Check Out Grace Church and Their Gospel-Driven Pastor
This morning I received an email from my friend Mark Lauterbach of their new church’s website. If you do not know who Mark is, let me encourage you to take some time and listen to some of his sermons. When I think of the gospel-centered life, the first person I think about is Mark. He and Grace Church are passionate about the gospel and find it to be the sum and substance of all they do. Grace Church is a Sovereign Grace church that is doctrinally solid, missionally focused, and distinctively Reformed.
If you are in the least be interested in the gospel-centered life, Mark’s blog is one you will definitely want to subscribe to. You can also subscribe to their sermon podcast.
Tags: Gospel, Grace Church, Mark Lautherbach
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October 17, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Check out his blog entry on September 26 on 1 Thess 4:1-12, “Would You Dare Say This?” Awesome!
http://mrlauterbach.typepad.com/gospeldrivenlife/2007/09/would-you-dare-.html#more
October 19, 2007 at 10:53 am
In fear of getting flamed or thrashed by those wanting to wield their theological expertise, I have to ask some questions because I’m apparently missing some things. First, I claim to be a simple man, no theologian but a growing Christian.
1. On their website, I really didn’t get the impression they are big on evangelism. I did see the comment that they “proclaim the Gospel through the multiplication of churches”. What does this actually mean? I’m all for church planting, but evangelism is more than that. Maybe they do more, but didn’t see it on their website. In Matt 28, Christ made it clear what we were to do.
2. I am in total agreement of the importance of the Gospel, but being “stuck” there seems a little rigid. The statement that a “Christian never gets beyond the message of Jesus Christ crucified and risen” is a little scary for me. Again, I really understand the importance of the Gospel, but the Word of God is complete; it instructs me, teaches me, guides me, and so much more. Maybe I simply don’t understand what they mean by being “Gospel centered”.
3. I am all for spending time with other Christians, and it is important that we encourage each other, but Christ didn’t come down to spend time only with those who believe in Him. He ate with the Tax Collector, those who were looked down upon, sinners who needed to repent. After reading the site’s front page and watching the video, I almost got the impression their church is a “commune” or something. One quote from the video was something like “those who we go to church with, we also spend our time with”. Seems like they are distancing themselves from the world. And you have to be a Christian to be part of “their” family. Seems to draw a religious line in the sand. I’m not saying that we as a Christian family have to conform to a standard, especially a worldy standard, or for that matter be tolerant of non-Christians, but show love to those who don’t know Christ. Iron sharpen Iron, but we also need to work the field of sinners.
That’s it for now. As time permits, I’ll try to listen to his sermons. Maybe my perspective is wrong. But when there is any doubt in something, I have to go back to God’s Word to see if there are contradictions.
Timmy, I hope you or some of your readers can shed some light on where I am wrong. I don’t know the pastor, nor his heart, and that really isn’t in question. But what is in question is how he’s leading the church. I hope you don’t take offense to my questioning these beliefs, since it appears that you know him. I simply am looking from my perspective (which has been known to be wrong). But I have to trust God’s Word to lead me and teach me what is God honoring and what is not.
Mark
October 20, 2007 at 8:48 am
These are excellent questions brother and certainly will help us clarify our website. YES, we believe in evangelism. Our pastors lead by example in this and we are seeking ways to relate to people outside of Christ. We MUST do this for biblical reasons. We tell the church that we want to be overrun by new people, new in the faith. If we have given any other impression on our website, we will seek to change it.
Second, I think Gospel-centered means what the NT means — take any apostolic letter and read through it and you will find that all doctrine and practice is founded upon the person and work of Christ. There is no abstract systematic theology and there is no abstract set of moral principles. All of life, all of God, all of the cosmos is now viewed from the cross and the empty tomb and the Savior at the right hand of God. We think that when we miss this, we miss a great deal.
My own theological journey in this regard was posted in the first month of my blog (mrlauterbach.typepad.com). You may also benefit from listening to Tim Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC.
October 22, 2007 at 1:03 am
Mark,
Wow, didn’t expect you to reply. Thank you for providing some clarification. I plan on doing some additional reading on your blog. Please understand my intention isn’t (and wasn’t) to try to find something wrong, there were some things that simply didn’t make sense to me, or may have been inadvertently left out from your website.
Blessings,
Mark
May 7, 2008 at 1:22 am
Dear Pastor Friend,
Greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are Praying for you and your Family and for you Ministries. In the month of January 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th we are going to arrange the seminar with 800 pastors and a huge public meeting so by this time few are welcoming you and your wife and family to preach and teach the Gods word in the midst of the Indian people. We want to work with you and have touch with you to extend the coming kingdom of God .
We are working mostly in the Hindu areas many people are coming to know He is the only one God who can save from sin and give eternal life.
So Dear Friend,, as we are working please help us and guide us to go through the village by village to bring the perishing souls un to Christ. Strengthen us pray for us stretch your hands for the Glory of God.
I and my team willing to work with you and your ministries in the days to come. Please remember us in your committee meeting as you are gathering. If are willing to come to India go by this direction. Fly to directly Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh head quarters from there you fly to visage airport from there we will be with you to receive and visit my ministry.
We want to pray for you and your ministry and family that God may bless you abundantly as light of the world. In same way please pray for us and for our families and ministries in India Andhra Pradesh. We want to hear from you soon amen, Yours faithfully, In His service, Pastor A, John Prasad
Director John Prasad
Aids Global Children Ministries
Post Box No 14, Tuni Pin 533401
E,G, Dist. A,P,
INDIA Cell 0091 9397662884