Sometimes I feel like I've been out of the word so much I don't really have the authority to speak about it, but I've been thinking a lot about certain things lately and I want to be honest about those thoughts.... to all you random people who read my blog- whoever you are (how interesting that I'm willing to be so honest to a group of potential unknowns, eh?)
I went to church on Sunday, another Sunday, another church. Since moving I haven't really found a place that I want to associate with. Sunday I actually was really digging some of it, and then the pastor started in on Joshua and then he stopped mid-sentence and said that he felt he needed to speak about something else. He said that he felt that there were people that had been going there for their whole life and yet they didn't know the gospel. He said that one of the problems in many churches today is that we spend too much time talking about the Pauline letters and what others say about Jesus, rather than looking at Jesus. So now I'm really getting pumped, and wondering what this guy is going to say about Jesus.
So he starts in 1 Cor, then goes to Gen and talks about the fall, then spends most of his time in Cor and Romans. He talked about how "at our core we suck" and we cannot ever "do enough" to deserve Jesus. I agree. He talked about sin, redemption, and grace. I agree.
BUT.
I was really just kinda disappointed.
I felt like he just did what he said was wrong with Churches. He sat there and talked about the Gospel through Gen, the letters to the Corinthian churches (written by paul) and the letter written to the Romans (written by Paul).
He said that the gospel was sin, redpemption and grace.... which I believe is a part of it, but I have been thinking a lot about Jesus.
What would Jesus say the Gospel message is?
If I asked him, what would he say? I thought that someone kinda did. And this is what he said, "love God, Love others as much as you love yourself".
You may not ever achieve it, but as much as you are able, continue to bring the kingdom of God to this earth. A kingdom of Justice.
And then, other times he talks about who these neighbors are. They are not the people that look just like us, or have the same amount of money as us. And yet our churches are these cities of people who all look alike, patting themselves on the back for their own greatness. How is that Just? How is that the kingdom?
At the end, the one reference to the actual written gospels was about the man selling everything that he has for the field with the treasure in it. So I prayed that I would sell everything that I have for the gospel. That I really would, but that God would show me what the Gospel really is. The truth. What that means. I want to sell out to it, but I wonder if so many of us have gotten it wrong.
I had a good talk last night with a friend. A friend who does not "go to church" but is a Christian. He is doing more good for the kingdom than most of the bodies warming the church pews. Yet he refuses to enter and commune with these "bodies of Christ" because he doesn't think that they represent the gospel.
So what is the gospel?
5 comments:
The best description of the gospel was the description that Jesus gave of his own ministry, which found in Luke 4:18-19:
4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed62 me to proclaim good news63 to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Jesus read this passage from Isaiah 61 at the beginning of his earthly ministry, and it is the charge that has been taken up by my Wednesday Bible Study Body. And I think of that other passage in one of the OT prophet texts that says, Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.
I agree, it sounds like this preacher followed up his frustration by going to the epistles, when the best description of the gospel is found in the gospels describing Jesus' ministry of reconciling people to the Father, and restoring the sick and disabled, and brokenhearted.
Restoration! All things made new! God with us! Doing the will of the Father, and knowing that "This is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent." (John 17:3) So many Christians stop at Salvation and coming to the Father and Jesus as Savior, but the Gospel is life and life is knowing the Father...knowing. wow, as I type this I'm almost in tears to think that I can and am in the process of knowing God, the Creator of all things...and He wants to know and have relationship with me...OK,
I could go on for longer but I think this is enough to chew on for a while. I know I will.
Hey. I found your blog referenced by Stephanie W. in Chicago, formerly hailing from Houston. I THINK that I MAY have met you once, but I honestly don't really remember. Were you ever hanging out with Stephanie in Houston, meeting some of her friends? I just wanted to say that I really like your stuff and have bookmarked your site.
WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? Can I get SPAM ON MY COMMENT SECTION? That has to be the newest most annoying thing ever. I want to leave it up, just to vent my frustrations. I will definately blog about this.
BTW- trevor, if you read this, I HAVE met you and Andrea! Plus, Willis talks about you and your and Andreas Blogs all the time. Thanks for coming by!
Glad I found this - what you told be about.
My thought is that the Gospel for Jesus was the announcement that the reign of God had come near. In fact, it was all around everyone and stepping into it was radical but simple.
The Gospel was much more than how to be saved from sin (which is like a techincality that God accomplishes to set us into this divine life), but how all of existence could be experienced in unity with God.
The good news is still Immanuel - that God is with us.
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