True

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
(Isaiah 6:3)

“It’s not truth over here and Jesus over there, as if they are two different things.”
(Rob Bell)

“Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.”
(Rob Bell)

The Velvet Elvis – Rob Bell

Movement Three – True

Idea: God and Jesus are everywhere, past and present. God is the creator of all things, and Jesus is the logic of all things. All truth belongs to God, and we are of God. Consequently, we can claim all truth.

Discussion Setting: Our lives, individually and collectively.

(NIV quotations) – What do we do with the following verses?

Genesis 28:10 – 17 -  Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: “I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 - So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Acts 17:28  - “As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’”

Discussion Points 

1. Rob Bell tells us that truth can be found almost anywhere, and we should claim it. 
Stories: The litmus test for parents and friends. Crossroads by Don McLean - “Can you remember who I was? Can you still feel it? … You alone can make me whole once again.” 
Question: Where have you experienced truth in your own life that is outside of the direct teachings of God, and yet is so clearly of God? Have you ever encountered truth from someone you would have never expected yourself to agree with?

2. Rob Bell reminds us that Jesus is everywhere.
Story: In my office at TAMU as a first year professor, before a talk.
Question: Have you felt God’s presence so strongly that it was undeniable?

3. Rob Bell reminds us that Jesus is not God’s “hail Mary”. Jesus is the logic of all things past and present.
Discussion Question: What are your feelings on this statement?

4. Rob Bell says “Christian is a great noun and a poor adjective.”
Discussion Questions: Is it OK to dislike a Christian song, a Christian book, a Christian play, or a Christian movie? Have you ever disagreed with a Christian organization or a Christian political group?