What is the Gospel?

What is the Gospel? This blog post contains one of the most remarkably helpful answers to this most vital question I have read. It is an academic yet accessible paper that was written by our guest contributor, my dad, Dr. R. Larry Overstreet.

What is the “Gospel”? Evaluating Current Statements by Biblical Evidence. A paper prepared for the Evangelical Theological Society, Baltimore, MD, 21 November 2013. By Dr. R. Larry Overstreet

The biblical word “gospel” is commonly used today in a broad sense, including such diverse topics as marriage, worship, theology, worldview, apologetics, history, Christian living, spiritual growth, and church and ministry.[1] To what extent has the term “gospel” lost its central focus when applied in such settings?

This paper surveys a variety of definitions of the “gospel,” and sets forth a biblical synthesis of the “gospel,” with a focus on the 76 times (79 in TR) the noun eujaggevlion (euaggelion) and the 54 times (55 in TR) the verb eujaggelivzw (euaggelizō) occur in the N.T. The paper then argues that we should be more precise in the use of the term “gospel,” and finally suggests how the term can be appropriately applied to our ministry of God’s Word.

I.  DEFINITIONS OF “GOSPEL”

Reading the definitions of “gospel” in dictionaries provides an overview of some ways the term is used today.[2] Ignoring its definitions related to other areas, such as “something accepted as infallible truth” (e.g. his testimony was “gospel truth”) or “political gospel,” it was defined in 1963 as, “the good news concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation,” “one of the first four New Testament books telling of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ,” and “an interpretation of the Christian message.” Currently it is defined first as, “the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation,” with other definitions including: “a doctrine maintained to be of great importance”; “black religious music”; “the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ.” The definition that seems to dominate the way many evangelicals today are using the term is that referring to the totality of teachings of Christ, the full Christian revelation of Scripture.

A.  Definitions from Linkedin Members

As a member of the “linkedin.com” community, I posted this online discussion question on 18 July 2013, “What thoughts do you have concerning the current discussion on the question: what is the ‘gospel’?” I received 47 responses from 20 individuals,[3] with several responses of interaction among those who answered. Some of the answers were brief and others were lengthy. Some discussed issues about the gospel, without specifically defining it. A few simply quoted particular Scripture verses, such as, Romans 1:3-4, 16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; and 1 Peter 4:17  Others elaborated on the question. I have summarized major ideas concerning how the gospel is understood by the responders in the following listing.

            1.         The gospel is the means by which God forgives sins of Jew and Gentile through Christ’s cross and imparts Christ’s righteousness to believers.

            2.         The gospel includes the message of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God, and is a message for those who do not follow Jesus and a message for those who do follow Him; it is a message for the whole of one’s life and one’s relationship with the world in Christ.

            3.         The gospel is the good news of God’s salvation for humans, the instruction manual for saving our souls.

            4.         The gospel is for personal salvation, but in its outworking of personal conversion has a social implication of gaining justice in political and religious contexts.

            5.         The gospel is that the reign of God has come into this world in a liberating way through Jesus’ birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection, and return, and is relevant to believers’ lives and for the world.

            6.         The gospel is both personal and corporate. Unbelievers must respond as individuals in repentance and faith. Believers must have an allegiance to life in the corporate church, and demonstrate God’s kingdom laws and values through their lives in a fallen world. To this can be added the believer in the promised kingdom.

            7.         The gospel is the good news that Jesus overcame the enemy and made it possible for mankind to restore relationship with God.

            8.         The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of salvation are the same, two sides of the same coin.

            9.         The gospel includes Christ’s virgin birth, sinless life, suffering, burial and resurrection, ascension, second coming, and judgment; Christ saves sinners through His vicarious death and condemns those who fail to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

            10.       The gospel is more a way of life than it is an historical text or teaching; it is an example to be lived—an example of change, love, challenge and celebration of God in our lives.

            11.       The gospel for the unsaved is that Jesus died and took my suffering on Himself, and He is alive to prove that. The gospel for the believer is that even though I may be persecuted for my belief I will inherit the kingdom of God.

Obviously, considerable difference of thought exists among these individuals concerning what the gospel is, what it contains (such as, whether or not the kingdom is included), and what its implications are. These, however, only scratch the surface of the discussion.

B.  Definitions from “The Gospel Coalition”

Searching the website of “The Gospel Coalition” reveals that Trevin Wax, managing editor of The Gospel Project at Lifeway Christian Resources, compiled an extensive listing of “Gospel Definitions.”[4] He provides  7+ pages of definitions given by “Christians in the past,” including Gilbert Beebe (died 1881), F. F. Bruce (died 1990), Jeremiah Burroughs (died 1646), W. A. Criswell (died died 2002), C. H. Dodd (died 1973), Robert A. Guelich (died 1991), J. Hampton Keathley (died 2002), George Eldon Ladd (died 1982), Martin Luther (died 1546), M. F. Sadler (died 1895), Richard Sibbes (died 1635), William Tyndale (died 1536), and Zacharias Ursinus (died 1583). Those are followed by 20 pages of definitions provided by “Christians in the present,” including Danny Akin, Craig Bartholomew, Alistair Begg, Jim Belcher, Pope Benedict XVI, Michael Bird, John Blanchard, Lorraine Boettner,[5] Craig C. Broyles, Robert F. Capon,[6] D. A. Carson, Knox Chamberlin,[7] Andy Crouch, Mark Dever, David Dockery, Millard Erickson, Graeme Goldsworthy, Tim Keller, A. Boyd Luter, Jr., Rick McKinley, Scot McKnight, Mike Mercer, Josh Moody, Roger Nicole,[8] J. I. Packer, Darrin Patrick, Michael Patton, John Piper, Jeff Purswell, Chris Seay, R. C. Sproul, Ed Stetzer, Sam Storms, Tullian Tchividjian, Steve Timmis, Derek W. H. Thomas, Joe Thorn, Allen Wakabayashi, Derek Webb, Michael Wittmer, and N. T. Wright.

               In addition to the definitions of the gospel by various individuals, dead and living, there are also listed organizational and corporate definitions. These include definitions from the doctrinal statement of the Antioch Network of Churches, The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration, The Gospel Coalition, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, HeartCry Missionary Society, IVP Dictionary of the New Testament, Sovereign Grace Ministries, and Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia.

            Along with these contributions to identifying the gospel, Trevin Wax, the compiler, advances his own definition of the gospel. He summarizes it in three headings.

                        The Gospel Proper (The Announcement)

The gospel is the Royal announcement that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a    perfect life in our place, died a substitutionary death on the cross for our sins, rose triumphantly from the grave to launch God’s new creation, and is now exalted as King of the world. This announcement calls for a response: repentance (mourning over and turning from our sin, trading our agendas for the kingdom agenda of Jesus Christ) and faith (trusting in Christ alone for salvation).

                        The Gospel’s Context (The Story of Scripture)

The Bible tells us about God’s creation of a good world which was subjected to     futility because of human sin. God gave the Law to reveal His holiness and our need for a perfect sacrifice, which is provided by the death of Jesus Christ. This same Jesus will one day return to this earth to judge the living and the dead and thus renew all things. The gospel story is the Scriptural narrative that takes us from creation to new creation, climaxing with the death and resurrection of Jesus at the center.

                        The Gospel’s Purpose (The Community)

The gospel births the church. We are shaped by the gospel into the kind of people who herald the grace of God and spread the news of Jesus Christ. God has        commissioned the church to be the community that embodies the message of the gospel. Through our corporate life together, we “obey the gospel” by living according to the truth of the message that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord of the world.[9]

In a recent posting, Wax continues his interest in gospel definitions by highlighting Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper’s new book, Faithmapping. They also speak of the gospel in a threefold way: kingdom, cross, and grace. The gospel of the kingdom is “the good news that life with God under the rule of God is available to all who would turn from their rebellion and trust in King Jesus.”[10] The gospel of the cross is “the good news that through faith in Jesus’ perfect life, death for our sins, and victorious resurrection from the dead, we are justified and reconciled to God.”[11] The gospel of grace is “the good news of God’s wonderful acceptance of us not because we have earned it or deserve it but because he gives it to us freely at Christ’s expense.”[12] These two authors desire readers to embrace all these elements and proclaim the “whole” gospel:

                        The great temptation is to allow one aspect to overshadow or compete with the others. . . . The case we’re making is that the gospel is not simply a kingdom message or a cross message or a grace message—it’s all three. Our tendency, for a variety of reasons, is to splinter the message, to exalt one aspect over the others, and to diminish the scope and impact of the others. By doing this, it is we who suffer, missing out on the totality of the message of the gospel.[13]

Gospel definitions are abundant and varied. Some seek to remain close to explicit Scriptural declarations. Others seek to approach it more broadly. Some focus on Paul and others emphasize the teachings of Jesus. In order to arrive at a biblical understanding of the term “gospel,” we now turn to the way the Greek words are actually used in the N.T.

II.  THE “GOSPEL” IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

A.  Background of the Term

The Greek noun and verb referring to the “gospel” were both commonly used prior to the time of the N.T.[14] In its history, the noun referred to a reward for good tidings. For example, Homer (9th-8th century BC) recounts Odysseus saying, “And let me have a reward (eujaggevlion) for bearing good tidings.”[15] Aristophanes (ca. 448-380 BC) likewise used the term for the “sausage seller” who asserts that people “were prepared to crown me for my good news.”[16] In the LXX the word is used by David concerning his execution of the Amalekite who reported that he had killed Saul, which was “the reward I gave him for his news” (2 Sam. 4:10). That same meaning occasionally held even into N. T. times, since Plutarch (ca. AD 46-120) says that King Antigonus tells Aristodemus, “the reward (eujaggevlion) for thy good tidings thou shalt be some time in getting.”[17] By the time of the N.T. the majority of its uses, however, place the emphasis on the “good news” itself, rather than any reward gained from its telling. In the N.T. the word is never used of “reward for good news,”[18] but only of the good news itself.

Some scholars advocate that the emphasis of eujaggevlion in the N.T. derives from its use in the Roman imperial cult, focusing specifically on the reign of Augustus.[19] For example, his birthday was the beginning of joyful news for the world, he “is divine by nature,” he “works miracles and heals men,” he “is the savior of the world,” “the protective god of the state,” and brings “good fortune to the whole kingdom.”[20]

            While those are similar parallels, the N.T. use appears rather to come more directly from the O.T. Martin argues cogently that the correct background of the N.T. concept of “gospel” comes from Isaiah. The Hebrew verb rc^B* (bawsar) occurs in 40:9; 52:7 (twice); 60:6; 61:1, and in each verse is translated in the LXX with eujaggelivzw. Martin explains his reasoning:

                        The influence of the Isaiah passages in later Judaism was considerable, especially at Qumrân (cf. 1 QM 18:14: “a messenger …  of Thy goodness; that to the humble he might bring glad tidings of Thy great mercy, [proclaiming salvation],” G. Vermes, Dead Sea Scrolls in English [1962], p. 200) and among the rabbis, who used the [Hebrew] participle … for the herald of the messianic era of joy. The omission of the noun has caused some difficulty, but rather than conclude that early Christianity borrowed it from Greek usage, one might suggest that, with the precedent of the verb form the first Christians boldly appropriated a newly coined noun to express their conviction that the Jews’ eschatological expectation had indeed arrived in history with the advent, ministry, passion, and triumph of Israel’s messiah and the Church’s Lord.[21]

B.  New Testament Use of Term

1.  The noun eujaggevlion

The noun eujaggevlion is used in a variety of contexts, and with various verbs, and can be viewed from different perspectives.

            a.  Use of eujaggevlion with an object. The noun occurs with various objects; it is described as the gospel which concerns something in many contexts, but not all.

            (1)        The noun occurs in the following verses where no specific object is identified, though in some contexts one is implied: Matthew 26:13; Mark 1:15 (but “kingdom” is in the verse, and “God” is in v. 14); 8:35; 10:29; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15 (“long ending”); Acts 15:7;  Romans 1:16; 10:16; 11:28; 1 Cor. 4:15; 9:14 [twice]; 9:18 [twice]; 9:23; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 8:18; Galatians 2:2; Ephesians 3:6; 6:19; Philippians 1:5, 7, 12, 17; 2:22; 4:3, 15; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:8, 10.

            (2)        The noun also occurs in contexts where a particular object is specified. These include the following:

            (a)        The gospel of the kingdom.

                        The noun appears specifically to refer to “the gospel of the kingdom,” toV eujaggevlion th~ basileiva” only in Matthew (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 24:14). The concept of the gospel of the kingdom, however, does occur several other times in the four Gospels. While interpreters differ on the significance of this phrase, dispensationalists take these as genuine offers to Israel concerning the Mediatorial Kingdom.[22] This kingdom is distinct from the Church, and will be inaugurated at the Second Advent of Christ.

            (b)        The gospel of God: its origin.

                        The noun occurs with four slightly different phrases to incorporate the idea of the “gospel of God.” These include: eujaggevlion qeou,~ “gospel of God” (Rom 1:1); eujaggevlion tou~ qeou, “gospel of God” [“gospel of the God”] (Mark 1:14; Rom. 15:16; 1 Thess. 2:2, 8, 9); toV tou~ qeou~  eujaggevlion, “gospel of God” [“the of the God gospel”] (2 Cor. 11:7); and tw~/ tou~ qeou~ eujaggelivw,/ “gospel of God” [“the of the God gospel”] (1 Peter 4:17). The fact that this is the “gospel of God” “speaks of its ORIGIN [emphasis his]. It is God’s gospel. It was born in the heart and mind of the Father.”[23] Dunn concurs that “of God” asserts that God “is the source and authority behind the message.”[24]

            (c)        The gospel of Christ: its theme.

                        The noun also appears with four similar phrases detailing that this is the gospel of Christ: tou~ Cristou~, the gospel “of [the] Christ” (Rom 1:16, TR; 15:19; 15:29 TR; 1 Cor. 9:12, 18 TR; 2 Cor 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Gal 1:7; Phil 1:27; 1 Thess. 3:2);  jIhsou~ Cristou~ [uiJou~ qeou], the gospel “of Jesus Christ [Son of God]” (Mark 1:1); tou~ kurivou hJmw~n jIhsou~ [Cristou~], the gospel “of our Lord Jesus [Christ] (2 Thess. 1:8, TR includes Cristou~); tou~ uiJou~ aujtou,~~ gospel “of His Son” [“of the Son of Him”](Rom 1:9).

            The specification that this is the “gospel of Christ,” God’s Son, emphasizes “the THEME [emphasis his] of the gospel, which is the Person and work of our glorious Kinsman-Redeemer.”[25]

            (d)       The glorious gospel: its majesty.

                        The noun occurs with two phrases emphasizing glory: eujaggevlion th~” dovxh” tou~ makarivou qeou~, “glorious gospel of the blessed God”       [“gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11); eujaggelivou th~” dovxh” tou Cristou~, “gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4). “This title emphasizes the gospel’s intrinsic worth and majesty.”[26]

            (e)        The gospel of grace: its character.

                        The noun occurs in one instance with a specific connection to God’s grace: th~ cavrito” tou~ qeou~, gospel “of God’s grace” [“the grace of the God”] (Acts 20:24). “This title describes to us the CHARACTER [emphasis his] of the Evangel,”[27] its good news concerns God’s grace. Indeed, the “gospel itself discloses God’s grace to his people. . . . Salvation is God’s gift of grace, which the sinner appropriates in faith.”[28]

            (f)        The gospel of peace: its fruit.

                        The noun also occurs in one instance with a specific connection to peace: th~ eirhvnh,” gospel “of peace” (Eph 6:15). This phrase stresses that “peace is the FRUIT [emphasis his] of the gospel.”[29] Adding to this emphasis, Hoehner writes, “It is the believers’ ‘surefootedness’ in the tranquility of the mind and security of the heart in the gospel of peace that gives them readiness to stand against the devil and his angelic hosts.”[30]

            (g)        The gospel of salvation: its appropriation.

                        The noun further appears in one specific reference with a direct connection to the Greek work for salvation: th~ swthriva” uJmw~n, gospel “of our salvation” [“of the salvation of us”] (Eph. 1:13). “This title speaks of the individual APPROPRIATION [emphasis his] that must be made;”[31] when the gospel is appropriated into the life, salvation is obtained.

            (h)        The gospel of truth: its reliability.

                        In three references the noun is used with the emphasis on truth: hJ ajlhvqeia tou~ eujaggelivou, “the truth of the gospel” (Gal 2:5); thVn ajlhvqeian tou~ eujaggelivou, “the truth of the gospel” (Gal. 2:14) ; th~” ajlhqeiva” tou~ eujaggelivou, “the truth of the gospel” (Col. 1:5).                   

This description stresses the true teaching of the gospel, that it is completely trustworthy and reliable, “as contrasted with any perversion of it by the admixture of a foreign element, such as Jewish law . . . or Gentile philosophy.”[32] Moo expands on this point, “In the Old Testament, ‘truth’ often involves the idea of reliability and authenticity, and this meaning carries over to the New Testament. A ‘word of truth,’ then, is a word, or message, that can be relied upon.”[33]

            (i)         The gospel of hope: its anticipation.

                        Paul concretely refers to the gospel as that of hope: th~ ejlpivdo” tou~ eujaggelivou, “the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). This phrase emphasizes “the hope given by or proclaimed in the gospel.”[34] Believers have a confident expectation of eternal salvation because of accepting the gospel.

            (j)         The gospel’s teaching: faith.

                        Paul exhorts the Philippians to let their manner of life exemplify the gospel, and in that process he exhorts them to strive for th/~ pivstei tou~ eujaggelivou, “the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). In this context the “faith” refers to the entire body of Christian doctrine “‘which is appropriate to the gospel,’ or ‘the faith which is based on the gospel.’”[35] The teaching to which Paul refers is not the gospel itself, but it is that which is built upon the foundation of the gospel. After people trust the gospel, then they need to grow in the faith.

            (k)        The gospel’s effect: suffering.

                        While we often focus on the benefits of salvation which result from the gospel as in (g) above, another effect can equally occur: toi~ desmoi~ tou~ eujaggelivou, “the bonds of the gospel” (Phm. 13). The gospel was the cause of Paul’s “imprisonment since it had resulted from the preaching of the gospel.”[36] This, however, never made Paul quit sharing the gospel.

            (l)         The everlasting gospel: its permanence.

                        One time in the N.T. the gospel is characterized as being everlasting in its character: eujaggevlion aijwvnion, “gospel everlasting” (Rev. 14:6). It was planned by God before the world began, and continues to be proclaimed through the ages. “It should be no surprise that angels see to it that it [the gospel] is proclaimed in the darkest hour of persecution in the world’s history.”[37]

            (m)       The gospel: its counterfeit.

                        Paul warned both the Galatians and the Corinthians of counterfeits: e{teron eujaggevlion, “of another kind of gospel” (Gal. 1:6); eujaggevlion e{teron, “gospel of another kind” (2 Cor. 11:4). Any so-called gospel that deviates from the true gospel of God must be avoided. “There cannot be a . . . a message of good news different in kind from that which Paul preached, and different in an evil sense, and yet be a message of good news. A salvation-by-works message is no good news to a lost sinner.”[38]

            b.  Use of eujaggevlion with various verbs. The noun is used in the N.T. with various verbs, emphasizing different ways in which it is presented. The ten different verbs are:

            (1)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb eujaggelivzw, “to preach (the gospel)” (1 Cor. 9:18;      15:1; 2 Cor. 11:7; Gal. 1:11; Rev. 14:6);

            (2)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb khruvssw, “to preach it as a herald”  (Matt. 4:23; 24:14; 26:13; Mark 1:14; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15; 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal 2:2; Col. 1:23; 1 Thess. 2:9);

            (3)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb lalevw, “to speak” (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9; 1 Thess.    2:2, 4);

            (4)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb diamartuvromai, “to testify earnestly” (Acts 20:24);

            (5)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb kataggevlw, “to proclaim” (1 Cor. 9:14);

            (6)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb douleuvw (and the preposition eij”), “to serve unto, with” (Phil. 2:22);

            (7)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb sunaqlevvw, “to labor with, to strive together” (Phil. 1:27; 4:3);

            (8)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb iJerourgevw, “to minister as a priest” (Rom 15:16);

            (9)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb plhrovw, “to fulfill completely” (Rom 15:19);

            (10)      eujaggevlion is used with the verb sugkakopaqevw, “to suffer hardship with” (2 Tim 1:8).

            c.  Use of eujaggevlion showing its reception. How people responded to the gospel is also demonstrated in many N.T. texts, but not in all.

            The various occurrences of the noun where the gospel is proclaimed, but the reception is not specifically identified (although implied responses may be found) include: Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 24:14; 26:13; Mark 1:14; 8:35; 10:29; 13:10; 14:9; Acts 20:24; Romans 1:1, 9; 2:16; 11:28; 15:16, 19; 16:25; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 9:14, 23; 15:1; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 4:3-4; 8:18; 9:13; 10:14; 11:7; Galatians 1:6, 11; 2:5, 7, 14; Ephesians 3:6; 6:15, 19; Philippians 1:5, 7, 12, 17, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15; Colossians 1:5, 23; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2:2, 8, 9; 3:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 1:8, 10; 2:8; Philemon 13; 1 Peter 4:17; Revelation 14:6.

            In many contexts, however, the noun is used with seven particular verbs (two are in one verse) which do indicate the type of reception given to the gospel. These include:

            (1)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb devcomai, “to receive, accept” (2 Cor. 11:4);

            (2)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb paralambavnw, “to receive to oneself” and also

with the verb i{sthmi, “to stand” (1 Cor. 15:1);

            (3)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb uJpakouvw, “to hearken to, or obey” (Rom. 10:16); 2 Thess. 1:8);

            (4)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb pisteuvw, “to believe” (Mark 1:15; 15:15-16; Acts 15:7; Rom. 1:16; 10:16; Gal. 2:2; Eph. 1:13; 1 Thess. 2:4; 1 Tim. 1:11);

            (5)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb metastrevfw, “to change, pervert” (Gal. 1:7);

            (6)        eujaggevlion is used with the verb tivqhmi, “to place, offer” (1 Cor. 9:18).

2.  The Verb eujaggelivzw

            a.  Its definition. The verb eujaggelivzw generally means to “bring good news, announce good news,” and specifically means to “proclaim the divine message of salvation.”[39]

            b.  Its use. The verb occurs in the active, middle, and passive voices, and is used in particular ways in each of those.

            (1)  In the active voice it occurs in two verses, with two emphases. It stresses (a) the persons to whom the proclamation of good news is made: God’s servants, the prophets (Rev. 10:7), and those living on earth (Rev. 14:6). In those same verses, it refers (b) to the message proclaimed as the finished mystery of God (Rev. 10:7), and the everlasting gospel (Rev. 14:6).

            (2)  In the passive voice it occurs in eight verses, with the same two emphases as in the active voice.

                        (a)        It stresses the persons to whom the proclamation of good news is made: the poor (Matt. 11:5; Luke 7:22), the writer and readers of Hebrews (Heb 4:2), O. T. Jews (Heb. 4:6), and those now dead (1 Peter 4:6).

                        (b)        The verb also refers to the message proclaimed as: the kingdom of God” (Luke 16:16), that received through revelation (Gal. 1:11), and the word of the Lord (1 Peter 1:25).

            (3) The middle voice occurs most frequently. It appears 48 times in 46 verses, and is used with three emphases.

                        (a)        It is used, first, with the emphasis on the person preached as the content of the gospel message. That person is: Christ Jesus (Acts 5:42), the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20), the living God (Acts 14:15), Jesus and His resurrection (Acts 17:18), and God’s Son (Gal 1:16).

                        (b)        It is used, second, with the emphasis on the persons evangelized. These are referred to as: the people (Luke 3:18; 20:1), the poor (Luke 4:18; 7:22), the towns (Luke 9:6), Samaritan villages (Acts 8:25), Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:35), all coastal cities (Acts 8:40), cities of Lycaonia (Acts 14:7), Derbe (Acts 14:21), Macedonia (Acts 16:10), Rome (Rom. 1:15), places where Christ was not preached before (Rom. 15:20), Corinth—implied (1 Cor. 9:16, twice), Corinth (1 Cor. 15:1),          regions beyond (2 Cor. 10:16), Corinth (2 Cor. 11:7), Galatia (Gal. 1:8; 4:13), and readers in 5 provinces in Asia (1 Pet. 1:12).

                        (c)        It is used, third, concerning its content. Within the preaching of good news are included the following subjects: Mary’s conception (Luke 1:19), joy at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:10), the kingdom of God (Luke 4:43; 8:1; Acts 8:12), the word (Acts 8:4), peace (Acts 10:36; Eph. 2:17), promise to the fathers (Acts 13:32), the word of the Lord (Acts 15:35), good things (Rom. 10:15), the cross (1 Cor. 1:17), without charge (1 Cor. 9:18), the gospel (1 Cor. 15:1, 2; 2 Cor. 11:7), false gospel contrasted to true gospel (Gal. 1:8, twice; 1:9), the faith (Gal 1:23), the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph 3:8), and good news of Thessalonians’ faith and love (1 Thess. 3:6).

III.  IDENTIFYING THE GOSPEL

On the basis of the foregoing biblical synthesis of the noun eujaggevlion and the verb eujaggelivzw, particular observations may be made. Examining the totality of usages reveals no instance in which the term is used biblically to refer to such things as marriage, worship, theology, worldview, apologetics, history, Christian living, or spiritual growth. Even things related to church and ministry are not specifically integral to the gospel. Yes, all of those things are impacted when a person truly believes the gospel, and when a church faithfully proclaims the gospel, but they are not an inherent part of that gospel. Goldsworthy correctly observes:

                        It cannot be stressed too much that to confuse the gospel with certain important things that go hand-in-hand with it is to invite theological, hermeneutical and spiritual confusion. Such ingredients of preaching and teaching that we might want to link with   the gospel would include the need for the gospel (sin and judgment), the means of receiving the benefits of the gospel (faith and repentance), the results or fruit of the gospel (regeneration, conversion, sanctification, glorification) and the results of rejecting it (wrath, judgment, hell). These, however we define and proclaim them, are not in themselves the gospel. If something is not what God did in and through the historical Jesus 2000 years ago, it is not the gospel. Thus Christians cannot “live the gospel,” as they are often exhorted to do. They can only believe it, proclaim it and seek to live consistently with it. Only Jesus lived (and died) the gospel. It is a once-for-all finished and perfect event done for us by another.[40]

            Next, although there are clear references to the “gospel of the kingdom,” they cluster in the Synoptic Gospels. The precise phrase “the gospel of the kingdom” only occurs three times, all in Matthew (4:23; 9:35; 24:14). However, other verses include the kingdom along with the gospel, such as when John the Baptist preached, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In Luke 16:16, “the kingdom of God is preached” (with the verb eujaggelivzw; see also Luke 4:43; 8:1; Acts 8:12). The “gospel” (Mark 10:29) is also connected with the “age to come” (10:30). Some scholars believe that the “gospel of the kingdom” and the gospel which Paul preached are identical, and all references to the “gospel” (wherever found in the N.T.) are directly applicable to the church age in which we now live. Dispensationalists see a distinction between them. They identify the “gospel of the kingdom” with the message of the Mediatorial Kingdom which Israel could have experienced if the nation had received Christ at His first advent, which is the same kingdom referred to as the Millennium. In contrast, the current “gospel” being preached is that which is defined by the apostle Paul.

            While the “gospel” is identified in various ways in the N.T. (as seen above), it is only specifically defined by Paul. In Romans 1, he summarizes the gospel, “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1:1-4). In 1Corinthians 15:1-5, however, he provides his most complete definition: “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

The content of the “gospel” is here clearly identified, and this description correlates well with the preached content of the gospel in all of its other occurrences in the N.T.

The “gospel” contains three essential elements. Paul asserts, first, that the gospel message is “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” The fact is that Christ died with a specific purpose in view: “for our sins.” This phrase “is a direct reflection of the LXX of Isa. 53,”[41] which uses the plural “our sins” in 53:4, 5, 6 and “for sins” in 53:10. While the LXX uses the preposition periv and Paul uses uJpevr Fee observes that “these two have become nearly interchangeable in koinē.[42] This is clearly the language of Christ’s substitutionary atonement. When Paul said this was “according to the Scriptures,” he may have simply had the totality of Old Testament Scripture in view. Or, he may have been thinking of some specific texts in addition to Isaiah 53, such as, Psalm 16:10; 22:15; Daniel 9:26; Zechariah 12:10.

Paul states, second, that Christ “was buried.” This confirms the fact that He truly died. “The mention of the burial presupposes an empty tomb after the resurrection, because by definition ‘resurrection’ meant a new body that did not leave a corpse behind; Paul’s Palestinian Jewish sources could have meant the term no other way.”[43]

Paul affirms, finally, that Christ “was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” The verb “raised” is in the perfect tense, stressing a past event and which also “lays stress on the continuing results and efficacy of Christ’s Resurrection.”[44] Paul again declares that this is “according to the Scriptures.” As in the earlier use of this phrase, he may have been thinking of the O.T. as a whole. Or, he may have been thinking of such texts as Psalm 16 and Isaiah 53 for the truth of the resurrection, and such texts as Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17 (cf. Matt. 12:39-40) for the assertion of “on the third day.” Romans 4:24-25 also speak to the critical nature of Christ’s resurrection: “but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

CONCLUSION: MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL

The N.T. exhorts us to proclaim the gospel. But, to proclaim it correctly is essential. The gospel message we share with a needy world centers in the saving work of Jesus Christ. He is the one who died for our sins. He is the one who was buried. He is the one who rose again. He is the one who did all that to accomplish the fullness of our salvation. We preach the now living Christ. Our task is to present Him in the gospel truth of His death, burial and resurrection, so that sinful people may call upon Him and trust in Him for their eternal destiny.

Yes, we are concerned about marriage, worship, theology, worldview, apologetics, history, Christian living, spiritual growth, and church and ministry. Yes, the Scriptures speak to those subjects, and many others. Those people who have trusted Christ, and received the benefit of His gospel, are called to live for His glory, and to demonstrate His character. That is part of Christian growth and maturity. That, however, is not the “gospel,” and when we apply the word in those broad areas, it causes us to lose the central focus of the gospel itself.

Footnotes

[1] A perusal of “The Gospel Coalition” website demonstrates that the coalition’s emphases include all these subjects, and more. See http://thegospelcoalition.org.

[2] The following examples are taken from Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield: G. & C. Merriam, 1963), 361, and from “Gospel,” http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed 11 September 2013.

[3] These responders were: a ministry worker in North Carolina, Church of God in Christ administrator in Wisconsin, church minister in England, Web designer in Minnesota, pastor in Arizona, associate United Pentecostal pastor in Ontario, Canada, an independent Catholic chaplain in Wisconsin, former pastor in Washington, missionary Bible college president in Ethiopia, Pentecostal pastor in Ghana, college professor in Scotland, international ministry consultant in Colorado, president of a media production co. in Indiana, director of a faith based non-profit in Kentucky, college professor in Michigan, university professor in Georgia, college professor in Wales, graduate student in Colorado, Baptist pastor in Massachusetts, and a Roman Catholic priest in Illinois.

[4] A 33 page pdf file of these definitions, last updated September 2012, can be found at: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2009/09/14/gospel-definitions-2. Accessed 11 September 2013.

[5] Boettner died in 1990, so he should be listed in the previous category.

[6] Capon died 5 September 2013.

[7] Chamblin died 7 February 2012.

[8] Nicole died 11 December 2010.

[9] http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2009/09/14/gospel-definitions-2.

[10] Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper, Faithmapping: a Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey (Crossway, 2013), 43.

[11] Ibid, 67.

[12] Ibid, 85.

[13] Ibid, 90.

[14] For discussion of the terms, including their history, see such sources as: LSJ, 704-05; TDNT, 2:707-37, and BDAG, 402-03.

[15] Homer, Odyssey, 14.152. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu. Accessed 13 September 2013.

[16] Aristophanes, Equites 647. http://www.richerresourcespublications.com. Accessed 13 September 2013.

[17] Plutarch, Demetrius, 17.5. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu. Accessed 13 September 2013.

[18] TDNT, 2:725.

[19] G. Strecker, “eujaggevlion,” Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament, eds. Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981), 2:71.

[20] TDNT, 2:724.

[21] R. P. Martin, “Gospel” The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, rev. ed., gen. ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 2:529-30.

[22] See Alva J. McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom (Winona Lake: BMH, 2001), 259-384.

[23] James A. Stewart, Evangelism Without Apology (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1960), 24.

[24] James D. G. Dunn, Romans 1-8, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 38 (Dallas: Word, 1988), 10.

[25] Ibid, 25.

[26] R. Alan Streett, The Effective Invitation (Old Tappan: Revell, 1984), 31.

[27] Stewart, Evangelism, 26.

[28] Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of the Acts of the Apostles, New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 730.

[29] Streett, Invitation, 32.

[30] Harold W. Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), 844.

[31] Ibid, 33.

[32] C. F. Hogg and W. E. Vine, The Epistle to the Galatians, 1921 (Fincastle: Scripture Truth, n.d.), 65.

[33] Douglas J. Moo, The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008), 87.

[34] A. S. Peake, “Colossians,” The Expositor’s Greek Testament, ed. W. Robertson Nicoll (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, rpt. 1967), 513.

[35] I-Jin Loh and E. A. Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, UBS Handbook Series, electronic database (Seattle: Biblesoft, 2006).

[36] Peter T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 44, gen. eds. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker (Waco: Word, 1982), 294.

[37] Stewart Custer, From Patmos to Paradise: A Commentary on Revelation (Greenville: BJU Press, 2004), 159.

[38] Kenneth S. Wuest, “Galatians,” Word Studies from the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972), 37.

[39] BDAG, 402.

[40] Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation (Downers Grove: IVP, 2006), 58-59.

[41] Gordon D. Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 724.

[42] Ibid, 724, ftn. 55.

[43] Craig S. Keener, “1 Corinthians,” IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1993), 484.

[44] W. E. Vine, 1 Corinthians: Local Church Problems (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1965), 204.

Our Elders’ Personal Goals for Your Example

Here it is, Church Family, the blog post promised yesterday!

To correspond with our “Goals for Growing in 2024” message on January 14, 2024, I am attaching some of our elders’ personal goals from last year, 2023, with their permission, for you to use as an example for setting your goals for 2024.

Feel free to copy goals that you like and make them your own. This is a case when “stealing” is completely acceptable. That’s how we got most of ours! 🙂

Ephesians 5:15–16 was one of several key passages in our study of good stewardship yesterday, which says, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, [16] making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

A well-rounded set of life goals that serves as a tool to obey this well covers the five areas of:

  • Spiritual Growth
  • Bible Reading –
  • Prayer  
  • Church Communities –
  • Giving –
  • Family –
  • Personal Development –
  • Read goals 2X/Week and report –
  • My Personal Health Goals –
  • Exercise –
  • Sleep -
  • Weight -
  • Food/Water –
  • Technology -
  • Ministry/Mission
  • Serving at Church –
  • Outreach –
  • Professional –

To watch this entire message, click here – https://www.facebook.com/communitygrace/videos/240145575790264/

Here is our wonderful list of Church Goals for 2024 on which our leadership team prayed and poured over for months for our church, for God’s glory. And on the back side of it is our Personal Goals worksheet.

2024-goals-and-worksheet-1Download

To get hard copies of the several tools provided, contact our church office at office@communitygrace.org.

Our Elders’ 2023 Personal Goals

Browse our elders’ goals here. Again, feel free to copy goals that you like and make them your own! I think they could prove to be very helpful examples for you. 

elder-goals-2023-for-blog-post-011124Download

Feel free to contact us for assistance or questions. If you carve out a little time to work on this with an accountability partner, like your spouse, kids, parents, small group, etc, it will pay exponential dividends for your whole life.

I am praying for you right now and am eager to grow together in the grace of our Lord.

-Pastor Reg

1 Peter 4:10 – As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (ESV)

How Important is Praying Together: Corporately and as Small Groups?

Yesterday, Pastor Steve did a great job completing our apologetics series, “The God Questions,” with the question: “Is Prayer Relevant for Today?” It was an excellent, biblical, and passionate answer that I could tell in my conversations after the service inspired many people to get praying more!

[Watch this sermon here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yJe4IfU4Dw]

Today, I am going to answer two questions that are not often asked together: How important is praying together as a whole church (“corporate prayer”), and how important is small group prayer?

First Question: How Important is Corporate Prayer for a Church?

Bi-weekly, our church holds a “Prayer Hour” on Wednesday nights, 6:45-7:45pm.

Four times per year (quarterly) we hold weeks of prayer and fasting, with a very big annual weekend event – the Annual Day of Prayer and Fasting.

At least twice a year, in prayer-preparation for Christmas and Easter, we ask our people, ministries, and small groups to gather to pray corporately in our “Concerts of Prayer” where we lift up all the names for which our people are praying, out loud in prayer.

WHY do we do these things? Just how important is ALL-church, corporate prayer?

When I lived in the Pacific Northwest, I attended an excellent Prayer Conference led by Pastor Dee Duke in Jefferson, Oregon, three times. This conference covers expansive ground on many aspects of prayer including the many biblical benefits of corporate prayer. Scanning his conference notebook, I am reminded once again the importance of gathering corporately for prayer. It is plainly and powerfully seen throughout his points. Here are some of my favorite of those points.

Read these slowly, considering them carefully, and see if you would like to step out and join any of our corporate prayer times and be of these blessings and have them as part of your life.

The more corporate praying that a church does…

  1. The more people in the church will Know God, and the greater the sense of His presence will be in their lives. (Acts 4:31; Matthew 18:20)
  2. The more Joy, Confidence, Security, Faith and Peace they will experience. (Psalm 16:11; Ephesians 1:18-23; Philippians 4:6-7)
  3. The more people will Grow Spiritually. (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 3:14-16)
  4. The more Boldness, Courage and Passion the people will have to Reach their lost friends, neighbors, and relatives for Christ. (Acts 4:31; Ephesians 6:19)
  5. The more Desire there will be in the hearts of people in the church do the work of the Ministry. (Ephesians 4:16; Matthew 9:37-38)
  6. The Less Influence Satan will have on the people in church and for those being prayed for outside the church. (2 Corinthians 11:3, 4:4; John 17:15; Ephesians 6:12, 18; Exodus 17:9-13; Luke 22:31-32)
  7. The more Opportunities there will be to Serve King Jesus, and to be used by Him to advance His Kingdom. The opportunities will come because God is opening doors, and because of the increased vision in the life of both leadership and lay people. (Colossians 4:2-3; 1 Corinthians 16:9; Acts 14:27; 2 Corinthians 2:12; Revelation 3:7-8). “We serve God when he opens a door. He opens doors when we’re close to him. He brings vision.”
  8. The Stronger the Marriages and Families in the church will become. (Ephesians 3:14-16)

Our Immediate Opportunity for Corporate Prayer

Have you experienced everything on this list? Once you do, it is hard to stay away from every opportunity for corporate prayer!

The Christmas corporate prayer schedule is as follows. Bring your family. Bring your small group. Invite people in the hallways to stay for the lunch and prayer to Almighty Father God!

2023 Christmas Concert of Prayer Details

On the weeks leading up to Sunday, December 3, 2023, we will encourage everyone to submit an “Invest and Invite” card, with the names of those whose salvation they are praying for written down. Everyone will pray for every name shared, out loud, in a “concert of prayer” – that this Christmastime may be the time they come or return to Christ and LIVE!

On Sunday, December 3, immediately after the second worship service (around 12:30pm), we will journey into the Fellowship Hall to eat a light lunch and then pray, in groups, for this Christmas season and every name on every submitted card out loud.

As we saw in the Scriptures listed above, praying together in such a way is exciting, non-threatening, bonding, enjoyable, and powerful — for ourselves and for those whom God placed in our lives.

Second Question: “How Important is Prayer to Your Small Group?”

You know, or at least suspect, that prayer is important to your small group. But, HOW, exactly?

Hmmm. What light would well-researched, doctoral-level, empirical, provable, hard data shed on this topic? I have that answer!

Just read this excerpt about the findings of a substantial Ph.D. research project which set out to determine: What is THE most important factor in leading an effective small group?  (Not to give the answer away or anything, haha.)

[The full article found here, for those who like data and details.] The summary of the research project was…

A religious expert wanting to cut through the confusion of 613 Old Testament statutes came to Jesus and asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus gave his famous reply, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Mark 12:28-32).

Like the scribe who came to Jesus, I was a confused small-groups expert just a few years back. I kept hearing advice from a plethora of small-group authors and speakers, each promoting different methods and models. All of them were confident and persuasive, but their contradictory theories couldn’t all be right. Someone needed to do cut through the confusion by doing serious, scientific research on what really creates healthy, growing small groups. We needed to look past the models to discover the key underlying principles.

I wanted to get to the bottom of things. I wanted an answer to the question, “What’s the most important part of leading a small group?” I completed a Ph.D. degree and did extensive statistical research involving over 3,000 small-group leaders in more than 200 churches to probe that question, and the answer I found was surprisingly simple.

The most important dimension of leading a group is your prayer life—your connection to God as a leader.… Out of the hundreds of questions we asked, the leaders’ answers to the following questions yielded the most pivotal results:

  1. How consistently do you take time for prayer and Bible reading?
  2. Are you praying daily for your non-Christian friends to come to know Jesus?
  3. How many days in the past week did you pray for your small-group members?
  4. Do you pray for your group meetings in the days leading up to it?
  5. How much time on average do you spend in daily prayer and Bible reading?

Why Is Prayer So Important?

Why does the prayer life of the leader make such a difference in the health and growth of a small group? The research doesn’t tell us why, it only tells us that a very strong correlation exists. But I don’t think it’s hard to figure out.

Jesus said in John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing”….

Basically, our research statistically proved John 15:5! If you want to see Jesus’ life flowing in your small group, stay connected to him!

What are your thoughts on these findings?

How would YOU answer on the researchers five questions?

What steps could you personally, your family, your small group, our church all take to reap the rewards of more prayer?

Brothers and sisters, you are a leader if you have influence in a household, friend group, work place, church, small group, or a ministry. Therefore, prayer is important for you and for the people whom you influence.

Will you pray for them? Will you pray with them? Will you teach them to pray? Will you invite them to come with you to a corporate prayer event like the Concert of Prayer? Will you enjoy the mutual blessings that God has for us every time we come together to Him?

I am praying for you right now as you answer those questions in a new way, and I hope eat, fellowship, and pray with YOU at CG’s Christmas 2023 Concert of Prayer, right after the worship services that day!

Pastor Reg

Apologetics Resources: An Ever-Expanding List

As you look back, you know that your best teachers and mentors (including parents) in life did not just GIVE you all the answers. They understood the principle: “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.”

We have answered many questions this fall’s series, The God Questions, and our faith has been strengthened. But we also stirred pots and raised new questions which keep us hungry to seek more answers for years to come. There will always be so many more questions to answer!

Therefore, this blog post serves as a next step, to provide an ever-expanding compilation of some of the best Christian apologetics resources available for easy reference.

By “ever-expanding” I mean we will continue to add to the lists below, anytime a good recommendation is made or a new good resource is discovered.

The answers to all your questions are at your fingertips! Here are our leadership’s top recommendations for now to get you started. Bookmark this to check back often.

For God’s glory and our joy,

Pastor Reg and CG Staff

BOOKS

I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist, Frank Turek and Norm Geisler

Greg Koukl’s books, Street Smart and Tactics

Evidence That Demands a Verdict, and More than a Carpenter, by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

Lee Strobel’s Case for Faith, Case for Christ, and numerous follow up “Case for” books

Mama Bear Apologetics, Hillary Morgan Ferrer

Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis

WEBSITES

From Jay Bell’s Class

All About God – https://www.allaboutgod.com/

Answering Islam – https://www.answering-islam.org/

Answers in Genesis – https://answersingenesis.org/apologetics Go deeper than the listed topics in right menu.  Click on topics that interest you.

Apologetics 315 – https://apologetics315.com/
Go deeper than the alphabetical topics listed under Categories.  Click on topics that interest you.

CARM – https://carm.org/
Click on right Menu. Click + next to Apologetics.  Click on topics that interest you. 

Frank Turek – https://crossexamined.org/dr-frank-turek/
Click on topic in top menu.

Greg Koukl – https://www.str.org 
Click on topics in top menu.

Impact 360 – https://www.impact360institute.org
Click Resources in top menu.  Scroll down and click Apologetics. 

J. Warner Wallace – http://coldcasechristianity.com/

Josh McDowell – https://www.josh.org
Search top menu for Apologetics.

J. P. Moreland – http://www.jpmoreland.com/

Probe Ministries – https://probe.org/

Sean McDowell – https://seanmcdowell.org/

William Lane Craig – https://www.reasonablefaith.org (this is more advanced)

Alisa Childers – https://alisachilders.com/ Click on Podcast, click on Watch Alisa’s Podcast

Understanding Critical Race Theory – 35 articles and videos – https://www.noleftturn.us/understanding-critical-race-theory/

Other Staff Favorites

Gotquestions.org – hundreds of thousands of solid answers to almost every question

Desiringgod.com – John Piper and his team have spent decades compiling answers to many questions

Reasons for Hope, rforh.com and their excellent Debunked videos  

SOCIAL MEDIA

First, subscribe to the Social Media pages of any of the above Websites.

Red Pen Logic with Mr. B.

Give Me an Answer

Stand to Reason (Frank Turek)

PODCASTS

Al Mohler’s The Briefing

Alisa Childers Podcast

Breakpoint

The World and Everything In It

DAILY WORLDVIEW NEWS SUBSCRIPTIONS

World Watch

MOVIES

Genesis: Paradise Lost

Is Genesis History?

Science Confirms the Bible

MAGAZINES

Answers Magazine

Discovery Magazine for Kids

MUSEUMS

Answers in Genesis’ Creation Museum and Ark Encounter

CAMPS

Worldview Academy, for teens

Comment below with more suggestions for any of these categories!

16 Reasons Why People Suffer

A few years ago we experienced a rare Pacific Northwest house-shaking BOOM of thunder which led our daughters quickly out of their bedroom in search of comfort, and answers. Their mom and I reminisced about our developed fondness for frequent thunderstorms growing up in Indiana and Florida, and comforted them with a satisfying scientific lesson and assurance of God’s sovereignty over the storms.

But, in the morning, our second oldest wanted MORE answers!

She said, “Dad, God makes the lightning that comes out of the sky and kills people. WHY WOULD HE DO THAT!?” I replied, “And, there, my lovely daughter, you have asked the number one question that keeps people away from God and struggling through life. Why do people suffer?”

“16 Reasons”

Why do we suffer? We need answers! By God’s love and grace, the Bible gives us the answers.

In my sermon yesterday titled, “If God Is So Good, Why Is There So Much Suffering?” I distributed an incredibly helpful tool that was developed by my dad over the course of decades of pastoral ministry, and I promised to share that tool on this blog post today.

[Watch this sermon here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PJuwC2MSRg]

My dad tells the story that one of his seminary professors in the 1960’s challenged his class to study the Scriptures to determine that very thing – why God allows suffering in the world. My dad, the young pastor, concluded from his study that Scripture identified five basic reasons why people suffer.  He placed those five on a small piece of paper in his Bible as he visited people with some physical or emotional affliction. Over years of more study his small piece of paper grew into a detailed chart. He ultimately concluded that God’s Word gives 16 general reasons why people suffer in this world.

Dad’s journey was years. I want everyone to have this in their hands right now. So, (with his permission) I have attached his document here. It is not a simple question, but it is a vital question for us to answer, one which will lead to glories, faith, peace, assurance, and convictions of many kinds. Please consider these 16 reasons prayerfully, and then research the Scriptures for yourselves.

sermon-e28093-the-god-questions-4-suffering-16-reasons-why-people-suffer-chart-cgDownload Word doc
sermon-e28093-the-god-questions-4-suffering-16-reasons-why-people-suffer-chart-cgDownload PDF

This is shocking to many American minds, but notice that there are some things that God holds as more important than our comfortable circumstances, such as: His glory, the fulfillment of His redemptive plan to eradicate evil, and the closeness of our relationship with Him.

By His grace He shares His glory with His children who share Jesus’ sufferings. In future glorification in heaven, believers attain likeness to the glorified Christ and are freed from both physical and spiritual defect. We will never again experience bodily decay, death or illness, and will never again struggle with sin. We will see God as He is, face to face, and walk and reign and rule with Him forever.

But What About Right Now?

Right now, in the face of your struggles today, the delight of knowing Him and being His brings joy, peace, satisfaction, and contentment in this life, in all circumstances. If you grasp these truths, you will experience routine praise. You will not be shocked at any bad thing. You will say to suffering, the lower you lay me the higher you raise me.

Or, you might waste it. In an article called “Don’t Waste Your Cancer,” John Piper and David Powlison identify several mistakes which can make us waste God’s plan in our suffering. I’m going to change the word “cancer” in these to “sufferings” because they apply to all. They write:

  1. You will waste your suffering if you do not believe that God will work it for good.
  2. You will waste your suffering if you think that “beating” it means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
  3. You will waste your suffering if you grieve as those who have no hope.
  4. You will waste your suffering if you treat sin as casually as you did before.
  5. You will waste your suffering if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and the glory of Christ.

Are You a Child of God?

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12

It all starts with salvation from sin and spiritual life in Jesus Christ. Whether you are in a time of prosperity and comfort right now, or in a time of suffering, pain, disappointment, or loss, God says that we are all sinners and stand condemned without repentant trusting faith in Jesus Christ. But, Jesus suffered for our sins so that He may save us from our sins.

If you have not believed in Him and received His salvation, don’t wait any longer. Repent of your self-worship and call on Him for salvation today. He will answer. You will be given new life in Him!

Experiencing the hardest parts of life together, with patience and endurance, for God’s glory and our joy,

Pastor Reg

Guide to Personal and Church-Wide Days of Prayer and Fasting

By Pastor Reg Overstreet, March 16, 2023

NOTE FOR ALL ONGOING WEEKS OF PRAYER AND FASTING – This blog post, originally created for our first churchwide Day of Prayer and Fasting, remains relevant and helpful for all days of prayer and fasting. Enjoy the biblical experience of sacrificial, devoted, powerful worship and closeness with God which fasting allows.

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Purpose: In our 18 Goals for 2023, Goal #4 is: to Observe quarterly personal DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING and one annual Church-Wide DOPF on campus. This is our provided guide for your experience!

Our First of the year will correspond with EASTER!

Dear Church Family,

We will be identifying four weeks during 2023 for our people to choose one day to devote to prayer and fasting. Our first is next week, between March 19 and March 26–the day of our Easter-Season Concert of Prayer. Then, towards the end of 2023, we will hold our 2nd annual all-church Day of Prayer and Fasting at our campus (date TBD).

Why this focus? Biblically, prayer is fundamental to a relationship with God, while adding fasting to our prayers creates one of the most powerful of all Christian activities. These are God-prescribed methods of dealing with urgent needs, asking for breakthroughs, growing our faith, seeing God work.

In this post you will find a guide for the principles, purposes, and practices of fasting, to help your households experience God and unite with the church family in Christ. I gathered this material from other churches and my own personal notes and believe that it will serve us well.

Thank you for participating, brothers and sisters, for God’s glory and our good,

Pastor Reg

I. Principles of Fasting:

The presence and mystery of fasting runs throughout the Bible.

Definition: Voluntarily going without food (or other focus items) in order to focus on prayer and fellowship with God.

Drinking of water is recommended; especially, with prolonged days of fasting. One can live without food for weeks, but only three-four days without water.

Forms of Fasting:

1.) Regular Fast: Abstaining from all food. Illustrated by Jesus following His baptism – Matthew 4:2

2.) Partial Fast: Abstaining from certain foods as illustrated by Daniel – Dan. 10:3; 1:12

3.) Absolute Fast: Completely abstaining from eating & drinking. Employed by Ezra as he mourned over the faithlessness of the people of Israel in Exile – Ezra 10:6 and in Acts 9:9, Saul (Paul) neither ate nor drank for three days after the incident on the road to Damascus.

4.) Non-food and other helpful Fasts – E.g. 1 month Media fast, or fasting/abstaining from something that has become an idol in your life. One young man said earlier this year that was sports for him in that season, and he fasted from them for a time.

Length of Fasting: 

Varies in length as the Spirit of God lays in your heart. However, below are some time frames found in the Bible: 1.) One day – Judges 20:26, I Samuel 14:24, 2Corinthians 11:27; 2.) Three days – Esther 4:16-17, Acts 9:9; 3.) Seven days – I Sam. 31: 11-13; 2Sam. 12:16-18; 4.) Twenty-one days – Daniel 9; 5.) Forty days – Exodus 34:28; I Kings19:18; Matt. 4:8.

II. Purposes of Fasting

  1. To Strengthen Prayer: John Calvin wrote, “Whenever men are to pray to God concerning any great matter, it would be expedient to appoint fasting along with prayer.” Frequently in Scripture, fasting has been used by God’s people when there is a special urgency about the concerns they are praying about.
  2. Purity: Fasting starves the flesh so that our spirit can be nourished. It facilitates the breaking of the bondage of sin in our lives – Isaiah 58:6; I Cor. 9:27; Matt. 16:24
  3. Repentance and Revival: Fasting brings an awakening of our spirit. It gives renewed and constant awareness of God’s presence – Isaiah 58:9, Daniel 9:1-3, Jonah 3:5-10
  4. To seek God’s guidance and spiritual sensitivity: Fasting facilitates fellowship and intimacy with God, which in turn quickens your senses to God’s guidance – Isaiah 58:8,10-12; 40:29-31
  5. To Express Grief; Humility/Brokenness: Fasting brings you to a place of humility, where you see yourself as worthy of nothing; a place where you absolutely need God in your life – Isaiah 58:5
  6. To Seek Deliverance, Protection, or Power; To Overcome Temptation: During fasting, you experience fresh power to overcome unseen forces militating against you – Isaiah 58:6, Luke 4:14a, Matthew 17:14-21, 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
  7. Healing: According to Paavo Ariola (Health expert), “Fasting is the oldest therapeutic method known to man, even before the advent of the medicine man and in the healing arts, man instinctively stopped eating when feeling ill and abstains from food until his health was restored.” Fasting is the body’s most natural way of getting rid of harmful toxins and causes the mind to think clearly. – Isaiah 58:11b&c
  8. To Minister to the Needs of Others: In Isaiah 58:1-12, the most extensive passage in Scripture dealing exclusively with fasting, God expresses that the kind of fasting that pleases Him is one that shows concern for others, not just for ourselves.
  9. To Express Love and Worship to God: The prior reasons have mostly dealt with extreme circumstances.  The Bible also expresses fasting can show our love and worship to God. In Luke 2, Anna, assuming she was young when she was married, had lived a life of worship to God which, for over 50 years was characterized by  “worshiping day and night, fasting and praying.” (Luke 2:37)

III. Practices of Fasting

1. Set Your Objective: Identify your timeframe, parameters, and your aim/objective for the fast – E.g., victory, healing, wisdom, grace to handle a difficult situation, revival, others’ salvation, etc.

2. Make a commitment: Pray that God will help you a.) Limit/restrict certain physical and social activities b.) Identify how much time you will devote to prayer and Word of God.

3. Prepare yourself spiritually: The primary foundation of fasting is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your prayers.

4. Prepare yourself physically: Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician if you are on prescribed medication or dealing with chronic illness. A few pointers include:

  • a.) Do not rush into your fast.
  • b.) Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat or high-sugar foods.
  • c.) Eat raw vegetable and fruits for two days before engaging in a long fast.
  • d.) Limit your physical & mental activity as much as possible.
  • e.) Avoid medications. Please consult your physician if you’re on prescribed medication.
  • f.) Exercise moderately and rest your body as much as you can.
  • g.) Prepare yourself for the body’s natural reaction to the new restrictions – e.g. crankiness, irritability, hunger pains, dizziness and even headaches, which may be the result of sugar and caffeine withdrawal.
  • h.) Groom yourself well. Only God should know that you’re fasting.

5. Put yourself on a schedule and be disciplined to follow the schedule (Avoid television & social media or other distractions that will dampen your spiritual focus): Set aside ample time with God during your fast. The more you spend time alone with Him, the more you will hear Him speak.

a.) MORNING:

  • Begin your day in Praise & Worship
  • Read and meditate on God’s Word
  • Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself to you during the fast

b.) NOON/AFTERNOON:

  • Get back to GOD in prayer and God’s Word
  • Take a short prayer walk

c.) EVENING:

  • Spend some unhurried alone time in the presence of the Lord just seeking Him
  • If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayers.
  • Expect great things!

IV. Prayer Points while Fasting

(Many more will be provided during the on Campus Annual Day of Prayer and Fasting later this year)

1. Worship the Lord for who He is- Psa. 96:9; I Chron. 29:11-14 and thank God for being our help in ages past – Psa. 90:1

2. Thank God for His good hand upon Community Grace; Worship the Lord for who He is and what He is doing in our lives – Neh. 2:8

3. Holy Father, give us the strength we need to embark on this fast – Isaiah 40:29. Father remove from us every distraction that the enemy of our soul will stage against us or our family during this fast – I Peter 5:8-9

4. Father, remove from us every negative behavior and attitude, unforgiveness, guilt, sin, or iniquity that will hinder us from experiencing the fulfillment you have for us.

5. FATHER, create in us a deeper desire for more intimate relationship with you in the HOLY SPIRIT, such we are consistently being transformed to be like CHRIST in character and experience.

6. Protect us from the princes and principalities of the air; remove their grip on this neighborhood in the name of Jesus.

7. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest during this year – Matthew 9:35-38.

8. Pray for all church leadership. (Eph. 6:18-20)

9. Father, as many as fellowship in this church and are not born again, meet them this year & permanently change their story in Jesus’ name – Acts 9:1-18

10. Pray for all the church projects during this year and in years to come.

11. Father, from the North, South, East, West, and from Heaven above, send financial help to CG’s vision, needs, and opportunities for ministry and meeting needs.

12. Pray for unity and maturity throughout the Body – Eph. 4:11-17

13. Pray that the Lord will give us a passion for the lost.

14. Pray for the neighborhoods among which the church campus is located – our loving influence and for the blinders of eyes be removed for faith and salvation.

15. Pray for all cross-cultural mission and ministry that we will ever do, and for God’s leading of everyone for their parts in it.

16. Profoundly thank God for all answer to prayers.

Conclusion

Once again, choose your type of fast and prayer and fasting day, between March 19-26, 2023. Save or print this blog post as a guide or grab a hard copy in church on Sunday at Connections. Search the Scriptures listed throughout.

For me, I have a love/hate relationship with fasting. I hate the discomfort (of course!), but I love how close I am to God by the end of fasting and how clearly I hear His voice. We have experienced some of our best family devotions on these days as well.

May God bless you richly in this God-given spiritual discipline.

(And share a story from your experience to spread the blessing!)

Pastor Reg

Communion in Small Groups – More than a Good Idea

(I wrote this article 12 years ago as a small groups pastor. As a lead pastor now, I believe it more than ever.)

The Bible says very little about how we are actually to go about observing communion, yet most Christians have strong preferences, if not convictions, about how to do it.  I want to expand your thinking in one area — observing communion regularly in your small group. As we will see, this is more than just a good idea.

No Wafers and Juice Cups in the Bible

Most of us (assuming an audience which holds the “symbolic” view of communion) have observed communion primarily in corporate gatherings, with a short message and Bible reading from the pastor, followed by a collective ingesting of a wafer and a small plastic cup of grape juice. Let me say, I have no problem with the wafer and grape juice! Observing communion in this way has been a major part of my life’s spiritual formation. But I propose that small group members should observe communion together at least once per semester/term.

Here’s why:

At CG, we view small groups as not just another ministry or Bible study, but as the “church scattered,” in homes, throughout our community, engaging in directives of church which are not possible in a corporate setting: knowing, serving, loving, taking care of each other; digging in and applying Scriptures together; obeying the Great Commission together; having things in common; bearing each others’ burdens; and “being devoted to the breaking of bread and prayer”  (Acts 2:42-47).

Communion in the Bible most always centered around a meal, and, outside of a Brethren Threefold Communion Service, small groups allow a better opportunity for that than anything else in the church.  At the Last Supper, Jesus effectively changed the Passover Meal into Christian Communion, and He strategically placed the observance of bread and wine within the course of this meal.  (Read more about that here.)

Is it wrong, then, for us to observe communion without a meal? Well, no. One of Christianity’s unique characteristics is the freedom Scripture gives regarding church polity and practices; freedoms which enable Christian churches to thrive and transform culture anywhere, at any time, on the planet. Additionally, in 1 Corinthians 10 Paul does allude to the bread and cup without a meal (10:16-17) and in chapter 11 even tells them to STOP the meal because they were abusing it! So, the meal is not required, nor should it replace the Lord’s Supper as the focus of our gathering.

But, would it be appropriate; constructive; healthy for us to observe communion more as the New Testament Church did – as part of a relational, worshipful meal together? That is the more important question. And I believe the answer is a most definite YES!

Guidelines for Leading Your Small Group in Communion

1.  Do not be intimidated by this! You are already viewed as a “shepherd leader,” and this is one of the most significant and joyous acts Jesus gave us to do together.

2.  Spend some time in the communion passages (John 13; Matt. 26:17-30; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 10:15-22; 11:17-34, and many others if you want to study the significance of the Passover, its link to Jesus’ sacrifice and blood, and the biblical rules for it.)

3. Use other resources from books, websites, etc. There are tons of good resources out there. I will give you three of mine:

First, as a kind of template for you, here on a Word document is the communion manuscript from a past sermon on Philippians 3:13-14 for Eucharist (bread and cup) observance only – Communion Manuscript from sermon – What to Remember, What to Forget

Second, for a Threefold Communion experience, read and follow this short chapter below from Todd Scoles’ book, Restoring the Household.

scoles-threefold-communion-chapterDownload

Third, from the engaging little book, Going to Church in the First Century, which I have given to all of our small group leaders, below is a copy of the pages which I have used to lead my own group in communion.

After explaining the premise of this book – the observations of a young man on his first visit to a house church – I passed around the elements and read the following pages, followed by the 1 Corinthians 11 verses. We then “ate” and “drank” in celebration of the gospel as part of our meal together. It was a fun and worshipful experience.  If this appeals to you, I encourage you to try it at your group’s next meal together!

FROM PAGES 19-21 – THE BREAD:

            Before we began to eat, however, Aquila took up a cob of bread which his wife had laid on the table before him, and said he would like to give thanks. Instead of offering part of the bread to their god, Aquila reminded the people present that their god had offered something for them instead. His only son, no less, who died that they might live.

            ‘Just before he sacrificed himself for us,’ he went on to say, ‘he took part in a meal with his followers just like the one we’re having now. During this meal he shared around bread and told them that it represented him. Just as they needed bread in order to live physically, so, even more, they needed him if they were to experience real life. And so do we. This is why he wants us to continue having meals together and this is why we are meeting together today.’

            Just how a dead person was going to do all this wasn’t at all clear to me. But then Aquila went on to say that after this person was executed, he’d actually come to life again. I could hardly believe my ears, I can tell you, but that’s exactly what he said! He’d gone to his father after death and this put him in a position where he could share his life with anyone who followed him, wherever they were and no matter how many there were of them. A bit of him living in each of them, so to speak, or at least that’s how I understood it.

            ‘This means,’ continued Aquila, ‘that although he isn’t physically with us in the room, he is nevertheless really present among us. As we eat the meal together, beginning with this bread’ (which he was now breaking into substantial portions and passing among the guests) ‘we’ll experience him directly within ourselves, as well as through our fellowship with one another as we eat.’

            He concluded all this with a brief prayer, if you could call it that. For it was made up on the spot so far as I could tell, and spoken in quite a normal voice. In it he thanked his god for all this and told him how much we looked forward to the meal and everything that went with it. Then he sat down to a chorus of ‘yes’, ‘indeed’, ‘amen’ and the like and began to eat.

FROM PAGE 35 – THE CUP:

            At this point we were interrupted by Lysias who, at Aquila’s signal, had begun to refill the cups at our table. Felix was doing the same at the other. Aquila then took his cup in both hands and said:

            ‘The wine that we’ve been drinking has been part of our meal and a help to our fellowship in the Lord. But it means more than this. For, as Jesus explained, it reminds us that he is the one who has created this bond through his death. It also stands as a promise to us of the fellowship we shall have one day with him when we sit down at his table and dine with him face to face. So as we drink this cup together, let us take these things to heart and be grateful for them, looking back with appreciation on the one and looking forward with anticipation to the other. And may our meetings express that oneness that we have with him more and more so that they are, as it were, a little taste of heaven on earth.’

            In this spirit we all drank. 

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However the Holy Spirit directs you, I pray that observing the Lord’s Supper with your small group will become a pivotal moment in your life together — one that you will repeat regularly, in remembrance of Jesus.

For His glory and our joy,

Pastor Reg

Personal Goals and Stewardship (Vision 2023, Part 2)

Last week was 2023 Church Vision and Goals, and yesterday was Vision 2023 Part 2 – Personal Goals and Stewardship. Here is the extremely helpful & insightful tool I promised to share: All of our elders’ personal 2023 goals and some of our staff’s personal goals for 2023:

goals-elders-2023Download
staff-goals-2023Download

I hope these will inspire confidence in our church leadership and help you prayerfully fill out your personal 2023 goals 2023 worksheet on the back of the sermon notes doc, here:

sermon-e28093-all-in-for-jesus-goals-and-stewardship-011523-e28093-bulletin-notesDownload

Now for a brief recap of yesterday’s highlights in case you missed the service or want to review.

A Goal is “the object of a person’s ambition; an aim or desired result.” Goals help put vision into action, to think through your plan how to be the person Jesus wants you to be and that you want to be.

You can’t drift through life. You can’t let others run your life. You can’t stay the way you are, because God’s mission and vision for you is to grow. 

To start your new year “All-In for Jesus,” today we’re going to do what God says–to Deal with our Past, and then Direct our Future.

I.      Deal with Your Past

Open to our first key text, Philippians 3:13-15.

Philippians 3:13-15 – Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 – I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

Forgetting what lies behind means letting go of the past!

Every Christian needs to be good at letting go of the past. You have to let go of things in the past to pick up what God has for you now.

II.    Direct Your Future

As the Apostle Paul says, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

14 – I press on toward the GOAL for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   

Why Goals?  

1. Because God created us in his own image (Isaiah 40:26; Luke 13:32)

2. Because WE are encouraged to plan and set goals. (Isaiah 32:8)

3. Because goals help us grow. (1 Cor. 9:24-27)

What Goals?

“SMART” Goals are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Bound

FIVE Categories – Click the document above for Your Personal 2023 Goal-Setting Worksheet (on p. 2 – the back of the sermon notes)

Financial/Stewardship Goals

Luke 16:11 – “Therefore, if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you?”

To experience financial peace, I must adopt God’s priorities

What are those? Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:33–34 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious (there’s that peace!) about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.    

The 70% principle of lasting wealth… (Financial Peace University)

•      The 1st 10% goes to God.

Malachi 3:10 – Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.

Take the Four-Month Tithe Challenge

•      The 2nd 10% goes to debt & emergency fund

•      The 3rd 10% goes to savings & investing

The “70% Principle” or the “Tithe Challenge” are great ideas for your 2023 Personal Goals sheet (provided above). The key to all of this is learning to live on the 70%. In case you are thinking to yourself, I don’t know how to do that. I don’t think I can do that.. That’s where Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU) comes in. Having completed it twice with my wife Sarah, it has changed our family outlook. I strongly encourage you to as well.

Click here for promotional video.

Click here for class information at Community Grace.

Making plans and setting goals for a great 2023 with you!

Pastor Reg

P.S. Watch for my next post on several musts for financial planning for the future.

CG’s 2023 Vision and Goals

Sunday, January 8, began a two-part vision series, “All-In for Jesus,” with part 1 – Church Vision and Goals. This post contains our official 2023 Church Goals document and other highlights. Next week’s focus will be on Personal Goals and Stewardship.

At the end of the Momentum Youth Conference last year, one of the speakers challenged the 2000 teenagers in attendance to “be All-In for Jesus because He went all-in for you.” That guiding truth is for ALL of us.

A mission statement explains why something exists. When a group of soldiers goes on a mission it is defined – “THIS is what we must accomplish.” Jesus said that our mission is to “go and make disciples.”

Community Grace’s Mission Statement is: We exist to glorify God by being Christ followers.

Vision is about where we believe God is leading us as a church. It’s about how we will accomplish the mission together and what it will look like when we do.

Community Grace’s Vision is reflected in three statements. As we accomplish our mission, it will look like this: WORSHIP THE KING • MATURE AS FAMILY • ENGAGE THE WORLD.  

Click here for a PDF of our 2023 Goals!

I.  How Will We Worship the King?

Worship Defined

“At Community Grace, we define worship as the active response of a Christ-follower to who God is and what He does. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Worship is accomplished in the life of a believer when submitting one’s whole self to God ​(Romans 12:1-2)​. To worship God is the reason humans exist (Romans 11:36).”

II.    How Will We Mature as Family?

Shawn Mason, who has served as our Youth Director for 8 years, preached this point of the sermon. In it he challenged everyone to take their God-given ownership as a spiritual parent or grandparent and for some, as a biological or adoptive parent/grandparent. In a church family, these go hand-in-hand.

Shawn casted the vision for becoming a better “Family Equipping Church,” as it is parents who are a child’s first and best disciplers and who are assisted by the church family for this great task.

Shawn then presented the fulfillment of one of our 2022 goals – the development and launch of our “Legacy Path” for family discipleship.

We also reminded the church in this message that after almost two years of intentional development and preparation, Shawn will be presented by the elders in our January 22 annual meeting for a congregational vote to become our new “Pastor of Youth and Family Ministries.”

Ahead of this vote and Shawn’s potential transition into this role, I wanted to provide the congregation with a few helpful insights into Shawn’s development and readiness for this commission.

First, if you missed it, you can read what I wrote about Shawn toward the end my Q3 2022 senior pastor report here.

senior-pastor-report-q3-2022Download

Second, click below to read Shawn’s ministry resume.

resume-shawn-mason-2023Download

Third, some may wonder, is it right to hire such a young dad as Shawn in such a role as pastor in family ministries? Wouldn’t it naturally seem better to have a 50–60-year-old man with grandkids in that position? At first thought, yes. In fact, this question has been forefront on my mind since the day Shawn and I began his path to becoming a pastor almost two years ago, and I am happy to report what my considerations over this period of time have become:

  • 1) With me, Pastor Chuck, the Discipleship Counseling Team that Chuck and Jay Bell are forming, plus the new Executive Pastor, yes, the age and experience of CG’s pastoral team allows us to raise up a younger Youth and Family Ministries Pastor.
  • 2) This is why we are placing the “Youth” ahead of the “Family” in the position title – a mark of Shawn’s continuing primary involvement in youth ministry while he develops family ministries early on. This will likely change in coming years.
  • 3) A younger age does not disqualify any pastor outright (biblically and testified by numerous examples), but it does warrant close examination of all other character, competency, and calling qualities, and we have closely examined these.
  • 4) Shawn fully grasps the vision for the desired future of family ministries at CG and is primed, ready, and hungry for leading its launch and bringing families to greater maturity as he leads his own family.
  • *Please contact me with any further questions!

After Shawn preached this point, I returned to add the vital involvement our small groups and ministries have in our Maturing as Family. I thank our small group leaders for sticking out their necks to provide relational shepherding to the flock at Community Grace. Small Groups kick off in a couple weeks, by the way, are you in one!? Find and sign up for one or a couple to visit, here.

III.   How Will We Engage the World?

A. LOCALLY: Two Musts for Engaging the World

1.     Personal Holiness

1 Peter 1:13–15 – Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.

Holiness is a distinctive of God’s people. Again, we need to be all-in for Jesus because He was all-in for us. If we do not pursue holiness, we will be powerless. If we quench and grieve the Holy Spirit, will He give us power? If we disobey God, will He bless us? Can we expect God to be the source of our peace if the world is the source of our satisfaction?

2.     Plant and Water Gospel Seeds in Our Fields

This is not reserved for some gifted Christians; it is THE mission of all Christians.  

Our fields are everyone we talk to, whether for a moment in a store, a business relationship, we tell people God loves them, that I believe in Jesus, that there is a solution for evil, that there is hope – His name is Jesus, that they are invited to CG. God gives us daily opportunities to plant these Gospel seeds.  

B. GLOBALLY 

CG will continue to add global mission effort, send out missionaries, and adopt UPG’s like our focus on the Fulani people of North and Central Africa.

Here is the link to the one-minute video of our current missionaries that we played on Sunday. Will you say a prayer for them as you watch? – Video of our Missionaries

Take ownership of our Engage the World goals. People can only be saved if they hear about Jesus. A church can only grow if new people walk through the door!

A closing prayer: “Father God, we want success and the church to grow, but not so we look great but that you look great. Will you guide and grow each of us, and us as your church, as we worship and follow Jesus together.”

On this Mission, with Vision, together,

Pastor Reg

Why We Are Hiring an Executive Pastor at Community Grace and What that Means

Over the last three years our staff and elders have worked tirelessly towards bringing vision, evaluation, leadership development, health, and multiplication to every part of the church. Early on, as we sensed our church’s rate of growth would continue, we prayerfully assessed future staffing decisions. The results became clear: We needed to hire a Worship Director, a Children’s Ministry Director, a Congregational Care/Counseling/Seniors Pastor, increase our administrative office support, and ultimately hire an Executive Pastor. All of those have become wonderfully blessed realities, except for the Executive Pastor, and we are right now in the midst of searching for God’s man for this ministry position.

At the close of 2021, the congregation approved a budget for 2022 which included an Executive Pastor’s salary for the final quarter of 2022. A candidate was not found in 2022, so those budget dollars are accruing (which is good since inflation is soaring.) When the right person is found according to God’s timing through the Executive Pastor Screening Team and approval of the Elders, the congregation will have opportunity to interact with him before a congregational vote is called. We had hoped that would align with our annual meeting on January 22, 2023, but if it does not, a special vote will be called as necessary.

We have spoken and written a fair amount about this additional staff hire, but now that this search process is underway, we considered it time to produce this article answering the questions: Why are we hiring an Executive Pastor? And, what does that mean?

These questions will be answered thoroughly in this paper, but in short at the outset, the key characteristic of an Executive Pastor over any other kind of associate pastor is his direct partnership with the Senior Pastor. He partners with the Senior Pastor to make the church’s vision a reality, with the goal of engaging everyone and maximizing all efforts. Consider the following quote about this partnership:

“It has been said that an institution is the lengthening shadow of a visionary leader. What rarely is said is that in the shadow of that visionary leader was another leader who executed the primary leader’s ideas, monitored the budgets, built the infrastructure and systems, and, along the way, cleaned up a few messes. Such is the life of a leader who is ‘second in command.’” (Bruce Hornsby)

Community Grace’s job posting which we have distributed nationally begins with these words…

If you are interested in serving as an Executive Pastor to help move a growing church to the next level of effective ministry, then Warsaw Community Grace is a church you need to consider. Our mission is to glorify God by being Christ-followers who make Christ followers. Our vision is expressed in three statements: WORSHIP THE KING • MATURE AS FAMILY • ENGAGE THE WORLD

The Executive Pastor will partner with the Senior Pastor in overseeing, designing, and multiplying systems to make this mission and vision come to life in our church.

The church is positioned to continue growing, and we believe that hiring the right strategic Executive Pastor is the next crucial step in this process.

In other words, a visionary Senior Pastor and Elder Board operates largely at a “30,000-foot level,” but they must also ensure that on the “ground level” every detail is functioning well and ministries are being developed and overseen to meet the needs of every Christ-follower and Un-churched person we reach. This is a great challenge, and the Executive Pastor fills these operational gaps. I am personally somewhat wired to think this way and have worked on developing our church’s systems. But I know my limitations. I also know the enormous potential of a church having all its systems matured and streamlined to serve every person, family, and ministry in the church, and every person we will reach in the community.

I admire John Piper, former Senior Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, in many ways. When they were hiring an Executive Pastor back in the 1990’s (when this role was less common than it is today) he described it in these helpful ways:

There are two impulses behind this staffing decision. One has to do with the growth and complexity of Bethlehem’s ministry, and the other has to do with my calling, gifts, and limitations as Senior Pastor.

The Executive Pastor differs from the Senior Pastor in that he gives more immediate oversight to organization: planning, directing, and evaluating the ministries of the church. He is the human nerve-center for the creation, development, staffing, coordinating, and direction of ministries in the church. He sees that these things get done, so that communication, harmony, and faithfulness to the vision prevail. Most immediately he relates directly to the staff as the central sprocket that all their cogs fit into. He serves them by seeing that their efforts cohere with the mission of the church and the other areas of ministry, and that they have the share of resources they need.

Example: Someone gets the vision of implementing a “2000 by 2000” hotline for the next three years and writes up a proposal. This would have an immediate impact on office staff, phone usage, and the ministries of David Livingston (E1) and Tom Steller (E2). It would require not only initial conceptual planning, but weekly design and interaction from someone. This proposal would be funneled to the Executive Pastor. He would bounce it off relevant people, both staff and lay people, and possibly bring a refined proposal to the pastoral staff. The green light would release him to seek out a layperson to put in charge and to oversee the process of how the ministry would be carried forward. There are dozens of such ideas every year in a healthy and dynamic church. And that is just one kind of example.

I love this description because it reflects our reality at Community Grace. We are a growing church, and every idea for new ministry must go through these kinds of processes. This creates a heavy load on our staff and volunteers who may or may not be gifted at these processes. These efforts also require excellent communication and alignment with our mission and vision. Having an Executive Pastor who oversees these processes unleashes the ministries of the church and maximizes the contributions of each staff member and leader.

Piper’s second reason for this hire is that the Senior Pastor is freed up by the Executive Pastor to focus more on study, preaching, trumpeting the vision, and his other giftings. It is much better for a church if their Senior Pastor is operating in his strengths and serving the church in the ways it needs its senior pastor to serve them. I am continually understanding more how I must grow as a leader and what I must defer to others.

Let’s talk more about what an Executive Pastor can mean to us as a church. Much of what comes next is from the book Defining the Executive Pastor Role, written by Phil Taylor.

What kind of person is an Executive Pastor? How are they “wired” by God?

One Executive Pastor tells the story about discovering how he was wired by God to be an Executive Pastor. The pivotal moment came while attending the musical “Les Miserables” with a group of friends. As they watched the spectacular musical, rather than be impressed with the skill of the actors or the sweeping musical score, all he could think was, “There must be someone behind the scenes making all of this run perfectly. Who is running this thing? Who makes sure that everyone is in the right place at the right time? Who calls the under-study when the main actor gets the flu? Who deals with squabbles between the people on stage and those in the orchestra pit? Who is in charge backstage?” It wasn’t long after this that he discovered his calling in the increasingly common role of “Executive Pastor.” This story demonstrates that as with every function in His body, God “wires” some people to serve in this role.

What does the role of the Executive Pastor involve?

Essentially, the Executive Pastor’s role is to oversee the effective detailed implementation of the church’s vision. Led by the Senior Pastor, the Vision Team and Elders form the vision and direction of the church and cast that vision from the pulpit and every other avenue of communication. But, if those leaders get bogged down in the specifics of implementing vision, it limits their availability to lead, kills creativity, and burns them out.

The Executive Pastor takes on the responsibility of leading vison implementation. With the entire organization in mind, he zooms in on every detail and breaks them into manageable bites for the moving parts of the church body. He enacts unified plans of action to prevent loss of momentum. He brings order where there is chaos. He ensures people are equipped, supported, and appreciated.

Further, he helps ministry leaders understand how their ministries fit into the larger vision of the church, whether it is the men’s or women’s ministry, the security team, the assimilation team, the building project, the budget, or any other ministry. He helps leaders understand the goals and metrics of the vision so there are no silo ministries.    

Who is the “right” Executive Pastor for our church?

Every Executive Pastor’s job description is different because every Senior Pastor is different, and every church is different. An Executive Pastor’s job description is malleable to fit the context. Numerous tools exist to help determine the best job description and best fit for each Executive Pastor. [Our present Job Description and posting for this position can be read by clicking here. As mentioned, it can be tailored to some degree to fit the best candidate.]

Another useful distinction among Executive Pastors is that some are wired more as EXECUTIVES while others are wired more as PASTORS. The “EXECUTIVES” will gravitate toward policies, procedures, human resources, budgeting, and capital campaigns. The “PASTORS” will identify team members or experts who will do those tasks well, while they focus more on shepherding. They will be the guys focusing more on discipleship during performance evaluations. Is one better than the other? No, and at present, we are looking for an Executive Pastor who brings a healthy balance of both.

Conclusion:

As you can see the Executive Pastor can be an enormous blessing to a growing, healthy church. I describe this role as one which removes bottlenecks in our church systems which will allow exponential growth. In my estimation, our work over the last three years has brought many of our systems up to 80-90% of their potential effectiveness, but it’s that final 10-20% development that is the hardest and where key breakdowns occur.

Community Grace is a healthy church, positioned well in our community, with huge potential and a vision to match it, while we aim to maintain our family feel while we grow. It is exciting to be part of this church with you. I ask for your partnership and for your prayer for me, the Elders and Staff’s continued wisdom. The Bible makes clear that a church who prays for its leadership will experience great blessing.

Seeking your support and prayers for our Screening Team, this man and his and his family’s transition, and God’s preferred future for Community Grace,

Pastor Reg