Dynamics Within Part I TS: A few weeks ago Alyssa made the comment that there’s Lord’s Prayer: Rooted & Grounded in Love this idea of God being called The Universe. Matt. 6:9-13 We hear this phrase a lot these days; the idea that God is The Story: God gave me surrogate father’s – when I met them I Universe and not a Relationship. was immediately drawn to them. I saw what true masculinity looked like and I wanted to be like them. Its what is called Pandeism, which is a belief that God became the entire universe and no longer exists as a separate being. Certain dynamics that drew me in. This idea that God exists, but not a personal God who desires What are the dynamics of this Relationship that you and I are to be in relationship, or to be worthy of worship. being drawn into, or are being drawn into? God as the universe is more this idea of the ever-unfolding Have you ever been on the periphery of a conversation, or expression of a complex universe with an identifiable someone very much on the outside of the friendship, and the beginning but no theological direction. more you get to know these friends and see the dynamics of that relationship, the more you don’t want to be part of it. But the God of the Bible is so the opposite. Not even to be compared. You just want to steer clear. It might be totally dysfunctional. Maybe it’s enmeshed. Borderline abusive, and you want Instead the father, Son and Holy Spirit invite us into nothing to do with that relationship. relationship, ultimate fellowship, as co-lovers.

Or the opposite can be true. You’re on the periphery of a Paul in his dialogue with the philosophers in Athens, this is group of people, or a couple and the closer you get, the more what the apostle Paul says about the living God. you are drawn to the individual. “He is not far from us; for in Him we live and move and have There’s certain dynamics in that relationship that are either our being.” Acts 17:27-28 repelling you or drawing you closer. In the community at the centre of the universe we live and The Trinity is the ultimate family, the relationship above all move and have our being. relationships; true fellowship and communion. And it’s a relationship that the more you get to know, the more you Not because of, not just because of him we live and move and experience. The more you want in. have our being. And not just “through” him we live and move and have our being”, but “in”.

1 This is the good news. In Him we live and move. So we’re invited into the circle. This family adopting us to be No wonder Jesus said in John 15, “Yes I am the vine and you part of the eternal family. are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” Not concepts, not ideas or theological phrases…but persons.

What it means to be in Christ and Christ in us. In an attempt to be sensitive to those who have a problem with God as Father, we come up with non-personal terms like The Trinity draws close to me to draw me close to the Trinity, Universe. to draw me into the circle of the Trinity’s life of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We even do this in the church community.

What it means to be Co-lovers and Co-laborers! To participate It is proposed that we speak of the Trinitarian God in terms of in the love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier.

The Trinity is … The father is Creator. The Son is Redeemer. The Spirit is Sanctifier. This is true, but God is not merely some concept. God is not a lonely God. Not a solitary God. It misses the mark because it misses the heart of God’s Not just in community but as community. revelation. That the essence of Trinity is relationship.

Not just in relationship but as relationship. God is not merely some philosophical term, some theological idea, He’s a person. Not just in fellowship but as fellowship. A relationship like no other. That’s nothing like the relationship From all eternity God speaks of Himself as “our”, “us” and between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. “we”. The more we get a taste of this relationship, the more we are And the good news is that we are brought into being to drawn in. participate with God in that. So let me ask you a question. That fellowship. That community. That relationship.

2 Q: If God did everything possible for us to be brought into the This gives us a glimpse of the kind of intimacy within the circle of the Trinity, what is going on within the circle? Godhead. The kind of intimacy between the Father and the Son. Q: What are the dynamics of this relationship we are being drawn into? At the centre of the universe is intimacy, a deep, abiding, tender, affectionate belonging. You might say, the dynamics of the Trinity, what is going on within the Trinity is a mystery and therefore unknowing. This is the major thrust of the John’s Gospel.

First it’s mysterious. But not total mystery. John 14: 9-11, 15-17 says,

When we read the gospels we are reading the revelation of Jesus replied, “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and what goes on within the Trinity. We are catching a glimpse of the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but the dynamics between Father, Son and Spirit. my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at I want to pinpoint 7 essential dynamics that express the least believe because of the work you have seen me do. dynamics of Life happening within the circle of the Trinity. 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will So what are the dynamics? never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for The 1st word is Intimacy. him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” We’ve been talking a lot about the fact that everything in our lives that is good grows out of our intimacy with God as No wonder Earl Palmer calls John’s gospel the intimate Father, Son and Spirit. gospel. No wonder John was called Beloved.

Our authority, power, identity and obedience. And Jesus tells us that it is for this intimacy that you and I were created and redeemed. All flows out of intimacy. Ever wonder why it so breaks God’s heart when relationships The same goes for Jesus as he walked the earth. go sour? When families are torn apart? When death happens?

No wonder God went to such great lengths to restore and redeem through the Cross.

3 Ever consider this, that God really enjoys being God? I like how Darrell Johnson says it. The Father enjoys the Son. “You are my delight. I am well “All our longing is longing for this intimacy. We are wired for pleased with you.” this intimacy. All our hungers are connected to this ultimate hunger. All our thirsts are thirsts for the passionate belonging The Son enjoys the Father. “In you does my soul rejoice.” of God.” And the joy is so real it is embodied in the Holy Spirit. Our cry for friendship, for intimacy, belonging, love is unknowingly the cry for intimacy found in God. Jesus does what he does out of joy. And He invites us into that joy. No wonder Isaiah wrote this of God. John 15:1 says, “These things I have said to you that my joy “I have created you for myself.” may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

No wonder the Holy Spirit comes upon us and our Spirit’s cry John 16:24 “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be out “Abba”! made full.”

First dynamic is intimacy. John 17:13 says “I told them many things while I was with them…so they would be filled with my joy.” Are you drawn closer? Does your soul crave this? Or are you a little frightened? Yet in the midst of this joy, Jesus is called the man of sorrows.

It’s OK. Jesus is inviting you to come closer. Ever since the introduction of sin into the world, broken relationships, death, there has been sorrow within the circle. 1st is Intimacy… And no one grieves over the ruin of the world or the wreckage of human life like the Living God. 2nd Dynamic is Joy. Yet underneath it all there is joy. Unalloyed joy. Not mixed in with any foreign metals that would weaken it. The joy of a God coming to rescue us and heal us and re- make us. Pure joy. Jesus draws us within the circle of his joy.

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Maybe for you joy has been elusive. Maybe for you there 1st is Intimacy, 2nd is Joy… seems to be some obstacle in the way, blocking you from knowing this joy. 3rd is Servanthood

Maybe your prayer needs to be “Restore unto me the joy of my At the centre of the universe is servanthood. salvation.” The Father serves the Son, the Son serves the Father and the God is all about restoring our joy, in Him. It’s found in Him. servanthood is so real it manifests itself as the Spirit of servanthood. A few weeks ago I woke up and had this dream. I dreamt of a farmer sitting on a stool, waiting for his cow to birth a calf. And How do we know this? the word was simply “wait.” Phlp. 2:5-11 reads I shared it with Kenda and a few minutes later she shared with me that her verse for the day was Ps. 27:14, which reads “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. “Wait patiently for the Lord (Put your hope in Adonai. Be Though he was God, strong and let your heart take courage!) Be brave and he did not think of equality with God courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; I immediately wanted to know the gestation period of a cow so he took the humble position of a slave I could know how long God was calling us to wait, and found and was born as a human being. out it was 293 days or something. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God We were a bit disappointed. Then Luke said, “But he’s sitting and died a criminal’s death on a cross. on the stool. That’s a long time to sit and wait. Immediately I Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor sensed he was right. It’s immanent. and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, Interesting that same theme came again at Deep Stream on in heaven and on earth and under the earth, Thursday. Peter is sinking beneath the wind and the waves and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, and Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I.” to the glory of God the Father.”

Joy comes in the morning. Take courage. God is birthing The early Christian hymn suggests that in Christ’s pre-earthly something new. Joy is coming. state the Son is contemplating what it means to be God. And

5 he comes to this conclusion that to be like God is to be a servant. This is why Isaiah responded the way he did in Isa. 6.

Which is why Jesus washes his disciples feet. He was drawn into the circle, in through the doorway into Jesus bends down to wash his disciple’s feet and his disciples God’s chamber, and how did he respond? ask. “Woe is me…I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a “What are you doing down there washing feet Jesus?” people of unclean lips.”

“Jesus responds, “I told you, I only do what I see my Father No wonder when Peter catches a glimpse of Jesus’ purity and doing. I am doing for you what my Father has done for me for power he cries out, “Go away from me for I am a sinner Lord.” all eternity.” But this is why Jesus came. To deal with our sin, so we could The further we get into the circle we are drawn, the freer we be in the circle, our messes and all. get to give ourselves away…and serve one another. The only way we can stand in our brokenness and simply let Oh to be so secure and satisfied in the love of the father, that God love us is because of what Jesus did. we are able to forget about ourselves and truly live for others. Knowing full well God will give us all we truly need. Why? Because Jesus took care of our sin.

1st Intimacy, 2nd Joy, 3rd Servanthood and … And now we have this hope. As we are in the circle, God’s purity will not fry us. It will only burn away all that is not pure 4th is Purity. still within us.

I agree with Darrel Johnson that the word purity is essentially How does that make you feel? Frightful? Jesus responds to what holiness is. you and I the same way he responded to Peter.

At the centre of the universe is purity. No twistedness. No “Be not afraid.” He invites us closer, into the circle. deceit. No manipulation. No dirtiness. Clean. Whole. Absolute purity. Radiant Fire. Purifying everything within it’s circle. 1st Intimacy. 2nd Joy. 3rd Servanthood. 4th Purity.

Can you and I handle this sort of purity? Just a few dynamics that draw us in. Why? We were created for this relationship. God in Christ went to great No we can’t.

6 lengths in order to draw us in, so we could be partakers of this fellowship. This communion.

Communion

And we were brought into being by that very relationship, for that very relationship! We were brought near by the blood of the Lamb to participate in that Relationship.

This is why we celebrate Communion. It’s that regular time where we take time to rejoice in the Union Christ has made.

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