This Sunday we are returning to a sermon series that I began last November… “Simple Christianity.” This time, however, we are stepping it up a notch. This is what I wrote in the bulletin back then…
Preachers and theologians like to throw out big, twenty dollar religious words like “propitiation,” “soteriology,” and (my favorite) “dispensational eschatology.” I suppose we like for folks to think that we are smarter than we really are or that our education was just as hard as theirs, I don’t know? For whatever reason, I believe that many of us have created a religion that is much more complicated than God ever intended “the faith” to be! As you look at the Bible, as we have over the last few weeks, I think you’ll find that it is not nearly as complicated or complex as some of us have made it. God’s Word, even given all of the factors that make it difficult to understand, is remarkably simple. God’s intention for man is remarkably simple. God’s plan of salvation is remarkably simple. We do not need to muddy the waters by complicating God’s simple gospel with our “learned” opinions or religious systems.
This Sunday I want to continue our thinking along this very premise… the simplicity of the gospel. While we acknowledge its simplicity, I also want to challenge us to delve deeper into our theology and understanding of the gospel. What is it and how does it really change and shape our lives? Let me encourage you to use this opportunity, not only to reexamine your faith and practice, but also to invite your friends and family to be a part of our worship services.
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