My Bible study reflections this summer led me to this particular series called “The Cross-Centered Life”
Therefore I preached the following three messages:
1. Understanding the cross-centered life
2. Preaching the cross-centered life
3. Living the cross-centered life
Since the focus has been on the gospel I decided to say that one could call this series the gospel centered life, cross-centered life or Christ crucified life series and it would all mean the same thing.
By the way the Greek word for gospel is “euangellion” it means good news and this word appears as a noun and verb over 170 times in the NT. So when you think about good news what comes to your mind?
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones says that there is a big difference between news and advice:
Advice is counsel about something to do that has yet to happen and that you still can do something about News on the other hand is a report about something that has already happened. When you refer to the good news of the gospel this is something that has been done for you and all you can do is respond to it.
My main point
If we don’t understand and therefore don’t preach the cross-centered life then it should not surprise us when those in the church don’t live it! And when I talk to and ask people directly here is what I find, there is a limited amount of study, prayer, reading and meditation on the gospel.
For example if you ask the average Christian to articulate the gospel and support with Scripture they will have a difficult time. Folks we don’t get mad at the doctor if he tells us we have heart disease we ask him to fix it. Therefore let's understand the disease of apathy and ignorance that has pervaded the church relative to the gospel and let's collectively pray for God to help us fix it!
We are all becoming in life what we are beholding in our hearts and our minds. The problem is we aren’t beholding the gospel. If the apostle Paul was to give a report on the church in America over the last 50 years here is what I really believe he would say:
"The gospel has been clear but the gospel hasn’t yet become real"
Illustration: Gospel-centered or cross-centered church
Read slowly and carefully 2 Corinthians 8:1-5
Look what happens when the need becomes known to the church in Macedonia:
➢ When grace shows up affliction increases – often times when grace is poured out things become more difficult – Mark 9, demon possessed young boy
➢ Not only did the affliction get worse but the poverty remained with these people. This is totally contrary to the health, wealth and prosperity gospel.
➢ They financially give beyond their ability and the apostle Paul tells them to stop
➢ They beg to give even more
These people aren’t giving and giving and giving to try and get God’s approval. They understand (heart) that they have God’s approval and therefore that is why they can’t stop giving.
The gospel was not only clear to those in Macedonia but it was also real!
