Liberating Human Potential Through Jesus: A Biblical Perspective

THEME TODAY JESUS: GOD S NEXT STEP IN LIBERATING HUMAN POTENTIAL (Some of this teaching will be a little bit familiar to those of you who have read my book Jesus IS one of us.) 1

DONT YOU SEE, and FEEL LIKE, THERE IS SO MUCH MORE POTENTIAL SO MUCH MORE POTENTIAL . . . In our society In the nations of the world In our friends and family In myself; in yourself In creation/nature 2

SO, YOU MIGHT ASK YOU MIGHT ASK . . . Why, if your theme is Jesus: God s Next Step in Liberating Human Potential, are you about to start this teaching by talking about the Creationnarrative in Genesis 1? 3

And, I will answer . . . Because the creation process sheds so much light on what the Creator is doing for us through Jesus--God s Anointed One (Messiah). 4

RABBI NAHUM WARD RABBI NAHUM WARD- -LEV S LEV S INSIGHTS THE BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF CREATION AND OF HUMAN HISTORY IS: GOD CALLING OUT THE POTENTIAL THAT IS THERE. 5

WARD-LEV. This begins with Genesis 1 begins with Genesis 1 GENESIS 1 is a record, not of God creating out of nothing, but of God creatively calling out the potential that only God could see hovering and God said and God sawthat it was good It is a call and response narrative of creation. A record of God calling forth potential resulting in transformation throughGod s word God s personal creative energy 6

Brief Aside--about Gods Word God s Word in the Bible God s Word is not the Bible as a printed book or a quoted verse. It is God s personal creative energy and action. God s Word includes the Bible when we allow the Bible to be filled with God s creative personal and transforming spiritual energy that calls forth human potential. The Bible itself is full of examples when the Bible is quoted, and it is not God s Word.It can even be Satan s word as it is when it is quoted to tempt Jesus in the wilderness and again while he is being executed. 7

Another Aside about Day/Yom The Hebrew Word Yom translated day means eras in Genesis 1:1- 2:4, not 24 hour days. Example: Gen 1:14 tells us that the potential for a 24 hour day was created on the 4thyom when the sun and moon were created. So, yom 1, 2, 3 were not 24 hours in the author s mind. Gen 1:15- yom is next used for daytime as opposed to nighttime which can range from 10 to 13 hours here, 10 to 13 in Israel, 12 to 12 at the Equator, and 24 to 0 at the poles. Genesis 2:4 sums up the entire 7 yoms/days/eras of creation as 1 yom/day/era. (Not all translations choose to reflect this, but the singular Hebrew yom is used to encompass all 7 yomsof creation.) 8

DAY DAY (Yom-ERA) 1, 2, 3 liberating potentials that become the basics of creation God speaks and liberates 1-Light out of Chaotic Darkness 2-Waters of Heavens & Under Earth are organized, and now there can be an expanse /atmosphere between the waters above and those below 3- Earth/Land is liberated by gathering the waters into bodies of waters so land can appear and plants could grow 9

DAY (Yom-ERA) 4, 5, 6 liberating potentialsfrom era 1, 2, 3 that become the creation we have been given to co-create with God in to continue liberating the potential. 4/1-Sun, Moon, Stars, and seasons by organizing the potential in light of DAY/ERA 1 5/2- let the waters bring forth swarms in oceans, rivers, and lakes God tells the waters to bring life 6/3- let the earth (chemicals) bring forth animals of every kind tells the earth to bring life. Then human life is formed out of earth (chemicals) and the breath of God 10

QUESTION: Is This Talk about Yom as Various Eras Making Sense? What Are You Hearing? 11

Seed Seed 6x in Genesis 1 transformative potential Seeds constantly confront us with the amazing transforming resurrection potential in creation that is there to be brought forth . 12

Brought ForthGod the Creative Artist, God the Creative Artist, Craftsman, Sculptor, even a Scientist ! Craftsman, Sculptor, even a Scientist ! --A phrase often used by those of you who are artists, potters, sculptors, craftsmen, poets, and song writers. I unleashed the potential in the gourd, rock, wood . . . It was like it just came to me song, scientific breakthrough . . . Also, brought forth is the same phrase used in Exodus for the liberation of the slaves to new potentials. 13

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH JESUS? 14

NT AUTHORS DIRECTLY CONNECT WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH JESUS TO THE CREATION 15

Two Examples Connecting Jesus to Creation Jesus as the And God said of Genesis 1 John 1:1 & 17 In the beginning was the word . . . . . And the word became flesh and lived among us. Jesus as in the image of God of Genesis 1 Hebrews 1:3He (Jesus) is the reflection of God s glory and the exact imprintof God s very being . . . Rest of teaching from other NT examples 16

JESUS IS JESUS IS GOD S NEXT STEP IN LIBERATING THE HUMAN POTENTIAL OF CREATION. (Hebrews 2:5-18 reflects on Psalm 8 about human potential crowned with glory of God co-managing God s creation ) What is humanity? but we do see Jesus 17

New Testament Witness: Jesus IS one of us! JESUS ISONE OF US In Jesus we see human potential when it is placed fully in the hands of God! 18

NOT JUST WAS, BUT ALSO IS and WILL BE HUMAN 1 Timothy 2:5There is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the human Jesus the Messiah,6who gave himself as a payment to set all people free. (CEB) Acts 17:31 This is because God has set a day when God intends to judge the world justly by a human God has appointed. God has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. (CEB) 19

JESUS IS GODS FIRST COMPLETED HUMAN, BUT GOD ASSURES US THAT JESUS WILLNOT BE THE ONLY ONE. 20

Hebrews 2:6-11 What is humanity that you think about them? Or what are the human beings that you care about them? . . .BUT WE SEE JESUS!!! 10It was appropriate for God, for whom and through whom everything exists, to use experiences of suffering to make perfect (make complete Gr. teleioo/telos) the pioneer (the first, the trailblazer) of salvation (Jesus). This salvation belongs to many sons and daughters whom he s leading to glory .11bThat is why Jesus isn t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters . 21

Hebrews 11:39-12:2 after the roll call of some of those who trusted God before Jesus 11:39All these people didn t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their trust.40God provided something better for us (Jesus the Messiah) so they wouldn t be made perfect (made complete Gr. teleioo/telos) without us .12:2 (both they and we are) looking to Jesus the pioneer (trailblazer) and perfecter (completer) of our trust 22

1 Corinthians 15:47-49: Our future, like Jesus future, is to be humans of heaven humans of heaven 47The first human was from the earth, a human of dust; the second human is from heaven.48As was the human of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the human of heaven, so are those who are of heaven.49Just as we have borne the image of the human of dust, we will also bear the image of the human of heaven. (NRSV-replacing man with human) 23

1 John 3:1-3 perhaps the simplest and most wonderous statement of future human potential future human potential of individual humans also the challenge to be moving the right direction now See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God s children, and that is what we are! Because the world (cultural system) didn t recognize him, it doesn t recognize us. individual humans and Dear friends, now we are God s children, and it hasn t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we ll see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure. 24

James 1:3-4 & 3:2 call to individuals to live so we are moving toward completion now 1:3After all, you know that the testing of your trust produces endurance.4Let this endurance complete (telios) its work so that you may be fully complete (pl), whole, and lacking in nothing. 3:2For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is complete (telios), a human able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. 25

Revelation 21:3-6 perhaps the simplest and most wonderous statement of future human potential of our corporate humans corporate future as I heard a loud voice from the throne say, Look! God s dwelling is here (on earth) with humans. God will dwell with them, and they will be God s people. God himself will be with them as their God .It s as good as done! 26

Revelation 21:23-27 not as simple, but just as wonderful statement of future human potential of our corporate corporate future as humans future as humans our 23And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their gloryinto it .26 they (the nations) will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.27But nothing unclean will enter it (NRSV) 27

Galatians 3:28 A PEOPLE MOVING TOWARD THIS CORPORATE GOAL NOW 28There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Jesus the Messiah. 28

CAN I PROVE THAT THIS COMPLETION OF HUMAN POTENTIAL IS REALLY GOING TO OCCUR? OF COURSE NOT, ONLY GOD CAN! BUT, I DO TRUST THAT THE RESURRECTED JESUS IS GOD S NEXT STEP IN LIBERATING HUMAN POTENTIAL. 29

JESUS INVITES US TO JOIN HIM JESUS INVITES US TO JOIN HIM AT GOD S TABLE AT GOD S TABLE A PRAYER: that will demand trust and action on our part as well as God acting to draw out our potential: Father, Make Me, Make Us, More Completely Human Like Your First Completed Human-- Jesus. Please, Keep Liberating The Potential You Have Placed In Us Through Our Relationship With Your Son Jesus. Amen! 30