We Prioritize the Gospel Above All

I had a had a friend in college. He told me that on his track team. I in high school we always finished in the top three for every event that he ever ran except for one. He placed last, he said that happened that one of his very first meets.

He ran at a high school it was in the way meat and it was on a course of course that he never, never run. He said the whole bus ride there.

He had his headphones and he was trying to all Michael Phelps get his game face on. You still pretty good, but he shows up at the at the high school easily get the headphones on throughout the entire warm-up process. He said that at some point he saw. It is coach was up there, obviously trying to explain something as coach was waving his hands in an end point, but he thought you what possibly could to be saying that it's that important because cross country meet. You basically just run you know the right direction. So get his headphones on and he said the race started, and Manny said it started Grady's that I took off and I got way ahead of of the closest person is.

It was about a 5K part of it. He ran to this course in the woods and he said as I came up on a round of what I guess was the 4 km mark. He said I II was not even I was out of sight of the person. The person that was second. He's one plumber to go.

When I came to this fork in the path that I did know was there. He said that one had a arrow that was blue and one had a narrow way that the pointed yellow and he said I knew which way to go. And that's obviously what my coach was trying to explain to us when he was up there waving his arms. I said so there I stood with, you know, my dilemma was I didn't know which way to go if I sat there and waited until the second person caught up with me that I would squander my entire lead, he said, so I just choose the path that felt right and I just I just ran.

He said it did not lead me to the last kilometer home. I said it.

Let me on another 7 km loop. He said actually pretty good time. I met Luba when I got back to the finish line.

All the fans were gone. The stadium was entirely empty. He sent her whole team was already on the bus a center bus was the only vehicle left in the parking lot. He said I never even broke stride. He said I was ran to the bus. I climbed on a made eye contact with literally nobody on the bus. I went back to my seat and put my headphones back on right. The point is, it doesn't it doesn't matter how well run.

If you run in the wrong direction right to do is spend a few weeks talking about the direction of our church really looks at look at some cortex of Scripture that define us as a church that defined the essential Christian life and that define our mission in the midst of all the uncertainty that is that that is going on.

This is a really good time. I think for us to recalibrate about who we are in Jesus. What caused it, but we always say here at the summit church that our mission is to create a movement of disciple making disciples in Raleigh Durham and around the world unto the title of this series.

The revenue for the next four weeks is be the movement during this season will were not able to come together. The way that we usually do. We can still see the movement. This can require for us to to to be the church to be the movement in this next season require some leadership from and some initiative from our members that that that we haven't probably had to show before, but I am very confident that all of you. All your up to the task. Okay, the movement, our mission is shaped by four values that I want to preach through the next four weeks.

Each one of those values is deeply anchored in the teachings of Jesus and I must show you that hopefully here the next four weeks here, here, the four values at the summit church we say the number one we prioritize the gospel above all, we prioritize the gospel of all. Number two that we do whatever it takes to reach all people number three we say that we aim to make disciples not converts number four we believe every member is to be sent we say send every member know you like I did have them write all this down. I get it okay just I often do is right on the first of this week because of the neck several weeks ago through one at a time this week I want to discuss gospel above all by the way, I hope you realize these are not new values that I'm introducing we just are trying to state things clearly. Maybe in a fresh way the values that have guided us for the last two decades really okay first 2015 to get your Bible and hope that you brought your Bible today I want to show you how. In his letter to the Corinthians as in all of his letters, Paul prioritizes the gospel above everything. For Paul, the gospel is going to be in a special class all by itself right the first of these 15, three is where I want you to look first.

Paul says, for I delivered unto you.

As of this next word. There first important survey say first first first. What I also received Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was married and is raising the third day in accordance with the Scriptures first importance. By the way, that's the key word there implies that other things were important to Paul also. But these other things were not of first importance first importance means it's in a class all by itself. In fact, earlier in Paul's letter here.

The Corinthians he made a statement that many scholars think had to be an exaggeration for scrimmage to to Paul says I decided to know nothing among you except for Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ and him crucified. Here's why they think that that has to be an exaggeration right. Have you read the letter first Corinthians.

It's about a lot of other things besides just you know Jesus dead and buried. So why would Paul say like I only wanted to know and teach one thing among you, and that was Jesus Christ and him crucified. Here's why. Because everything else. Paul is going to deal with the Corinthians. Whether were talking about relationship problems or doctrinal problems. Are you when I get along on. Ultimately, since it connects back to how you understand and live out of of what you know about Jesus and him crucified the gospel. Paul says is really my only agenda is my priority is my authority. It's my blueprint for action using the church at Corinth was an absolute mess is a pastor Curtis last weekend we took the Lord's table together showed is that my wife in the middle of this thing. She looks over me and after pastor Curtis's message and she says she's as you know, she says. I probably shouldn't think this, but hearing how messed up that first century church was Corinth with Paul as a leader makes me feel better about our church and I said amen.

Right. The Corinthian church all kinds of moral problems they had some really dysfunctional just jacked up families and and marriages that were us. There was this tense situations. Doctrinal confusion was ethnic strife, political tensions, there were really suckers for cross-cultural personality and just all kinds of problems. Lots of lots of immaturity. Paul said I answered all that all that is simply Jesus Christ and him crucified solution for all those things he says is really grasping Christ. Understanding what it meant for him to die for you. What that gives to you and then putting that is the center of everything that you do and all that you think about right. So later that job-related chapter 3 verse 10.

My peers will Paul says he says according to the grace listen to this, given to me like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation in somebody else's building on each let each one take care how he builds on that foundation. I like will get something.

This foundation is really important what foundation you talk about Paul for nobody can leave the other foundation, he says.

Other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. There can be no foundation for anything in the church other than the message of Christ and him crucified.

Everything else he says is built on that and anybody who builds on that, whether that's a teacher like me or whether that is a disciple maker or parent with a child or or anybody you can't if you can or if you build on that foundation. You gotta take care that what your building is consistent with that message and is really an outgrowth of it in first Corinthians 9.

Paul goes on. He explained that he is personally willing to change anything about his life if he gets in a better hearing for the gospel. He will set aside his preferences, he will set aside get this even his ethnicity he will put aside his culture. He will put aside his politics will put aside anything if it means being able to reach more people with the gospel.

Verse 22. He says I become all things to all people that, by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel for necessity is laid on me.

He says woe to me. If I don't preach the gospel. Those I can't let anything get in the way of me doing this one thing that is of first importance.

So the point that I'm trying to show you is all throughout this letter from the very beginning of the letter right to the very end of the letter Paul shows you that the gospel is prioritized above all for him. So it begs the question right. Why, why does the gospel play such an important role for Paul and why is the gospel of first importance in our mission as a church not real quick before you answer that which is make sure we all understand what we mean when we say gospel, the gospel.

The gospel is the message that because you and I are condemned, our sin.

Christ came to earth to do for us. We could not do for ourselves. He lived a perfect life and died in our place of the we could be forgiven.

We always say that he lived the life that we could not live the perfect life and then die the death we were condemned to die in our place. The keyword in the gospel hope you you know this. The keyword is substitution substitution. We sake. We always hear the Senators that you can summarize the gospel in four words right. You know they are there. Jesus in my place for nice is like this. He says the gospel is the good news telling us that the determining factor in our relationship with God is Jesus work for us not work for him.

His commitment to us, not our commitment to him.

His obedience for us, not our obedience to him is what determines where we stand with God in this substitutionary work is given birth to a new creation and a new radical way of living a life committed to kindness and injustice, a new unity as brothers and sisters in Christ of the family. This gospel message. This gospel message you said is the only message by which we can be safe to be saved, means a somebody has to hear that message they have to believe it. They have to repent of their sins and accept Jesus offer to save them, which leads us to the first.

The first reason why the gospel is a first importance. Our mission is right is that is normally 11 without the gospel well the gospel people are lost.

The gospel people are lost.

Listen, it doesn't matter what good we do in the world. If we don't preach the gospel apart from the gospel. Apart from believing the gospel people are lost for eternity apart from Christ. Whatever earthly things we engage in. No matter how good they are right. They simply will not last, poverty relief, social activism, good business kindness toward our neighbors or the immigrant of the oppressed, standing for marriage and morality, raising healthy families.

Every single one of those things are good right I the show love for our neighbor and they glorify God and we should be engaged in all of them but see, apart from the gospel message. Ultimately, people are lost and that's most important right, we say that we care about alleviating suffering here and we do the worst kind of suffering would have to be eternal suffering. I have heard it said that Jesus spoke about hell more often and more vividly than he did just about anything else like Jesus, the author of love described hell in the most bloodcurdling of terms. Jesus give me meet again.

The author of love, the one that was known for his compassion and his kindness that was so tender that children like to be around him and and and felt safe around right he spoke, and in such terms about hell that it would just it would curdle your blood.

And if that's true it it's got to be a crucial truth, we gotta pay attention to the preaching of the gospel is the one thing given C exclusively to the church. Lots of organizations lots of organizations can can work for good business in poverty relief and can help marriages and morality and social change.

But the gospel. The gospel you see is given to the church. The gospel is the most important message God gave it to us the church to preach the local church and that means that anything and everything else that we can do has to take a distant back seat that gospel proclamation.

Let me to say to you, apart from Christ apart from you believing and receiving the gospel you are lost. Even if you get everything else you've ever wanted in life right a great marriage great job great family right in the year he retire wealthy, you will lose it all without Jesus. What does it profit a man. Jesus said he would gain the whole world and loses on so I one thing I pray for my kids, who range from elementary school to high school is a pray that they will be able to see life through the lens of eternity when they see people who are rich or popular successful. I tell them you know you got you got to consider not just how those people live which also going to consider how they die and usually it's unhappy, unfulfilled, and separated from Christ.

The question is, have you received Christ I set the first reason that it's above all, is the only message by which people can be saved and is given exclusively to us the church to proclaim here is the second reason that it's above all, here number two without the gospel there is no power in Christianity might be good goodbye to first commit 15 of yourself you still there knows what Paul says in the opening verses of that chapter.

He says now I would remind you, brothers and sisters of the gospel I preached to you, which you received in which you stand out sortie stand right to sue in in the gospel and by which watch this. You are being saved, if you will pass the word I preached to you, are being that is what we call progressive language.

Ongoing salvation is not just that you were saved once by believing the gospel. You were also being saved by believing the gospel that's active, present tense not only confuse Serge there are two dimensions of salvation is what we call positional salvation where you accept Christ, and in that instant, your sins are forgiven all of them right. You are given in that instant the righteousness of Christ. You are in that instantly complete in him, you are permanently adopted into God's family once and for all, like when you adopt a child legally.

There's not a gradual process in one instant right legally. The child goes for me and one family to being in another.

That's what happens when you accept Christ is what we call positional salvation, and that is not what Paul is referring to here what Paul is talking about here what he says you are being saved is what we call progressive salvation is referring to, to what happens after your positionally say that he says you grow progressively in Christ likeness for the rest of your life you mature and how does that happen right where is the power for that ongoing growth was he Paul says is in the same place that your initial salvation came from believing the gospel. You see Bert Sue chapter 15 verse two holding fast to the word of the gospel. We always say you grow in Christ the same way you began in Christ.

How did you you beginning Christ you began Christ by believing the gospel how you grow in Christ by holding fast to the gospel by really believing it. If you will, by meditating on it holding fast to easy. I grew up thinking that the gospel was only the entry right into Christianity like ABCs of Christianity that the door through which you entered the diving board off of what you jump into the pool of Christianity, and thus right. I just assumed that the gospel was primarily a message for unbelievers and then once you have received it will then you gotta move on from that into into the deep stuff into maturity, but that is not all. The gospel is football the gospel for Paul. You see in verse 1015 verse to the gospel is not just the diving board off of which we jump into the pool with the place we stand towards the gospel is the pool itself by not just the ABCs of Christianity the A-Z we grow in Christ, not by going beyond the gospel, but by pressing deeper into it. That's why Paul says that's why Paul says he is determined to know nothing except for Jesus Christ and him crucified right because that's what it means to grow is to go deeper into that message. So from whatever Paul is talking about he's going to come back to Jesus Christ and him crucified for clarity and what he should do and in the power to do that. Charles Spurgeon, the famous British pastor of the 19th century, famously said that at the end of every message he preached. He always wanted to plow a trough back to the gospel. The trough meant like a place that water could run through because he knew that whatever he was talking about when it was generosity or treat your spouse correctly or live in a holy life. He knew the power to do that came from believing in clinging to the cross. Great writers that right is that the fire to do in the Christian life comes only from being soaked in the fuel of what has been done the fire to do in the Christian life comes only come only from being soaked in the fuel. What has been done only when we realize that we can do nothing to impress God. Are we motivated from the heart to do everything to please I that's the second reason why our gospel has to be above all but as a church without the gospel the center is a church without power. I initially regret 1 More Pl. in Corinthians were Paul teaches that second Corinthians chapter 3 Jane Turner will faster upload on the screen here for you.

Also, what just beholding the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ. We are being transformed into the same image from 1� of glory to another. How are we transformed into glory by beholding the glory of the Lord in the face of Jesus Christ. How do we grow. In other words, in our love for God.

We see more Jesus we learn more about his love for us how we grow in obedience out of a growing self-control. I would run the fruit of the spirit right, we are transformed in all these things by seeing Jesus more clearly. So what should I be doing every time I stand up here and open the Bible for you why I should be helping you see Jesus, I used to teach the Bible like it was a book of heroes that you and I were supposed to emulate. You know, be a man after God's own heart. Like David Dare to be a Daniel in trust, like Timothy, a move like Moses and believe like Barnabas and persevere like Paul and smack him like Samson are women.

I could all series on these, okay RRR I thought the Bible is primarily a book of the list of things to obey.

Did you know there are total of 1663 rules in the Bible, 613 are in the Old Testament 1050 in the new, and so for me the Christian life is always like playing that you didn't guacamole member that game to play the fair where one engagement got hit you had another one. So one we got focus on these commands and obeying them in while doing out a bunch of others places this abuse, and pop up to the next.

We got focus on trying to walk the halls back down on that's what a lot of people approach the Christian life and it feels exhausted. Many contemporary teachers of God's word approach the Bible primarily like it's a book of practical advice. Now look at what it says about leadership and what it says about parenting and happiness, money and relationships in the center of it on the Bible has a lot to that. Okay the Bible is not primarily any others thinks the Bible is about Jesus is not a collection of heroes for you to emulate. It is the story of a Savior right that you're supposed hope in and adore the hero of the Bible is not me you were Daniel or David or Ruth or Barnabas, the hero of the Bible is Jesus is less a book of religious duties. You need to do for God and more. The story of what is done for you the story of a Savior who came to rescue us because we had broken all the rules and rejected all the advice and failed to live up to all the heroes and were so messed up that we couldn't put it all back together again so that he did for us and all we can do is is worship see if we want to be a church that fulfills our mission. The gospel has to be at the center. If we want to be a church with any kind of power any kind of spiritual power. The gospel has to be the center for Martin Luther, the 16th century reform's white why he always said the gospel is the doctrine on which the church rises or falls okay so so so so let's ask right.

What could go wrong at the summit church with this talk about things that could compete with the gospel. Above all, hear the summit church to give you just a quick handful of number one you hacked go wrong by putting a greater emphasis on due rather than done in many churches.

The emphasis starts to get put on what Christians should do instead of what out on what Jesus has done many churches in the old South where I grew up more focused on what Christian should wear and how we should talk of the movies we should go to not go to the music we to listen to and that wasn't the dress standards by many churches today the focus is all on on what social activism is appropriate for Christians what that looks like got politics that you should have some time to churches like ours. The focus tends to shift to what good Christians do in the church right a good Christian. As you are faithful in their attendance and they volunteer in the given small group and one-on-one discipleship relationship make a women's Bible study men's Bible study or you know whatever is good.

Christians are tired Christians right here. These are all that I just mentioned are all good things but they're not the message of the gospel. The gospel is not the message about anything that you should do the gospel is the message about what Christ is done in pulses of holding fast in that message. That's where the power is holding fast to the message is what enables you to do the good works of mercy and justice and compassion, not because you have to, but because you you desire to which is why we say here, the summit church that in every message there ought to come a point where your pin should go down in your eyes should go upward and you should stop saying oh my god look at all these things are going to do for you and he should start saying oh my god look at the wonderful things that you have done for me in the gospel and you just worship the emphasis of our message here should never be on on what Christians do.

It should be primarily what Jesus is done. I set the first one that's that's one way we could get away from the gospel of all. Number two, we can get away from it by just taking conversion for granted.

Churches can lose their gospel focus by taking the conversion of its members for granite people who grew up in the church right they usually adopt their communities morals right they believe in God.

They participate in church activities. They obey the laws, you know, there are generally good people, but but Jesus said that is not enough. If you are going to enter the kingdom of God. He said John 33 right you must be born again by the way, keep in mind.

Jesus said that to a super religious guy who kept all the rules and and thought that he was fine and Jesus said you're actually not fine right unless you're born again right, there must come a time when you acknowledge your sin and you cast yourself on the mercy of God personally and in and you receive him personally, as your Savior and then he comes in your life and when that happens, what Jesus says it is you show up in a change of heart. Right Jesus said of the born-again heart starts to to log different things and desire different things and starts to want to seek God, it starts to find sin repulsive. It's not that you become perfect, but you develop a disk taste, a disdain for sin friendly. Just ask is that change happened to you. You had that moment where you humbled yourself and receive Christ and gave yourself fully to him. Have you been born again. Have you, Jonathan Edwards, who leading our country's first great awakening. EEE said this almost every natural man who hears of health flatters himself that he shall escape but you won't escape. The only way to escape Jesus, that is to be born again. The only way unless you're born again by special act of God that changes your heart and washes away your sins, you, you will never enter the kingdom of God as the second thing is we could just supper the emphasis on on that morbid morning and the third thing that competes at her church with the gospel.

Above all, is his prioritizing preference or permission first convince non-Paul said that he would put aside all of his preferences for the sake of the gospel to reach more people for Jesus right you become. He sent a Jew to the Jew and Gentile. The Gentile right into whatever Tookie said to make the gospel accessible to people. He lay aside any preference he be more muted about certain political opinions and cultural perspectives and preferences of admit getting a grid getting a greater hearing for the gospel.

We've often said here.

The summit church that the way that you could know you're in a really gospel centered church is that at some point you feel culturally uncomfortable because because we might be doing something in that moment to read somebody else. It's not really designed for you my people, like laterally like that like it's not only for you were doing this because were trying to reach people in our community. If you want to be in a place in a church where everybody around you shares your preferences and mirrors your politics identically what you want is a Christian country club, not a church I can point you to several all over the South where you can you can find that here, here were going to put the gospel above all for the sake of reaching people, even when at times it makes us uncomfortable is Pastor Brian I said there should be no ethnic home team in the church of Jesus Christ. Okay, my last thing that threatens gospel bubble here. The summit church. Number four prioritizing uniformity and secondary thinks again for Paul say that the gospel was a first importance means that there were other important things to him. But the gospel alone was of first importance. Paul wouldn't let any other secondarily important things get in the way of the of the first importance. Think right that included not only is his preferences, but also his perspective.

His opinion his agenda on any secondary matter that he thought got in the way of preaching the gospel. We see this by the way, not just in Paul and his letters that we see pretty clearly the life of Jesus on several tops on one of the clearest to me is occurs in Luke chapter 12 about halfway through the chapter there is a younger of two brothers come to Jesus and he accuses his older brother of leveraging the older brother privilege for the old brother position to cheat the younger brother out of his inheritance. Now you read the Old Testament at all you know immediately that justice is close to God's heart and so Jesus cares deeply about issues of injustice yet instead of giving this brother a specific, you might even say political answer to this dispute. See Jesus pull back from adjudicating it. In fact what he says is man who may be a judge of you, so that instead of doing that he could warn both of them younger and older brother about the idolatry of money and preach the gospel to them both because in light of eternity.

That's ultimately the much more pressing question again is not the Jesus didn't care about speaking to to justice issues really care about these issues. He did just that to get involved in that one specifically would hinder him from his one first importance mission, which is preaching the gospel to all people, not to be clear, this is not to say that Christians don't don't speak injustice or political issues.

Individual Christians must individual Christians to get involved at all levels seeking justice in shalom is a Hebrew word meaning piece for the society just for us, the church as an institution we focus our platform. On the one thing the first importance that is the preaching of the gospel and that means that we as a church right at AAA. As we preach the gospel and as we proclaim God's standards of justice and we pull back from offering political solutions or individual applications or interpreting situations and circumstances.

That's all we had to do and I've often heard it said there see is helpful to think of the church's organization and organism is an organizational local church like us as an organization we have a pretty narrow focus when it comes to proclaiming the gospel and just what the Bible says right but as an organism individual members.

You guys are out in the community and your taking the message that you learn things in your applying them in the community. That means a business and politics in education.

I that's not all the churches organization that's not our responsibility.

Our responsibility is to teach and inspire you. So we limit our platform to what the Bible directly says I am the gospel and then you is the organism out in society are the ones that are in politics and things like that. Taking the way you understand it you just helpful to keep the distinction organization organism is an organization were very limited in what we we we we we define ourselves by as an organism, we can't involved in everything gospel. See above all, all the other values organelle off I go over the next few weeks are going to come off of this one.

We have to get this one right gospel. Above all, is what unites us and what defines her success in the season right, we say be the movement. We need to be a gospel movement, a gospel above all movement okay. Few weeks ago I told you about a guy named count Zinzendorf who lived in the early 18th century who started one of the greatest mission movements in history.

Okay his one line motto for his life and define the movement I told you was preach the gospel die and be forgotten without phrasing galvanized an entire generation to literally change the world preach the gospel die and be forgotten summit. I could not think of a better motto for our church.

I can think of a better motto motto for me individually or for you preach the gospel die and be forgotten. That's our oldest generation is our role in this moment, so my questions for you. You receive the gospel you been born again. If not you can do that right now you just pray a prayer that while we all bow our heads if you've never been born again or you're not sure that you have. You couldn't have that happen right now. The same Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner who needs to be saved to Satan from your heart. I know that I'm a sinner need to be saved. I surrender my life to you right now and I receive your offer of salvation, but I pray for every friend, neighbor, family member, pray that prayer that I pray that she would show them got how to continue to walk with you.

Given the strength to do that.

We pray in Jesus name, amen. Listen if you pray that prayer want you to let us know right now, but they got your phone and texting JES US to this number 339-333-3933 that's the summit's new five digit code you text Jesus there will know what you mean by that should do that right now you pray that prayer with me is my other question I gospel above all. Have you given yourself to the gospel mission who in your life needs to hear the gospel is that's where we go from here as we are thinking about right where we need to take gospel needs to hear