Text Box: Dear Congregation of God: Recently a person who has been attending our church for some time noted that I have a habit in my preaching of returning to the “same old gospel message.” I’m not sure whether or not they intended that as a compliment, but I take it as the highest compliment. I believe that more than anything else the church today desperately needs a gospel revolution. More than fads, slick programs, and power preachers, God’s people need a return to a “gospel-driven life.” This month, seven years ago, Rick Warren published the hugely successful book “The Purpose Driven Life.” It was on the New York Times best-seller list for nearly 100 weeks, has sold more than 30 million copies and been translated into over 50 languages. Rarely do I visit a home that does not have the book on the book shelf. Rick Warren’s record breaking book has become a cultural icon to this generation, as nothing seems more appealing and important to people than to know that their lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. Churches and organizations have revamped themselves and even reorganized themselves around Warren’s five purposes for the fulfilled life. Warren says that the book is not a self-help book but is actually “anti-self help” as it points people away from themselves to find purpose and fulfillment. Thus Warren begins the book with the now famous line, “It’s not about you.” I’d like to suggest another way to understand what it means to have a purpose-driven life. When I look at the scriptures it seems that Jesus and the Apostles clearly had a purpose. It was clear, and it was singular. Their purpose was the gospel. The Bible tells us that the purpose driven life is the gospel-driven life. It is the life that sees the gospel as the epicenter of all of life and interprets and pursues life in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let me be more specific in what I mean when I say we should pursue a gospel-driven life. In Philippians, Paul tells us that the gospel-driven life is a life committed to the advancement of the gospel (1:12). The gospel-driven life sees all of life’s circumstances as being orchestrated by God for the advancement of His agenda, namely that all his creatures will hear and believe the good news of salvation. A gospel-driven life understands that the gospel is never hindered by our circumstances, no matter how dire. The only thing that hinders the gospel is our attitude in my circumstances. We also see that the gospel-driven life is a life set for the defense of the gospel (1:16). The gospel-driven life is a defense ministry. It is not self-defense but gospel-defense. Scripture teaches that we can not defend ourselves and defend the gospel at the same time. We can not be all important and the gospel all important. Paul reminds us that his ministry in prison was not self-defense, but gospel-defense. Lastly, the gospel-driven life is the life that rejoices in the gospel (1:18). The gospel-driven life has one purpose --- to see the gospel celebrated and made much of. If it means that I have to be debased and even scorned, though it won’t be easy, I will rejoice --- not because I suffer, but because my suffering (Continued on the next page) Text Box: “The Gospel Driven Life”

LYCOMING CENTRE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Text Box: July 2009 Text Box: Volume 2009, Issue 6