2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE SERIES 1: INTRODUCTION I. INTRO

2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY 2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE SERIES 1: INTRODUCTIONMESSAGE SERIES 1: INTRODUCTION

I. INTROI. INTRO

This past year God had blessed us This past year God had blessed us tremendously, especially in terms of tremendously, especially in terms of growth and of service opportunities. growth and of service opportunities.

However, we are yet, as church, to However, we are yet, as church, to experience the renewing of our passion for experience the renewing of our passion for GodGod..

~ This year’s theme is a continuation of ~ This year’s theme is a continuation of last year’s theme but is more sharply last year’s theme but is more sharply focused on what is possibly the focused on what is possibly the key key aspectaspect to experiencing the renewal of to experiencing the renewal of our passion for the Lord.our passion for the Lord.

II. II. WHERE ARE OUR LIVES WHERE ARE OUR LIVES CENTERED?CENTERED?

Each of our lives is centered on Each of our lives is centered on something.something.

~ What’s really ~ What’s really tthe main thing he main thing in your in your life?life?

~ What is it that ~ What is it that definesdefines you?you?

III. III. THE ONLY ESSENTIALTHE ONLY ESSENTIAL

Paul answers that question for us in Paul answers that question for us in 1Cor 15:1-31Cor 15:1-3..

““Of first importance”Of first importance”

~ ~ Paul is pointing us to Paul is pointing us to the one the one transcendent truth that should transcendent truth that should define our livesdefine our lives. .

One overarching truth should motivate One overarching truth should motivate all our work and affect every part of all our work and affect every part of who we are: who we are: Christ died for our sins.Christ died for our sins.

IF THERE’S ANYTHING IN LIFE WE IF THERE’S ANYTHING IN LIFE WE SHOULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT, SHOULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT, IT’S THE GOSPEL.IT’S THE GOSPEL.

~ That is why our 15~ That is why our 15thth year theme is year theme is Recovering the Passion for the Recovering the Passion for the Gospel in the Believer’s Daily Gospel in the Believer’s Daily

Life.Life.

~ And I don’t mean passionate ~ And I don’t mean passionate only only about sharing it with othersabout sharing it with others. .

But the passion I would like us to focus But the passion I would like us to focus on in greater measure this year is on in greater measure this year is passion in thinking about the gospel, passion in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life, letting it at the world and all of life, letting it influence even the different ordinary influence even the different ordinary details of our daily lives.details of our daily lives.

Jerry BridgesJerry Bridges: “The gospel is not only : “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of the most important message in all of history; it is the history; it is the onlyonly essential message essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it.”joy of living by it.”

~ In the Scriptures we discover a ~ In the Scriptures we discover a profound urgency for profound urgency for

focusing all we focusing all we are and are and everything we do around the everything we do around the gospel of the cross. gospel of the cross.

IV. IV. OUR CONSTANT DANGEROUR CONSTANT DANGER

D. A. CarsonD. A. Carson: “I fear that the cross, : “I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.”far removed from idolatry.”

John StottJohn Stott: “All around us we see : “All around us we see Christians and churches relaxing their Christians and churches relaxing their grasp on the gospel, fumbling it, and in grasp on the gospel, fumbling it, and in danger of letting it drop from their danger of letting it drop from their hands altogether.”hands altogether.”

C. J. MahaneyC. J. Mahaney: “Every day, we all face : “Every day, we all face the temptation to move away from the the temptation to move away from the gospel, to let it drop from our hands and gospel, to let it drop from our hands and hearts.” hearts.”

~ And he cites three main tendencies in ~ And he cites three main tendencies in particular tend to draw us away:particular tend to draw us away:

1. 1. SubjectivismSubjectivism, , which means basing which means basing our view of God on our changing our view of God on our changing feelings and emotions. feelings and emotions.

2. 2. LegalismLegalism, , which means basing our which means basing our relationship with God on our own relationship with God on our own performance. performance.

3. 3. CondemnationCondemnation, , which means which means being more focused on our sin than being more focused on our sin than on God’s grace.on God’s grace.

That is why the first and most important That is why the first and most important thing we can dothing we can do — — alwaysalways — — isis simply simply to to make sure the gospel is at the make sure the gospel is at the very center of our lives.very center of our lives.

Let us strive to do whatever it takes to Let us strive to do whatever it takes to make the gospel our passion, both as make the gospel our passion, both as individuals and as a church. individuals and as a church.

~ Let us ask God to change our hearts ~ Let us ask God to change our hearts so we can personally affirm for our so we can personally affirm for our own lives the words of own lives the words of Gal 6:14Gal 6:14..

V. V. WE NEVER MOVE ONWE NEVER MOVE ON

David PriorDavid Prior: “We never move on from : “We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”understanding of the cross.”

~~ The cross and its meaning aren’t The cross and its meaning aren’t something we ever master.something we ever master.

Some symptoms that arise from Some symptoms that arise from notnot being cross centeredbeing cross centered

• You often lack joy.You often lack joy.

• Your love for God lacks passion.Your love for God lacks passion.

• You’re not consistently growing in You’re not consistently growing in spiritual maturity.spiritual maturity.

• You often find yourself trying to win You often find yourself trying to win the favor God and man.the favor God and man.

• You sometimes feel that there are You sometimes feel that there are some things you do that help earn a some things you do that help earn a few heavenly points.few heavenly points.

• You’re always looking for some new You’re always looking for some new technique, some “new truth” or new technique, some “new truth” or new experience to pull all the pieces of experience to pull all the pieces of your faith together. your faith together.

As we recover the passion for the As we recover the passion for the gospel in our daily lives as believers gospel in our daily lives as believers we’ll learn…we’ll learn…

• • how to break free from joy-robbing, how to break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and legalistic thinking and

living.living.

• • how to get off the “performance how to get off the “performance treadmill”.treadmill”.

• • how to leave behind the crippling how to leave behind the crippling effects of guilt and effects of guilt and

condemnation.condemnation.

• • how to stop basing your faith on your how to stop basing your faith on your emotions and circumstances.emotions and circumstances.

• • how to grow in gratefulness, joy, and how to grow in gratefulness, joy, and holiness.holiness.

Let me point out that these are God’s Let me point out that these are God’s promises to all who promises to all who keep responding keep responding with their whole lives to the gospel of with their whole lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Too many of Christians have moved on Too many of Christians have moved on from that glorious plan.from that glorious plan.

MahaneyMahaney: “But it’s not too late to : “But it’s not too late to change. It’s not too late to restate and change. It’s not too late to restate and reestablish the obvious truth as the reestablish the obvious truth as the most important truth in your lifemost important truth in your life — — andand to be caught up as never before in to be caught up as never before in wonder over the love and grace of wonder over the love and grace of God.”God.”