Preaching and Worship from a

Fully Trinitarian Perspective

Key Points from the Regional Conference

Joe Tkach:

Humanity lives in and is connected to God in Christ. Our sin causes us to feel separated even though we are not.

(Col. 1:15-16)

Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God and he reveals God to be Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in union with humanity

through the Son’s incarnation as Jesus.

This is why the gospel is good news: it really is good and it is good for everyone, not just a few.

Key Points from the Regional Conference

Dan Rogers:

We are not just saved “by Christ” but we are saved “in Christ.”

What happened to Christ 2,000 years ago included humanity.

The objective reality is that all are in Christ but subjectively not all realize, know, or believe this.

The Holy Spirit works in and through the Church to help humanity realize that they are united with Christ.

How do we preach and worship in this reality?

Worship:

To the Father, in the Son, by the Spiritor

To the Father, to the Son, and to the Spirit

Preaching:

The announcement of the good news that the Father has adopted

humanity in the Son by the Spirit.

We don’t worship or preach God generically, we worship and preach him as

he really is: Father, Son, and Spirit.

Our vocabulary changes as our belief changes.

Risks:

Change Burn Out

Language Paralysis

Two areas of vocabulary change:

Description of God

Explanation of God’s Plan

God God the Father, Son, and Spirit

Holiness Loving Relationship

Separate from humanity

Father has adopted humanity in the Son.

Two Vocabularies to Describe God

Who is the God who said to the darkness let there be light and

there was light?Who is the God who made the

heavens the sun and moon, the stars and sky?

He is the one who's like no other omnipotent and, oh so wiseInvisible yet ever present He is the Holy God most high

Who is the God who said to the darkness let there be light and

there was light?Who is the God who made the

heavens the sun and moon, the stars and sky?

He is our Father who has loved us He is the Son in whom we liveHe is the Holy Spirit of truth He is the Holy God most high

Jesus is God Jesus is the Son of God

God loves you The Father loves you and has adopted you

Jesus died for you Jesus has included you in his life with the Father and the

Spirit.God wants to have a relationship with

you

God the Father has a relationship with

you in his Son Jesus.

Two Ways of Describing God in Preaching

Two Vocabularies to Describe God’s Plan

God

Loving Relationship

Deal with humanity’s lack of

holiness

Adopt humanity into their relationship of

loveGod sent Jesus to take our

punishment and show us the way to

holinessBelieve and God will make you holy

The Son became Jesus to adopt us into the life of the

TrinityJesus has made you a holy child of the Father, believe it

Holiness

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

You came from heaven to earthYou came from heaven to earth

To show the wayTo show the way

From the earth to the crossFrom the earth to the cross

My debt to payMy debt to pay

From the cross to the graveFrom the cross to the grave

From the grave to the skyFrom the grave to the sky

Lord I lift Your name on highLord I lift Your name on high

You came from heaven to earthYou came from heaven to earth

To be the wayTo be the way

From the earth to the crossFrom the earth to the cross

My debt to payMy debt to pay

From the cross to the graveFrom the cross to the grave

From the grave to the skyFrom the grave to the sky

Lord You lifted us on highLord You lifted us on high

God has a plan to save you

The Father created you so he could

adopt you as his child

Jesus died for you The Father has adopted you as his

child in Jesus

The Holy Spirit will help you stop

sinning

The Holy Spirit is helping you believe

in your adoption

If you repent you then God will forgive you

The Father’s adoption means you’re forgiven

Two Ways to Preach about God’s plan

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with you all