Gospel Approval

Note: This is Part 4 of a series of sermons based on Pastor J.D. Greear’s study, Gospel Revolutions.

Part 1, Gospel Change
Part 2, Gospel Discovery
Part 3, Gospel Acceptance
Part 4, Gospel Approval
Part 5, Gospel Response
Part 6, Gospel Faith (Coming March 11, 2012)
Part 7, Substitute Gospels (Coming March 18, 2012)
Part 8, Gospel Depth (Coming March 25, 2012)

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Text: Mark 10:17-31

I am often amused – or, more accurately, annoyed – by those coupons that come in the mail or in the newspaper that offer a percentage off of everything in a certain store. Sometimes, the coupon even exclaims that there are almost no exclusions. It sounds like a great offer. And it would be a great offer, except for the fact that, nearly always, the things that I would actually be interested in buying are marked off the “everything in the store” list by an asterisk that qualifies the offer and excludes several – or many – items the store carries. In the end, the asterisked qualifiers and limitations make the coupon worth much less than the print would lead us to believe.

Far too often, we approach God in the same way that the stores and advertisers approach us with these offers, the same way the Genie first presented himself to Aladdin. We come to God in response to verses we read or hear, such as Romans 12:1-2 or Matthew 11:28. We respond to God’s pursuit of us by coming to God, just like He desires us to. We come offering ourselves over to God “completely.” Only, we bring ourselves “completely” in such a way where the “completely” is marked by an asterisk.

 

Gospel Discovery

Note: This is Part 2 of a series of sermons based on Pastor J.D. Greear’s study, Gospel Revolutions.

Part 1, Gospel Change
Part 2, Gospel Discovery
Part 3, Gospel Acceptance
Part 4, Gospel Approval
Part 5, Gospel Response
Part 6, Gospel Faith (Coming March 11, 2012)
Part 7, Substitute Gospels (Coming March 18, 2012)
Part 8, Gospel Depth (Coming March 25, 2012)

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Text: Matthew 17:1-8

We are continuing this week our look at the Gospel and what it means for us as believers. Last week, we talked about how the Gospel seeks to change us. Too often, we try to get people to look like they are Christians in an effort to make them Christians, but that’s not how the Gospel works. The Gospel is not an outside-in effort. The Gospel changes us by working from the inside-out. God works in the Gospel by starting with our hearts. Once the transformation is accomplished there, the rest flows out as a result.

Today, we are talking about Gospel Discovery. When I was growing up, my mom’s parents built a second home on the side of a mountain in Ashe County in northwestern North Carolina. We spent a number of our summer vacation trips traveling from our home in New Orleans area up to this mountain retreat. The front porch of their home was a wide, covered place with a number of rocking chairs and a swing. The scenery was gorgeous, with a view of three other mountains. We spent much of our time relaxing there, morning, noon, and night.

 

Seven Words of Worship: Experience

Text: Psalm 24

We are coming now to the end of our study of the Seven Words of Worship that we began back in July. We have looked at worship through the lenses of Creation, Grace, Love, Response, Expression, and Presence. Today we come to the seventh and final word of our study: Experience. In this word of worship, we are reminded that worship should above all else be both an experience of God and an experience with God.

 

Seven Words of Worship: Expression

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text: Psalm 136

We have looked at the WHO of worship. Worship is directed from us, the created, to God, the creator and sustainer of all things. It takes both for worship to happen. We do the worshipping, and God receives it.

We have looked at the why of worship from two different angles. First we considered the grace of God that transcends our sin in order to free us to worship. Second, we considered the love of God expressed clearly in His willingness to sacrifice His only begotten Son for our sakes, and, even further, the love of God as God the Son in willingly letting go of His position in heaven to come down to earth as a man who died in our place on the cross, the very worst kind of death.

 

Seven Words of Worship: Response

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:1-23

How is your trust meter these days? Things are not looking too bright through the lenses of news sources. Eight days ago, the US suffered its largest single loss of life in Afghanistan since the war there began at the end of 2001. Thirty of our nation’s warriors from three branches of our services were killed in one helicopter attack. Seventeen of those were of the elite Navy SEALs, and fifteen of those SEALs belonged to the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden.