Living in Overlap: Embracing God's Will and Redemption
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor drawing a parallel between the soothing storytelling of Bob Ross and the biblical narrative, emphasizing the significance of trees in both. The pastor then focuses on the message of 1 John 1:9, which encourages confession of sins and belief in Jesus for redemption. The pastor presents a choice to the listeners - to live life according to their own will or to surrender to God's will. The sermon encourages believers to live in the overlap, where they daily choose to love and trust Jesus.
The pastor then explores the concept of separation and how it is ultimately overcome by the work of Jesus Christ. The pastor reassures listeners that if God's goodness can overshadow the big separation story, it can also redeem and transform the individual falls and brokenness experienced in life. The pastor then discusses the concept of God giving people what they want, as seen in the Book of Romans. This idea is described as a gift, although it may be a scary thought.
The sermon then moves to Ephesians 2, where Paul discusses the concept of being made alive in Christ Jesus. The pastor highlights God's mercy and love, stating that God does not want us to remain in a separated space and actively pursues us. The pastor then refers to Genesis 3, where God calls out to Adam and Eve after they have separated themselves. God covers their shame and provides clothing for them, symbolizing his grace and willingness to enter into their separation.
The pastor then addresses the issue of living in a state of separation. He emphasizes that it is not enough to simply have the right beliefs or say the right things; the fruit of one's life should reflect a flourishing and overlapping life, rather than a separated and hellish existence. The pastor concludes by stating that there are two types of people in the end: those who say "thy will be done" to God, and those to whom God says "thy will be done."
The sermon concludes with the pastor discussing the concept of life everlasting as described in the Bible. The pastor emphasizes that life with God is characterized by a seamless overlap between God's space and our space. This overlap allows for a relationship with God, a sense of purpose, and meaningful partnership. However, something happened in Genesis 3 that caused a separation between God's space and our space. The pastor also challenges the traditional belief of heaven as a place of clouds and harps, suggesting a more dynamic and fulfilling understanding of the afterlife.
Key Takeaways:
- The pastor emphasizes the importance of confession and belief in Jesus for redemption. He presents a choice to the listeners - to live life according to their own will or to surrender to God's will. This choice is not a one-time decision but a daily commitment to love and trust Jesus. ([12:45])
- The pastor reassures listeners that God's goodness can overshadow the big separation story, and it can also redeem and transform the individual falls and brokenness experienced in life. This is a powerful reminder of God's ability to redeem all things, even the most broken and fallen aspects of our lives. ([24:30])
- The pastor discusses the concept of God giving people what they want, as seen in the Book of Romans. This idea is described as a gift, although it may be a scary thought. It serves as a reminder that God respects our free will, even when our choices lead us away from Him. ([36:15])
- The pastor emphasizes that it is not enough to simply have the right beliefs or say the right things; the fruit of one's life should reflect a flourishing and overlapping life, rather than a separated and hellish existence. This is a call to authentic Christian living, where our actions align with our beliefs. ([48:50])
- The pastor discusses the concept of life everlasting as described in the Bible. He emphasizes that life with God is characterized by a seamless overlap between God's space and our space. This overlap allows for a relationship with God, a sense of purpose, and meaningful partnership. This is a profound insight into the nature of eternal life as a continuation of our relationship with God, rather than a completely different existence. ([59:30])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 2:8-9: "Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil."
2. Genesis 3:6-7: "When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."
3. Revelation 21-22: These chapters describe the new heaven and new earth, the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and the tree of life in the city, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 2:8-9?
2. In Genesis 3:6-7, what were the consequences of Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil?
3. How is the tree of life depicted in Revelation 21-22, and how does this contrast with its depiction in Genesis?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the act of Adam and Eve eating the fruit symbolize the choice to live life according to one's own will versus surrendering to God's will?
2. What does the covering of Adam and Eve's nakedness by God in Genesis 3:6-7 reveal about God's character and His response to our separation from Him?
3. How does the description of the tree of life in Revelation 21-22 reflect the concept of life everlasting and the seamless overlap between God's space and our space?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you had to choose between your own will and God's will. How did you make your decision and what was the outcome?
2. Can you identify a moment in your life where you felt separated from God due to your actions? How did you experience God's grace and redemption in that situation?
3. What is one way you can actively choose to live in the overlap of God's will and your own will this week?
4. How can you demonstrate a flourishing and overlapping life, rather than a separated existence, in your interactions with others this week?
5. Reflect on your understanding of heaven. How does the depiction of the new heaven and new earth in Revelation 21-22 challenge or affirm your current beliefs?
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Daily Surrender to God's Will
The journey of faith is not a one-time decision but a daily commitment to love and trust Jesus. It involves a choice - to live life according to one's own will or to surrender to God's will. This surrender is not a sign of weakness but a testament to the believer's trust in God's plan and purpose. ([12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Mz_iIewnk&t=750s))
Bible Passage: Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Reflection: What does daily surrender to God's will look like in your life? Can you identify one area where you struggle to surrender control and how you might begin to release it to God?
Day 2: God's Redemption in Our Brokenness
God's goodness is powerful enough to overshadow the big separation story, and it can also redeem and transform the individual falls and brokenness experienced in life. This is a powerful reminder of God's ability to redeem all things, even the most broken and fallen aspects of our lives. ([24:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Mz_iIewnk&t=1455s))
Bible Passage: Joel 2:25 - "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's redemption in your brokenness. How did that experience change your perspective on God's goodness and power?
Day 3: God's Respect for Our Free Will
God respects our free will, even when our choices lead us away from Him. This is seen in the Book of Romans where God gives people what they want, a thought that can be both a gift and a scary reality. ([36:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Mz_iIewnk&t=2160s))
Bible Passage: Deuteronomy 30:19 - "This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."
Reflection: How have your choices reflected your free will? Can you identify a choice you made that led you away from God and how you can make a different choice moving forward?
Day 4: Authentic Christian Living
It is not enough to simply have the right beliefs or say the right things; the fruit of one's life should reflect a flourishing and overlapping life, rather than a separated and hellish existence. This is a call to authentic Christian living, where our actions align with our beliefs. ([48:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Mz_iIewnk&t=2915s))
Bible Passage: James 2:17 - "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
Reflection: What does authentic Christian living look like in your life? Can you identify one action that you can take today to align your actions with your beliefs?
Day 5: Life Everlasting with God
Life with God is characterized by a seamless overlap between God's space and our space. This overlap allows for a relationship with God, a sense of purpose, and meaningful partnership. This is a profound insight into the nature of eternal life as a continuation of our relationship with God, rather than a completely different existence. ([59:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Mz_iIewnk&t=3555s))
Bible Passage: John 17:3 - "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
Reflection: How do you envision your relationship with God in the context of eternal life? What steps can you take today to deepen that relationship?
Quotes
"Living in the overlap means embracing the tension between our love for God and our love for others. It's about recognizing that our faith should not be confined to the walls of the church, but should permeate every aspect of our lives." [41:16]
"Look at the fruit of your life. Does the fruit of your life look like the flourishing of an overlapping life or does it look like a separated life of literal hell on Earth?" (28:20)
"There are two types of people in the end. One of those types God will say, 'Thy will be done,' and the other type God will say to people, 'Thy will be done.'" (30:36)
"God delivered them over into the cravings of their hearts... He gave them what they wanted." (Romans 1:24) [31:14]
"God would not let us stay in the separated space... He came after us." (Ephesians 2) [32:45]
"Every time we sin, we decide in that moment again, however big or small it is, doesn't matter. In that moment, we choose to live life in the separated space, to choose life even if it's just for a moment, to choose life outside of God. And the LIE from the enemy then and now is that you can do that and be okay, you can do that and it'll actually be more than okay, it'll be good choosing it will actually lead to life. But all it ever does then and now is leads to life without God, which is death." [17:55]
"What God did in Christ made the fall or the story of separation a comma in the story and not the final period...we won't remember the fall as much as we will Marvel in the work of Jesus to come into the separation, come into our Wilderness, come into the place where we decided we don't want him and to bring us into the overlap."
"Life with God looks like a complete and seamless overlap between His space and our space, where we were created for relationship, purpose, and meaningful partnership with Him."
"We want to dismantle the previously held belief of heaven being a disembodied floating space. Life Everlasting, as intended, is a complete and seamless overlap between God's space and our space."
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