For Those Who Have Lost Hope

Hey – Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. 2.0 here and our show tonight is titled: “For those who have lost Hope.” Let’s begin with a Word of Prayer.

The Boldness of Our Claim

Show 13 For those who have lost Hope” January 23rd 2018

So, we kicked off 2.0 with a number of really bold observances and claims. Among them we said, without any qualification, that we have the “best approach to Christianity on the face of the earth.”

(beat)

Bottom line that is one freaking bold statement. But listen to the wording very carefully. We said: “We have the BEST approach to Christianity . . . on the face of the earth today.” That statement admits that Christianity exists without us or our views or opinions about it. It is the thing we are approaching – the faith established once and for all by Christ Jesus.

Next, we said that we have the BEST APPROACH . . . to the already established faith universally seen as Christianity. There are tens and tens of thousands of approaches to Christianity that have piled up over the course of Christian history with many of them in practice today, right? I mean so many we cannot begin to list them here. Of all of them in operation today, we have the best approach – without question – and I am going to begin to prove that tonight.

Notice too that we say we have the best approach to the faith on the face of the earth TODAY. This is not to say that our approach would have been best in the Apostolic Church. It would not have been. It would have perhaps been the worst approach on the face of the earth by comparison. Nor is it to say compared to all approaches to the faith that have ever existed ours is the best because we don’t know all of the approaches and perhaps there were some that were better. But in terms of the general present-day picture, what is sort of universally recognized today in the faith, ours is HANDS DOWN – (again) – THE BEST APPROACH ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.

Understanding Our Approach

One final reminder – the term APPROACH is exactly that – an approach, a worldview, a perspective of the Christian faith. We do not have a corner on this approach and in all probability we are not unique in embracing it but ANYONE or ANY GROUP that embraces the approach is ALSO embracing the best approach on the face of the earth.

You might wonder why our building isn’t packed with people being our approach is so darn good. This leads me to a final point about our approach – because it is the best approach hands down on the face of the earth does NOT mean most people will want it. Sort of like when Jesus Himself was on the earth there were some who received and accepted Him but there were many who rejected Him too. For the Jews He was a stumbling block. For the Greeks His message was foolishness.

Today, the best approach on the face of the earth is presently just too much or too little for the masses of the religiously inculcated. Some cannot handle the freedom and responsibility that comes with it and others cannot handle the minimalism it offers.

See, the approach endorses and encourages the ultimate personal freedom an individual can have in life through Christ, and for some, that is too much to handle. They want bondage, restrictions, condemnation, demands, and to be told how and what to think. Our approach will not serve those who want such prisons. Additionally, the approach refuses to play church and especially refuses to create “things, projects, and events” for people to do “in Jesus name.” It leaves the Christianity of the Christian to be lived out by them. It lets the individual decide how to spend their time, how to spend their money, who to associate with, and what to do mid-week.

Freedom in Christ

Those who love CHURCHIN’ will not appreciate this best approach to the faith on the face of the earth – so they find places that will serve them and their needs . . . as followers of Jesus.

But here’s the deal . . . if someone is looking to . . .

First, include an approach to God and Christ in their lives (because our approach admits that they do not have to) then they might . . . might

Experience more freedom in Christ then they have ever had before. They might grow more in their faith and love than they ever

Understanding the Complete Fulfillment

have before, and they might become less fearful of religious things than they ever have before, and they might understand the Word of God better than they ever have before. So . . . more freedom, more faith and love, less fear, and greater knowledge.

I do not know of a church or approach that is better on the face of the earth. But I guess the real question is who will want it.

The Approach, after the birth, life, deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God., and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, is based on the biblical fact that Jesus and His apostles promised that He was coming back in THEIR (in THAT) generation to take His Bride and wrap that age up completely. If this is understood and believed, then all the factors of our best approach are easy to understand if not believe.

The Impact of Fulfilled Eschatology

Let me say this again in another way for attempted clarity: The scripture tells us that upon Jesus's return to the earth, everything about the biblical age (that we read about in the Bible) was going to change. When a believer receives this information into their soul, a few things happen, and they can be very disturbing:

The main response, once fulfillment eschatologyStudy of “last things”—TGNN teaches all biblical eschatology was fulfilled in 70 A.D. More has assimilated itself into the mind of a believer, is they step back and say: “Well, what’s left? Are we just forgotten by God, chopped liver? I mean, he gathered the Nation of Israel and loved them as their God, then He sent His Son to them who gathered His bride, and if Jesus completed everything related to the church, that age, His return to save or bring judgment on them, what’s left!?

Now, I want you to know I have watched over the course of several years how this realization affects people. And most – most, become someone dejected. They fail to see the need for anything else. To them, there is no reason to ever study the scripture – it's all been fulfilled! No need for getting together, going to any sort of church at all. No need to share Jesus, no need to learn or grow! After all . . . . (hand to ear) “Everything is done!”

Now, let me pause here. If you do not believe this, or have not yet come to see it, you then believe Jesus is still coming back to collect His bride and you ought to just stop watching now because the rest of this won’t matter to you. But this message is for those who have (or will) come to see and believe in what we call fulfilled eschatology. And I want to try to explain to you why continuing in the Word, and continuing to share Jesus, and continuing to teach other believers, is vitally important to the world and the body today – which helps answer the question of, “What about us?” so often asked.

Continuing the Journey After Fulfillment

So, let’s go to the board:

I teach, I believe, that even in light of the fact that everything in the Bible relative to God saving the world through His Son, there are reasons to continue in the Word, reasons to grow, and reasons to share Jesus as Lord and Savior with the world.

But I have to admit, my reasons are not directly proven in and through the Bible – which admittedly makes them more speculative than I would like – but it is the best I’ve got. I have brothers and sisters who do not agree or see value in my reasons, but I want to try and explain some of them tonight.

Spiritual Principles for Today

So the first question, “How does or could the scripture apply to us today if it has all materially been completed in the day and age of Christ and His apostles?” I maintain that the Bible teaches all readers and hearers today spiritual principles that are just as viable to humans today as they were to believers anciently. This debatable view leads to a number of questions that should be answered, like:

• How can we tell that this thing that you propose is true, Shawn?
• And what exactly are the eternal principles to be learned and who gets to say what they are?

See, and this is really tricky when we think about it – on the one hand, many people conclude that the Bible is telling us everything and it must be followed exactly, but on the other hand, once people realize that all things biblical have been materially fulfilled, they want to toss the whole thing out because they can see what it really is is an account of all.

Spiritual Application of the Bible

that has happened, and they conclude there is no more real use for it. And while I completely agree that all within it is complete, I could NOT disagree more when someone says that the Bible has no more real purpose. And so I want to use the rest of our time to make my case which says:

• The material contents of the Bible are no longer applicable but two,
• The Bible itself has tremendous spiritual application to all believers and is one of the greatest gifts God has given to us – to us today, as it was NOT given to them then (was it – at least not fully).

So this is my first point – POINT NUMBER 1

The Bible that we have today was NOT available to the early Apostolic Church. It was available later. What I see as a gift from God for all TODAY who seek Him in Spirit and Truth. In harmony with this, we can no longer say, “What about us? Are we chopped liver? Not at all. We possess the history of all that God did to save us – past, present and future.

Of course, you know that I have opinions on our continual abuse and misuse of this sacred wonderful, living gift – and think about this now…

Everything is complete materially. And God HAS certainly gifted seekers of truth with His written Word – but those who take it and abuse others with it, dividing and trying to play church with its contents – which has happened tens even hundreds of thousands of times over the past two thousand years – God knew this would be the case, and since everything is done materially, and SEEKERS and LOVERS of truth will use it rightly as a map, the abuses of it are just part of the course in this fallen world!

Scriptural Purpose and Application

One more point on this. The major proof passage religionist use today from the Bible that the Bible today as a mandatory Manual all people must obey is

II Timothy 3:16 which says:

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

This is the go to passage of every religionist and they think it allows them to hold this book up in the face of others and maintain that EVERY WORD must be followed. But as we pointed out a few weeks ago, this passage is really badly translated and in the end ought to read:

“Any Words that are inspired of God are profitable for doctrine…” etc., which then allows us to reasonably see that NOT everything included in the Bible is from the mouth of God, and the Spirit must help us discern between words that are uninspired and the very Words of God that are.

It isn’t hard to do – as His Words for us are not policies and practices but are eternal principles. Okay, so that is the first point in my case – the Bible was written to them materially to be used by us – true seekers of truth – spiritually.

POINT #2

The Bible says that the Word of God is purposeful. It was written to us AND it is purposeful.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That’s spiritual application. Written to us and sharp enough to divide our human soul from the Spirit of God. Not a manual of what was. A map for our individual use.

Jeremiah 5:14 says that the Word is His fire and the people are wood. That’s a gift.

Fulfillment and Eternal Principles

POINT #3 Because everything is fulfilled, I suggest that we have to see Biblical policies to the Church as complete, but Biblical Principles to the individual as alive and eternal.

As an example, let’s list some Biblical “policies and practices” we might consider complete and some Biblical principles we see as ongoing:

Completed Biblical Policies and/or Practices vs. Eternal Biblical Principles

Completed Biblical Policies and/or Practices

• Keeping genealogies
• Circumcisions
• Water Baptisms
• Laying on of hands
• Casting out demons/Satan
• Binding things through prayer
• Tithes
• Healing attempts
• Corporate prayer
• Organizational development
• Offices in the Church
• Gender differentiations
• Public tongues
• Apostles
• Threat of hell, second comingChrist’s return, fulfilled in 70 A.D., ending the old covenant—not the world., end of world
• Separation from the World
• Excommunication

Eternal Biblical Principles

• Spiritual Regeneration
• The beatitudes subjectively subscribed
• Sermon on the Mount Principles
• Humility
• Kindness
• Peacemaking
• Forgiveness
• Longsuffering
• Trusting in God in all things
• Constant communication with God
• Selflessness
• Love to all, all the time
• Spirit mind over fleshly mind
• Proper application of parables

Worthiness for Physical Salvation

Our personal metonymical crosses
Worthiness for Physical Salvation
Bearing our personal burdens
Diversity of Gifts
Involvement with other peoples as Christ
Old Testament Repentance models

Personal Development Toward Christ

Personal development toward Christ
Religious restrictions of every kind
Suffering the death of flesh
Religious authority of every kind
Generosity
Religious judgements of every kind
Living the joyful life by the Spirit
All things Jew and all things Gentile
Personal faith
Affiliations with the Nation of Israel
Faith by hearing

The Great Commission and Spiritual Regeneration

The Great Commission (as it is presently defined)
Planting and watering the Word

To this last point, we are led to our fourth point.

POINT #4

I think we have to ask ourselves: Is the purpose of human life the same as it was anciently or have God’s ambitions for the human race changed?

In other words, just because everything is complete and finished on His end for establishing the salvivic work on earth does it mean its all over on our end? Is God still calling all people to become His sons and daughters by grace through faith by the Spirit?

LISTEN

If free will abides on earth among men, (which I say it does because God is Good) then even though everything is complete on His end, I would say then that God is still calling for all to receive His Spirit which is drawing all men to receive Christ by faith. And if this is the case then I would suggest there continues to be a need for what Paul called “planting” and “watering” to this very day. Its just the policies, even administration of the policies, that have changed entirely.

So where the Great Commission given the Apostles is complete, I suggest that there is still the need to share, and cast the Word out, and to continue to teach those who receive it into their hearts. The big difference between the GREAT COMMISSION and what is in place today is the sharing the Word is all by the Spirit and not just a blanket material command to all believers to constantly live under. In other words, today believers are free to allow the Spirit to move us to share and are not under a ubiquitous command to scream “Jesus is coming” from every corner and share with everyone like the apostles were commanded to do.

The Spirit is in charge and will move and use believers (led of it) to open their mouths. This approach removes the onus that is so often placed upon folks as a heavily yolked mandate based on a literal constant misuse of the Great Commission.

Our final and fifth point for tonight is going to be an illustration of what could (and should be in place for us now) that we live in an age of everything being fulfilled. If (or since I strongly suggest that God is calling all to freely choose and pursue Him even today by and through choosing His Son by faith) – in other words that He continues to adopt people wanting Him as their God into His family, then people still – and forever more – will need to experience the Spiritual Principle of Spiritual Regeneration or Rebirth.

And while there are always exceptions to the rule, and that Holy Spirit can, will and does reach into peoples hearts without them having had ANY exposure to Christian information or knowledge, I believe that one of the spiritual principles that remains in place on earth is related to what Paul said in Romans 10:

Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Paul, in 1st Corinthians also speaks to another spiritual Principle – once the Word has been planted there is also the need for watering (or teaching). And the parable of the Sower explains why. Of course the growing and growth of the Word is all up to God, but the Spiritual principle boils down to this:

If God is still receiving people into His family, and this comes by them desiring to know Him, and if faith comes by hearing the word, there remains a need for believers to BOTH

Share the Word
And for that Word to be watered.
(and I would add)
All by the direction of the Spirit.

Deconstructing Christianity Today

Church playing. And this is at the CORE of the needed deconstruction of Christianity today. Believers CAN – CAN, as lead by the Spirit, share the Word, and receivers of the Word CAN be watered or taught once they receive it as a means to help the Word take hold and promote spiritual maturity in the individual’s life. BUT THE REST OF IT CAN DISAPPEAR! Let me go to the board one last time and explain what I mean.

So after all of this, here is the breakdown which, if believers around the world can understand, it will go a long way in breaking down the material church today – or at least bring relief to those enslaved to its demands.

The Christian Facts of Faith

God is still calling to all people to believe and receive His Son by faith. Believers can participate in this planting as lead by the Spirit by sharing the Gospel. Believers can participate in watering in the Word planted by teaching the Bible. DONE. ALL WITHOUT COST OR PRICE.

These things to my right are what money and materialism are for – contributions for the CLUB. If people know that they are merely paying for what they demand and want out of their churches, the burden is lifted, and the money and materialism goes unconnected to GOD. Get it? Good! These things to my right are what money and materialism are for – contributions for the CLUB. If people know that they are merely paying for what they demand and want out of their churches, the burden is lifted, and the money and materialism goes unconnected to GOD. Get it? Good!

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