A Recommendation: A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent

by Adam Bailie

Over the course of my Christian life I have read many influential books, been given many more influential books, and had countless books recommended to me for my growth in Christ. As pastors, our desire is to point you in the direction of the best resources for your growth in Christ and your understanding of His Word. This morning I would like to highlight one such resource: A Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent. If there are only a few books that you read thoroughly and repeatedly in your life, this one should be counted worthy of the list!

There is nothing more foundational to the Christian life than the power of God in the Gospel (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 1:18). It is our source of life, foundation of hope, focus of worship and motivation for obedience. This is the Christian life...it is all about the Gospel! I am indebted to A Gospel Primer for its clear and concise help in preaching the Gospel daily to my own heart.

You may wonder why such self-preaching is so necessary and beneficial to your Christian growth in grace. Please consider Milton’s first of thirty-one answers to such a question: “The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom), so scandalous (according to my timid heart), that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should. There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemning of my heart, and the lies of the world and Devil than to overwhelm such things with the daily rehearsal of the gospel” (pg. 14). The Gospel is our daily need, it must be our daily meditation, for it alone is our truth claim in the face of so many lies.

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The Power of God

By David Morris

Maybe it’s the boy in me, but I’ve always enjoyed seeing raw power on display. Whether it was my dad lifting objects I hardly thought possible, a tank steamrolling over everything in its path, or just a good old-fashioned explosion of something. Power awes me.

As I was reading 1 Corinthians 1:18, however, I was struck with what Paul said the power of God is. What comes to your mind when you think about the power of God? Do you wish you could see it on display? Do you long for a powerful God to show Himself in your life? Maybe you wish you could see God’s power in signs and wonders, or maybe a brilliant display in nature. Paul emphatically declares that you can know and see God’s power on display. Here’s how: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 

Notice Paul does not say the cross is the power of God. He says the word of the cross is the power of God. The declaration of the cross, the Gospel message, the pronouncement of the sacrificial death of Jesus—this is the power of God. If you want to see the power of God most clearly on display, then listen to the word of the cross. This verse echoes the same thought of Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” 

Notice too that this display of God’s power is not universal. The cross message is only God’s power to those who are being saved. Unbelievers cannot hear about the crucifixion and see God’s power in it, nor can they experience that saving power. God’s power is on display in the Gospel only for believers. If you cannot see God’s power in the Gospel, you cannot know His salvation. If you do see His power in the Gospel, you cannot stop marveling.

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The Greatest Commandment

by Andy Muxlow

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

God’s clear and simple command is a refreshing reminder of our primary call as believers. In Matthew 22:37, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6 when asked by the Pharisees which is the greatest commandment in the Law. We are to genuinely love God with everything we have and in everything we do. Does all our ministry activity begin out of a love for God or has any root of legalism and routine robbed us of serving Him? It is important to ask ourselves the simple question “Why do we do what we do?” Our motives are of utmost concern to our Lord. Our heavenly Father sent His Son to pay for our sins on the cross. Let this reality drive us to live out our love for Him from renewed hearts.

This pure command of Scripture should be on our minds throughout the day. It should be a part of our daily conversation with our children and our meditation in the normal activities of the day. What a gift from our gracious God! It makes it difficult to have a bad day.

So, the question you might ask is “How do I do this?” I believe the answer is in the command. LOVE GOD with all your heart, soul and might. As you walk in the Spirit, God will enable you to obey His commands and He will receive all the glory. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey me.” I pray you will be refreshed in your love and devotion to our Christ and His wonderful saving grace.

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Hear and Do? I Gotta Take Notes!

by Garth Gaddy

If you are like me, you struggle when it comes to remembering the specifics of what is said during a sermon, particularly after a day or so. Left to my brain power alone I will likely remember the topic and scripture reference, but after a day I struggle to recollect the main point and content details. Come Wednesday at GraceGroup, I recall very little without reminders. For that reason, I take notes during our pastors’ sermons.

Our goal is to be hearers and doers of God’s Word (James 1:22-25). To hear and do implies application. This requires knowledge of the passage and message, and subsequent conversion to application. It’s a chain with two links: knowledge and application. We can’t just know and not apply. That would be disobedient to God’s Word. But we also can’t apply unless we know. Note-taking helps to cement the knowledge in our brains. As we hear and write, the teaching takes on not only an aural but also a visual component. It is also a mechanism for review prior to GraceGroups so that we come prepared to share how God’s Word is applicable to us.

Our pastors’ teaching is very note-friendly. They make it easy for us by repetitively giving the main point and list of sub-points at the beginning, sometimes using alliteration. Pastor-given application may be included after each sub-point or all at the end. If you are not accustomed to note-taking and find it difficult, don’t get frustrated. Start slowly, trying to capture the main point, the sub-points and some application. Work up from there to additional content as you get better. Remember, though, to seek the Holy Spirit’s leading in how God’s Word applies to you.

I keep all my notes in spiral notebooks on my bookshelf at home. This adds the side benefit of having an archive. On more than one occasion I have forgotten the details of a sermon that I needed for discussion. At these times, my note archive really comes in handy.

I have found that note-taking is essential for me to be a “doer” of God’s Word, and very likely it is for you too.

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Uncomfortable yet Comforting Questions

by Adam Bailie

I have been reading Job in my personal worship and this past week I finally arrived at my favorite section of Job, chapters 38-42. Having read chapters 1-37 more thoroughly than normal, this section was increasingly uncomfortable to read yet comforting in its implications. Job made his final challenge toward “the Almighty” in 31:35, followed by the rebuke and defense of God by Elihu in chapters 32-37. In 38:1, Yahweh answered the challenge of 31:35. God’s initial response is made up of a call to attention (38:3), a series of questions (38:4-39) and a rebuke (40:1-2). Each of the questions God asked suffering and complaining Job slams down like a sledgehammer, but each of the answers God implied comforts like the firm grasp of a daddy’s hand.

Suffering Christian, consider these realities and stop challenging God for answers:

1. Your God laid the foundation of the earth (38:4).
2. Your God determined the measurements of the universe (38:5-7).
3. Your God set the limits for the waters of the earth (38:8-11).
4. Your God commands the dawning of morning every day (38:12).
5. Your God produces all snow, hail, wind and rain (38:22-30).
6. Your God produces and preserves the constellations (38:31-33).
7. Your God commands storms and weather (38:34-38).
8. Your God feeds the animals of the wild (38:39-41).
9. Your God watches the goats, donkeys, oxen, ostriches, horses and hawks (39:1-30).
10. Your God has no worthy opponents (40:1-2).

This is your God, your Father through the adoption granted in Christ. He knows you and your circumstance, and He desires and accomplishes your good for His glory (Rom. 8:28-30).

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