Scripture Reflections

Gospel-Centered Prayer

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The focus of the next three weeks is prayer. To begin, we need to consider how our identity affects our prayer life.

How we perceive ourselves drastically affects our approach to God. Specifically, our identity is deeply intertwined with our approach to God in prayer. Jesus teaches just this truth in Luke 18:9-14.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The significant difference between the pharisee and the tax collector is their understanding of their identities.

Identity 1: Jesus’ audience viewed their identity as the righteous ones. They were portrayed as the Pharisee in the parable, who labeled other men with identities of “extortioners, unjust, adulterers,” etc., and they took the identity of the holy ones who fast and tithe. They were righteous in their own eyes.

Result 1: Their prayers were arrogant, entitled, and ineffective.

Identity 2: The tax collector viewed his identity as a sinner in need of mercy and grace. He recognized his low and needy place before God.

Result 2: His prayer was humble and heard.

We are all sinners in need of grace. Recognizing and embracing our need before God is essential for effective prayer. When we believe we are entitled to something we are praying for, we are exalting ourselves as the Pharisee in the parable, and God promises to humble that kind of person. Answered prayer is meant to be received as a gift not as a wage. Just as with our salvation, God longs to pour out grace upon upon us, but we must recognize our need, not assume our rights. Our prayers will only be heard and answered when we approach God in humility.

Ultimately, this means our prayer must be Gospel-centered. The Gospel reminds us of our need, specifically, our identity as sinners in need of grace. The Gospel also reminds us of God’s holiness, his goodness, and his merciful love.

Meditating upon those identities through daily considering the Gospel will cultivate prayers that are humble and heard. May we center our prayer life upon the Gospel by recognizing our identity as needy sinners before a holy, loving God.

***Further food for thought: our gospel identity as sons and daughters of God leads us to pray with expectant faith to our loving, gift-giving Father. What other identities do we have as a result of the Gospel that affect our approach to God in prayer?

I Need the Church and the Church Needs Me

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As another football season gets underway, and millions of fans around the nation are excited about the season ahead, at least one lesson from football seems appropriate—I better get this out of the way now since in just a couple of weeks my team, the Kentucky Wildcats, will likely have me longing for basketball season.

What makes a great football team? Talent? Physical prowess? Coaching? Practice? Game time intangibles?

Sure, all those play a significant role, but one facet of great teams that often gets overlooked are the meetings. During the week, teams converge together for film sessions and analysis. Great teams won’t simply watch film, but the coaches engage everyone in an interactive process of encouragement, accountability, and vision renewal. As film is reviewed, players aren’t simply passive recipients of coaches’ praise and criticism, but they also provide encouragement and accountability for their teammates as well. No matter the outcome of last week’s game, vision is renewed and mutually recommitted to. Apart from these meetings, the team would ultimately end up in disarray.

The same is true for the church. The game of life is played seven days each week, but we come together at least once each week for an interactive process of encouragement, accountability, and vision renewal. Sunday worship is not meant to be a passive event, but rather, an opportunity to passionately participate in the life of the church. Corporate worship is an opportunity for refreshment, assessment, and realignment. Without this time, our churches will waste away from lack of direction or spiritual famine.

This week, we are considering Hebrews 10:24-25.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Three vital aspects of passionately participating in Sunday worship:

1. Encouragement – Our meeting together must include actively encouraging one another. Many football teams recognize success through stickers that go on the helmet for certain accomplishments. Now, I’m not suggesting we use stickers like we did back in our childhood Sunday Schools. But I am saying, we need to know what we are aiming for and celebrate those things. Primarily, we are aiming to develop “love and good works,” so as we see those in the lives of our brothers and sisters, we should praise them. For, as is often said, we will become what we celebrate.

2. Accountability – On the flip side of encouragement is accountability. When love and good works are absent or lacking in our lives, we need others to point this out, remind us of the grace of the gospel, and challenge us to pursue them once again for the fame of Jesus. We must know each other well, and boldly love one another in this way. In addition, both accountability and encouragement will likely include praying with and for each other.

3. Vision Renewal – Lastly, we are to renew our vision of “the Day drawing near.” The Day is the coming of Jesus. So as we gather, not only our leaders, but also each one of us should be engaged in pointing each other back to Him. He is our strength, His Word is our guide, and His fame is our goal. We must intentionally keep these things in front of one another through our conversations.

In conclusion, my church’s member covenant—our commitment to one another—begins with a significant truth: “I need the church, and the church needs me.” May we remember that truth, and let it drive us to passionately participate in our worship gatherings through encouragement, accountability, and vision renewal.

Sacrificial Investment

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Centuries ago, Christianity spread like wildfire through much of the known world in a relatively short amount of time. Significant physical and spiritual needs began to be met on an enormous scale. The Gospel and the fame of Jesus was made known to millions who had never heard of his name. By the grace of God, the church—though small and seemingly insignificant—made a huge impact. When did this revival occur? It actually came about in the earliest days of the church beginning in Acts 2:42-47. What characterized the church that God was blessing in such a huge way?

Sacrificial Investment

Beginning in Acts 2:42-47 and continuing throughout the book, we see the church invest sacrificially in three ways:

1. Cultivating Worship of God
2. Building up the Church
3. Reaching out to the World

God multiplied this investment numerous times over for his glory and the good of the world. The physical and spiritual needs of the church and the world at large were being met in ways previously unimaginable to the earliest disciples.

We live in a city that has overwhelming physical and spiritual needs, and God wants to use his church to meet those needs by multiplying their sacrificial investment.

At the Gallery Church, our leaders have spent significant time in self-examination to consider where God is calling us to sacrificially invest. So over the coming year, we are going to sacrificially invest through…

1. Passionate Participation
2. Devoted Prayer
3. Intentional Discipleship
4. Strategic Mission

… so that God would multiply it for the fame of Jesus and the good of our city. (Check out our fall goals here)

If you are part of Gallery, join us by investing in these ways. If not, consider how God is calling you and your church to sacrificially invest for the fame of Jesus.

Just imagine what God might do in our cities if we sacrificially invest as the church did in Acts.