What makes a Gospel-centered church
November 24, 2009 | Comments Off
The Gospel Coalition (a group organized to build up local churches toward Gospel-centeredness) articulates on their website the distinctives for Gospel-centered ministry. The first item on their list is empowered corporate worship:
The gospel changes our relationship with God from one of hostility or slavish compliance to one of intimacy and joy. The core dynamic of gospel–centered ministry is therefore worship and fervent prayer.
In corporate worship God’s people receive a special life-transforming sight of the worth and beauty of God, and then give back to God suitable expressions of his worth. At the heart of corporate worship is the ministry of the Word. Preaching should be expository (explaining the text of Scripture) and Christ-centered (expounding all biblical themes as climaxing in Christ and his work of salvation). Its ultimate goal, however, is not simply to teach but to lead the hearers to worship, individual and corporate, that strengthens their inner being to do the will of God.
This is what we strive for weekly in our services. Please pray toward this end, that we might gather to both encounter our God and respond to Him rightly. And pray for the ministry of the Word, that we would be continually strengthened in our inner being to do the will of our God.
(ht: Justin Taylor)
Missional or missions-minded?
November 9, 2009 | Comments Off
Yesterday in his sermon, Tim referenced the trend toward “missional” churches–tending to focus on “being” missionaries to their own locales rather than “doing” missions globally. He cited Ed Stetzer, who works as a researcher and writer for LifeWay (of the Southern Baptist Convention), as one who is on the front lines of the missional movement. Last night, I stumbled across an article written by Ed Stetzer actually pointing out the very same problem Tim pointed out–that missional churches often neglect global missions. It is both revealing and challenging. Let’s continue to strive to take the message of the Gospel where it has never been preached! And give thanks for pastors and elders who realize the necessity of sending and giving and going to the ends of the earth.