Marks of the Church (4): Apostolic (2017-1001)

30
Sept-01 Oct 2017, Christ Mountain Top, Lord’s Table
Call
to Worship,
      8:30/10:45, Setting the Table: Invitation,
Confession
      6:00 Open Table only, Psalm 104.24-35
Children,
Genesis 12.1-9
Message,
John 17.1-26, John 20.19-23
Creed,
Nicene # 880 (after Scripture, prior to message)
Mission
Moment: Kirbyjohn Caldwell on Hurricane Harvey
Nicene
Creed
      4 marks of the church
1.    
ONE
2.    
HOLY
3.    
CATHOLIC
4.    
APOSTOLIC
First
three are aspirational, to be realized in the great and final day of the Lord
in ways that they are never realized now. The last one is realized now in ways
that it cannot be in God’s future.
      Being the apostolic church
1.    
Continuity of tradition, apostles & prophets, Scripture,
gospel
2.    
Missionary, apostle = one sent

Sent
as Jesus is sent. Three dimensions of Jesus being sent:
1.
Dislocation
      Kenosis (emptied himself, Philippians 2)
            Word, with God in the beginning
            The gory I had with you
      Abraham, departure
      Disciples, leaving nets & father
(economy, family) (Volf)
      DeBoer move for the company
      My doctoral project
2.
Contextualization
      Incarnation: Word made flesh, pitched tent
      Monastery reaching Goth youth
      We are changed, and we remain who we are
      Exile, seek the welfare of the city (the
enemies, Jer 29)
      Learning country music
3.
Death/Glorification
      Jesus
            Peter – take you where you do not
want to go (John 21)
            Moltmann – apostolate in suffering
      Why we struggle to share the good news –
always in dispute
      Tertullian, blood of the martyrs is the
seed of the church
Pennies,
“one cent”
      Live as “one sent”
Resource:
Moltmann,
The Church in the Power of the Spirit

Volf,
Exclusion and Embrace