Upholding & Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ
We, as a local body of followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, do covenant together to make disciples of all nations and to promote one another to good works and mature faith in Christ.
To this end, we promise to God and each other that we will:
Uphold and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Jude 1:3)
This has to be where we begin and end in our covenant. This is our hope and the reason we exist. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 is clear that the Gospel is of 'first importance.' These few verses are a wonderful and succinct declaration of the Gospel. Our covenant unites us to uphold and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This means that it is the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ that holds us and unites us. 1 Corinthians 15:19 says that we should be the most pitied people if Christ isn’t alive and that our faith is only hopeful in these days of our lives.
But - He is alive! He is our hope and He is the reason that we covenant together. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we are reconciled to the Father now and eternally. Rejoice today that salvation is in Christ alone and that it is by faith alone that anyone is saved!
My prayer for us as a church in the next ten years is that we will only grow in ever-increasing joy and confidence in the Gospel. Sadly, the Gospel becomes a side-note over time in some church families. The focus becomes more on the social focus of the day or a shift to a current marketing strategy in hopes to get people to ‘come to church.’ But, we read in Jude 1:3, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
The Lord has given an amazing stewardship to us as the people that must contend for the faith in the generations we represent that there is no faith apart from the Gospel. As I reflect back over the past 10 years at M28, I remember having conversations time and time again just resting in God’s command to be solely about the Gospel in all we do as a Church.
Therefore, M28, let’s never forget what is of ‘first importance’ and may we always be a people that will ‘contend for the faith’ as we uphold and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Next week I will reflect on the second statement of our covenant as I rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us in our first 10 years as a local Church.
Blessings,
Matt
But - He is alive! He is our hope and He is the reason that we covenant together. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we are reconciled to the Father now and eternally. Rejoice today that salvation is in Christ alone and that it is by faith alone that anyone is saved!
My prayer for us as a church in the next ten years is that we will only grow in ever-increasing joy and confidence in the Gospel. Sadly, the Gospel becomes a side-note over time in some church families. The focus becomes more on the social focus of the day or a shift to a current marketing strategy in hopes to get people to ‘come to church.’ But, we read in Jude 1:3, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
The Lord has given an amazing stewardship to us as the people that must contend for the faith in the generations we represent that there is no faith apart from the Gospel. As I reflect back over the past 10 years at M28, I remember having conversations time and time again just resting in God’s command to be solely about the Gospel in all we do as a Church.
Therefore, M28, let’s never forget what is of ‘first importance’ and may we always be a people that will ‘contend for the faith’ as we uphold and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Next week I will reflect on the second statement of our covenant as I rejoice in God’s faithfulness to us in our first 10 years as a local Church.
Blessings,
Matt
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