Category: Gospel and Culture

By: Logan Pearce

As Miranda and I work on Austin City Life’s Worship Handbook, we have been working on a worship statement. This is our provisional worship statement. I was stirred to worship through editing and writing it!

A Narrative of Worship

Austin City Life believes that the triune God created man in his own image to unceasingly & authentically worship Him (Gen 1:27). Worship is a continual outpouring of who we are in mind, heart, soul & body to what we desire most; everybody worships something (Rom 12:1-2). We were created before sin entered the world to authentically worship the one true God of the Bible. After sin entered the world we did not cease to worship, but rather we rejected God and his authority and redirected our worship to lesser—unworthy and unholy—gods (Gen 3; Rom 1-5). This was the Fall—a fall from grace into an idolatry of wisdom and self-rule. But the story doesn’t end there…the Fall doesn’t stand alone (Gen 3:15). Christ, the Son of God, came to earth, defeated sin, death and evil; and by his sinless life, love-filled death and miraculous resurrection, gives us new life, a foretaste of the new creation (1 Cor 15; 1 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:16; Rev 21-22)            .

Worship Through (Not After) Repentance

Through the gospel authentic, true worship is regained. This worship can take many forms because God is worthy of worship in many ways. We can worship Him through making good culture, living obediently, serving one another, or singing a great hymn (Rom 12-16; Col 3-4). However, one aspect of worship that is frequently neglected is the role of repentance and faith (Lk 3:3; 5:3; 24:47; Rom 2:4; Act 5:31; 2 Cor 7:10; Rev 3:19). ACL aims to teach, train and encourage repentance from sin and faith in Christ as a rhythm of everyday worship. The challenge and blessing of living a life of true worship is to discover, over and over, that Jesus is a better god, a better savior, than anything this else. Repentance is God’s gift of returning us, over and over, into the arms of this better Savior. We believe that repentance and faith is good news, and is itself an act of worship, one that will continue until Jesus comes again to make all things new. Only then will our worship be unhindered and our vision unimpaired to see and savor all that God is for us in the Spirit and the Son, freeing us to appropriately enjoy all good things.

Gospel Centered Discipleship

I am finishing up my revised and expanded manuscript of Gospel-Centered Discipleship (formerly Fight Clubs). Crossway will publish this manuscript. I’ve field tested some of the new material in recent conferences with great response. I’m excited about the considerable revisions, how the writing is changing me, and my church. Manuscript due end of February.

Slow Church

At Austin City Life (new website next Sunday), we have been working through what it means to be a Slow, Focused, & Creative Church (audio). The response has been remarkable. People want slow. As a city church of creatives, professionals, families, singles, and students, we are well acquainted with the “busy”, too acquainted in some instances. Should Christians be among the most busy people on earth? We’re postulating slow church, and at the same time, suggesting that Christians should be among the most focused, least anxious, extremely creative people in the city. I’m working on a book to address some of this. Yes, “working on another book.”

The GCM Collective National Conference

The CGM Collective has nailed down a new, National Conference date in Huntsville, AL for Sept 14-16. It will be a GCM EveryDay on steroids. I love being a part of the GCM community and so appreciate the leadership and gospel-earnestness of my fellow GCM leaders. We’re also rolling out some new things with a GCM Affinity Group in Acts 29 this year. Oh, yeah, we put up some free audio from a recent conference and you have to check out the new CD by Soma called, of course, Story.

The Failure of the Missional Church

This article has received a lot of attention. It seems to have struck a nerve because it addresses where the Missional Church is for so many people. I recently returned from a great time with folks in Omaha, where they videoed my talk on “The Failure of the Missional Church.” We processed this talk in 45 minutes of Q&A. Pastors and church planters want to learn how to truly follow Jesus and lead his church on mission. These are great days for the re-surging American church.

1. Make your accountability partner drop ten bucks in the jar for that grievous sin.

2. Make your accountability a circle of cheap confession by which you obtain cheap peace for your troubled conscience.

3. Ask one another moralistic questions that reinforce moral performance.

4. Pilfer through God’s Word for an experiential buzz or life connection.

Read the rest of 8 Ways to Ruin Your Accountability Group as a promotion of the new chapter I wrote for a new eBook.

1) We should submit to God’s word is because the Bible is God’s authoritative word. It claims, not just to be authoritative, but to be absolutely authoritative. There is no higher authority to appeal to than the word of God. This might sound a bit circular. Submit to God’s word because it claims to be God’s word. But anyone or anything making a claim to absolute authority, must necessarily appeal to no greater authority. If reason, then reason is the absolute authority (not Scripture) or history, not something else. To appeal to something else to verify Scripture as ultimate authority would render it not absolute. Instead, that greater authority would be absolute.

I am not saying that reason is naturally unfit for reading Scripture. What I am saying is that Scripture, not reason, is the ultimate authority. The Bible is the final arbiter of truth. One reason for this is that reason is naturally flawed. It starts with unbelief in God as the arbiter of truth. It starts with faith in reason not faith in God. What we all need is nothing less than the rehabilitation of our reason so that it believes in God. We need forgiveness from the eternal Creator for placing faith in reason instead of faith in Him, for adoring our rational faculties over adoring his eternal glory. The gospel of Christ accomplishes just that, and his Word returns us to the gospel over and over to experience the blessing of walking under his word and in his grace.

2) We should obey God’s word because we love him. Jesus himself said: “If anyone loves me he will obey my commands” (Jn 14:21, 23). Obedience is not to be confused with legalism. Legalism attempts to earn God’s favor, but obedience is a free expression of having already received his favor. Obedience to God’s word is an expression of our affectionate devotion to him. Obey God’s word because you love him.

3) We should submit to God’s word because it draws us into communion with him. Scripture is God’s personal word to us. Unlike most religions, in Christianity God speaks personally to us. He is, in a way, standing at the foot of our bed and inviting us to delight in his perfect love and approval of us in Christ. He wants to fellowship with us: “God is faithful who has called us to fellowship with his son Christ Jesus our Lord” (1 Cor 1:9). John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (Jn 1:14). God’s personal word to us in ultimately heard in Jesus. He is the way we hear God’s word. When we embrace God’s word, we can enter into communion with him.

4) We should read and obey God’s Word because it matures us. 2 Timothy 3:17 says “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tm 3:16). If you want to be a more mature spouse, parent, son, daughter, employee, person, then you’ll need the training of the Word of God and the grace it supplies to form you into a better version of yourself. In this way, you can also be a blessing to others through good works. The word of God matures and equips us to bless others.

In summary, obedience to God’s word is honoring to Him, an expression of our love, draws us into communion with all three loving, speaking persons of the Trinity, matures us to look like him, and equips us to do good works that bless others. Scripture is the personal, authoritative Word of God that, despite cultural objections, when obeyed brings us deep joy and God great glory. For these reasons, read and obey God’s word!