Monday, November 16, 2009

What is this?

Yes, thats the title, because that is what I am sitting here saying about this whole thing we call "Church". Suprised?
Well, its been a while since I blogged so a little update...I finished reading "An Irresistible Revolution" (yes, the book was awesome, thats a whole other topic in and of itself). I have been listening to alot of Francis Chan sermons, so I have been getting fed some serious Spiritual meat. Also, been delving into mennonite studies and New Monastics. So, its safe to assume, this will be a "radical" blog.
Main thought- WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?
So lately I have been thinking, what really is the good news? Is it the Spiritual "pie in the sky" message many preach, or how about the plain and simple, "social gospel"? It's very clean that we need to be clear on this because Scripture makes it quite clear that there are true and false gospels out there (2 Corinthians 11:4 & Galatians 1:9; and the devil is not a complete idiot to try and pass off something that is totally out there).
Yes, I put my study skills to use. Through studying I realized that the true Gospel of Christ Jesus is very Spiritual and also very practical, but in no way is the gospel tracks of I have seen the gospel of Christ. So I have taken a vow not to hand out these "gospel tracks" anymore. Bye Bye, "This could be your last 5 minutes alive" (that was the title of my latest set of 100 tracks).
As Christians would should be displaying the "kingdom of heaven on earth". Thats what this is all about "the kingdom of God" (refer to my first couple blogs). We yell to the unbelieving masses, "There is another way!!!". Most people are unsatisfied and are living a life totally outside God's best for them. Basically, feeding the pigs (read through Luke 15:11-31).
Th ultimate message of the Gospel of Christ is "come home", be who God created you to be, and live the life God has predestined for you. Why you ask? Because you know that this world has nothing to offer, look around, look within yourself...Let's be real!
Here is a brief essay I wrote the other day titled "A Compromised Mission".
Have we, the Christians compromised the mission? Do we focus on seemingly insignificant things in an effort to avoid having to deal with the real issues (lets say post-modernism)? I.E.- Materialistic culture, apathetic Christianity, lukewarm faith which has led us to a lack of persecution, lack of care and concern for the lost, this new version of "churchianity". Or even worse, do we focus on these things as a cover-up because we like what we have now, rather than going back to the ways of the 1st Century church? Look at the fruit then!!!
I always say "its not necessarily what you do that is sin, but rather what you dont do". Think about the gospel centered life, is it about being a sinless puritan or rather in the gospel a message of a whole different way of life? Doesnt scripture teach us that God will prune us of sin? Was sin a NT church focus? What does the church in China have to say about "our gospel"? What do they focus on? The mission! What if we focus on the mission, and allow God to do the work in us, rather than have a self-centered, create a partal sanitized life gospel?
Dont compromise the mission!!!
What about our faith is worth dying for? What is the "gospel"?
The unbeliever says- "wow this life sucks!"
Christians following Christ should be yelling back- "There is another way, the kingdom of
God stands in opposition to the ways of this world that dont lead to happiness. Where this world leads to death and destruction, the gospel of Christ leads to peace and abundant life!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Great word bro. I heard a great definition for holiness the other day that goes along with the sins of omission vs. commission. "Holiness is not what we abstain from, but what we give ourselves to." Simple but powerful.