Kenosis

A tarnished anchor, half-buried in a field of overgrown grass, glints in the fading light of dusk. a single shaft of golden hour sunlight pierces the clouds, illuminating the weathered metal and casting a shadow across the earth.

The Human Jesus: A Review of ‘Sunday Service’ by Paul Francis Lanier

The sermon's central proposition—that believers must know Jesus in His full humanity ('Jesus of Nazareth') and not just His divinity ('Jesus Christ')—is a valid and important starting point. The pastor's zeal is commendable. However, the execution is fatally flawed by three primary errors: 1) A presentation of the incarnation (kenosis) that veers into heresy by suggesting the Son of God 'poured out' or 'fasted' from His divine attributes. 2) Repeated claims of direct, extra-biblical revelation ('Thus saith the Lord'), which undermines the sufficiency of Scripture. 3) A hermeneutic that focuses on geopolitical Israel at the expense of a Christ-centered, redemptive-historical fulfillment. The sermon's extremely low text-to-talk ratio further starves the congregation of God's Word, replacing it with the pastor's personal experiences and theological constructs.

Read MoreThe Human Jesus: A Review of ‘Sunday Service’ by Paul Francis Lanier
A flickering candle casts dancing shadows on a stone altar, illuminating the word 'sin' carved into the weathered rock. the flame wavers and shrinks as it burns lower, threatening to extinguish at any moment. the scene is a metaphor for the huelement condition - we are born into sin, and our only hope is the light of the sacred presence that pierces the darkness.

The Danger of a Moralistic Jesus: A Review of ‘The Jesus Mindset’

The sermon is fundamentally in error due to four primary issues: 1) It promotes an erroneous Kenotic Christology, suggesting Jesus laid aside divine attributes. 2) Its call to salvation is built on a synergistic, decisionalist framework. 3) The motivation for Christian living is pragmatic and therapeutic (happiness, success) rather than grounded in the finished work of Christ. 4) The speaker repeatedly claims direct, personal revelation ('God said to me'), which undermines the sufficiency of Scripture.

Read MoreThe Danger of a Moralistic Jesus: A Review of ‘The Jesus Mindset’