Feast and Follow with Knollwood

Today we look at a very tumultuous century and a half in Church history. Who rules over who? Is it the pope over the Holy Roman Emperor? The reverse? Also, the Church goes to war now??  

What comes to mind when you hear the words, gentle, courtesy, and submission? You probably don't think of a strong person, do you? We tend to think that strong people are brash, tell-it-like-it-is people. Yeah, they may not be gentle people, but when was the last time you saw someone gently get things done? But this is what Paul is calling us to be in our Christian lives.

Tonight, we look at the Great Schism of 1054! 

Do you ever go back and think about how different your life could have gone if just a couple key decisions went differently? If you missed the event where you met your spouse, if your acceptance letter got lost before going to the mail, if the timing was just a little different for your children coming along. Any of these things would have had a profound effect on your life that you can trace. We can work out those implications pretty easily.

But today, we are going to look at the most profound event in your history, my history, and the history of the world, the arrival of Christ. This one event has shaped you more than your decision to get married or to have children has had on your life. Or at least, it should.

So Christ has appeared, And today we are going to look at Christ's appearing as the purpose of history, and What that real history means for us today

If you were to imagine your life in a storybook, what kind of story would it be? Would it be a comedy where everything turns out right in the end for the main character (i.e. yourself)? Is it a tragedy where surely everything is going to go wrong for you? Or is it going to be something in the middle? This passage gives us a peak into what kind of story that we are in, but the most revealing is that we are not the main character. It actually isn't my story, but I still have a significant part to play in it. So do you.

What does Islam have to do with Church history? Quite a lot, as we will see in this installment of Church History 101! 

God needs women in His Church just as much as He needs men. At creation, He made both in his image, and even in perfection, both were needed. He made us different for a reason, but those differences are often unappreciated by both sexes, particularly women by men. The critical work done by women often goes unnoticed. We see disciples of Pentecost but not women who joined them in prayer. We see St. Augustine's works, and not Monica prayers for her boy's salvation. But God notices.

Church History returns as we wrap up the period of Ancient Church History and anticipate the rise of Rome! 

What does healthy doctrine look like when it is lived out, and is it the same for everyone? As DeYoung points out, there are some things that are foundational for everyone, but there are some things that vary along gender lines. So what does it mean to be a man, to be a woman, according to the Bible? Or for another way to ask the question, What is our purpose not just as living beings, but beings that are different in mind and body?

Paul here gives us an overview of what the Christian life looks like lived together, as it has always been intended to be. One scholar put it this way: "Everyone has the role of making God real to someone else. Prayer, praise, instruction, fellowship, and the service of the church do not fulfill their purposes if we do not function corporately and in community. There is always the temptation to privatize and individualize our faith experience." (Chapell, 335). In other words, the Christian life is a family you join, not a product you take home. And as a member of that family, there are expectations of you and burdens to bear that are not interchangeable.

Last time we looked at what it meant to be a true teacher of the Word. There were a lot of characteristics that defined what a leader of the church should look like. Now, we are looking at a group of people who don't fit those categories at all! It turns out that this position isn't for everyone! What do we do with those who don't? That is going to be the topic of this sermon as we pick up where we left off last time.