God Almighty

Exodus 6:2-8

John 18:28-38

Sermon outline

God is not almighty – process theology perspective

1. Illustration – church served with a cease and desist order

2. Where is our almighty God?

3. Jesus in story as inept – character scripts from class

4. God as “almighty”

a. God Almighty = El Shaddai

b. Controversy of names in OT (El Shaddai vs YHWH vs I am that I am)

c. Different gods, different characteristics

5. Process Theology perspective

a. God is not all-powerful

b. Love, knowledge can be multiplied – power cannot

c. Example: designing and making a rocking chair (creator and doer vs buyer and designer)

d. Example: US government (democracy) vs dictatorship

e. God gives up God’s power by giving us free will

6. Scripture and process theology

a. Jesus could have taken control – could have called upon the angels

b. John 18:36

c. Jesus empowers Pilate and empowers the Sanhedrin

d. Took risk – no telling how this would work out – knew he would die, but hoped humanity would progress – and it did – this very group of Jews birthed the Christian church

7. Following the example of Jesus

a. We are leaders in Christ and called to imitate the example of Jesus

b. Run into problems when we try to control everything

c. When we empower others, that is when creativity can happen