To Proclaim the Gospel
To proclaim means to declare what is true. What are you proclaiming with your life? What are we proclaiming in our church? "People come into our churches proclaiming all sorts of things with their words and actions. Through close-fisted giving, some are asserting how much their own personal wealth matters. Others, by their complaining, are declaring that personal comfort matters. Teens in the latest fashions may be proclaiming that being cool matters. Others confirm through their smiles or frowns that their musical preferences matter. But we want each of them to leave proclaiming this: the gospel of Jesus Christ matters."
The gospel is relevant to every area of our lives. It addresses the problem of sin in that Christ came and died so that our sin would be taken away! It addresses our suffering in that while we may suffer temporarily here on earth, our ultimate suffering has already been endured on the cross by Christ. The wrath of God no longer rests on us, we have been forgiven!
While we have been forgiven of our sin, sin still remains a part of our lives. Over the past few weeks we have been talking about relationships, and how to repair them when they break down. Sometimes a broken relationship can consume our thoughts, and we can't figure out how to forgive the one who has offended us. But "worshiping God together provides us with the opportunity to remember the One whom we ALL have offended." "We, the guilty ones, now stand forgiven through Christ's blood. How can we not forgive those who have sinned against us?"
Regardless of what is going on in our lives, when we come together on Sunday "we gather to declare-to ourselves, to each other, and to God-what we know to be eternal reality. There is one God, who is sovereign over the universe and every detail of our lives. We have rebelled against him. He sent His Son to die in our place for our sins. And through Jesus Christ we have forgiveness and peace with God."
As worship leaders, we need to remind ourselves daily of the beauty of the gospel. If we don't, we can forget, and how then can we expect to lead others in worship of the central figure of the gospel? "Nothing should ever displace or obscure the centrality of the gospel in our worship." What are you proclaiming?
Enjoy the Journey
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