GOSPEL :: FAMILY :: MISSION
“If humility is self-forgetfulness, it will never be attained through continual self-monitoring. However, if humility is self-forgetfulness, how are we to remember to forget ourselves?” (Quote from the Porterbrook Learning Module: Gospel Relationships)
Think of a scenario where humility is an issue for a Christian friend. How would you counsel that person with the gospel? How would it differ if they were not a Christian?
In the Fall of 2014 I participated in a Porterbrook learning center. Through this endeavor I studied a module called Gospel Change. The following essay was the product of 9 weeks of individual journal entries that focussed on the theme of the gospel producing change in my life. I pray it benefits you in your journey.
I began by choosing an area of my life that I wanted to change. I was able to choose from a type of behavior, a negative emotion, or a virtue or fruit of the Spirit that I felt was particularly lacking in my life. My gospel change project was summarized this way… I want to be more patient and gentle rather than impatient and harsh or angry.
It’s the question we wrestled with last week in verses 7 – 10 and it’s the question we’re wrestling with again this week in verses 11 – 19. Last week in part one of this message we wrestled with what it looks like to come to Jesus as his servants. We wrestled with what it means to serve Jesus by working hard instead of living like God owes us something… To be Christ-centered followers rather than self-centered & self-serving egoists… To be humbly obedient to God’s Word rather than pridefully disobedient… The question we were left with was… Have you come to Christ as his servant?
The mission and vision statement of our church is “We are seeking to be a gospel centered church family of gospel communities that grow disciples who glorify God by following Jesus, leading families, making disciples, equipping missionaries and planting churches”. The community that is springing up around us is full of people who’ve been marginalized, homeless, struggled with addictions & experienced relational brokenness. I didn’t know the ramifications or outcomes that would flow from penning these statements 3 yrs ago with our first gospel community. I wasn’t ready and I’m still not ready for the steady influx of people that the Lord is drawing into our church family.
Gospel Communities are small communities of people that gather consistently throughout the week for the purpose of sharing life together, praying for one another’s needs and discovering how the gospel cultivates continued growth in and through us as followers of Jesus. – (Acts 2:42 – 47; Hebrews 10:23 – 25; 1Corinthians 15:1 – 4; John 20:21)
I saw a Facebook post from a friend recently that said “We need to learn to love people & use possessions instead of using people & loving possessions”. What a great summary of how my attitude towards possessions can be the means by which I expose people to the gospel!
Imagine your gospel community has announced plans to multiply. Several individuals are upset & frustrated with this vision because they would much rather stay together. How would you address their concerns & build for them a biblical rational for multiplication?
Unit 6 of the Porterbrook Learning Module entitled Understanding Leadership defines leaders as servant-leaders, who take the lead among the people of God by providing direction through contextual gospel teaching, modeling & influencing gospel-centered culture-creation, taking the initiative to challenge, refute & confront erroneous teaching & living without succumbing to the idolatrous desires for comfort, acceptance or reputation.
Have you ever been in a situation with a friend who says “Let’s focus on the positive, on what I’ve done well.” “Everyone else does it.” “It seemed the sensible thing to do.” “I did it with good intentions.” “I was afraid of other people.” Consider those comments in light of 1 Samuel 15.
I asked one of the guys in our church for feedback on a recent message of his choice. He seemed to pick up the basic structure, big idea, context and application of the message. He did seem particularly and personally challenged by the message. He didn’t remember any illustrations other than a more modern retelling of the parable that was part of the text the message was based on. (For the record he is right… there weren’t many illustrations needed from outside the text itself).
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