Four or five years ago i heard a CD with this John Piper message on it called “Boasting Only in the Cross” it was from Passion’s One Day event in TN in early 2000.

I remember this message had a profound impact on my life and really sobered me up to the reality of the cross and how it changed the course of history forever. Somehow tonight i stumbled on this message again and its amazing how powerful it still is although it is hitting me at a different place in life now. I thought that tomorrow being Easter it would be fitting to put an excerpt here:

“for the Christian, all other boasting, should also be a boasting in the cross. All exultation in anything else should be exultation in the cross. If you exult in the hope of glory you should be exulting in the cross of Christ. If you exult in tribulation because tribulation works hope, you should be exulting in the cross of Christ. If you exult in your weaknesses, or in the people of God, you should be exulting in the cross of Christ.

Why is this the case? For this reason: for redeemed sinners, every good thing - indeed every bad thing that God turns for good - was obtained for us by the cross of Christ. Apart from the death of Christ, sinners get nothing but judgment. Apart from the cross of Christ, there is only condemnation. Therefore everything that you enjoy in Christ - as a Christian, as a person who trusts Christ - is owing to the death of Christ. And all your rejoicing in all things should therefore be a rejoicing in the cross where all your blessings were purchased for you at the cost of the death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

One of the reasons we are not as Christ-centered and cross-saturated as we should be is that we have not realized that everything - everything good and every thing bad that God turns for the good of his redeemed children was purchased by the death of Christ for us. We simply take life and breath and health and friends and everything for granted. We think it is ours by right. But the fact is that it is not ours by right.”

If you would like to hear or watch the whole thing, you can, here: “Boasting Only in the Cross”

Because i’m convinced that the church is the means God has chosen to change the world i will be devoting a short series of posts dedicated to discussing what the Church is, how it should function biblically, and why it matters. I don’t claim to be an expert but only a learner. I hope that this will encourage discussion and discovery.

One thing i think that is significant to note is that church has been going on for quite awhile and there is not much that we are going to come up with today that is going to change the basic foundation. In fact, i would say there has been much that we have come up with since then that has caused us to stray from the original format and intent.

In reading this some of us have no context other than a building, logo, program, pastor personality or worship music to compare this church to and for that i don’t necessarily think that you are to blame. It has been a challenge from the beginning for man to listen to God and do things the way that He intends. Many churches today are being lead by men who want to “change the world for Christ”. Christ is already changing the world, it is our privilege to join Him in this. I believe that God is calling us not to make choices and then ask Him to bless them but to choose Him daily and watch how He changes us and our choices and things around us.

At this point many may be thinking “but you need buildings, programs and music to accomplish this”. I agree, but we have been short sighted in thinking that is enough to reach the unchurched. I am getting off topic here. Back to origins. I’m in a seminary class that discusses where the church is at and where its going. We took some blurbs from a book called The Revolution by George Barna. In it he discusses the early church in Acts and calls the 21st century church back to that model. Here are 7 core passions of the early church:

1. Intimate Worship- this was natural, no service was needed to awaken this, they were in awe of God.

2. Faith Based Conversations- it is normal to talk about the things we love.

3. Intentional Spiritual Growth- they knew that it took conscious persevering effort. they were self-feeders.

4. Servanthood- loving others is more than a feeling, this is the best means of demonstrating the love of Jesus.

5. Resource Investment- it all belongs to God, we are simply managers.

6. Spiritual Friendships- vertical and horizontal relationships. this is true discipleship.

7. Family Faith- they taught the ways of God in their homes.

The main point behind all of this was Spiritual Transformation: any significant and lasting transition in your life wherein you switch from one substantial perspective or practice to something wholly different that genuinely alters you at a very basic level. It is seizing a new perspective or practice related to the 7 passions of the Acts 2 church and never being the same again. Transformation defines who you are at fundamental spiritual level, and your lifestyle is realigned according to that part of your being that was finally awakened to the things of God.

Have you experienced this personally? Is this how the church should look? Are you experiencing church this way currently?