Centrality of the Gospel

Because I am on break this week I have the joy and honor of devoting more time than I usually do to listening to sermons and studying more Hebrew :-) The latter is for a test next week and the former for my own spiritual life.

Yesterday I was listening to the sermons/lectures given at the Desiring God Conference from last fall, I had two friends spend their honeymoon there and heard a great deal about it from them, but I finally decided to take a listen to what was said in her entirety. As I listened to Keller's talk and excerpts from Driscoll, who I am still listening to, I was reminded of the fact that the gospel is the main thing. This is why I exist and this is what needs preached. I heard this amazing message from CJ Mahaney's Living the Cross Centered Life, but I have not yet sat down and thought out the logical consequences of that. As Driscoll preached, it is a must for churches to stand on the gospel and make it known that is why that body of believers exists.

Josh Harris takes this further and applies this to our educational and political ideology. Do we want to be known as Homeschoolers or do we want to be known as Republicans over our Christian identity? Political parties are not bad in and of themselves but if they take precedent over our identity in Christ. Here is only one aspect of that logical consequence I mentioned earlier.

Here is Harris:


I know it is easy for reformed churches to stand on a particular issue. Someplaces that is necessary to be counter cultural. At Meadville this Summer I learned the impact of having Session Controlled Communion can have in an area where Communion is a light and pithy thing in liberal churches. (Welcome to Meadville- liberal churches at every corner.) Do we want to be known as psalm-singers? Do we want to be known as political activists? Private Schooling? Creationism? While these are all good things - should not the Gospel be the center of our lives privately and ecclesiastically?
[HT Josh Harris]