If you’ve been reading this blog more than 90 seconds, hopefully you have realized that we are really big on the gospel. “Gospel centrality” is one of our core, non-negotiable values. Darrin Patrick in his helpful book, Church Planter speaks of the gospel being a historical message. When some people (OK…most people) think of history their eyes glaze over and they find that place in their head where they can zone out for a while. (OK…maybe I’m one of those people…)
However, it’s important to recognize that the ‘gospel is a true story based on actual events in history. It tells of a Creator-Redeemer who entered a broken, sinful world in order to rescue his creatures by literally becoming one of them.’
Take a minute with that one…God rescued us from the curse of sin by becoming one of us. And history verifies this.
Patrick quotes Tim Keller – “So the gospel is news about what God has done in history to save us, rather than advice about what we must do to reach God. The gospel is news that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection in history have achieved our salvation. We do not achieve it, only accept it. Jesus does not just bring good news; he is the good news.”
What do we do when we hear good news? We respond. Sometimes it’s just a happy dance,(I have a pretty sweet happy dance), but other times receiving good news changes everything. It allows us to move forward. News like – they accepted our offer for the house, I got into that college, I got the job! Sometimes the factual information contained in good news means our lives are about to change…there is no bigger life changing news that the gospel. Ours is to respond to it. We respond to the gospel in repentance (change of direction) and faith (trust and dependance).
“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9–10 ESV)
