1. Baptism is our declaration of allegiance to a Kingdom whose borders, values, and ethics are not of this world. It is a world where all are welcome, where to be great is to be least and servant of all, and where love is the fulfillment of the law.
2. The Kingdom's ruler is a 1st-century Palestinian Jew named Jesus of Nazareth who was hung on the cross by a politically-motivated collusion between government and religion. He died by and for the sins of the nations, committed in the name of God and Caesar. This should make us tremble for fear of what we ourselves might do for the sake of God and country.
3. God raised Jesus up on the third day. Resurrection vindicated Jesus' way, his truth, and his life.
4. It is our way, our truth, and our lives which now vindicate Jesus' Resurrection in the eyes of the world. As Clarence Jordan said, the proof of the Resurrection is, "Not a rolled-away stone, but a carried-away church."
5. Jesus will come again to judge the world. His judgments will be both righteous and merciful, full of grace and truth; for he came not to condemn the world but to save it. Authentic proclamation convicts of sin, drives to penitence, and proclaims forgiveness in Christ.
6. The Holy Spirit is the gift of God's ongoing presence in the world. The Spirit blows where it will. Pharisaic religion cannot recognize where it is from or where it is going.
7. The Word of God is not the Bible but is the Logos which was with God in the beginning at creation. The Logos is still speaking, still revealing, still creating.
8. St Paul's declaration, "In Christ there is neither slave nor free, male nor female, Jew nor Gentile but all are one in Christ," means that in the church there is no distinction based on class, gender, or race. No distinction.
9. Those who are not against us are with us. This includes many Jews and Muslims and "nones". Those who are not with Jesus are against him. Sadly, this includes many Christians.
9.5 Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit is the eternal sin. Every generation calls good evil and evil good. This is why Jesus said, "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all manner of things against you on my account. For they did the same to the prophets who came before you." This means we should not be surprised by rejection but must rather count the cost of discipleship.
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