The Gospel Saves AND...

The Supremacy of God's Son

Hebrews 1:1-4

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

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The Holy Spirit has been bringing some conviction to me recently as I consider how I can in one breath both give thanks for the saving work of Christ Jesus and then add to Christ’s work one hundred other things on which hinges my own, or someone else’s Salvation. Now... I KNOW that Salvation is by Grace alone, through Faith alone in Christ alone... but I see in myself a trend that is pervasive in those all around me... How quickly we are to move PAST the Gospel that Jesus Christ saves sinners. We keep it in our back pocket like a Trump Card for heaven but strip it of its power to continually transform those who by it [The Gospel] are gripped! In reality I am learning afresh that it is the GOSPEL that SAVES us but also is PRIMARILY at work in our Sanctification!

In Romans 1:15 - The Apostle Paul says that he is, “Eager to preach the gospel to you too who are in Rome.” Paul is writing to those “in the church” so that they might be sanctified and continually challenged and transformed BY the Gospel.

Are there deep, head-hurting, heart-wrenching, Biblical Doctrines to wrestle with and seek to understand as we mature and grow in Christ? Absolutely. However, we don’t move PAST the Gospel to get to them. We only mature in character and understanding THROUGH the continued application of the Gospel!

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“We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ. We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else." - John Calvin

Forgiveness and the Big Kingdom

This is from Paul Tripp... very good!

Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You (New Growth Press, 2007), pp. 161-62

Forgiveness and the Big Kingdom

• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you get it right.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you step out of your little kingdom and into His.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you say that the Bible’s description of you and everyone around you is accurate.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you declare that your life does not belong to you, but has been created for the purpose of the Author.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you say that selfishness is your biggest sin and that grace is your only hope.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are reminding yourself who you are and what you truly need.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you refuse to be comfortable with your rebellion.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you recognize that the biggest problems you face in life exist inside of you, not outside of you.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are praying that God’s kingdom would come and his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you make the kingdom of God visible for others to see.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you are worshiping the King of forgiveness and encouraging others to do the same.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, your sight is accurate, your head is clear, and your heart is in the right place.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you cry out for an eternity when forgiveness has finished its work once and for all.
• Every time you ask for forgiveness, you tell yourself that for all the good you have experienced in God’s kingdom, there is still more that is needed and more to come.

A lifestyle of forgiveness expands everything you are touching to the size of God’s kingdom.

Paul David Tripp, A Quest for More: Living for Something Bigger than You (New Growth Press, 2007), pp. 161-62

Where is our trust... REALLY?

I don't want a world-wide flu epidemic to wipe out thousands or, God-forbid, millions of the most vulnerable of us around the globe...
I don't want global conflict and war to tear apart whole regions, countries, cities, and families...
I don't want growing unemployment and hardship for hardworking men and women who want nothing more than to provide an honest living, put food on the table and a roof over their families heads...

So I am happy for things like doctors, and researchers, and vaccines...
And I am happy for diplomatic & military strategy and innovation...
and I am happy for entrepreneurial thinking and compassion to help motivate and motivate others to greater opportunity and productivity...

But I must be careful that my trust is ultimately not in those things. But instead, I must Trust in the one who skillfully crafted man to learn and think, create and work, by HIS design.. so we have the benefits of medicine, and innovation, of creativity and a strong work ethic... that come FROM Him... and work to His Glory.


"God is not displeased with the strength of a horse and the legs of a man as good things that He has made. He is displeased with those who hope in their horses and in their legs. He is displeased with the people who put their hope, for example, in missiles or in make-up, in tanks or tanning parlors, in bombs or body-building. God takes no pleasure in corporate efficiency or balanced budgets or welfare systems or new vaccines or education or eloquence or artistic excellence or legal processes, when these things are the treasure in which we hope, or the achievement in which we boast. Why? Because when we put our hope in horses and legs, then the horses and legs get the glory, not God"

~JohnPiper, The Pleasures of God , 208).

The Gospel Way

No human mind could conceive or invent the gospel.

Acting in eternal grace, thou art both its messenger and its message,

lived out on earth through infinite compassion,

applying thy life to insult, injury, death,

that I might be redeemed, ransomed, freed.

Blessed be thou, O Father, for contriving this way,

Eternal thanks to thee, O Lamb of God, for opening this way,

Praise everlasting to thee, O Holy Spirit,

for applying this way to my heart.

Glorious Trinity, impress the gospel on my soul,

until its virtue diffuses every faculty;

Let it be heard, acknowledged, professed, felt.

Teach me to secure this mighty blessing;

Help me to give up every darling lust,

to submit heart and life to its command,

to have it in my will,

controlling my affections,

moulding my understanding;

to adhere strictly to the rules of true religion,

not departing from them in any instance,

nor for any advantage in order to escape evil,

inconvenience or danger.

Take me to the cross to seek glory from its infamy;

Strip me of every pleasing pretence of righteousness by my own doings.

O gracious redeemer,

I have neglected thee too long,

often crucified thee,

crucified thee afresh by my impenitence,

put thee to open shame.

I thank thee for the patience that has borne with me so long,

and for the grace that now makes me willing to be thine.

O unite me to thyself with inseparable bonds,

that nothing may ever draw me back from thee, my Lord, my Saviour.

From The Valley Of Vision (A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions)

Edited by Arthur Bennett

"The Gospel Way" - Page 35

Number and success...

Numbers in a room, as encouraging as they are, ultimately mean very little. There are a great number of ways to get people into a room… and many of those would be for reasons not befitting of Christ’s Bride or Christ’s Mission. In fact, without trying to be to contrary, a number of churches have people in the seats week in and week out and yet are missing the mark when it comes to Gospel-centrality evidenced in the lives of her people. As Chester and Timmis say in chapter 13 of the book Total Church, “... we must not confuse large with successful. Nor for that matter should we equate small with successful!” (pp. 192) We are not necessarily more “successful” if we have 70 people in the room… on the other hand, we are not necessarily more “successful” if we only have 10!

Our desire and measure of success is that we are being shaped by the Gospel and proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed to those around us in need of Jesus. If we can find ways to challenge, assess and encourage the people of River City Church to THAT end… then we will have been faithful to God’s calling and Christ’s mission make disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus… 2 Timothy 2:2.

Key Principles...

Long time no blog... sorry about that...

I've been a little overwhelmed with all on my plate with this Church Plant... good stuff... just a LOT of stuff.

However, there is a small leadership team that has been doing a lot of work on River City and one of the resources we have been using is a book called "Total Church." We have found it to be most-helpful in helping us unpack the patterns in the New Testament of the advancement of the Church and how the basic principles can/should be applied today in a church-planting context.

So you can understand a little bit as to where my brain is... here is an excerpt:

"... two key principles should shape the way we "do church": gospel and community. Christians are called to a dual fidelity: fidelity to the core content of the gospel and fidelity to the primary context of a believing community. Whether we are thinking about evangelism, social involvement, pastoral care, apologetics, discipleship, or teaching, the content is consistently the Christian gospel, and the context is consistently the Christian community. What we do is always defined by the gospel, and the context is always our belonging in the church. Our identity as Christians is defined by the gospel and the community.

Being gospel-centered actually involves two things. First, it means being word-centered because the gospel is a word-the gospel is news, a message. Second, it means being mission-centered because the gospel is a word to be proclaimed-the gospel is good news, a missionary message.

So maybe we really have three principles. Christian practice must be (1) gospel-centered in the sense of being word-centered, (2) gospel-centered in the sense of being mission-centered, and (3) community-centered."

("Total Church" Chester & Timmis, pp. 15-16)

Soli Deo Gloria,

JP
rivercityfargo.org

I dare you to pray this...

A challenge from Francis Chan. Its a tough one but I needed to hear it... perhaps you do as well...