The Gospel and The Law

May 30, 2007 Print This Post

.:mood:. Great
.:itunes:. Get A Room by The Psychedelic Furs

The series we are going through right now at Riverview has been great. It’s cool to have conversations with people who are beginning to really grasp their faith in Jesus deeper through understanding the Law.

I ran into this cartoon and it reminded me of the series:

Gracious
( via nakedpastor)

Also, my friend Michael (internetmonk.com) was inspired to rant about the Gospel after listening to my message. Please take time to read his entire post, but if you’re too lazy to click on a link you can just read this excerpt (emphasis mine):

The Gospel tells you to repent and believe, but it doesn’t tell you everything to do, or everything to think. It doesn’t give you the responsibility to make the other guy into a better person or to make the world safe for democracy. The Gospel doesn’t make salvation a matter of saving the culture or even your kids. The Gospel isn’t a new law, and it’s not a new agenda. Jesus saves. That’s the Gospel. You can apply it. You can take it and follow Jesus, but don’t get too far from the Gospel or you’ll wind up just another annoying legalist…

The Gospel isn’t a ball of playdough waiting to be shaped into whatever happens to be of interest to me. It doesn’t serve political parties. It doesn’t sell books. It doesn’t make megachurches really cool. It purchases a people, saves them and changes their hearts to belong to God, not to the world.

The Gospel is simple. It’s free. It overturns us and our little party. It says things we don’t want religion to say, but that’s ok, because it’s not religion. The Gospel upsets people who are startled by its power and universal application. The Gospel can get you crucified, and then it’s even more powerful.

The Gospel breaks your heart over your own sin, and shuts you up about the other guy’s sin…

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Growing up in the Lansing area, I wanted nothing more than to get out. My exit strategy included a complex mixture of schemes for an urban church plant, iProducts, and an elaborate Bollywood car chase scene with zombies and catchy techno music.

As a 40 year old man, I find myself entrenched in the Lansing area at a church I love (Riverview), with 4 kids I love more (a high schooler, a junior higher, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler), and a wife I love the most (Grace).

Instead of planting one church, I dream of helping hundreds get started without ever leaving my home base. I still love my iProducts and use them as tools to help lead and teach the thousands who attend Riverview. And when no one is looking, I blare the techno music and send my unimpressive resume to casting agents for Bollywood zombie films.

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