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- This past weekend we kicked off a great new series on marriage and relationships. It was another full house and they got to see a first for impact church — a modern/vintage stage set built by Jack Simpson and Tom Bruscato! I would describe it exactly as the phrase Vintage/Modern suggests—a little of both. Why? Because the set itself will help remind people of the big series question — which is, Do God’s vintage designs for relationships still work in the modern world? And the series title itself, vintage love? Well Webster’s gives a couple different definitions for “vintage” but the most “modern” dictionaries seem to give what used to be the second definition as the primary one. It used to be that the primary definition was simply referring to a year of good quality wine. Today, however, the word is more often used to describe just about anything that is original, superb, best or authentic.
- My theory ( and it’s a good one because God cannot lie) — is that God is a perfect designer sense he is without sin or any flaw whatsoever. As a perfect designer only makes perfect things. I know, I know—some of you are thinking, “but then who created sin?” Well that’s a longer topic for another day. So let me just leave you with this… it wasn’t God – you can probably figure the rest out. Sin isn’t a product like a Ford or Chevy. It’s a choice. So certainly it’s not the ones who put the cookies on the lower shelf ho sinned. It’s the ones who stole them when they were told not to.
Next thing I presented if you work with us this past Sunday and if you want with us today is that Satan can’t create anything. Satan only takes what’s already been created and distorts it. In so doing, he attempts to make it look like the original at least somewhat. He’s done this with a lot of things. For example Satan didn’t create sex or even the idea of sex. But he’s tempted mankind for centuries to distort it twist it, expand it and go places with it that it was never meant to go. So He’s a twisted, copy-cat designer who is sinful and flawed through and through. Therefore, all he designs is as twisted and flawed as he is.
- John 10:10 is one verse that mentions both the perfect designer and the result as well as the flawed designer and the result. Here it is,
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The thief isn’t your friend (though he often poses as one). He really wants to rob you of your joy and eventually of your life. Jesus, on the other hand, is the perfect Designer/Creator and wants to add to life, joy, peace, security and all that is good.
- Want to know more about the Vintage Love series? Click here for the podcast and join us this coming weekend as my wife Michelle and I present part 2, “The Wonder Years.”