Gospel-centred life and ministry
We read the great commission in Matthew 28:18 and the preacher explained the four steps it includes:
- Sharing the gospel (hope in Christ): It is an idea/philosophy that is shared.
- Baptising: Once people believe, we baptise them. This is how the new believer lives out the gospel. When a person does that, they have access to the community of God.
- Teaching: The curriculum is all that Jesus has commanded and they must obey.
- Renewal of mind: The mind is renewed and the people get the lifestyle of a disciple. This is a physical/visible/tangible proof of concept.
Step 1 to 4 is Philosophy > Action > Philosophy > Action respectively.
People are getting added to churches but somewhere the church has forgot about teaching.
We reflected on Ephesians 2: 1-5 which tells us that we were dead but Jesus made as alive through His work on the cross. The preacher said that in this new life of hope through Him, as we obey/continue to obey, we will eventually behave like Christ: We won’t react/we will respond.
To be like Him, we need to be taught. When we are obey what we learn, all areas of our life will change: Character and habits, professional/work life, life under authority, community (neighbours), marriage and parenting, and church life,
Jesus wants every area of our life changed (Colossians 2:6-8). We heard the gospel and now it demands a lifestyle like Him (being rooted, built up, strengthened as you were taught).
We do this by following what Colossians 3:5-10 (NLT) advises: Putting to death what is sinful and earthly lurking (in the hidden crevices of the heart that we have not dealt with). The preacher explains that death means a full stop/nothing after it. He also explained about the vices mentioned in the verses such as greed which means that we have but are not satisfied and want more. Sometimes, we take debts (use credit card) and are a slave to it. And per verse 10: as you learn… become like Him (this is how we you on a new behaviour).
Colossians 3:12-17 talks about clothing yourselves (putting on a new self; removing the past), bearing with one another, and so on. Even when Jesus knew He was to be betrayed, He gave bread dipped in wine to Judas which was symbolic of His loving the traitor. If we are to become like Christ, we must learn to do all this.
The preacher than paraphrased the concept in digital paradigm:
- Uninstall the world, its patterns, and impressions (else it will destroy us)
- Install the gospel
He advised us to study the word and make an effort to learn consciously as it does not happen automatically by owning/keeping a Bible and asked us to attend the first principles study that the church is conducting.