We’re continuing our book club discussion of The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. If you have a response post this week, add it at the end of this post. Also be sure to head over to my friend and co-facilitator, Sarah Salter’s blog. It’s always wonderful to see every perspective on the chapter!
Jesus’ teaching simplified religion and got to the heart of what God was after, then of course, He offered Himself as the substitute for our punishment so we could live it by grace.
As Mr. Stearns continues with his question of what does God expect of us?, he answers it by echoing Jesus’ words to love God, love our neighbors, and go to the world and make disciples who will do the same.
I believe we can get so far from God’s intent that we turn the good news of the Gospel into bad news. The truth of course is that it’s no gospel at all because the foundation is not love (God’s love for us and our corresponding love for Him).
Instead of going on, I’d like to offer a compelling and challenging excerpt that was in this book from another book, N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope. Whether you’ve read this before or not, I hope you’ll ponder and meditate on these words.
But what we can and must do in the present, if we are obedient to the gospel, if we are following Jesus, and if we are indwelt, energized, and directed by the Spirit, is to build for the kingdom. This brings us back to 1 Corinthians 15:58 once more: what you do in the Lord is not in vain.
You are not oiling the wheels of a machine that’s about to roll over a cliff. You are not restoring a great painting that’s shortly going to be thrown on the fire. You are not planting roses in a garden that’s about to be dug up for a building site. You are—strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself—accomplishing something that will become in due course part of God’s new world.
Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one’s fellow human beings and for that matter one’s fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world—all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make.
That is the logic of the mission of God.
Are we reveling in and expressing the simplicity of the Gospel? Are we embracing the mission to love and serve as an eternal manifestation of His Kingdom? What do you think?
21 Comments
I absolutely loved that quote and pondered doing something similar to what you have done here.
Why, why, why do we insist on over complicating and mystifying the simplicity and truth of the Gospel and God’s love?
As I read through the chapter, I could not help but linger on what the Gospel and God’s love has meant for me. Knowing all God has done for me, how can I not revel in and continuously express the Gospel?
Dusty Rayburn recently posted..BD-THiOG Love Driven
I ask that same question. Do we at some level think it’s too good to be true so we want to add to it? Lord, help us see we can never add to or take away from your gift or righteousness or holiness.
Thanks Dusty.
This makes me think back to what Andrea said in a previous post about the small things we do. I know a lot of pastors (and even non-pastors in various ministries) that think that they have to build a huge church or do huge projects or have huge events to make an impact in the Kingdom. But really, it’s not about numbers. It’s about making a difference in one life at a time. Loving one person at a time. Showing Jesus to one person at a time.
Sarah Salter recently posted..Life in the Unexpected
Exactly. To have the heart of the Father is to love the world and be a part of changing it but still seeing and not neglecting the one standing right in front of us. Incredible how Jesus moved from huge crowds to one-on-one encounters. I want to be like Jesus!
Thanks Sarah.
My wife are looking for ways to impact our neighborhood more with the Gospel…there are so many hurting people. The Gospel is simple but powerful…thanks Jason for sharing your insight.
“Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted.” C.H. Spurgeon
So amazing to hear how you are looking for ways to impact your neighborhood. I think too many of us like the idea of loving and reaching out, but we fall short of looking for ways to actually do it. Thank you Jay!
Simple. He tries to mkae it simple for us.. and we are the ones who complicate it all.
Speaking of complicated -- I added my link and now don’t see any links at all…
HisFireFly recently posted..On- In and Around Mondays -- Rest
I got you linked up. Thanks Karin!
Link isn’t posting Jason.. maybe you can post it on your end: http://hisfirefly.blogspot.com/2010/09/word-filled-wednesday-his-simple.html
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the last paragraph of that quote!!
Kevin Martineau recently posted..How can we can encourage our children to serve
Me too, Kevin! Thank you.
I really think many times as we are confronted with a opportunity to share the Gospel, we think about what it would take for us to get where we are right now, after years of maturation in an instant, instead of what it took when we first came to know Christ -- first believe, then, with His grace and creativity, we will become more like Him.
herbhalstead recently posted..chronicsufferer
Ooh, that’s a great point, Herb. We can’t let that hinder us. Thank you.
Great post brother!
I appreciate it! Thank you.
I loved when Mr. Stearns quoted from Surprised by Hope. It is hard to remember sometimes that those little things, like teaching fourth grade CCD, calling a neighbor, driving someone to prayer meeting or the grocery store… truly have an impact that will last in eternity. I think to myself how as an unemployed teacher (whose housewifery skills are cruddy) I don’t leave behind anything of significance, but Jesus will one day show me some small thing that I thought nothing of after it was over and show me how that one small thing is significant to Him…
Helen recently posted..The Third Great Commandment- Chapter 5 of The Hole in Our Gospel
Wow, what a day that will be, huh? It’s all for His kingdom and all for His glory. It’s so easy to get sidetracked, but the simplest love and service is magnificent in His hands. Thanks Helen.
This reminded me of our group of kids in the age of 9-12 years my friend and I help every thursday evening in our church. We tell a Biblestory and they were making something out of clay. We had a cd on with (Dutch) christian songs for kids. All of a sudden the kids started to sing along with a song “I want to be more and more like Jesus”. I stopped and looked at them. It was so simple. We didn’t do anything, but there they were 10 kids focusing on their art and singing this song. Few of them aren’t even from christian families. If we are willing He will use us and something beautiful comes out of it. Ever since we started this on the evening after the Summerbreak our group has grown. We tell them it’s from the church and they don’t mind.
That is awesome. I hope more and more people will get the vision of ideas like the one you said here. We have to serve our children and a side benefit of that is blessing and gaining access to the parents. Wonderful! Thank you, Ani.
You know what? I read the book, I’m sure I read that quote, but I don’t remember it at all. And reading it here, within your framework, the point really hits home. I haven’t actually thought of the big, big picture before — that whatever small act of God-given kindness I offer someone is actually contributing to God’s enternal kingdom. That’s a really big picture, and opens up God’s power, and my role on this Earth, in a whole new way.
Michelle DeRusha recently posted..Rush Hour
Awesome how different ones see different things and respond to them differently. Thanks Michelle.