Video Transcript: The Foundation of a Walk With God

As a minister, I found it very helpful to have an operating system. Like, what is what is ministry we've been talking about. It's about service. But when we minister, what are we asking  someone to participate with us in? So what are we actually trying to do when we talk to  people. So in this session, in the next session into the readings of this section, we're going to  talk about a foundation for a walk with God, and the seven connections. Now it looks things  do have operating systems, like a computer has an operating system, that is just a pattern of  code that's laid out a certain way, we have a certain operating system, as we connect to the  God of the universe. Let me talk about this. Think about it, pray about it, and see if this rings  true for you. In many ways, this foundation of walk with God is something that we think about  every day. But in order to get into this, here's a key question that you might want to ask  yourself. Or you might want to ask people, this is the question, what is your spiritual dream or  goal? What are you here on earth for? Okay, so it's just a simple question. We've asked if this  presentation was developed, mainly through Steve Elzinga, one of our professors years ago,  when he and I were working together in ministry, and I had the wonderful opportunity to give a lot of input. But as Steve developed this, thinking, next thing, you know, I've written about and  thought about it. And together, we have shared questions. Like, what is your spiritual dream?  Why are you here on Earth? We've shared this hundreds of times. Now, in fact, for me, this is  one of my core evangelism questions when I'm meeting a new person. So what's your  spiritual dream? So if I asked you, what is your spiritual dream? What would you say? Think  about it. What is your spiritual dream? Now some people say, Well, what do you mean by  spiritual? I don't know, don't even define it. Just, you know, people live a dream, okay? You  have a dream. But what's your spiritual dream? Now, what I find fascinating, is that there's so  many answers. But there's a common theme that we keep seeing over and over and over  again. And that common theme has to do with a God answer, or a people answer. Now, what  do I mean by that? Well, many people say things like, I want to be one with God, or I want to  find God, I want to be one with nature, even if they say, one with nature, is something  transcendent, or I want to be one with philosophy. And you'll hear that people have that God  answer, even if they don't say, the God of the Bible. It might be an idol they're talking about  your might be just to pursue happiness. It's that transcendent answer that people will give  when the word spiritual is given. Or they might have that others answer. I want to help people  serve people cure cancer, I want to one person said, I want to be part of programs that give  low income people, boat rides, to give them some happiness or buy gifts at Christmas. It has  something to do horizontal. So there's a vertical answer, something to do with God, or their  sort of definition of God, or a horizontal answer. Now, I find it fascinating that even atheists will have some kind of spiritual dream. So at that point, we can sort of say, Oh, hey, everybody  has a common pursuit when you use the word spiritual. Now, I will tell you that when you ask  people this question, ask it in a way that is non threatening. So what's your spiritual dream?  Just say, I have a spiritual dream. Do you have one too? Well, I don't know. What would it be  if you had one or have you ever thought about that question? These are questions that a lot of times, ask around the campfire or ask when the time when you relax. You're talking with  somebody And you'll find such a common ground. And you know what's interesting about that, when the Bible articulates a relationship with God, it does articulated along that spiritual  dream, horizontal, vertical, vertical and horizontal approach. The summary of the law, Love  the Lord your God, love your neighbor as yourself. So you have a vertical answer, and you  have a horizontal answer. What's fascinating about this is that so much of the Bible is  addressing the vertical relationship with God, or the horizontal your relationship with others.  And when you start seeing this basic operating system, you'll see it everywhere. Isn't that  interesting? And you'll ask yourself, wow, with this operating system, when I read a bible  passage, I can ask myself, Is this addressing my connection to other people? Or is this 

connecting to my relationship with God or my connection to God? So it's everywhere. Now,  when we talk about this, right away, we ask ourselves, well, what has happened, it just  doesn't seem like a relationship with God goes great for humans. In many ways. It doesn't  seem like a relationship horizontally, go great with other humans. A married couple can have  strife and fights and siblings at home and your neighbors and friends or work associates. It  just seems like that horizontal relationship struggles. Many people see counseling and  therapy because of the broken bonds in these horizontal relationships. And in a relationship to God, that vertical to something seems to be wrong. And psychology tries to give a lot of  answers to what's wrong. But the Bible right away starts in the book of Genesis and talks  about what's wrong. Well, we all in a sense, have that same common dream, but we have a  common problem. Sin keeps us from going after our spiritual dream. In Genesis, chapter  three, we see how Adam and Eve who were walking in the garden that God created, how  Adam and Eve chose themselves, rather than serving the Lord. It's a sad story. But Adam and Eve, who had a wonderful and perfect relationship with God, in there's lots of explanations for what happened here, was it pride? Was it that they wanted to be their own gods, you know,  and be like God, and actually in theology is fascinating. It's probably a lot of things that  related, maybe even how God set things up, that in the end, if we're going to have a  relationship with God, it's going to be owned, we're going to go to the tree of life because we  own that. So in philosophy in the ministry training, you're a Christian Leaders Institite. There'll  be a lot of explanation as to why did sin come into the world? And why is it still here. But that's not the pursuit today, our pursuit is to point out that sin did come into the world. And our first  parents were separated from God, and they were separated from themselves. And we read  about that. This is Genesis 3:7-8, the eyes of both of them were opened. And this is after they ate of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil, evil, and they realize they were naked. So  they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his  wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden and cools the day and  they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Now, what's so interesting about  this is you see in this one passage, the brokenness the vertical relationship is broken. You  see them hiding from God, the horizontal relationship is broken, that they're now covering up  their shame, their nakedness. No longer are they just in that state of innocence in that state of love. Now they see evil, there is brokenness, in the relationship with God, and their  relationship with each other. This is a dark time. And we have never totally no human being  has gotten away from this issue. This problem in psychology, isn't that explain your way, and  theology have been talking about this issue. In the Old Testament, all over the Old Testament, this issue is all over the New Testament, and the Bible, God's revelation book, it becomes  clearer and clearer. It's a redemption book. It's a book where God introduces a restored  relationship with him and with each other. And we see that even in Genesis three, and I would love you to open up Genesis three right now. Maybe turn the video off. And if you're not  familiar with Genesis three, read it, read it carefully. And you'll see as you read it, that God  has Grace already in his mind that in here, the serpent, tempts Adam and Eve, Adam and  Eve, take the bait, and they break a relationship with God. And they break a relationship with  each other how it was created to be. You know already, God is promising that he is going to  crush the Serpent. God's grace is going to show up in the pages of the Bible, our redemption  book, a lot of people make the Bible into a lot of things that make it maybe into a book written  in great morals. And that's right, the Bible has great morals, or people will criticize the Bible  because they'll see the Bible is so real. You know, it doesn't hide the sin of David with  Bathsheba, the king of David, who, though had a heart after God, he's still a human being  broken his relationship with God and broken his relationship with others. The Bible doesn't  hide the issues, shows sin as sin, brokenness, as brokenness. And as you read the pages of 

the Old Testament and into the New Testament, you see that the kingdom of God is a  connection kingdom, that Heaven and Earth are going to be reconnected. In many people,  when Jesus comes on Earth, thinks he's going to be a political savior. He's going to be a  social gospel savior, like Judas thought that in and got alienated with him, and that  relationship broke down he has not seen that Jesus passion was to restore the kingdom, the  earthly kingdom of Israel. Instead, Jesus passion was to connect God with humans. In Adam,  first die, in Christ, all will be made alive in animal die. In Christ all will be made alive. Those  who say Christ be my life. So, you know, this is what we see what you know, we we see all of  scripture in this operating system, that the dream that we all share, John Calvin, a great  theologian said, there's the seed of religion in every human being. And that seed relates to  the vertical and it relates to the horizontal. So somehow, in all of the words of the Bible, this  redemption book, at its core, somehow God was going to take responsibility for the creation  He made and he did in that Christmas, he sends his only begotten Son into the world. So fully God, fully human. Born of a virgin, Jesus Christ, the Savior is reconciling God and man peace between God and man, that is his purpose. So he lives his life. He raises up very disciples, so we're going to propagate this redemption beyond his own ministry here on earth, he dies on a Roman cross. And when he dies, he takes the sin, the separation from God from others, and  he pays the penalty for that. Wow. And he raised again on the third day, so that death, the  death that entered the world, that spiritual death that separates us from God and each other,  but an even as physical implications, Jesus raises from the dead and is given a resurrected  spiritual body, something that we will share when Jesus Christ comes back, and then Christ  leaves the earth, and He gives us the gospel, the ministry of reconciliation, the vertical, the  horizontal, restored, our relationship. It's so interesting, you know, we, in Genesis, you know,  we see, humans are walking with God and Adam and Eve walking with God, and that walk is  broken, that relationship is broken with him, with God and each other. And we see in the Old  Testament, how the different sacrificial systems and all that to try to restore that. And then we  see in the New Testament, the walk that relationship with God, is restored. And then we see  that ministers like you, and we become those that proclaim this reconciliation. So we get it.  Grace allows us to overcome sin, to reach our spiritual dream. The II Corinthians 5:18-19. All  of this is from God, who reconciled us to himself, through Christ in gave us the ministry of  reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins  against them, and he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. That is so amazing.  Hey, ministers, you are reconciled? First of all, you've been reconciled. You've been born  again, back to John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,  whoever believes in Him shall have eternal life. You have eternal life. And now you're a  minister of that reconciliation for others. You know, just pausing. So who do you know? That  you're, that you are going to ask that spiritual dream question? And when you do you know,  that this operating system connects. As you share this with people, you will be amazed at the  answers that you will receive, again, to do it in a very humble way to do it in a conversational  way to do it in a way that doesn't make you the answer person. Just what's your spiritual  dream. And when you hear that, you know, you know, we are on the same page in the  operating system. Truly, the seed of religion is in every one of us. So let's go a little deeper on that. So let's ask ourselves the question. So, okay. How is it that grace actually then gets to  us? Okay, so we know there's a separation, we know that there is a sin between that  separates humans from God. And we know that Jesus paid it all. And if you believe in Christ,  you will be saved, and the Holy Spirit and that's the answer. How does God's grace give to us  God's Spirit? The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell  where it comes from or where it is going. So it is everyone born I have the spirit. This is in that John 3 section, John 3:16 I just quoted earlier. So how does God's grace get to us? God's 

Spirit? No, I have been sharing Christ for decades. And as I do this video, I'm 58 years old,  and I started in ministry when I was 28. I was ordained. So you know, we're talking 30 years  of sharing Christ. And I'm always fascinated, that there are, there's no way I can predict what  it's going to happen when I share Christ, when I share his word. You know, some people I  know sometimes I'll share it and share it totally, I feel wrong. I don't I stumble over my words.  It and in somebody just tears welled up in their eyes. And they come to know Christ and  receive them as their savior and Lord, that I've had other times where I think, you know, I  really listened to exactly what that person said, I really have my Testimony and my message  sharing how it affects someone's life and still, blinded. And more and more, I've come to  realize that it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Now, the word of God is vitally important, the  gospel message is the core. But still it is the work of God. Is that passage in John 3:8, the  wind blows, where the wind blows. And, you know, maybe it greatly comes down to is I know,  it always is the work of God. And because I know it's the work of God, I want to be part of  putting someone in that place where the wind blows. Now Steve Elzinga and I have given this presentation so many times over the years, and I just love the windy path. This is I still  remember the day that Professor Elzinga it's a windy path. And, and if you think about that,  and as he reflected upon that, and I think about that, in my ministry, I do get how the  comprehensive all powerful, amazing, sovereign God works with people in different traditions, different denominations, all over the world. And you're part of that, and I'm part of that. And  the work of the Holy Spirit is bigger and more amazing. As I get older, more undescribable,  and mysterious. All of that is an operating system of connecting humans to God, to love each  other, all the more, and in these various denominations. That wind where is it windy. Where  does the Holy Spirit show up? Now, it's fascinating. Just how the diversity of how the Holy  Spirit works, it's like, there's not just one way. And I think sometimes we can get like that we  can become like, you know, my tradition, my denomination does it this way. And that's how  the Holy Spirit comes and best changes lives. And what you find is that, in a lot of ways, each  of us come from different traditions, we're come out of a different local context, where we  were raised and where we found the Lord in church. Now, for instance, in my specific  background, I came from the Christian Reformed Church. And one of the things that the  Christian Reformed Church really stressed was knowledge that we would know the  Scriptures, my my father and mother, were not highly educated mechanic and a factory  worker who were really amazing at their work. My mother had a sixth date and sixth grade  education and my father had an eighth grade education in life and then Great Depression,  you know, came upon them they stop having an education and they tend to be practical and  get out there in yet in our Home, we studied the Scripture, but I would say that my parents  literacy, and who they are, was directly connected to their constant study of the Word of God.  And that was our tradition. In every one where we ate, we had devotions where we opened  the Word of God talked about the Word of God, and prayed. So that, in our tradition,  knowledge, people believed it was as if. And again, I don't know why I had maybe had  something to do with the Dutch background, I have for intellect on that. But somehow, there  was a belief and is a belief that the Holy Spirit works through knowing the Word of God. And  it's interesting, if you look at how a windy path is understood what's denominations in the  Christian Reformed Church, and Presbyterian and others, knowledge is very windy. Okay, so  you'll find that they'll be constantly stressing study and more knowledge and all of that. Now,  as I traveled the world, in seeing Christianity, I noticed that in other traditions, knowledge may  be important, but knowledge isn't the essence, and kind of a cultural belief where God shows  up, God shows up in commitment, you know, when someone comes down and commits  themselves to Christ Jesus. Maybe in some of the Baptist churches, we see this and other  non denominational churches, a, you know, people know things. But it's commitment it's 

commitment, that really makes the big difference. And then in other traditions, experience,  you know, the feeling of a closeness with God, the work of the Holy Spirit, to bring inner  healing, the worship service, speaking in tongues, all of these things are getting now into in  this tradition, and some be like more, maybe Pentecostal or charismatic. Yes, knowledge is  important, and commitment is vitally important. But the experience, you know, are you alive?  In Christ? Now in other places, it's liturgy, where you'll have, you know, yes, knowledge is  embedded there commitment is over a long period of time. Experience is subtle. It's not talked about very much, but is deep and subtle in there. And it's interesting, when I think about this, I have to admit that in the early days, I trusted knowledge, and I looked down on, you know,  there goes the Baptist and their altar call, you know, and, or, you know, there goes the  Pentecostals and they're just, you know, all that feeling, but, you know, what is it, you know,  do they really know the Word of God, and, and then, you know, in ancient traditions, you  know, with Anglican or Catholic, and it's like, yeah, they just go there and priestess does the  liturgy. And now in the my earlier self, you know, before I was ministry trained, and so forth. I  sort of just looked at my own tradition, and my own tradition is right, and everybody else was  wrong. Now, 30 years further, what I see is the incredible and powerful God of grace and  mercy. That creates a foundation of a walk with God, connecting humans vertically,  horizontally. In denominations, very diverse from each other. And is amazing, is amazing to  me. You know, I'm in a Bible study, for instance, with mainly Catholic men right now. And  we've gone to the book of Acts, and we've gotten through the book of Corinthians. And these  men are studying the Word of God and they are alive in the Holy Spirit. And they're a pleasure to be around 30 years ago, since I wasn't a Catholic person in that denomination, I would  have said, you know, let's focus on our disagreements. You know, I've traveled the world, and  I've seen the living, Lord, relate to people. Now, now, what does that mean? What I've seen is that all of these differences in denominations, in a sense, reflect different emphasis in a  relationship. Now, I think about compare your relationship to the relationship with my wife,  Pam. So we've been married for 36 years, as of 2019, as I'm doing this taping, but I  remember when I first asked her out, okay, so, you know, in a sense, I have a dream, to be  connected to that woman. And I'm hoping that she has a dream to be connected to me. So  the first thing is, I need to ask her out, somehow, you know, somehow get connected. And I  must do the liturgy, the habitual thing of talking to her listening to her, and I must do it  repeatedly. Since, you know, that's just a true operating system. Because I need to  knowledge, get to know her knowledge, she needs to get to know me. Now, in the process,  we, you know, have some experiences and laugh and get closer and closer. Yeah, there's a  connection. And again, as it says, in the Word of God, that the way a meeting is with a man,  the man the means, you know, there's some mystery to that, you know, there's experience.  So we have liturgy of dating, we have knowledge of one another, there's some experiences,  but at some point, I need to ask her, and ask for father, and I need to actually pop the  question, make a commitment, and she needs to make a commitment to me. And there we  have it. The wedding is that time when we come down to the altar, so to speak, and our  relationship is committed, there's a covenant as it's talked about in the Old Testament, and we understand that the New Covenant in Christ, you know, that's how we understand where the  vertical of God, the horizontal with each other, in all of this is relationship. So we understand  how that goes. And you know, what we're talking about, is really a connection habit, there  must be talking, there must be listening, and it must be repeatedly. So at the very core, then a relationship is about talking, I used to talk to my wife. I needed to listen to my wife what she  had to say to me, and there has to be repeated aspect to it a habit of godliness, that in case  of relationship, it's a habit of going out, I pick you up, I go forward. In have more experiences,  we learn each other, to each other more about each other excetera. Now with God, let's take 

all this and put us in that relationship with God. We understand the talking part as prayer, the  listening part as the Bible, the Holy Spirit. Some people would say that you could put in like,  creation is a beautiful book that speaks to God and to some, in some sense, human you see  

how amazing creation is in that it does. God does speak through His creation, Revelation, and repeatedly, you know, habits of godliness. You know, devotions and we're going to talk in  depth about that in the next session. But in a lot of ways, this habit is a dialogue, somehow  not a debate. It's a grace, one relationship. God is our Father, in Christ through the Holy  Spirit. It's the Trinity all of these Things are there. And this connection habit starts becoming  the lifeline in a relationship with God as we're talking and listening repeatedly. And in we're in  a various tradition, and maybe our tradition emphasizes more, some less aspects. But it is a  foundational relational habit. So a relationship is one for us, in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit  comes. And there we can't say it this way, not that way. I mean, it's so many ways, in so many traditions. You know, one of the things I'm so excited about is Christian leaders Ministries is  now we have been sharing ministry training. To now I would say, we're pretty much in every  tradition in the world right now. And it's exciting, because we see the power of God being  displayed. And it's God's work through the Holy Spirit. But it's an operating system, that we all  have in common. So whether we're an unbeliever right now, we have a spiritual dream, or  whether we're someone who is old, and the Lord is still about the common problem with sin  and death, and how Christ has redeemed us, and change us and given us a new heart. And  as we relate to God, like we relate to a human in some sense, again, the comparison breaks  down because relating to God related to humans are so different in some ways, but they're so similar and others, it's about communication. It's about prayer talking, it's about listening to the Word of God. It's about doing these things in a repeated way. So when you are called to  ministry, this operating system is alive. And you're seeking to make this reproducible, to help  people get into a healthy, talking, listening repeated habit. In the next section, we're going to  talk more in detail about these habits, how they apply to our lives, and we call them the seven connections. So I look forward to what God is going to do in our lives. As we continue to live  out that relational habit with God of talking, listening repeatedly. And as we live out, in some  ways, that horizontal when we meet with others, talk with others. It is about talking, listening  repeatedly, as we're sharing Christ as we're loving our neighbor. So, when we think about an  operating system, spiritually speaking, it's amazing how relevant and clear this is, as we are  ministers of the gospel of Christ.