The list of books I have read this week covers a broad range
of topics. This final book, Creature of the Word; The Jesus-Centered
Church, orients it all back to where it belongs: with Christ.
When I was in seminary, we were required to critique our classmates’
sermons. The litmus test we used was
this question: “When did Jesus show up?”
Respected voices in the preaching world
may contend that not every sermon has to speak the name of Jesus, that the
gospel is still being preached. Yet, I
resonate with Charles Spurgeon who said, “You do not really preach the gospel
if you leave Christ out—if He is omitted, it is not the gospel!” (Christ’s Triple Character, 1878).
Authors Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson and Eric Geiger, chose
the subtitle “Jesus-Centered” rather than “Gospel-Centered” because they
recognize that “although the gospel does impact everything, everything is not
the gospel” (7). Creature of the Word
is how the Reformers described the church; the church is birthed from God’s Word. Anything less or more is flawed and
dangerous.
This book, written by pastors, covers almost every area of
ministry. I share with you a number of
quotes that I found provocative or inspiring.
Enjoy:
If we lose sight of who Jesus is, “Our churches end of with
a God who is safe, but weak; domesticated, but limited” (32).
“The reality is that everybody is a theologian; some of us
have just unwittingly become heretics” (35).
“Worship gatherings are not always spectacular, but they are
always supernatural” (42).
“While our faith is indeed very personal, it is definitely
not private” (45).
“Cultural frustration [they are talking about your church’s
culture] always precedes cultural transformation” (118).
“Corporate worship celebrates what God has done” (114).
“The church budget is a doctrinal statement” (192).
The church shouldn’t just survive, but thrive (218).
“Ministry will always be inefficient… We must recognize the
limitation of best practices, then begin to reprioritize our approach to
ministry” (230).
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