Replant Week 3: We Are Gospel Driven

A few years ago I joined a coaching cohort with a guy named Jared C. Wilson. He’s an author, seminary professor, and former pastor. There are a few of his books that have been really key in my spiritual growth and understanding of what the church is and does and why. If you want to go deeper on today’s topic I would highly recommend The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared C. Wilson. Many of the ideas I am presenting today, he helped me understand and presented them in that book. I commend it to you.

Today we are on week 3 of the Replant series where we are relaunching and replanting Hope Bible Fellowship out into the world.

The difference between Gospel Centered/Driven and other churches - start with illustration

You don’t ever get over the gospel...

Story Jared told about the lady wanting more than than… … other book....

1 Corinthians 15:1–11 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

- Paul reminds the Corinthian church of the gospel.

Something he regularly did. I read someone this week who said preaching is the continual re-evangelization of the church.

- That he preached

This was what he proclaimed to them. It is good to be remember constantly that it was the proclaimed gospel that we heard when we first believed.

- Grk: Euangelion - Good announcement,

Euangelion

1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

- The message of the gospel

- God

- Man

- Sin

- Redemption

- Resurrection

- That they had received.

The message he is reminding them of and expecting them to hold to is the message that they had received. The idea of receiving deals with...

- In which they stand. - that which sustains them and their convictions, makes it possible for them to hold firm to what they had believed

- By which they are being saved.

- if they hold fast

- Unless they believed in vain

- The end of this verse seems like a qualifier that Paul wanted to add after making such a strong statement about the locked in benefits the Corinthians had in the gospel. He gives this caveat not to deviate from the gospel.

- Believing in vain - what does that mean?

- to being without careful thought, without due consideration, in a haphazard manner

- Those who do not persevere in the gospel have no true claim on the promises of the gospel. Paul assumes a person who has confessed Christ will remain faithful to that confession. However, he does give this hint that is tragic. Not all ended up doing so.

- People who agree with the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints and those who reject it can both typically agree that someone who doesn't persevere is not a believer or possibly never was. They may have "believed in vain."

I. The priority of the gospel for Paul - The gospel is central - That of First Importance - for us

Putting the Gospel in the driver's seat.

The message of the gospel is not to be placed in the background like some kind of scenery or stage dressing. It shouldn’t be relegated to being simply part of the statement of faith page on the church website. We should not be saving it for special occasions or basically treating it like it’s an afterthought. According to Jared C. Wilson, “it should be the hallmark and centerpiece of a church does.”

Philippians 3:16 ESV

16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Paul even begins his letters to churches with gospel proclamations. And why would he not? Paul understood the very thing that must mark our understanding of what we are doing here and that’s this: WE ARE UNABLE TO CHANGE WITHOUT THE GOSPEL.

A. Recover the supernaturality of prayer

- prayer is expressed helplessness

B. Recover the supernaturality of scripture

II. The Gospel is effectual

Changing the measure of success

A. Jonathan Edwards' Metrics of Grace

- A growing esteem for Jesus Christ

- A discernible spirit of repentance

- A dogged devotion to the Word of God

- An interest in theology and doctrine

- An evident love for God and neighbor

III. The Gospel is Versatile

IV. The Gospel Works

Paul assumes a humble status.

What grace produces - REAL LIFE CHANGE

Jared C. Wilson points out that,

“A gospel-driven church makes the gospel the unifying and motivating factor in everything they say and do.”

- Jared C. Wilson

The Gospel -

1. Makes the church.

2. Makes the church one (with Christ and with each other).

3. Makes the church unique.

4. Makes the church powerful.

5. Makes the church holy.

6. Makes the church missional.

Conclusion:

Gathering, Growing, and Growing driven by and centered on the gospel.

Gather together

Grow deep

Go wide

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