{"id":6438,"date":"2019-01-17T11:33:42","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T15:33:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/missionqc.org\/?p=6438"},"modified":"2019-01-17T18:43:06","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T22:43:06","slug":"your-church-may-not-be-as-gospel-centered-as-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/blog\/your-church-may-not-be-as-gospel-centered-as-you-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Church May Not Be as Gospel-Centered as You Think"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\"\"<\/p>\n

THIS ARTICLE IS FROM
\nTHE GOSPEL COALITION<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” top_padding=”30″ overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

The book of Romans is about more than the \u201cRomans Road.\u201d It\u2019s not just a book about individual salvation (though it certainly communicates this glorious message). It\u2019s also about gospel-centered community and gospel-centered mission.<\/h3>\n

Michael Bird\u00b9 says Paul is \u201cgospelizing\u201d the believers in Rome. He wants every aspect of their lives to be shaped and empowered by the gospel. This is reflected especially in the latter half of the book. Therefore, Romans stands as a great book to consider, not only for theological clarity, but also for insights on gospel-centered leadership.<\/p>\n

Before discussing the benefits of gospel-centrality, it\u2019s important to understand how it differs from other approaches:<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Gospel-Denying Churches<\/h5>\n

These shouldn\u2019t be called churches. Various cults and extreme brands of liberalism would fit this category. They deny the essential truths of the gospel.<\/p>\n

Gospel-Redefining Churches<\/h5>\n

Related to the previous category, these add to or subtract from the gospel. Examples include the prosperity gospel and the social gospel.<\/p>\n

Gospel-Assuming Churches<\/h5>\n

These churches say they believe the gospel, but they rarely preach it plainly and deeply. It\u2019s \u201cChristianity-lite.\u201d Leadership talks, therapeutic sermons, and practical-improvement messages fill the air.<\/p>\n

Gospel-Affirming Churches<\/h5>\n

Like the previous group, these churches believe the gospel doctrinally, but the gospel is only meant for evangelism, and it is segmented out of the life of the church.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/2″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Gospel-Proclaiming Churches<\/h5>\n

These churches are known for preaching the gospel every week in corporate worship. But the gospel is still viewed as simply evangelistic. The gospel tips people into the kingdom, but it isn\u2019t taught as that which also shapes and empowers Christian living. Often what is communicated to believers is some form of post-conversion moralism.<\/p>\n

Gospel-Centered Churches<\/h5>\n

These churches preach the gospel every week explicitly\u2014but not just to the unbeliever. They also preach and apply the gospel to Christians, as Paul did for the Romans (Rom. 1:15). It shapes and empowers Christian ethics and the life of the Christian community.<\/p>\n

For example, marriage is taught by looking at Christ\u2019s love for the church (Eph. 5:25); generosity is viewed through the lens of Christ\u2019s generosity (2 Cor. 8:9); the call to forgive is rooted in Christ\u2019s forgiveness of us (Col. 3:13); hospitality reflects the welcome of Christ (Rom. 15:7). Calls to social action\u2014like caring for the orphan, the widow, the refugee, and the poor\u2014are also made to believers with reference to their own identity in Christ.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_color=”#f04d41″ shape_divider_position=”top” shape_type=”speech”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Gospel Implications<\/h2>\n

We could give many reasons to pursue gospel centrality, but I\u2019ll limit it to five.<\/p>\n

1. The gospel changes lives<\/h4>\n

If you are a church planter, pastor, missionary, or ministry leader of any kind, it\u2019s imperative that you have an unshakable confidence in the gospel. It is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). God loves to save sinners, and he does so when the gospel is proclaimed. Further, God loves to sanctify his people, and he does this as the gospel is applied.<\/p>\n

2. The gospel leads us to worship<\/h4>\n

The gospel transforms us from the inside out. And when affections change, everything changes. If a person loves Jesus deeply, it will change his or her behavior dramatically. Paul\u2019s theology regularly leads him to doxology (Rom. 8:31\u201339; 11:33\u201336).<\/p>\n

3. The gospel lifts us from despair<\/h4>\n

Sin, suffering, and death cause us to despair. The gospel lifts the saints from dark nights of the soul by reminding us that God\u2019s verdict has already been pronounced; that though we suffer now, we\u2019re still in the grip of the Father\u2019s grace. Even death cannot separate us from the love of Christ (Rom. 8:31\u201339).<\/p>\n

4. The gospel unites diverse believers in community<\/h4>\n

In Romans 8, Paul is exulting in glorious gospel promises. It\u2019s important to see the plural language Paul uses: \u201cus,\u201d \u201cwe,\u201d \u201cbrothers\/sisters,\u201d and so on. Paul is seeking to unite both Jews and Gentiles in Christ, so he labors over the beauty of the gospel for several chapters in Romans. He wants to help them pursue unity in the gospel, and to consider how they should love one another practically (Rom. 12\u201314).<\/p>\n

When we get to chapter 15, Paul\u2019s appeal to unity climaxes with this prayer: \u201cMay the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.\u201d (Rom. 15:5\u20136). Paul is applying his theology to build a unified, diverse people.<\/p>\n

5. The gospel fuels our mission<\/h4>\n

You can endure opposition when you have promises like those in Romans 8. When you have a gospel this big, you\u2019ll want to take it to the nations. Many don\u2019t have a passion for the nations precisely because they don\u2019t have a gospel worth preaching.<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s no surprise where Paul goes at the end of Romans. In chapter 15, you find that Romans is a missionary support letter. Paul wants to go to Spain with the gospel. Tom Schreiner2 says Paul could have been 60 years old at the time of writing! That\u2019s what a big vision of the gospel does: it fuels our global mission.<\/p>\n

Pursue Gospel Centrality<\/h2>\n

So let\u2019s seek to create a gospel-centered culture in our churches and ministries. Exemplify gospel centrality in your personal life. Apply the gospel in your teaching. See the gospel in the church\u2019s ordinances. Pray the gospel. Sing the gospel. Saturate your groups and classes with the gospel. Advance the gospel through evangelism and church planting. Celebrate the gospel as lives are changed. Evaluate your ministry by carefully noting how the gospel is being proclaimed and magnified.<\/p>\n

May we follow Charles Spurgeon\u2019s counsel:<\/p>\n

Keep to the gospel, then, more and more. Give the people Christ and nothing but Christ. Satiate them, even though some should say that you also nauseate them, with the gospel. . . By the roadside, in the little room, in the theater\u2014anywhere, everywhere, let us preach Christ. Write books if you like and do anything else within your power; but whatever else you cannot do, preach Christ.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From the \u201croadside\u201d to \u201cthe little room,\u201d in large worship centers to underground house churches, from cities to farmlands, from the urban poor to the suburban rich, from hard places to holiday places, let us keep what is of \u201cfirst importance\u201d (1 Cor. 15:3) the main thing in our lives, ministries, and churches.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”]

<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/6″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”]
\"\"<\/div><\/div>[\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”5\/6″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Tony Merida<\/strong> is pastor for preaching and vision of\u00a0Imago Dei Church<\/a> in Raleigh, North Carolina. He\u2019s also the content director for\u00a0Acts 29<\/a>, producing blogs, podcasts, and other resources on church planting. Tony has an extensive itinerant ministry and has written several books, including\u00a0The Christ-Centered Expositor<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Ordinary<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Orphanology<\/em><\/a>, and eight volumes in the\u00a0Christ-Centered Exposition<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> commentary series, of which he also serves as a general editor, along with Danny Akin and David Platt. He is happily married to Kimberly, and they have five adopted children.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1\/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text] THIS ARTICLE IS FROM THE GOSPEL…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6276,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-planting"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6438"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6474,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6438\/revisions\/6474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/missionqc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}