I keep coming across quotes on presenting the gospel, which was a hot topic of debate around here a week or so ago. Just read this from my thesis - forgot it was there!
The New Testament never offers the blessings of the gospel as separate items on a shopping list. If they are not offered in this way, then we should not preach them this way. The gospel does not invite us to take forgiveness, but to take Christ. All God's blessings are in him: none of them are found apart from him. The whole gospel finds its coherent center in him. We either take him as he is with all his gifts and demands, or we stand apart from him. We cannot divide him in pieces.The most searching question to be asked of our preaching is not "Are we preaching forgiveness or repentance or holiness or faith?" but "Are we preaching Christ?" (Colin S. Smith, "Keeping Christ Central in Preaching, from Telling the Truth)
Reminds me a little of Piper's book God is the Gospel. There are lots of implications if we take this idea seriously.
It's a much more relational approach. It's similar to when I got married Charlene. She had a car and some other stuff we've enjoyed. But they weren't really even on the radar. What I mostly got was Charlene. The rest was just extra stuff thrown in.
Darryl, I just read an amazing sermon on the following verses from Titus and I thought about the recent discussions on your blog. I think this is a most amazing summary of the Gospel. From the NLT it reads like this
Titus 3: 4 But--"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."
A preacher could probably preach a lifetime of sermons just on those verses. Its all God and what He has done. As someone wrote recently on your blog "WHAT A GOD"
But before all that happened we were like this:
" 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other."
All of us who have been born again, who have received this amazing new life used to be like that.
I need to remind myself of that often as I consider what God has done.
Have a great day and I'm still trying to figure out that other quote from your other post. Can you help me out?
Love it.
We don't hear many preachers enter into the 'in Christ' zone of truth much these days. It's a gold-mine, waiting to be rediscovered, and re-opened up to His people again.
Let's get to the MotherLoad of truth-- and watch what He'll do in His church! (You can't listen to that kind of preaching and remain unchanged or unchallenged. It's 'too relational', too incisive, too revealing.)
It would likely require getting real with Christ -- or fleeing to another church where one didn't have to be concerned with conversion to the Master and Lord of the Universe. One could still keep consoling (and deceiving) themselves, with the little snip-its of truth chosen here and there.
Imagine -- taking Charlene's car, or cat, or couch -- but never joining her. And thinking you actually had a relational union. Sounds absurd, eh?
'Preaching...that requires a miracle...'
Sounds like that might be the old-fashioned Gospel (the one that left our scene a good century ago).
I'll be praying you keep on preaching in the dangerous direction of knowing 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified'.
Like a certain Spirit-inspired preacher recently dared to tell his congregation: you either follow Christ into the cross-life or -- you're not following Him at all.
(pardon the paraphrase)
Preach On Brother! Preach ON!