2011 GLCC 15th ANNIVERSARY MESSAGE SERIES 1: INTRODUCTION I. INTROI. INTRO  This past year God had blessed us tremendously, especially in terms of growth and of service opportunities.  However, we are yet, as church, to experience the renewing of our passion for God.

~ This year’s theme is a continuation of last year’s theme but is more sharply focused on what is possibly the key aspect to experiencing the renewal of our passion for the Lord. II. WHERE ARE OUR LIVES CENTERED?  Each of our lives is centered on something.

~ What’s really the main thing in your life? ~ What is it that defines you?~ What is it that defines you? III. THE ONLY ESSENTIALIII. THE ONLY ESSENTIAL  Paul answers that question for us in 1Cor 15:1-3.  “Of first importance” ~ Paul is pointing us to the one transcendent truth that should define our lives.

 One overarching truth should motivate all our work and affect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins.  IF THERE’S ANYTHING IN LIFE WE SHOULD BE PASSIONATE ABOUT, IT’S THE GOSPEL. ~ That is why our 15 th year theme is Recovering the Passion for the Gospel in the Believer’s Daily Life. ~ And I don’t mean passionate only about sharing it with others.

 But the passion I would like us to focus on in greater measure this year is passion in thinking about the gospel, reflecting upon it, rejoicing in it, allowing it to color the way we look at the world and all of life, letting it influence even the different ordinary details of our daily lives.

 Jerry Bridges: “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it.” ~ In the Scriptures we discover a profound urgency for focusing all we are and everything we do around the gospel of the cross.

IV. OUR CONSTANT DANGERIV. OUR CONSTANT DANGER  D. A. Carson: “I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.”

 John Stott: “All around us we see Christians and churches relaxing their grasp on the gospel, fumbling it, and in danger of letting it drop from their hands altogether.”  C. J. Mahaney: “Every day, we all face the temptation to move away from the gospel, to let it drop from our hands and hearts.”

~ And he cites three main tendencies in particular tend to draw us away: 1. Subjectivism, which means basing our view of God on our changing feelings and emotions. 2. Legalism, which means basing our relationship with God on our own performance. 3. Condemnation, which means being more focused on our sin than on God’s grace.

 That is why the first and most important thing we can do — always — is simply to make sure the gospel is at the very center of our lives.  Let us strive to do whatever it takes to make the gospel our passion, both as individuals and as a church. ~ Let us ask God to change our hearts so we can personally affirm for our own lives the words of Gal 6:14.

V. WE NEVER MOVE ON  David Prior: “We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.” ~ The cross and its meaning aren’t something we ever master.  Some symptoms that arise from not being cross centered You often lack joy. You often lack joy. Your love for God lacks passion. Your love for God lacks passion.

You’re not consistently growing in spiritual maturity. You’re not consistently growing in spiritual maturity. You often find yourself trying to win the favor God and man. You often find yourself trying to win the favor God and man. You sometimes feel that there are some things you do that help earn a few heavenly points. You sometimes feel that there are some things you do that help earn a few heavenly points. You’re always looking for some new technique, some “new truth” or new experience to pull all the pieces of your faith together. You’re always looking for some new technique, some “new truth” or new experience to pull all the pieces of your faith together.

 As we recover the passion for the gospel in our daily lives as believers we’ll learn… how to break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and living. how to break free from joy-robbing, legalistic thinking and living. how to get off the “performance treadmill”. how to get off the “performance treadmill”. how to leave behind the crippling effects of guilt and condemnation. how to leave behind the crippling effects of guilt and condemnation.

how to stop basing your faith on your emotions and circumstances. how to stop basing your faith on your emotions and circumstances. how to grow in gratefulness, joy, and holiness. how to grow in gratefulness, joy, and holiness.  Let me point out that these are God’s promises to all who keep responding with their whole lives to the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Too many of Christians have moved on from that glorious plan.

 Mahaney: “But it’s not too late to change. It’s not too late to restate and reestablish the obvious truth as the most important truth in your life — and to be caught up as never before in wonder over the love and grace of God.”