Posted on August 18, 2009
The Heart is a Brewery
The heart is the place where our identity is forged. From it flow the very streams of life (Prov 4:23). It is a brewery for identity. What we brew determines who we are. What are we brewing? Are we brewing grace and truth? Or are we brewing judgment and deceit, legalism and license? Are we brewing the gospel or are we brewing religion or irreligion? What we brew determines who we are.
Where is Your Identity?
Who are you? What will you brew today? Colossians 3:3 tells us that we “have died, and our life is hidden with Christ in God.” Are we hiding in Christ for life and value and identity OR are we hiding from Christ, from truth, and from grace? Are we striving to perform or resting in Christ’s perfect performance? Your identity is in Christ. In fact, your identity in divinity—filled with the Spirit, united with Christ, beloved of the Father. A cord of three strands is not easily broken. Remember that your identity is sinner redeemed by grace; your role is to serve by grace!
Brew the Gospel
How do we avoid the extremes of legalism and license, hypocrisy and idolatry? How do we escape misplaced identity? Brew the gospel. Get drunk on It. Everyone is intoxicated with something, but are we intoxicated with Christ? Our inebriation determines our identity. What we brew is what we become. What we drink determines who we are. How do avoid legalism and license, working for God or running from God? We get drunk on the Gospel. We take in Christ, Christ crucified for our sin and raised for our life. Take in Christ today. Drink deeply of his Word and brew the Gospel of grace.
(Adapted from the sermon Gospel Identity)
The Verge Network is running a series of interviews with some great folks who are leaders in missional community. They recently interviewed me (video posts next week) on the topic of Risk & the Gospel. The more I think about this topic of “Risk”, the more I’m convinced it is a helpful word to challenge consumer impulses in American Christianity. Risk, of course, comes with some theological baggage as it relates to God, but Verge (& Alan Hirsch) is more concerned with human risk. Should we risk? Is the Gospel dangerous? If so, what does risk look like in the life of a disciple and his/her community?