PERMISSION

What if, when you thought of God, of church, or of faith, your first thought was about opportunity? What if we could see every "you shall not" as guidance toward a "you can" and every forbidding as a teaser for something better? If your church gave you permission to reach, try, learn, create, and go - and to do all this without having to worry about being judged for the result - what could God accomplish in you? 

Presented by kent reeder

Kent Reeder has been given permission to start things. He planted Illumine Church in South Carolina, he co-founded the Community of WELS Creatives, and he re-started the Hearts & Hands conference for artists. Even now, he's been given the opportunity to start another new church in Seattle (in conjunction with a community building initiative called See Greenwood Better,) where he lives with his wife, Alexandra, and their son, Beck. None of this would have been possible for him if other Christians hadn't invited him to try, and their generosity has changed the way he sees the church and its mission. It's his prayer that this time together with Awake & Alive can do the same for you. 

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The Setup & Downfall

Genesis 2:8-17 | 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin j and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” 

• What permissions are given?

• What limits are set?

Genesis 3:1-7 | Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

• What happened to God’s permission?

• When has this happened to you?

The Lens

As a result of the devil’s lie, we see prohibition everywhere. We expect it. It seems like God’s signature.

One of the first things anybody knows about God and his religion is the 10 Commandments, and shortly after that, how to talk in terms of “thou shalt not __________.”

But what if that’s not the right way to see God or his words? What if, as he was in the garden, God is focusing his effort toward humanity on permission more than prohibition?

Romans 4:13-19 | 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. 14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. 15 If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. 

19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

• How might you change if you view yourself as a child of God’s permission each morning?

• How might you interact with others if you view them the very same way?