Restoring Order: The Gospel's Solution to Chaos

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound question of what is wrong with the world and how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers a solution. We began by acknowledging the disordered desires within us, which lead to chaos and brokenness. This disorder is not just a personal issue but a cosmic one, involving spiritual forces that seek to disrupt God's plan for humanity. We reflected on the narrative of Genesis, where God's intention was to bring order out of chaos, and how humanity's rebellion introduced disorder. Yet, God’s plan to reorder the world involves us, His human family, through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is the announcement that King Jesus is Lord and Savior, and it begins to address the disorder in the world. We discussed how the wrath of God is revealed against ungodliness and unrighteousness, and how humanity's failure to honor and thank God leads to futile thinking and darkened hearts. This is a worship problem, where we exchange the glory of the immortal God for created things, leading to idolatry and further disorder.

We delved into the biblical narrative, examining the fall of Adam and Eve, the corruption by divine beings, and the Tower of Babel. These events illustrate humanity's desire for autonomy from God, resulting in sin's enslavement. However, the gospel offers freedom from this enslavement. Jesus, our sin bearer, breaks the power of sin and demonic opposition, reclaiming the nations and dethroning false gods.

The call to action is clear: we are to participate in God's mission to bring order to disorder. This involves living righteously, engaging in spiritual warfare, and spreading the message of God's kingdom to all nations. The gospel is not just a story; it is the ultimate solution to the world's deepest problems. As we align ourselves with Christ, we become part of the greatest uprising in history, bringing restoration and hope to a broken world.

Key Takeaways:

- Disordered Desires and Divine Order: Our internal disordered desires reflect a larger cosmic disorder. God's plan, as seen in Genesis, is to bring order out of chaos, and He invites us to participate in this reordering through the gospel of Jesus Christ. [01:06]

- Worship and Idolatry: The root of the world's problems is a worship issue. When we fail to honor and thank God, we turn to idolatry, worshipping created things rather than the Creator. This leads to a futile and darkened existence. [06:14]

- The Power of the Gospel: The gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the fall of humanity, demonic opposition, and idolatry. It offers freedom from sin's enslavement and calls us to live in the light of Christ's victory over spiritual forces. [27:39]

- Participating in God's Mission: We are called to engage in God's mission to restore order. This involves righteous living, spiritual warfare, and spreading the gospel to all nations, knowing that Jesus is with us in this mission. [35:39]

- The Ultimate Solution: The gospel is the ultimate solution to the world's deepest problems. It empowers us to live confidently, knowing that in Christ, we are part of the greatest uprising in history, bringing restoration and hope to a broken world. [41:08]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:06] - Disordered Desires
- [03:06] - Righteousness and Relationship
- [06:14] - Worship and Idolatry
- [07:28] - Pursuit of Pleasure
- [08:55] - Consequences of Idolatry
- [10:24] - Genesis and Human Corruption
- [11:57] - Trust and Freedom
- [12:40] - Sin's Enslavement
- [13:57] - Demonic Opposition
- [15:03] - The Great Flood
- [16:37] - Tower of Babel
- [17:42] - God's Plan for Nations
- [18:57] - Spiritual Contamination
- [20:34] - Gospel and Salvation
- [23:32] - Divine Beings and Corruption
- [24:59] - God's Judgment
- [26:06] - Restoration and Hope
- [27:39] - Power of the Gospel
- [29:01] - Sin and Salvation
- [30:11] - Spiritual Warfare
- [34:22] - Victory in Christ
- [35:39] - Mission to the Nations
- [36:48] - Delayed Obedience
- [37:45] - The Great Uprising
- [41:08] - Conclusion and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 1:18-25
2. Genesis 1-3
3. Matthew 28:18-20

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Romans 1:18-25, what are the consequences of humanity's failure to honor and thank God? How does this relate to the concept of disordered desires discussed in the sermon? [03:06]

2. In Genesis 1-3, how does the narrative describe God's original intention for creation, and how does humanity's rebellion introduce disorder? [01:06]

3. What does Matthew 28:18-20 reveal about Jesus' authority and the mission given to His followers? How does this mission relate to the sermon’s call to participate in God's plan to reorder the world? [35:39]

4. How does the sermon describe the role of spiritual forces in the disorder of the world, and what examples from the Bible are used to illustrate this? [13:57]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon explain the relationship between disordered desires and idolatry? In what ways does this connection impact our understanding of sin and its consequences? [06:14]

2. The sermon mentions the fall of Adam and Eve and the Tower of Babel as key events illustrating humanity's desire for autonomy. How do these stories help us understand the nature of sin and rebellion against God? [10:24]

3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the issues of sin, demonic opposition, and idolatry? How does this understanding shape our view of the gospel as the ultimate solution to the world's problems? [27:39]

4. The sermon calls believers to engage in God's mission to restore order. What does this look like in practical terms, and how does it relate to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20? [35:39]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where disordered desires have led to chaos or brokenness? How can you invite God to bring order to these areas through the gospel? [01:06]

2. The sermon highlights the importance of gratitude and worship. How can you cultivate a heart of gratitude towards God in your daily life, and what impact might this have on your relationship with Him? [06:14]

3. Consider the spiritual forces that may be influencing your life. How can you engage in spiritual warfare through prayer and righteous living to resist these influences? [13:57]

4. The sermon calls us to participate in God's mission to bring order to disorder. What specific steps can you take this week to share the message of God's kingdom with someone in your life? [35:39]

5. How can you ensure that your pursuit of pleasure does not become idolatrous, but rather aligns with the joy and contentment found in God? [07:28]

6. Reflect on the concept of delayed obedience as disobedience. Are there areas in your life where you have delayed responding to God's call? What steps can you take to act in obedience this week? [36:48]

7. The sermon emphasizes the power of the gospel to bring restoration and hope. How can you live confidently in this truth, knowing that you are part of the greatest uprising in history? [41:08]

Devotional

Day 1: Disordered Desires and Cosmic Disorder
Our internal disordered desires are a reflection of a larger cosmic disorder that affects the entire world. This disorder is not just a personal struggle but a cosmic one, involving spiritual forces that seek to disrupt God's plan for humanity. In Genesis, we see God's intention to bring order out of chaos, but humanity's rebellion introduced disorder. Despite this, God’s plan to reorder the world involves us, His human family, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are invited to participate in this divine reordering, aligning our desires with God's will and purpose. [01:06]

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints" (1 Corinthians 14:33, ESV).

Reflection: What disordered desires in your life are contributing to chaos, and how can you invite God to bring His order into these areas today?

Day 2: Worship and Idolatry
The root of the world's problems is a worship issue. When we fail to honor and thank God, we turn to idolatry, worshipping created things rather than the Creator. This leads to a futile and darkened existence, as our hearts become enslaved to things that cannot fulfill us. The biblical narrative shows us that idolatry is a recurring problem, but the gospel of Jesus Christ offers a way out. By realigning our worship towards God, we can break free from the chains of idolatry and experience true freedom and fulfillment. [06:14]

"They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (Romans 1:25, ESV).

Reflection: Identify one thing in your life that you have placed above God. How can you begin to shift your focus back to worshipping the Creator rather than the created?

Day 3: The Power of the Gospel
The gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the fall of humanity, demonic opposition, and idolatry. It offers freedom from sin's enslavement and calls us to live in the light of Christ's victory over spiritual forces. Jesus, our sin bearer, breaks the power of sin and demonic opposition, reclaiming the nations and dethroning false gods. This transformative power of the gospel is not just a story; it is the ultimate solution to the world's deepest problems, empowering us to live confidently in the light of Christ's victory. [27:39]

"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14, ESV).

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the power of the gospel in your life? How can you share this transformative power with someone else today?

Day 4: Participating in God's Mission
We are called to engage in God's mission to restore order to the world. This involves living righteously, engaging in spiritual warfare, and spreading the gospel to all nations. As followers of Christ, we are part of the greatest uprising in history, bringing restoration and hope to a broken world. Jesus is with us in this mission, empowering us to live out our calling with boldness and confidence. By participating in God's mission, we become agents of change, bringing His light and love to those around us. [35:39]

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV).

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to actively participate in God's mission to restore order in your community?

Day 5: The Ultimate Solution
The gospel is the ultimate solution to the world's deepest problems. It empowers us to live confidently, knowing that in Christ, we are part of the greatest uprising in history, bringing restoration and hope to a broken world. As we align ourselves with Christ, we become part of His mission to bring order out of chaos, offering a message of hope and redemption to those around us. The gospel is not just a story; it is a transformative power that changes lives and brings healing to a hurting world. [41:08]

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16, ESV).

Reflection: How can you live out the truth that the gospel is the ultimate solution to the world's problems in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to share this message of hope with others?

Quotes

1. "And if God steps back when we're disordered, then we stay that way and get worse. We just get more and more chaotic. And we look at the story of Genesis 1 and 2, and you see God just taking disorder and then putting things, separating the land and separating the waters and putting things in order. And then we're going to look at multiple events in Genesis today where the disorder just comes in. And then God's plan to reorder all of that. And he uses us. That's the beauty of it. He does use us." [00:01:34] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Yahweh wanted a human family and then there was all sorts of corruption. Divine beings included corrupting God's stuff and his goal to have a human project has been under distress. Any of you experienced God's enemies coming at you to try to remove you from order to disorder and you just feel like we're all the way against it? And sometimes I'm not here to say there's a demon behind every bush, probably at every altar we worship at though, but not behind necessarily every bush, but that sometimes I don't know that the enemy has to do much with a system that's already corrupt. I think the enemy can just go like, oh, well, just let that go. Just let that go. Some of us play into those systems and find ourselves more and more disordered." [00:02:21] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "And remember, remember righteousness is being rightly related to God, to myself, to others, to creation, to be set right, to be reordered so that I can be a righteous person so that I can help set other people to right. Nobody really wants to know, hey, I've got a plan to help you get right. And they're like, well, what about you? I'm like, well, I don't know. I'm not doing it, but I have a plan for you. All right? We don't want that." [00:03:36] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "And that's what Jesus taught us, is that we're becoming truly human with Jesus, because he's the way, the truth, and the life. And so as we become more truly human, of course we're attuned to creation and all that. But here's the catch. I said, your guru, your yoga instructor, all these people will say gratitude is super important, and this is the month of Thanksgiving, and we're going to have a Thanksgiving meal. So gratitude is super important. I'm like, but gratitude is relational. Gratitude is relational. It's not just being grateful for gratefulness sake, because my psychotherapist said I should try to be more grateful. It's grateful to God for all this amazing stuff. And when you experience that, when you live a life of gratitude and thanksgiving to God, that's a relationship." [00:06:08] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "So what happens is, if they know God, but they don't honor Him or give thanks to them, they're going to become futile in their thinking. Their hearts are going to be darkened. They're foolish hearts, and they claim to be wise, but now they're foolish, and now they become those who exchange the glory of the immortal God for images, right? So that's the practice of idolatry. We've got God, he's amazing. And you're like, well, yeah, but look at the present. Isn't the present amazing? Like, no, the one who gave it to us is amazing. And when you stop that chain of connection with your creator, well, this is what happens. They exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal men and birds and animals and creeping things." [00:06:14] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "It's a different circuit than the contentment circuit. And if you sit with God and you thank him and you feast in front of him, he gives you contentment. Because at his right hand are pleasures forevermore. But it's not the raw pursuit of pleasure that's going to give you pleasure. It's actually the pursuit of God who has pleasures at his right hand forevermore. And so when we don't do that, and humans just, don't do that very well, well, God says, have at it." [00:07:33] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "I think we're living in consequential times where behind every altar that we worship at, we spend our money at, we do all these different things. There are lurking powers saying, oh, so I can get my hook into you that way. Let's go. We talked about it last week. There's front of house idolatry, which is like I'm signing up to go worship this God in her temple or this God in his temple. And that's kind of obvious. To most of us, we're like, you probably shouldn't do that. Don't give honor to other idols. But then there's sort of back of house idolatry, which is, well, I'm going to do the same things they do in there, but I'm hoping I don't get any spiritual contamination." [00:20:06] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "And I've said this a dozen times, but the enemy has no control over you that you don't hand back to him. because at the base of the cross, your chains are gone. You've been set free. But you and I go back to that swamp at the base of the cross, fit ourselves for shackles again, and say, well, it wasn't so bad. And then we wonder, why don't I have the freedom in Christ? Well, you do have freedom in Christ. Stop going back and picking up shackles. Stop going to the swamp to pick up mosquitoes." [00:21:27] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "The power of Jesus stops this whole problem. And so the gospel power comes against all of this. The fall in Adam and Eve, the demonic incursions, the warfare, and all this other stuff that's going on, and this is how, right? So the apostle Paul is telling us we've got the power of the gospel to correct all of this. To correct all of this individually. And I wonder, we wonder as a culture, is there any hope for us as a people?" [00:28:33] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "The one who stood up after his resurrection and he was exalted and now at the right hand of the throne of God is with us forevermore as we get after it, restore what was broken, bring order to what was disordered, and right the wrongs." [00:42:39] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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Transcript

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