The Vision and The Vow
Pete Greig
Re-Discovering Life and Grace
UCO discussion 2 of 5
September 26, 2007
Five Sections
Revelation-“The Dream of God”
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
Discipleship-“The Army is Discipl(in)ed”
Covenant-“Sacrifice Fuels the Fire”
Genesis-“Conspiracy is Breathing Once Again”
Review - Revelation-“The Dream of God”

People have a hard time living with a
consistent vision.

The encounter: “Do you love me?”

Live life to the full.
Review - we have a hard time living vision:
“According to Jesus, those born of the Holy
Spirit will be spontaneous, unpredictable, and
wild like the wind. … In the light of such
biblical depictions of the Spirit-filled life, it’s
disappointing – to say the least – that so many
of the churches and individuals currently
defining themselves as Charismatic or
Pentecostal are so mind-numbingly predictable
and unimaginative.
Where are those in our day born of the Spirit
who will blow wherever He pleases and go
whenever he moves?” (pg28 pp2)
Review - The encounter: “Do you love me?”
“The glory of God is man fully alive, and the life
of man is the vision of God.”
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons
“That they may have life, and have it to the full”
- Jesus, John 10:10
Review - Live life to the full.
A full life is:
Secure – as sons and daughters of God
Celebratory – not senseless, meaningless
partying...
Sacrificial – “a life can be fully lived, to the glory
of God, through pain as well as pleasure, and
in fact, that such worship is the sweetest
sound of all in the ears of the Lord.”
(pg41 pp1)
What keeps you from living like this fully?
In our
day heaven and earth
are on tiptoe waiting for the
emerging of a Spirit-led, Spiritempowered people. All of creation
watches expectantly for the springing
up of a disciplined, freely gathered,
martyr people who know in this life
the life and power of the kingdom
of God. It has happened
before. It can happen
again…
- Richard Foster (in chapter none - pg xxi)
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
Chapter 4 – The Bad
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
What is Grace?
“Who but God can take sin and create life and
love and tears of joy from a moment of bitter
sin? When we surrender our shame to Him, He
removes our guilt. But He doesn’t stop there;
He also sets about redeeming the damage
done, healing wounds and restoring
relationships.” (pg45 pp2)
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
Chapter 4 – The Bad
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Caravaggio - http://www.artbible.info/art/large/429.html
Chapter 4 -The Bad
Judas cursed?

But he’s one of the 12

But why would Jesus choose him?

What about you and me?
No debates about predestination…
But, “What if Judas…?”
“Seized with remorse”
“I have sinned, I have
betrayed innocent
blood.”
- Matthew 27:3-4
“
Rembrandt - http://www.artbible.info/art/large/451.html
“What if?”
Grace...
“
Rembrandt - http://www.artbible.info/art/large/370.html
Chapter 4 – The Bad
“Please do not despair of grace. Never give up.
Resist the temptation to pass judgment on
yourself like Judas – that is the path of
madness and self-destruction. No matter how
desperate you may feel today, hold on for
tomorrow.” (pg51 pp7)
Song:
“Majesty” by Delirious
Video:
“The Passion of the Christ”
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xlBBxy9hz8A
Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice
Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty
Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire
Chapter 4 – The Bad
“There is more grace in God than sin in you.”
(pg52 pp 1)
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
Chapter 4 – The Bad
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Redemption
“God does not reject us for our scars, and He
does more than merely rescue us from our
pain. God redeems our lives. He turns
weakness into strength, ugliness into beauty,
and weaves the scars of sin and pain into an
even better story.” (pg54 pp1)
The Letter of Our Lives
“God does not reject us for our scars, and He
does more than merely rescue us from our
pain. God redeems our lives. He turns
weakness into strength, ugliness into beauty,
and weaves the scars of sin and pain into an
even better story.” (pg54 pp1)
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Are we hiding from reading
the letter of our lives?
The Letter of Our Lives
God may reduce you
on Judgment Day
To tears of shame,
reciting by heart
The poems you would
have written, had
Your life been good.
- W.H. Auden, 20th century English poet
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Anna
Widow...
Childless...
Anna
“She never left the Temple but stayed there day
and night, worshiping God with fasting and
prayer… She talked about the child to everyone
who had been waiting expectantly for God to
rescue Jerusalem.” - Luke 2:37-38
Redemption
“As Christians, our vision is not just some
existential aspiration of self-improvement
through positive thought. Our vision is
‘dangerously, obsessively, undeniably Jesus.’
And as we surrender our lives for Christ, we
find them. … As we stop obsessing about our
own destiny and reputation and simply seek to
live for Jesus’ sake, we read the letter of our
lives.” (pg58 pp2)
Grace-“Summon the Losers”
Chapter 4 – The Bad
Chapter 5 – The Broken
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Chapter 6 – The Boring
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_2320000/2320717.stm
Narayan Prasad Pal
“I am proud of my ear hairs. I want to have the
record until I die. Other than this, I have not
achieved much in life.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2002/03/23/do2306.xml
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Bad?
Broken?
Boring…
Am I Boring?
“It’s hard to imagine Him intervening
dramatically in lesser lives that are not so
much desperate as just plain dull.” (pg60 pp1)
Chapter 6 – The Boring
Tell me about your boring life…
Grace: “Summon the Losers”
Robert D. Sweet
November 12, 1939 - September 23, 2007
Grace - Robert D. Sweet 1939-2007

Age 67

Lifetime Lansing resident
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Sparrow Hospital Volunteer

Children’s Summer Camp Mailman
Grace - Robert D. Sweet 1939-2007
Bob was a very special man. He was caring,
giving, and always upbeat. He worked at
Brody Complex at MSU for many years and
was dedicated, hard working and always there
for others. After retirement, Bob would stop by
and update us on his many adventures. I will
miss him, my heart felt sympathies to all he
was close to. -Diane Barker
Grace - Robert D. Sweet 1939-2007
He was generous in supporting the work of our
young people in the mission field. Daughter
Sophie is in Belfast with the help of Bob's
donation. I,Piper, worked with Bob at Sparrow
as a volunteer where he was always friendly,
cheerful and helpful. Earlier this month, he
was training a new girl in his job as a hospital
escort. Walking behind them down the hall I
learned many clever and useful tips. He knew
all the tricks! -Piper Fountain
Grace - Robert D. Sweet 1939-2007
What a man - what a privilege to have known
him over these past few years. We had many
happy times reminiscing about how God had
touched and changed our lives and what a joy
it was to be able to continue to serve Him in
our retirement. -Bill Horton
High Achievers
High Achievers
“There are no ordinary people. You have never
met a mere moral. Nations, cultures, arts,
civilizations – these are mortal and their life is
to ours as a gnat. But it is immortals whom
we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and
exploit – immortal horrors or everlasting
splendors.”
- C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
The Vision and The Vow
Re-Discovering Life and Grace
Next time (Wed, Oct 10):
Discipleship - “The Army is Discipl(in)ed”