What Does it Mean To Be “Radically Gospel-Centered?”
So if the gospel is the news of what God has done and will do through Jesus, what does it mean for our church to be “radically gospel-centered,” and why is it important that we are?
Paul tells us in Romans that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation.” The gospel is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses to rescue people from sin and transform us into the people we were made to be. This is where the power for all church ministry is found. For this reason Trinity’s message, its method, and its mission all need to be defined by the gospel.
Let’s start with Trinity’s message. The gospel is not just something we begin with when we become Christians before going on to other teaching; it is always to be our focus, in every area of our lives. My goal every Sunday morning is to help us as a church understand some aspect of what God has done and will do through Jesus. In our small groups and our leadership training, we want our discussions always to center upon the gospel. Our hope is that even in our informal conversations and our own personal reflection, we will find ourselves talking about what Jesus has done.
This is because the gospel also determines Trinity’s method. Do we want to know God? The gospel is what enables us to do this. Do we want to be better parents? We need the gospel. Do we want deeper love within our congregation, more effective outreach to our neighborhoods, the ability to be content, strength to withstand temptation, or a deeper prayer life? Only the news of what Jesus has done, heard and spoken in the context of prayer and loving relationships, can bring these about.
Finally, the gospel defines Trinity’s mission: it tells us what Trinity exists to do in this world. As the gospel tells us of God’s works of reconciliation and restoration through Jesus, it also calls us to participate in these works. It is this last point that is the foundation for our other two core values, which I hope to discuss in the coming weeks.
See you Sunday!
