Embracing Divine Creativity Through Surrender and Prayer
Summary
In John 14, Jesus reassures us not to let our hearts be troubled, for He is preparing a place for us in His Father's house. This preparation is not just a future promise but a present reality where Jesus is actively engaged in creating something greater and good. This divine creativity extends to us, as God creates creators. We are called to participate in this creative process, to bring forth goodness in the world. From the moment a child is able to create, there is an innate desire to produce and share, reflecting the joy of creation that God has instilled in us.
However, the tragedy of human life is that these created creators have turned away from God, seeking to establish their own kingdoms. This rebellion is the root of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, anger, and lust that tear the world apart. The human will to have its own way is the source of these destructive forces. Jesus teaches that if we seek to save our lives, we will lose them, but if we lose our lives for His sake and the gospel, we will find true life. This means surrendering our kingdoms to His, allowing His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
The prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" is an invocation for God to take His rightful place in our lives. It acknowledges the freedom God has given us to choose, even to choose wrongly, and recognizes that this freedom is the crucible through which God's design for human life is realized. By aligning our will with God's, we participate in His creative work, bringing His kingdom to bear in our daily lives.
Key Takeaways:
1. Divine Creativity and Human Participation: Jesus is actively preparing a place for us, demonstrating God's ongoing creative work. We are invited to participate in this creativity, reflecting God's nature by creating goodness in the world. This participation is a fundamental aspect of our humanity, as seen in the innate desire of children to create and share. [00:52]
2. The Tragedy of Rebellion: The human condition is marked by a tragic rebellion against God, where created creators seek to establish their own kingdoms. This rebellion is the source of all destructive forces in the world, from personal conflicts to global strife. Recognizing this helps us understand the root of our struggles and the need for divine intervention. [02:21]
3. Surrendering to God's Kingdom: Jesus teaches that true life is found in surrendering our will to God's kingdom. By losing our lives for His sake, we find a deeper, more meaningful existence. This surrender is not a loss but a gain, as it aligns us with God's eternal purposes. [02:55]
4. The Power of Prayer: The prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" is a powerful invocation for God's presence and authority in our lives. It is a recognition of our freedom to choose and an invitation for God to guide our choices towards His good and perfect will. [03:32]
5. Freedom and Responsibility: God grants us the freedom to choose, even to choose wrongly, as a means of realizing His design for human life. This freedom is a crucible, a testing ground where we learn to align our will with God's and participate in His creative work. [03:54]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:28] - Jesus' Assurance
[00:52] - Divine Creativity
[01:12] - Created Creators
[01:35] - Childlike Creation
[01:59] - Human Rebellion
[02:21] - Source of Strife
[02:40] - The Human Will
[02:55] - Surrendering to God
[03:08] - Thy Kingdom Come
[03:32] - Power of Prayer
[03:54] - Freedom and Responsibility
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. John 14:1-3 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
2. Mark 8:35 - "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it."
3. Matthew 6:10 - "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
Observation Questions:
1. According to John 14:1-3, what is Jesus doing for us, and how does this relate to His creative work? [00:28]
2. How does the sermon describe the nature of human creativity, especially in children? [01:35]
3. What is identified as the source of malice, deceit, and other destructive forces in the world? [02:21]
4. What does the prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" signify in the context of the sermon? [03:08]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' preparation of a place for us in John 14 reflect His ongoing creative work in our lives? [00:52]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that human rebellion against God manifests in our daily lives? [02:21]
3. How does the concept of losing one's life for Jesus' sake, as mentioned in Mark 8:35, challenge our understanding of personal sacrifice and gain? [02:55]
4. What role does human freedom play in God's design for our lives, according to the sermon? [03:54]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt troubled. How can Jesus' promise in John 14:1-3 bring you comfort and hope in similar situations?
2. Consider your own creative abilities. How can you use them to reflect God's goodness in your community or workplace? [01:12]
3. Identify an area in your life where you might be trying to establish your own kingdom. What steps can you take to surrender this to God? [02:21]
4. How can you incorporate the prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" into your daily routine to align your will with God's? [03:08]
5. Think about a decision you recently made. How did you exercise your freedom in that choice, and how might you align future decisions more closely with God's will? [03:54]
6. In what ways can you actively participate in God's creative work in your family or church this week?
7. How can you practice losing your life for Jesus' sake in a practical way, perhaps by serving others or prioritizing spiritual growth over personal desires? [02:55]
Devotional
Day 1: Participating in Divine Creativity
Description: In John 14, Jesus reassures His followers that He is preparing a place for them, highlighting the ongoing creative work of God. This divine creativity is not just a distant promise but a present reality, inviting us to participate in God's creative process. As beings made in the image of a creative God, we are called to reflect His nature by bringing goodness into the world. This is evident in the innate desire of children to create and share, a reflection of the joy of creation that God has instilled in us. By engaging in acts of creativity, we align ourselves with God's purpose and contribute to the unfolding of His kingdom on earth. [00:52]
Bible passage: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10, ESV)
Reflection: What is one creative act you can engage in today that reflects God's goodness and brings joy to others?
Day 2: Recognizing the Tragedy of Rebellion
Description: The human condition is marked by a tragic rebellion against God, where those created to be creators have turned away to establish their own kingdoms. This rebellion is the root of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, anger, and lust that tear the world apart. By seeking to have our own way, we become the source of these destructive forces. Recognizing this rebellion helps us understand the root of our struggles and the need for divine intervention. It is only through acknowledging our rebellion and turning back to God that we can begin to heal the brokenness in our lives and the world around us. [02:21]
Bible passage: "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21, ESV)
Reflection: In what ways have you sought to establish your own kingdom apart from God, and how can you begin to surrender these areas to Him today?
Day 3: Surrendering to God's Kingdom
Description: Jesus teaches that true life is found in surrendering our will to God's kingdom. By losing our lives for His sake, we find a deeper, more meaningful existence. This surrender is not a loss but a gain, as it aligns us with God's eternal purposes. When we let go of our own desires and ambitions, we open ourselves to the transformative power of God's love and grace. This act of surrender allows us to experience the fullness of life that God intends for us, as we become participants in His kingdom work on earth. [02:55]
Bible passage: "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 4: The Power of Prayer
Description: The prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" is a powerful invocation for God's presence and authority in our lives. It acknowledges the freedom God has given us to choose, even to choose wrongly, and recognizes that this freedom is the crucible through which God's design for human life is realized. By aligning our will with God's through prayer, we invite His guidance and wisdom into our daily decisions, allowing His kingdom to manifest in our lives. This prayer is a reminder of our dependence on God and our desire to see His purposes fulfilled on earth as they are in heaven. [03:32]
Bible passage: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6, ESV)
Reflection: How can you incorporate the prayer "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done" into your daily routine to invite God's guidance in your life?
Day 5: Embracing Freedom and Responsibility
Description: God grants us the freedom to choose, even to choose wrongly, as a means of realizing His design for human life. This freedom is a crucible, a testing ground where we learn to align our will with God's and participate in His creative work. With this freedom comes the responsibility to make choices that reflect God's goodness and love. By embracing this responsibility, we become active participants in God's kingdom, bringing His light into the world. It is through our choices that we demonstrate our commitment to God's purposes and our desire to see His will done on earth. [03:54]
Bible passage: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13, ESV)
Reflection: How can you use your God-given freedom today to make a choice that serves others and reflects God's love?
Quotes
"God pours himself out creatively constantly listen to this that Jesus said in John 14: 'Don't let your hearts be troubled,' he said, 'In my Father's house are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you.' Do you think Jesus is doing now? Does it mean anything that he is preparing a place for you?" [00:17:36]
"He is engaged creatively in producing what is ever greater and good okay. Now a part of that means that he creates creators, and who would you think that might be? How about you? He creates creators and what are they to do? They are to create what is good, and that's the nature of human life." [00:59:52]
"You watch a little child that comes into this world as soon as it can do much of anything it wants to create something, doesn't it? And probably doesn't look like much to you but you love it anyway because you know the child's heart, and it wants to give you what it is created." [01:95:92]
"And it enjoys giving it so much that it would like to take it back so it could give it again. See that's the nature of human beings. God not only creates he creates creators. Now the tragedy of human life is that the created creators turned away from God and they said, in effect, I would like to have my own kingdom." [01:12:399]
"And that's the human condition, and that is the source of all of the malice, and deceit and hypocrisy, and anger and lusting that tears the world apart, family after family, neighborhood after neighborhood, nation after nation. It all comes from one thing the human will to have their way." [02:45:92]
"That's where it all comes from that's why Jesus said, 'If you seek to save your life you'll lose, but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel see that means you've returned your kingdom to his kingdom, right and now then wherever you are, whatever you're doing you are saying, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth.'" [02:78:40]
"See that prayer is the invocation of God to take his place in the realm that he has given to us to choose, to allow us to be free to even choose what is wrong and harmful, because that is the crucible out of which what he has designed for human life to come to be." [03:08:239]
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