the words that Jesus said that when he heard them the first time there was no way he could know what all they meant and 27:52-27:58 So what he does for us is he says, okay. I know what the issues are. He speaks his gospel writes his gospel as an old 27:58-28:06 Man, he's looking at over 40 50 maybe 60 years of Christian history. He already sees what the problems are going to be 28:06-28:10 He's already seeing the developments early church problems 28:10-28:15 Which are our problems and he says I'm going to start here because I want you to see the relationship between the Father and Son 28:15-28:20 And then I want you to see that you are not outside, but you're inside and Jesus did that 28:21-28:22 And 28:22-28:25 So he stacks the deck for us because he sets us up 28:25-28:32 because John says something in verse 3 and Paul says it in Colossians 1 and 28:32-28:39 Whoever wrote Hebrews says it in Hebrews, but I have never in my life heard a sermon on this even though 28:39-28:41 I've heard people preach through John's gospel 28:41-28:43 verse 3 28:43-28:49 All things came into being through him 28:49-28:56 He makes two points in three verses and he repeats them both 28:56-29:00 First point is Jesus is the one who's face to face with the Father 29:00-29:05 And by that he means intimate and he's going to lead us to see not just face to face but in 29:05-29:08 Second point he makes is that Jesus is the creator of all things 29:08-29:15 And he says I know my own people the Jews will not understand that 29:15-29:19 And I know the Calvinists are coming 29:19-29:21 So 29:21-29:26 I need to repeat this to make sure everybody understands that I mean all 29:26-29:29 So not one thing 29:29-29:32 That it's coming to being has come into being accepted Jesus 29:32-29:36 Top on top all things not one thing has made it into existence 29:36-29:42 And yet you know what I hear every time I turn the radio on and I listen to that as much as I can to 29:42-29:44 the preachers back home 29:44-29:50 You know where they start their presentation of the quote gospel and you want to know why the gospel is ineffective in it 29:50-29:53 Because it's not the real gospel because they start with separation 29:53-30:02 They start with the lie of separation John starts with face-to-face relation and the truth that Jesus is the creator of everything there is 30:02-30:07 Every person on this planet is breathing Christological air whether they know it or not yet 30:11-30:18 And part of the powerlessness of the Western Christian Church right now lies in my opinion right there 30:18-30:25 We have not taken John seriously when he says that Jesus Christ is the creator of all things 30:25-30:30 Not one thing has come into being except through him. I 30:30-30:35 Don't know about you, but I've always thought when when God created the universe 30:35-30:40 He spoke and it was called into being and I thought of it as like a little little child 30:40-30:47 With the soap bubbles and the wand and dips the soap bubble the wand and soap bubble and blows those bubbles and they come out 30:47-30:50 And they're floating but once they detach from the wand 30:50-30:57 They're on their own and the child can put the soap of the wand back in and can go inside and go play something else 30:57-31:00 And those soap bubbles are now floating out there on their own 31:00-31:06 Let me read to you from one of our friends 31:06-31:08 About 31:08-31:13 This verse 31:13-31:16 The simple meaning of Christ is created 31:16-31:22 Is that the Word of God was not only the fount of life to all creation? 31:22-31:26 Such that those things which had not yet existed begin to be 31:26-31:34 But that his life giving power makes them remain in their state for did not his continued 31:34-31:40 Inspiration quick in the world whatsoever flourishes would without doubt immediately decay or be reduced to nothing. I 31:40-31:47 Don't know about you, but I was shocked to discover that that was Calvin's commentary on John 1 31:47-31:51 He said if Jesus removes himself it disappears 31:51-31:59 He's saying not only is Jesus the creator who calls into being but he's also the sustainer 32:00-32:05 Listen to this all creatures spiritual and material are created in through and by Christ 32:05-32:10 It is he who sustains them in being in him. They hold together without him. They would fall apart 32:10-32:12 That's Thomas Merton 32:12-32:14 And here's another one 32:14-32:20 There is already and always a relationship between the Son of God and the world and it now uniquely takes the form of personal presence. I 32:20-32:29 Looked up Calvin's commentary on John on that 17 in him. We live and move and have our being I want to see what he said 32:30-32:34 Now we see that all those who know not God know not themselves 32:34-32:41 Because they have God present with them not only in the excellent gifts of the mind but in their very essence 32:41-32:51 Paul says the same thing in Colossians by him all things were created 32:51-32:55 Let's look at his exact wording. Mr. Second block is 116 32:55-32:57 For 32:57-33:04 By him 33:04-33:11 All things same language of John were created both in the heavens and on earth visible invisible whether Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities 33:11-33:14 All things have been created by him and for him. I 33:14-33:19 Can tell you that astounds me 33:19-33:24 Because Paul's is trying to make sure that people take him seriously like John had to repeat 33:24-33:28 Paul's going to use all these terms to make sure that there's nothing here 33:28-33:32 That was created apart from him and only created through Jesus 33:32-33:38 But for him and he is before all things in him all things hold together 33:38-33:44 You know what that means 33:44-33:52 That means that the Father's eternal Son has a relationship with all creation prior to the Incarnation 33:53-33:56 He's holding it all together before he even becomes human 33:56-34:06 Let me repeat that the Father's Son has a relationship with all creation including every human being prior to the incarnation 34:06-34:09 Now why is that important for John? 34:09-34:13 What difference does that make 34:13-34:19 What's he why is he put that in verse 3 and not in chapter 19 footnote 2 34:21-34:23 Why is this front and center in his mind 34:23-34:31 In the beginning is a face-to-face relationship everything has come into being not only by God in some sort of general way 34:31-34:37 But by the Father through the Son but by the Father through the Word and he holds all things together 34:37-34:44 He wants us to see he's wants his reader to understand that the entire creation 34:44-34:50 Has been called into being through Jesus Christ and he continues to uphold it in his relationship 34:50-34:54 That he has prior to the Incarnation so that we can then see 34:54-35:02 What he saw when he says we beheld the glory of Jesus because when Jesus steps into our human existence when he becomes 35:02-35:06 Human he's not coming to establish a relationship with us 35:06-35:09 What's he coming to do? 35:09-35:17 He's coming to establish his existing relationship with all creation and 35:18-35:23 His existing relationship with the human race inside of his own particular humanity 35:23-35:30 He is becoming the center the man Jesus the incarnate Son is becoming the center of all things 35:30-35:33 Let me put it another way 35:33-35:38 When Jesus became a human being did he turn to his father and say? 35:38-35:44 Thanks pops for the guidance I got this 35:46-35:47 Or did he say 35:47-35:51 Father I'm becoming human being in my relationship with you 35:51-35:54 I'm not leaving you behind I 35:54-36:02 Am coming as your son in fellowship the in this that I have with you. I'm now going to establish inside their human existence 36:02-36:05 And then Jesus leave the Holy Spirit behind 36:05-36:12 Did he say to the Holy Spirit? I really am very appreciative of all the power 36:13-36:17 That you have given to me, but now I don't need you anymore 36:17-36:25 He's saying Holy Spirit you and I in the father 36:25-36:29 In my not anointing in you and you're anointing in me 36:29-36:32 We're going to become flesh and I'm going to establish my own 36:32-36:40 Anointing that I have known from all eternity in my face-to-face relationship with my father. I'm going to establish that 36:40-36:42 inside human flesh 36:42-36:47 And then does Jesus say okay? I know I created the whole universe 36:47-36:49 And I hold it all together 36:49-36:53 But I'm going to cut ties now, and I'm just going to go do the Lone Ranger thing 36:53-36:55 And it's going to be me and my father 36:55-36:57 You know the Lone Ranger I? 36:57-37:02 Am prone to do that I 37:02-37:08 Once gave a lecture in Aberdeen on how Jesus is not a divine crescent wrench 37:08-37:12 That God fixed the engine of humanity then put back in the box 37:12-37:15 And I got at the end and one of the students is 37:15-37:18 What's a crescent wrench? 37:18-37:23 Spanner I 37:23-37:27 Am amazed that John is he's taking he's taking his audience 37:27-37:34 Which is Jew Gentile pagan the whole world and he's saying it here's God in the beginning face to face now watch 37:34-37:39 Jesus calls this into being he holds it in being and now he's going to step into it and 37:39-37:43 Become a human being he's going to step into it in his relationship with his father 37:43-37:46 He's going to step into it in his relationship with the Holy Spirit 37:46-37:49 And he's going to step into it in his relationship with all creation 37:49-37:53 So for me to speak the name of Jesus 37:53-37:57 Bit and 37:57-37:59 In the apostolic 37:59-38:06 tradition and in the tradition of Nicaea because those brothers saw it is to say 38:06-38:09 father's eternal son 38:09-38:15 and it is to say anointing one and it is to say creator and sustainer of all things and 38:15-38:18 Therefore to speak the name of Jesus 38:18-38:25 Is to say that the father the Holy Spirit and creation and the human race are not what? 38:25-38:31 Are not separated but are in relationship 38:31-38:34 Jesus is the relationship 38:36-38:43 Jesus himself is God the father's relationship with you and the Holy Spirit's relationship with you and your connection with all things 38:43-38:51 That's what John is saying that's what Jesus is saying in the upper room boys you're going to have your mind blown 38:51-38:54 Because you think I'm simply only 38:54-38:57 only Jesus of Nazareth and 38:57-39:02 Jesus is saying in that day you're going to see who I really am in my father 39:02-39:05 And then you're going to discover who I am and that is the one in whom 39:05-39:08 You are and the one who has hold of you with me 39:08-39:14 And I've done this and the way he did it is because he's the creator and he's descending now into this relationship 39:14-39:18 And he's establishing his existing relationship 39:18-39:25 He's establishing his existing relationship with you now inside of his own humanity and 39:25-39:30 It's establishing his existing relationship with all creation inside of his own human being 39:32-39:34 Let me ask you a question 39:34-39:41 What happens to creation if he dies 39:41-39:54 What happens creation if he dies what happens to creation if we kill him? 39:54-40:01 Apostle Paul says I'll reach this conclusion 40:02-40:07 And I think he saw it on the Damascus road. I think he heard it all when Jesus says I am Jesus 40:07-40:10 Who you persecute saw the union the connection? 40:10-40:13 Apostle Paul says I reached this conclusion one died for all therefore 40:13-40:18 While we whispered 40:18-40:23 One died for all therefore 40:23-40:24 All right 40:24-40:30 Don't you see the whole movement here is the Son of God who created all things in him and all things 40:30-40:37 Existing him and by him and he becomes a human being to draw all of that into his own humanity and then he takes 40:37-40:42 We kill him we put him to death and Papa says okay. I will accept 40:42-40:45 your will 40:45-40:53 To reject and damn my son and I will turn your rejection and your damnation of my son into your death and into your 40:53-40:55 resurrection into your ascension in him 40:55-40:58 That is a redeeming genius. Listen. Listen to Paul 40:59-41:01 You know 41:01-41:10 God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead 41:10-41:14 In our transgressions and sin made us alive together with Christ 41:14-41:22 For by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heaven and places in Christ Jesus 41:22-41:28 Paul sees that Jesus just like John does that Jesus is the one in whom all things are held together 41:28-41:31 And when he died something not only happened for you 41:31-41:35 And that's all I was given as a little boy is that Jesus did something for me 41:35-41:37 and 41:37-41:39 I had to make it real 41:39-41:49 But Jesus did not only do something for me and for the creation for the human race he did something with us and 41:49-41:51 to us 41:51-41:55 He took us down in his death and then he lifted us up in his resurrection 41:56-41:59 That's what Peter saw blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 41:59-42:05 Who has in his great mercy caused us to be born again into a living hope through? 42:05-42:08 the resurrection of Jesus I 42:08-42:14 Wrestle with this I 42:14-42:17 Wrestle with this long and hard when I was doing my dissertation 42:17-42:22 Because I had to be able to get some kind of handle on this or I would never be able to write this this 42:22-42:28 Monster and who in their right mind would ever attempt a dissertation on TS 42:28-42:40 I was sitting in the Aberdeen Airport waiting for my brother older brother Stephen come over visit and play golf 42:40-42:48 And we were going to go to the Open Championship since you lot it was still cold 42:51-42:52 And I was reading the newspaper 42:52-42:56 minding my own business and I looked up and there was a young man walked over and 42:56-43:02 Look toward the double doors have been out on the jet bridge to the plane and he looked up here to the to the monitors 43:02-43:04 He looked at his watch 43:04-43:09 and he positioned himself like right here from those double doors and before law I was sitting there watching and 43:09-43:12 for some reason noticed him in 43:12-43:14 the tons of people in the room 43:14-43:17 but I kind of noticed him and all of a sudden a 43:17-43:21 Plane came up and people started coming off the plane going all these different directions 43:21-43:24 Some of them were glad to be back home in Scotland some number 43:24-43:27 Trying to find the baggage claim and some of them were trying to catch the next flight 43:27-43:32 you know how it is and that man is standing there right in those double doors and 43:32-43:34 Also, there's no more people coming out 43:34-43:41 And he looks to arrival smarter and checks his watch and he's standing there and all of a sudden. There's a little boy 43:41-43:46 Probably now in ten years old comes and stands in the double doors and scans the room like an alarm deer 43:47-43:48 And 43:48-43:50 Then he sees his dad 43:50-43:56 And his dad shouted something. I'm sure it was his name, but I didn't hear and that little boy started running across that airport 43:56-44:03 And I was sitting here watching put my paper down and I'm watching this little boy run and it's somewhere about Christina 44:03-44:09 He dropped his bag and jumped in the air in one motion and his dad stepped forward and called me there right there right from me 44:09-44:14 and they held each other and they kissed each other and there were tears of joy and 44:15-44:17 I'm sitting there watching this 44:17-44:20 Trying to figure out all this Christological stuff 44:20-44:26 And I hear back to that is the gospel 44:26-44:31 there is Jesus coming home from the far country and 44:31-44:37 There is a resurrection and there's the ascension and there is our embrace 44:37-44:42 And the good news is Baxter. He has you and the whole world with him 44:44-44:46 In that day you will know 44:46-44:51 You're going to know that Jesus is in the father and we're in him and he did that 44:51-44:55 Are you with me? I 44:55-44:58 don't think the world has heard this gospel I 44:58-45:04 Think the world has heard some gospel about an angry God and we can get it right if we'll 45:04-45:10 Pray and receive Jesus into our lives. I don't think the gospel is the news 45:10-45:14 That we can receive Jesus Christ into our lives 45:14-45:15 I 45:15-45:19 Think the gospel is the news that Jesus has received us into his life 45:19-45:24 And I think that changes the entire theological conversation. Does it not? 45:24-45:32 So my message all over the world when I get a chance to speak to preachers is why are you telling people they're separated from? 45:32-45:34 Jesus 45:34-45:39 That's not only unbiblical and not only heretical it's a disaster 45:39-45:42 Stand up and tell people who Jesus is 45:43-45:45 And tell them to ask him about it 45:45-45:51 In that day you will know that I am in the father and you're in me and I did that 45:51-45:52 That's who I am 45:52-45:54 And when you know that truth 45:54-45:59 It begins to give you a place to stand inside because you suddenly begin to realize that there's more to me 45:59-46:02 than just me 46:02-46:09 There's more to me than just me I'm bound up in this relationship with the father in the Holy Spirit and in Jesus relationship with all 46:09-46:10 creation 46:10-46:17 In fact, I am seated in Jesus face to face with the father in the anointing of the Holy Spirit above all 46:17-46:21 Rule and authority in this agent in all ages to come now 46:21-46:25 I don't know about you, but I want to know how to live in that. I want to say Jesus. Yes 46:25-46:28 Yes, I want to take sides with you against the way I see things 46:28-46:33 I want to take sides with you against everything I've ever learned. I want to see what you see 46:33-46:37 I want to know what you know, I want to know what it's like to be in your anointing in the Holy Spirit 46:37-46:40 Because I'm scared and it doesn't look like that to me 46:40-46:44 And we begin to find a fire within us quickens us 46:44-46:47 All right, see ya 46:47-46:49 freedom confidence assurance 46:49-46:51 And I like to call it 46:51-46:53 unearthly assurance 46:53-46:59 Because it's an assurance is not rooted in me and not rooted in my obedience in my religion or my failure 46:59-47:03 It's rooted in Jesus and his relationship with the father and it's rooted in the Holy Spirit 47:03-47:08 And the fact that Jesus is the one that has established this and you know what I'm beginning to believe in right now 47:08-47:13 I'm beginning to believe in Jesus. I'm beginning to pin my hopes on him 47:13-47:20 Pin our hopes on Jesus that he has hold of us and you know what begins to happen then you begin to be free 47:20-47:23 from all the isms 47:23-47:27 And tell you if you believe that you're totally depraved 47:27-47:31 like I was taught from my mother's womb and 47:32-47:38 You're told that you must be separated from God and you must get back if you have any sensitivity in your heart 47:38-47:44 Oh, you are trying to find your way back and you're vulnerable to anybody that can hold up this Bible 47:44-47:47 And do the Jimmy Swaggart shuffle 47:47-47:53 Somebody throw me a little charisma and I'm going to follow you because you're going to lead me back 47:53-48:00 And there's all these ways back and every one of these ways back and now competing with one another because each person has to be right 48:01-48:04 No one is looking at Jesus and his identity 48:04-48:10 We're talking about the identity of Jesus here. We still haven't gotten to to what we do 48:10-48:14 we're talking about who Jesus is and 48:14-48:19 Then the most astounding I tell that story of where I go to that story about the little boy in the airport 48:19-48:21 That was just pivotal 48:21-48:24 There's one of those be transformed by the blowing of your mind 48:24-48:28 I'm sitting in the Aberdeen Airport and all of a sudden all that I've been reading had come right 48:28-48:30 It's right in front of me. I see it 48:31-48:32 I 48:32-48:34 Do not believe that any human being on earth 48:34-48:38 will wake up on the other side and meet Jesus and 48:38-48:41 say to them Jesus I 48:41-48:45 Overestimated you 48:45-48:50 Our struggle is because we have underestimated Jesus 48:50-48:55 and we've overestimated ourselves and we're and we're 48:56-49:03 Beholding to and vulnerable to anybody that can tell us some way to get back to God and I can tell you the reason 49:03-49:10 The church at this moment in Western history is so powerless and does not have a voice 49:10-49:15 It's because people have tried to get back to God the way we've told them to get back to God and it didn't work 49:15-49:23 and they thought they've done the Jesus thing and they haven't and we haven't told them who Jesus really is and 49:23-49:26 We're going to have to fight to do it 49:26-49:32 As I can promise you when you start talking about this Jesus these systems get very angry very quickly 49:32-49:39 Because they've invested a lot here and I find myself praying all the time. Okay, Holy Spirit 49:39-49:45 Paul said he was weak with the Corinthians and weakness and fear and in much trembling which is hard for me to believe 49:45-49:53 Nevertheless, he said he was there in weakness and feared and much trembling in order that their faith would not rest on the dazzling rhetoric 49:53-49:57 Or in our case in the dazzling Hollywood special effects 49:57-50:05 But on the demonstration and power of the Spirit Holy Spirit, I don't know what that demonstration power is 50:05-50:09 But that's what we need and the Holy Spirit says we'll preach Jesus 50:09-50:15 Tell people who Jesus is and I will honor that you tell them who Jesus is you stand up in Jesus 50:15-50:22 I'll demonstrate and then they will know here in in the spirit not just some theological 50:22-50:24 Hmm 50:24-50:30 Tell that story everywhere I go and I told it one year in Australia when I was sat down with Bob sitting at the end 50:30-50:32 of this lecture and 50:32-50:39 I hear this girl come running down the aisle creak the screen and mr. Krueger. Mr. Krueger. She's crying her eyes out and 50:39-50:47 I think I have said something that may have been perfectly normal in the deep south, but didn't work in Australia 50:47-50:52 I heard her feelings and she sits right beside me. I put my arm around her and I says what's what's wrong? 50:52-50:54 She 50:54-50:56 Said nothing is wrong 50:56-51:01 She said when you told the story about the little boy in the airport. I had a vision I said, what did you see? 51:01-51:05 She said I saw God on the throne 51:05-51:05 I 51:05-51:12 And lift it up and it was step after step after step after step after step after step to God 51:12-51:16 And she said we were all on the steps trying to get to God and we couldn't do it. We were exhausted 51:18-51:24 Our elbows were bloody our fingers were black. We could not get to God and we were all just incurably sad 51:24-51:30 And I said, whoa, did you see anything else? 51:30-51:34 And she said then I saw Jesus 51:34-51:39 And I said what did Jesus do 51:39-51:41 She said he walked over 51:41-51:46 Gathered us all in his arms walked up the steps and sat down in his father's lap 51:46-51:48 I 51:48-51:51 Said Stephanie that would be the gospel 51:51-51:58 That's who Jesus is and this is not about theological argument. This is about you and me 51:58-52:01 Asking Jesus Christ 52:01-52:03 Is that true? 52:03-52:06 Because when you hear Jesus say yes 52:06-52:14 You now have within you a place to stand that can withstand anything in the cosmos a place to stand in confidence 52:14-52:20 In your heart that can withstand your own earthly father's verdict your own wounds your own traumas 52:20-52:23 Your own burdens your own sadness your own financial crises 52:23-52:28 You have a place to go to within you that's bigger than you because it's Jesus in you 52:28-52:30 Jesus 52:30-52:32 well, I 52:32-52:37 Was beginning to get that in the late 80s and I saw that vision 52:37-52:42 I was beside myself with excitement and I didn't really think about the fact that that's still not the gospel yet. I 52:43-52:45 Thought that's a pretty good gospel 52:45-52:49 Jesus is one face to face of the father and the news is he's included us. I like that 52:49-52:53 But that's not where Jesus stops 52:53-52:58 He says you're not only going to discover that this is the truth because I made this real and you're going to see it 52:58-53:01 And it is a prophecy says in that day. You will know 53:01-53:05 You know because he's the one that's going to make to bring it to bring us to see 53:05-53:08 But there's a third part of this 53:09-53:14 And this blew my mind and it keeps blowing my mind. We had a great conversation John and and 53:14-53:21 Jordan now on the way down here. We started talking about this at the end and this part of the gospel 53:21-53:25 Is where I see people being quickened and awakened 53:25-53:31 Is that not only are we going to discover that Jesus is in the father face to face? 53:31-53:38 Embraced in the spirit. Not only are we going to discover that we in fact are included in that Jesus did that 53:38-53:42 We are going to discover that Jesus Christ is already in us 53:42-53:46 And when I begin to meditate and think and pray 53:46-53:51 What does this mean Jesus? What does this mean? I don't understand. What does it mean that you're in me? 53:51-53:54 How do I understand that? 53:54-54:01 As I begin to see this as he begins to show me over time what he actually means here 54:01-54:03 I thought this will change the world 54:05-54:09 What does it mean that Jesus is in you let me tell you some stories I 54:09-54:14 Got on the airplane flying to 54:14-54:21 Northwestern United States, I think Portland area or maybe Vancouver in Canada and I had deliberately 54:21-54:25 Booked a window seat because at that stage in my life 54:25-54:28 I had not seen the Rocky Mountains and I wanted to at least fly over them and 54:28-54:34 Every middle seat on both sides that plane was empty. I hadn't seen that since 54:35-54:40 And we backed out and then the plane stopped him went forward and he opened up 54:40-54:45 The door of the cabin and this man gets on has a 54:45-54:52 Leather hat and a leather jacket and the leather satchel looks just like Indiana Jones and he starts walking back down 54:52-54:57 And I thought I'm on Road 28 and I know exactly where he's going to see it 54:57-55:00 and he did 55:00-55:01 He sat beside me 55:01-55:05 And he introduced himself as a systematic micro evolutionary biologist 55:05-55:09 And I said, I'm Baxter 55:09-55:12 And I'm a theologian and 55:12-55:15 So we had not taken off 55:15-55:17 very long 55:17-55:24 Before he begins to tell me about his recent trip to the Caribbean or the Caribbean where he had been researching 55:24-55:26 plants 55:26-55:32 That were becoming extinct and he was very burdened about this and he pulls out a napkin 55:32-55:38 He writes down the Latin names of species of plants that have become extinct and then he had a column of species of plants that 55:38-55:44 were endangered and then he had this other column about the things that we could do to save them from becoming extinct and 55:44-55:47 somewhere over 55:47-55:48 Idaho 55:48-55:54 He turned to me and he says well, I guess being a theologian you gonna you want to argue with me about evolution. I 55:56-56:01 Said I don't care about evolution, but I do have a question and he said what's that I 56:01-56:06 Said where did you get your passion for plants? 56:06-56:11 He's looked at me like I had a third eye and I said well I 56:11-56:14 Mean you're a grown man 56:14-56:19 You know the Latin names of plants that are extinct you're concerned about plants 56:19-56:25 I mean lose your uncle Freddie a botanist or did you just wake up one morning and dedicate yourself to loving plants? 56:26-56:29 And then I looked at him and I pulled out my napkin and I put my little 56:29-56:34 Triqueta in there and drew three circles and put father son spirit. I said, I know the origin of your passion for plants 56:34-56:41 There's only one circle of care in this universe for this creation. That would be the father son and spirit and I know who you are 56:41-56:51 Jesus Christ puts his passion for his creation in this case plants inside of you and you're tooling around the Caribbean giving your entire life 56:51-56:54 To take care of his plants and you don't even believe there's a God 56:54-57:01 And he looked at me and he said he said if that's true why haven't I ever been told I 57:01-57:04 said you just were 57:04-57:07 And you could see how the gospel in that moment 57:07-57:13 Enlightened his entire life and he had to make a decision at that point because he up until that point 57:13-57:18 He thought he was the one that was good enough to care about plants and he was right proud of himself for all he had 57:18-57:21 Been doing and all of a sudden he realized that he is a participant in a relationship 57:22-57:24 That goes way back before creation 57:24-57:27 And I'm sitting there thinking my goodness is true 57:27-57:31 Jesus as Bart said is not going to be Lord without us 57:31-57:39 He's not going to take care of plants without our participation and all of a sudden I begin to understand I see now 57:39-57:45 This is what Jesus is saying. He's saying that you're going to discover that I'm the one that's been in you all along 57:45-57:53 Leading you nurturing you opening opportunities for you and then I started reinterpreting out then I thought of John 8 12 when Jesus is and 57:53-57:59 If you if you raise your hand and walk with me and take sides with me against the way you see 57:59-58:03 Then you're not only not going to walk in the darkness, but you're going to have the light of life 58:03-58:10 You're going to understand what this life is and what it's about and all of a sudden I begin to get my humanity back 58:10-58:17 I begin to see that my inclusion in this relationship comes to expression in me exactly in human ways 58:17-58:24 And I begin to understand what motherhood is and this blew my mind. Let me tell you mothers 58:24-58:28 How many mothers and grandmother we got in here, but? 58:28-58:31 Let me tell you 58:31-58:33 fathers to 58:33-58:34 grandfathers 58:34-58:37 If we believe what we're being told in the book in 58:38-58:40 10,000 years you're still going to be called mother 58:40-58:43 and grandmother 58:43-58:45 You're still going to be called father dad 58:45-58:52 And you begin to realize that God the father and God the son and God the Holy Spirit decide they want to have 58:52-58:59 More children on their creation in this place called earth, and they're not going to do this without us 58:59-59:03 We get to participate in the creation of children 59:03-59:07 And you watch I remember when my children weren't here 59:07-59:09 I 59:09-59:16 Remember when it was just me and Ben and all of a sudden. I'm standing in Aberdeen maternity hospital holding to my son and 59:16-59:21 You think about this through me and through my wife and through our togetherness 59:21-59:25 God did a miracle 59:25-59:28 He created something that was not had never existed 59:28-59:34 And once he created it and we participated in its creation. It will never go out of existence forever 59:35-59:42 Wait is there anything more astounding than that that we actually get to participate in the creative 59:42-59:49 Creation of God creating children people human beings that once created utterly unique coming through our bodies 59:49-59:56 Coming through our Union through our relationship once they're created. They will never ever ever ever cease to be 59:56-59:59 And we get to name them 01:00:01-01:00:06 And we have no idea who we are because we've not been told who Jesus really is and we haven't begun to look at ourselves 01:00:06-01:00:09 In the light of Jesus and all we had was just us 01:00:09-01:00:14 And his friend back home was that she's she her name was docked and she 01:00:14-01:00:17 was the office of 01:00:17-01:00:23 Greeter and manager of about four businesses that owned that stayed in a window building smaller businesses 01:00:23-01:00:25 She was there as for the central secretary 01:00:25-01:00:27 And I would go over to visit my friend Mike 01:00:27-01:00:32 And every time I'd walk in I see Don she'd always talk she always had a piece of candy for me 01:00:32-01:00:36 And we were talking she's back. She I got to tell you gotta tell you she said our church is studying spiritual gifts 01:00:36-01:00:38 And she said we had a little phone 01:00:38-01:00:41 We filled it all out and worked it out three pages 01:00:41-01:00:45 And I was so excited because I wanted to figure out what my spiritual gift was and she was right 01:00:45-01:00:47 She said, but then I got done 01:00:47-01:00:51 And I thought well, I guess I don't have a spiritual gift. I 01:00:51-01:00:54 Said what do you mean? You don't have a spiritual gift? 01:00:54-01:00:59 I said that every person that gets within 20 yards of this place sees you and is encouraged 01:00:59-01:01:04 Every time just by looking at you and you have to get the hospitality and she said this 01:01:04-01:01:08 She said yeah, I know that Baxter, but that's just me 01:01:08-01:01:16 You see if we don't know who Jesus is and who we are then all we have is us then we interpret it that way 01:01:16-01:01:18 And I said to her I said Don let me tell you 01:01:19-01:01:25 There is only one circle of hospitality in this universe and that would be the father son and spirit and they are not going to 01:01:25-01:01:30 Be hospitable without you and they are sharing their encouraging hospitable 01:01:30-01:01:33 Heart with you and you're living in it day by day 01:01:33-01:01:39 Moment by moment all day long and the church is over here trying to help you figure out what kind of spiritual gift you have 01:01:39-01:01:48 When the real Jesus is revealed we are going to be embarrassed in a good way 01:01:48-01:01:51 Because there's a whole lot of things we thought originated with us 01:01:51-01:01:56 And we thought we were doing for a distant deity that in fact originated with the false some spirit 01:01:56-01:02:00 And we got to participate in first time I saw this when I was wrestling 01:02:00-01:02:04 I saw this in in John's gospel in the very second 01:02:04-01:02:08 When he when he transitions over in his chapter one in chapter two 01:02:08-01:02:15 He tells a story that's not in the other gospel and not only does he put it in his gospel. He puts it first 01:02:15-01:02:17 You know the story? 01:02:17-01:02:20 the transformation of the water and wine miracle came 01:02:20-01:02:24 And at that miracle John says we've beheld the glory of Jesus we saw who he really is 01:02:24-01:02:27 As the father son with us here on earth 01:02:27-01:02:34 Full of the Holy Spirit, and I thought one day. I thought well you know if you think about 01:02:34-01:02:39 If you can transform water into wine 01:02:39-01:02:42 Why would you need the servants to get the water for it? I? 01:02:44-01:02:49 Mean that why not just say hey, don't worry about the water. I'm gonna do this 01:02:49-01:02:52 See Jesus miracles are not creative 01:02:52-01:02:58 They're restorative and they use us with participating in it and so he says to the servants get the water 01:02:58-01:03:02 160 maybe 180 gallons wine that's a lot of work 01:03:02-01:03:06 But they got the water for Jesus, and he turned it into wine 01:03:06-01:03:10 they participated in what he was doing and what he alone could do and 01:03:11-01:03:16 They shared in it you better you better believe that when they went home that night everybody in town knew exactly who they were 01:03:16-01:03:18 They weren't just servants anymore 01:03:18-01:03:23 They now had a part in the dignity and glory of Jesus. He had shared himself 01:03:23-01:03:29 And I thought this is what John is screaming to us all the way through if you start here with this relationship 01:03:29-01:03:34 Then you're going to see Jesus is a lot as bigger than we thought he's included us, and he's not only included 01:03:34-01:03:39 He's actually already at work in our life. That's what our motherhood and our fatherhood and our coaching is about 01:03:40-01:03:42 That's what our burdens are about 01:03:42-01:03:47 My friend called me his there had been a terrible tragedy in his church and a mother of four 01:03:47-01:03:54 At the breakfast room table having breakfast had a stroke or a heart attack or something 01:03:54-01:03:59 And she just fell over on the side and died and the entire church was just plunged into this grief and burden 01:03:59-01:04:05 And my friend called me. He says I don't understand what's going on back to me. He says we can hardly breathe 01:04:05-01:04:12 We're so so concerned for this family, and he said I I got to have somebody to debrief with I don't understand 01:04:12-01:04:18 He said he said why did this happen? Why does God allow this to happen and where is God in the midst of all this? 01:04:18-01:04:26 And I told him I said I don't I don't know that anybody knows the answer to the question why does this happen 01:04:26-01:04:31 But I'm a bit surprised that you asked me where God is in all this and he said what are you talking about? 01:04:31-01:04:38 I said well when you ask where is God in all of this that assumes that he's not here which assumes that this enormous burden 01:04:38-01:04:44 That you're feeling right now that is actually activated the entire church that burden you're assuming that that's just your birth 01:04:44-01:04:47 And let me tell you that's not your birth 01:04:47-01:04:50 That's the burden of the good shepherd who refuses to shepherd the sheep without us 01:04:50-01:04:55 He puts that burden in us and he says sharing it walk in it living it with me 01:04:55-01:05:00 When you begin to see this is who Jesus is this is who I am and this is who everybody else is it? 01:05:00-01:05:07 Changes the way you see them, and then you say wait a minute. Maybe I'll not to recognize people according to the flesh 01:05:07-01:05:13 Maybe it doesn't matter how much money they have or what part of town they live in or what they do 01:05:13-01:05:20 Maybe I'll start recognize people as in Jesus and Jesus is in them and help and celebrate that and help nurture dance 01:05:20-01:05:27 Maybe I need to drop my ideas and take sides with Jesus and learn how he sees other people I 01:05:29-01:05:33 Had privileges speaking I was telling George this and John this story 01:05:33-01:05:36 I don't know if we finished it, but if we didn't you're going to get the end of it now I 01:05:36-01:05:43 Was speaking in the middle of the United States in that part of the United States is this flat 01:05:43-01:05:46 All as far as you can see 01:05:46-01:05:48 It's on this side of the Colorado Mountains 01:05:48-01:05:53 And there it was in the springtime and there were all these tractors everywhere plowing 01:05:53-01:05:58 and this young man picks me up at the airport and we're driving to the university and he's uh I 01:05:58-01:06:00 Could tell he's excited think he just finished his exams 01:06:00-01:06:04 And I asked him I said so you're graduating in a couple of weeks 01:06:04-01:06:09 He said yeah, and he said I said what are you going to do when you graduate? He says I'm going to seminary 01:06:09-01:06:13 And I said so you're going to be a missionary. He said no no I'm gonna be a pastor 01:06:13-01:06:15 That's okay 01:06:15-01:06:20 I said about that time the shoes John Deere tractor plowing field made a turn right in front of us 01:06:20-01:06:25 And took it sorted back out across the field and I said to this young man. I said that man right there you see 01:06:26-01:06:31 He said yes, sir. I said how does Jesus Christ relate to that man and what he does? 01:06:31-01:06:35 And he looked at me 01:06:35-01:06:38 And he said I don't know what you're talking about I said well 01:06:38-01:06:43 That man spent 60 70 hours a week farming his wife helps him in every way 01:06:43-01:06:50 She can probably his children involved with it and more than likely you're going to have a church full of farmers 01:06:50-01:06:53 This is an important question is it not? 01:06:53-01:06:59 How does Jesus Christ relate to what he does and if you don't know the answer to that why would you expect him to come? 01:06:59-01:07:01 to your church 01:07:01-01:07:03 And he says I'm not sure I'm following I said yeah, I 01:07:03-01:07:08 Said I'm asking you how Jesus Christ relates to what that man does on that tractor 01:07:08-01:07:11 Because that's most of his life 01:07:11-01:07:14 That's most of what he does as a human being when he's away 01:07:14-01:07:20 He says I don't know the answer and I said you do know the answer I 01:07:21-01:07:27 Said you'll get home tonight. You'll drop me off and you go home, and you're gonna have your supper before you take your first bite 01:07:27-01:07:29 You're gonna do something. What's he going to be? 01:07:29-01:07:33 He said I'm gonna I'm gonna thank the Lord. That's it for what he said for the food 01:07:33-01:07:36 I said why are you thanking the Lord for food that the farmer grew? 01:07:36-01:07:40 And he said are you saying I'm not supposed to thank the Lord I said no 01:07:40-01:07:47 I'm saying thank the Lord, but I'm saying that you already know your prayer already knows who the farmer is 01:07:47-01:07:50 But you don't have a theology that will allow you to celebrate it 01:07:50-01:07:55 Said you are thanking God for food that the farmer group because you know that that farmer is 01:07:55-01:07:59 Participating in the life of the father-son and spirit providing for their people 01:07:59-01:08:01 And you know it in your heart in your prayer 01:08:01-01:08:07 But your theology will not allow you to see that and you're going to treat him like bless his heart all he is as a farmer 01:08:07-01:08:15 He's not a doctor he's not a lawyer he's not a PhD he's not a wealthy man you're going to recognize him according to the flesh 01:08:15-01:08:19 And you wonder why he's not interested in what you have to say 01:08:20-01:08:22 And why his children aboard 01:08:22-01:08:29 So recognizing for who he is he's participating in the provision of the father-son and spirit. It doesn't get any better than that 01:08:29-01:08:32 honor him 01:08:32-01:08:38 Recognize him go out there and pray for his crops with him gather your people together to celebrate this 01:08:38-01:08:41 This is not just farming. This is farming in Jesus 01:08:41-01:08:47 And you start seeing what a coach is and what a parent is and what and what 01:08:48-01:08:51 Collecting garbage I mean all of a sudden we begin to see our humanity 01:08:51-01:08:57 The things that we care about in our burdens and our griefs and our sorrows and our creativity and our music I 01:08:57-01:08:59 once saw a 01:08:59-01:09:05 Man in Jackson come he came to our city a very famous man 01:09:05-01:09:08 Who is rather notorious? 01:09:08-01:09:10 in his lifestyle 01:09:10-01:09:15 And I watched that man walk into that Coliseum, and he lit that room up 01:09:16-01:09:21 For two straight hours so much so that I saw with my own eyes 01:09:21-01:09:23 Presbyterians holding up their hands I 01:09:23-01:09:26 Did and they even had cigarette lighters? 01:09:26-01:09:32 and I saw them and all the Baptist and everybody else pay money to be there I 01:09:32-01:09:35 saw 01:09:35-01:09:37 the music of 01:09:37-01:09:43 The father-son and spirit coming to expression in a broken man, and we all recognized it 01:09:43-01:09:47 But there was a person in the room that had a theology that allowed them to celebrate 01:09:47-01:09:50 What their heart and their pocketbook already knew? 01:09:50-01:09:53 Because we don't know who Jesus is 01:09:53-01:10:00 And I think the Holy Spirit saying you're going to and that's where we are right now in the year 01:10:00-01:10:07 2015 we have been given this magnificent vision in the early church it keeps getting lost and it keeps getting recovered 01:10:07-01:10:12 And it keeps getting lost and it keeps getting recovered and now it's being recovered in a way 01:10:12-01:10:14 that's already global and 01:10:14-01:10:21 We are the ones that are beginning to see who Jesus is and who we really are and now we're the ones who are beginning 01:10:21-01:10:24 To be free to recognize no one according to the flesh 01:10:24-01:10:28 But recognize them as Jesus said in that day you will know that I'm in the father 01:10:28-01:10:30 And they're in me 01:10:30-01:10:36 And I'm in them and when you begin to relate to people by honoring Jesus in them in their brokenness 01:10:36-01:10:38 Just like in your brokenness 01:10:38-01:10:41 that changes 01:10:41-01:10:44 Because they will they want to know what on earth you are talking about 01:10:44-01:10:50 I have never heard anyone talk about this have no are you telling me that it's okay to be a mother 01:10:50-01:10:52 Then not only is it okay 01:10:52-01:10:56 Then in actual fact being a mother is to participate 01:10:56-01:11:02 in the very creativity and nurturing of the Father Son and Spirit and to be a father is to be someone who 01:11:02-01:11:07 God has entrusted me to be a part of the known the creation of these children 01:11:07-01:11:10 But they're nurturing and directing and I get to be their dad forever never never 01:11:11-01:11:16 You tell me that baking bread for my neighbor is not an idea that starts with me 01:11:16-01:11:19 but with Jesus and 01:11:19-01:11:23 Caring about his plants. I have often wondered about my botany buddy. I 01:11:23-01:11:30 Have and I thought you know, he probably got home and said to his wife 01:11:30-01:11:37 You're not gonna believe the conversation. I just had this guy's telling me that my botany my concern for plants comes from Jesus 01:11:37-01:11:42 What do you think about that? And she says well, I don't know. Maybe we ought to go to church and find out I 01:11:42-01:11:50 Thought oh my goodness go to church and find out so he goes to church finds that he doesn't hear about this Jesus 01:11:50-01:11:55 But he's there he's kind of excited and he meets people so he keeps going back to church and and the church says I tell 01:11:55-01:11:57 You what? Let's call him Jim Jim 01:11:57-01:12:04 We're we like you and and we could use your help in the life of the church 01:12:04-01:12:08 So we want you to come over here and help us do some things that we do. We appreciate your botany 01:12:08-01:12:12 Believe me. That's that's what a wonderful cause 01:12:12-01:12:19 But we want you to come spend more time over here in the life of the church less time doing botany and he says, okay 01:12:19-01:12:23 I want to be a part of what Jesus and so he comes in before after one two, three four years 01:12:23-01:12:26 There is emotionally 01:12:26-01:12:28 He's beginning to be bored for this whole thing. I 01:12:28-01:12:33 Don't know about you 01:12:33-01:12:41 But I'm tired of this and we're told that we are in Jesus Christ in the Father in the Holy Spirit 01:12:41-01:12:45 All of us and the Jesus did it and I think we need to be talking about that 01:12:45-01:12:48 We need to be telling people that and relating to them on that basis 01:12:48-01:12:52 And I think as we do we're not going to have a problem with an audience 01:12:52-01:12:58 I think our problems gonna be crowd control at that point, but in order to get there, you know, it's going to take 01:12:58-01:13:01 nerves 01:13:01-01:13:05 It's going to take nerves because there's all these isms over here that have 01:13:05-01:13:11 Investments and how to get back to God and some people who spent 60 70 80 years working the program 01:13:11-01:13:15 And all of a sudden you coming in and telling people that they're already included 01:13:15-01:13:20 That's where the thing that comes out of shame and you're going to be called all matter of evils aisle, etc, etc, etc 01:13:20-01:13:27 And that's designed to shut us up keep us from saying it and if we don't say it 01:13:27-01:13:30 Jesus is not going to enlighten the human race without our participation 01:13:30-01:13:37 He's not going to wave a wand and just make everybody suddenly see he said I'm in this with you and you're in this with me 01:13:37-01:13:40 I'm looking for people who will stand up and tell people this and 01:13:40-01:13:43 celebrate it 01:13:43-01:13:45 looking for people who will 01:13:45-01:13:46 unpack the 01:13:46-01:13:50 Christology that is right there in the first two three verses of John's gospel and 01:13:50-01:13:54 Begin to believe with again in our land in our time and I think that's right where we are 01:13:56-01:14:04 The only thing I can't figure out about this conference because I do not believe that TF turns ever made a retreat 01:14:04-01:14:10 Thank you 01:14:10-01:14:14 [APPLAUSE]