The following establishes some biblical convictions for asking God to form Redeemer Church into a Gospel Centered Disciple Making Family.

In Scripture, God explains that He built the church for His mission and not a mission for His church. The extraordinary mission is to magnify God's glory. God acts to elevate His glory, which involves the totality of His nature, greatness, holiness, righteousness, omnipotence, omniscience, eternality, love, and justice. Isaiah 43:7 states, "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Clearly, God makes us for His glory. Therefore, we should and are called to elevate God's glory. How can Redeemer Church do this?

The answer lies in understanding the central message of God's word. Often, as Redeemer Church, we talk about being Gospel Centered. What does that mean? Well, let us begin by discussing how God chose to elevate His glory and accomplish His mission. First, let's emphasize that the mission was designed in the mind and heart of God. Thus, the mission is eternal. And graciously, the Church (expressed as local churches) is the vehicle for God's mission to move forward. The mission God laid out in the Bible involves rescuing His chosen people from a life of rebellion, sin, and death and dwelling with Him forever. God has always known His people and wrote their names into the book of life.

Therefore, the mission at the core of Christianity is for God to dwell with His people and share His love with humanity. Although this may seem simple, it is complicated by the contrast between God's holiness and man's sinfulness. Several critical questions must be addressed:

-How can God retain His holiness in the presence of sinful man?

-How can a wicked man stand in the presence of a Holy God without utterly perishing?

-If He offers mercy to allow a man to dwell with Him, how could God preserve His commitment to justice by not punishing man's sinful deeds?

-If man's purpose is to live with God, how could man ever gain a right standing before a God with an immutable standard of perfection?

The answers to these questions are found in the "good news" of Jesus, which reveals that only God Himself can resolve this conflict. He alone is the savior of mankind.

The One and Only Trinitarian God as He reveals Himself

The theology of the Trinity is vital in understanding how this predicament can be resolved. Christians worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, recognizing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as distinct yet coequal and coeternal persons.

The unique roles of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit contribute to the salvation of mankind and the mission of the church. The Father planned salvation, the Son achieved it through His life, death, and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit applies it to believers while empowering them for the mission. This triune collaboration emphasizes the unity and distinction within the Godhead.

The offense against an infinitely holy, righteous, omnipotent, omniscient, glorious, eternal, and just God incurs an immeasurable debt. This infinite debt is justly due because of the supreme value of the one true God. Only the Godhead possesses the resources to resolve mankind's fallen dilemma, showcasing the power and grace of the triune God in providing redemption.

The Incarnation of Jesus

The God of the Bible decided that the best way to display His character and glory was to predestine and elect those who would be saved through faith in the finished work that Jesus accomplished on a Roman cross (John 3:16). Jesus, born of a virgin as mankind's second Adam (Matthew 1:23, Romans 5:12-21), lived His life perfectly by loving God and His neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40) and triumphed over temptations from Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). Jesus lived the perfect life the law demanded to be righteous before God.

The Death of Jesus

The wages of sin is death. But Jesus was perfect, so whose sins did Jesus die for? God ordained the death of Jesus for forgiveness and just propitiation for human sin (1 John 2:2, Romans 3:25). He poured out all the wrath mankind deserves on Jesus as He hung on the cross. This was to demonstrate His holy nature, proving that He is both just and the justifier of those who, by faith, rely on His mercy (Romans 3:26). Authentic faith demands you see Jesus' death on the cross as the just punishment that you deserve for our sin. Then, in His mercy, God regenerates the hearts of believers, granting them salvation through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Resurrection of Jesus

The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith, leading us to a life of transformation. This faith leads to genuine repentance from sin and a turning toward God (Acts 20:21, 2 Corinthians 7:10). Through faith, Jesus' perfect righteousness, evident in His love for God and neighbor, is imputed to believers. They are justified in God's sight and pardoned from the punishment of sin (Romans 4:3-5, Philippians 3:9).

In this transformative process, believers experience a profound change in their identity and life:

*Adopted into God's Family: Believers are adopted into God's family as His children, signifying a new relationship based on love and belonging (Romans 8:15).

*A New Heart from the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit deposits a new heart within believers, one that is aligned with God's will and responsive to His leading (Ezekiel 36:26).

*Empowered Growth in Faith: God actively works in believers' lives, empowering them to grow in faith and deepen their trust and reliance in Him.

*Continual Sanctification: The process of sanctification is ongoing, with God guiding believers to be transformed into true holiness and Christlikeness, reflecting the character and love of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

That is the Gospel

Finally, the world has good news from heaven, as God's word declares that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Not only are we saved, but we are also raised to walk anew with God in free obedience to His words and ways, which work for our ultimate good and greatly honor the fame of His glory (2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:28). Believers persevere in their faith, kept secure by the power of God (John 10:28-29), until their ultimate glorification in His presence (Romans 8:30), where they will dwell with Him forever.

Doxology

Thanks be to God, who gives us victorious hope and purpose through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

At the heart of God's mission is the truth of the Gospel. As those redeemed by Christ, we are called to share this message with the world, in partnership with God. Jesus’s call to make disciples includes the vital task of proclaiming this message, a cornerstone of disciple-making. This poses practical questions for us at Redeemer Church: Should our mission be carried out individually or collectively? Is disciple-making a solo endeavor or a team effort? Essentially, is it akin to golf or football? The answer is unequivocally clear: we are the church together, "we are a team." At Redeemer Church, we recognize and embrace the crucial importance of undertaking this mission collectively, as a family of families, united in love and in honoring our Heavenly Father.

As Christians, we hold dual roles: citizens of heaven and ambassadors in a foreign land, tasked with sharing God's message of peace. This message proclaims that the King of kings is creating a redeemed people, known and cherished by Him for His great glory. Orchestrated by the Father, enacted by the Son, and energized by the Holy Spirit, our mission is akin to a search and rescue operation, aiming to bring the full household of God together. As God’s family, we are called to disciple nations, fostering unity within the Church as we collaboratively labor in God's harvest. Our collective proclamation of the Gospel, united under the teachings of Jesus, is essential for our spiritual flourishing. Following His resurrection, Jesus, endowed with all authority from God, commanded us in Matthew 28:19-20 to extend this message to every corner of the world.

Jesus, while here on earth, underscored the importance of love among His disciples, as stated in John 13:35: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." This commandment is at the core of our Christian identity. Our primary purpose is to collectively proclaim the Gospel message, uniting under Jesus, for it is in His way that we find our true flourishing.

Consequently, the Church must embody a community that radiates love for one another, united by our shared faith. The early church, led by apostles like Paul, Luke, and John, exemplified this unity. Christ’s call for us to be known by our love is a recurring theme in the New Testament, signifying that our unity in Him is a testament to the world of His presence and power among us. Our love for one another is meant to be sacrificial, reflective of the care and devotion we have for each other's spiritual growth. This bond, which transcends the connections found in natural families, is made possible only through our shared fellowship in Jesus.

In our pursuit of making disciples, we must never lose sight of the importance of love and devotion for one another, as Jesus himself taught. Our mission at Redeemer Church is to joyfully welcome people into God's household, guiding them in the way of Jesus, which includes equipping them to join the divine search and rescue mission for our brothers and sisters in Christ. By sharing the Gospel message and exemplifying love for one another, we live out the way of Jesus. We extend an invitation to others to participate in God’s mission, thereby expanding the family of God.

In conclusion, the church exists for the mission of God. As Christians, our purpose is to proclaim the gospel message to those far from God. As ambassadors of Christ in Wichita Falls, we are sent to share the good news that the King of kings is creating a new people, known and kept by Him for His great glory.

Let us fervently participate in the mission of God, ensuring that our devotion to Jesus makes it difficult for anyone in Wichita Falls to be unaware of the gospel's transformative power. The gospel demands urgent stewardship of the message! Jesus is worth it! As reminded by Luke 12:48, "Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required." We have been given the precious gift of the gospel and have a tremendous responsibility to share this message with everyone. As Paul states in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For Christ's love compels us." We believe the Holy Spirit gifts us the gospel for active participation in His glorious mission. Join us at Redeemer Church as we partner in the mission of God, united by our love for Jesus and one another.