-

The Gospels That We Embrace

I want you to consider which gospel you have and are embracing? (Pause)

In my experience most Evangelicals think “the gospel” is fixed and defined. Is summarized in a few sentences, called the Romans Road or the ABCs to getting saved. Usually treated like it is a 3-minute exclamation point for the sermon.

But I think there are actually many different gospels preached in evangelical churches.

A gospel is better seen as the sum total of our thoughts about God, it includes what the world is, how it works, why it and we exist.

That is a more thorough description of a gospel.

“How to get to heaven” through Jesus Christ, as wonderful and true as that is, is only part of the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, as was brought into the world with Christ. There is much more to hear and to preach.

Like a prostitute selling and twisting a great and precious thing, for money. The purpose is off. Similarly when the purpose of the preaching gets other than the Lord speaking through a person, then the emphasis is departed from the Lord’s intent for engaging in preaching in the first place. Then it often becomes not just off-base a little, but false.

“How to get to heaven” many evangelicals have surgically removed, and made it the whole, then sprinkled 52 other gospels around it for other reasons. So much sprinkling that they are almost false gospels (depending on the preacher), because the emphases are so far off on tangents.

Gospels, when embraced produce certain types of loyal and committed followers. The gospel of Islam produces a certain type of wildly committed radical follower.

Similarly in Christ certain gospels produce the type of Christian individuals and communities.

There is a gospel that produces teams of Christians who hire someone to gather around, a professional to lead and to head and to orchestrate the meetings. Someone who serves to isolate them from those they disagree with and don’t like. Someone to tell them when to come, how much to give, when to sit, when to leave, when to repeat after me, when to fellowship. And through sermons someone to tell them what is the mind of Christ as a weekly audience.

But fortunately as we read about in scripture there is also a gospel that connects people to the spirit of Jesus Christ. Who then gather as bodies of Christians. Who gather at his leading. Who leads a people to all contribute and who all one by one prophecy the greatness of Jesus Christ one. They allow Jesus Christ to lead, head and even orchestrate each meeting through every member in submission and in cooperation. And they together uncover the will and the mind of Christ. Assembling daily as the body of Jesus Christ in the earth in order to display the glory of God in the earth, to challenge the principalities and powers. And to usher fallen and dead humanity into the new humanity which has already begun in Jesus Christ.

Someday if the Lord allows it, I’ll teach and preach that glorious gospel.

Comments 0
-

Found Within God’s Pleasure

Recently I watched a live stream of a Christian meeting.

I disagreed with much of the doctrine preached. But I also agreed with much of the doctrine preached, I’d say it was about 50/50.

It was a meeting where everyone was welcome to come up grab the mic and share. Some sharing was profound and intellectual, some was simplistic and childlike.

I believe this meeting pleased the Lord, not for its accurate doctrine but for the free and open sharing. Something about the meeting I believe pleased the Lord.

When God’s people are unchained and free to share, the spirit speaks through every member. Nobodies by human terms, Jesus followers who hold no status allowed to proclaim and share what Jesus is speaking to them.

This pleased the Lord, I could sense it. And when God is pleased there is glory. Glory is the pleasure of God. God saw it, and it was good.

That is point of life for the Jesus follower. The glory of Jesus Christ found within the pleasure of the Father.

Comments 0
-

What is the Glory of Man?

The glory of man is the greatness and majesty of a person’s presence, their accomplishments and power.

The glory of man in much of history is most evident and on display in the glory of battle or wars. The glory of the warrior was essentially what was spoken of by the masses about the warrior in their life or in their deaths.

Getting into the history books is essentially an example of striving for glory, especially in war and in conquering of other warriors and nations. Alexander the Great was given glory for conquering so many nations. Genghis Khan was and is given glory because of the extreme toughness of his conquering and even the spreading of his genetics all over Asia through the women he had gained by conquest.

Rome used to have as one of its major motivations “for the glory of Rome.”

The Olympics gave glory to the greatest athletes with a wreath, today we do it with valuable medals hung around the neck.

The gods that were worshiped around the world had varying degrees of glory ascribed to them.

Today people strive for glory and greatness through many things, to summarize the concept of the glory of man, I defer to my April 2018 blog post.

“The glory of man is to rule over others, it is to have an empire of others to command. It is also to make our ways known and dominant (as in military conquest, or as in leadership vision for a nation or organization). And often it is to have others enrich us financially.“

https://AdamCollier.com/new-type-of-gods-glory/

Pursuit and striving for the glory of man ofen creates turf wars among people. It causes us to compete with others. It causes us to abandon bearing one another’s burdens for competitive battling.

Roman emperors, warriors and even citizenry were greatly motivated by the glory of man. The glory of man is synonymous with the pride of life. Read the history books and it is often on display.

Words and phrases used today (in 2021) to describe the glory of man include, “living your best life now.” “Living a fulfilled life.” People “crushing it” in reference to their constnat successes in life. Making the world a better place, when we are actually most often just imposing our wills upon others.

Watch the popular play called Hamilton about the American founding father, Alexander Hamilton. It’s a great display of men striving fir glory.

“History has its eye on us,” was a motivating factor for these men.

Pursuing the glory of man is also a major foundation to human government and in the Gospel of the State. Which is the message of human government which enthralls so many people today and which I am attempting to write a book about.

The glory of man can even be seen in churches these days. By some leaders who use their skills at speaking and leading to accumulate glory unto themselves. It causes them to be competitive with other leaders. It causes them to engage in turf wars. Evidenced by gossiping from the pulpit about other leaders or personal critics. And by the desire to feel dominant over others who would dare not give them the respect they feel they deserve.

Some of the most respected and gifted ministers from the past and present clearly struggle with this need for their glory. And with a tendency to get caught up in turf wars with other ministers and leaders.

Sometimes I wonder if it is better to not be gifted and talented, for those that set out to serve the Lord full time. As it so often gives the servant of God a spiritual handicap. And it can form a foundation for the pride of life. And an addiction to receiving and expecting glory from fans as they fulfill THEIR vision for the church.

The Glory is a man is someting that should go unsatified, unfulfilled and left undone in the lives of those who are relentlessly in pursuit of Jesus Christ.

Comments 0

Stay Up To Date With Email

​-

I use & recommend Bluehost, buy your domain and hosting here!

Get Adam’s From His Side Book Here! Its about Church Transformaton from Institutional Church to Living Ecclesia

Visitors

  • 52,995 hits

Connect on Twitter

en_USEnglish
en_USEnglish