Feb 10, 2011 Making Romans 8 Known Together
Originally posted on November 14, 2006
Two things have come together for us here at Grace in a powerful way. First, we have been meditating on Romans 8 together for several weeks. Second, this is Grace Missions Month. The timing of these two events is significant. It is only right that as the grace of Christ so massively revealed in this great chapter of the Bible takes hold of us, we would want our city and the world to hear and believe. Hearing and believing requires someone to make it known. So, Grace Missions Month is about how we can together make Romans 8 known beyond our church.
To make the gospel known together, we must be a church shaped by the gospel. The grace of God in the cross of Christ is to be the single most important reality in our lives, shaping everything about us. The more the message of Romans 8 is pressed into the realities of our relationships, priorities, aspirations, and activities, the more we are gospel shaped and the more authentic our witness of God’s grace will be.
To make the gospel known together, we must be in the world as a gospel shaped church. Jesus does not want His church to be like the world, for then we would lose the gospel. Nor does Jesus want His church to be isolated from the world, for then the world would never hear the gospel. Jesus wants His church to be in the world, with the gospel, for His glory, giving credible witness to God’s grace in word and deed.
To make the gospel known together, we must go to all the world to establish more gospel shaped churches. There are cities, towns and villages in the world that do not have enough churches to give an opportunity to hear the gospel. That’s why we give money and send people to plant churches. Churches pray, give, and send to plant churches so the message of Romans 8 can be known.
We must make the gospel known together. I am asking every member of Grace to live in covenant with this church by loving, praying, giving, serving, sending, and possibly even going. It will take everyone at Grace working together for us to make the gospel known.
Learn How To Make Romans 8 Known
Join me this Saturday for the Grace Missions Gathering. The gathering is dedicated to sharing practical ways you can each make missions a part of your everyday life.
Grace Missions Gathering
Saturday, November 18
9:00- Noon
Something for all ages
( E-mail the church office if you plan to bring children)
Pastor Scott