The following is a shortened version of the second video recorded for our website to introduce people to who we are and what we are about at CRC. You can find both parts by visiting our website - www.covreformedchurch.org
Let’s get right to it. The foundation of CRC and its ministries is made up of four things that are best seen by looking at four biblical texts. You might want your Bible near you as I continue.
Let’s start first with the most important aspect of what we do here at CRC - preach the word. This emphasis is drawn from many passages; the clearest of which is 2 Timothy 4:1-5. These verses are Paul’s instructions to a young pastor regarding how he should act as the pastor and leader of his church. He doesn’t mince words in his instruction – “Preach the Word” are his simple instructions. The theme of the word of God and sound doctrine is rampant throughout Paul’s instructions to Timothy. (1 Timothy 1:3-11; 4:6, 11, 13-15; 2 Timothy 1:13-14; 2:1-2, 15, 22-26) The Bible is to be the foundation for Timothy’s ministry and that upon which the church itself is built. That is why exegetical preaching from the biblical text is the center of our church services.
Why is this focus on the Bible so important? Two reasons. First, because of the danger of sin in the church. Look at 2 Timothy 3:1-9 and 4:3-5. Paul tells us that there are “evil men and impostors” who “will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” The church has people within it who are lovers of self and lovers of money and as a result are driven to be sinful people who do sinful things. There are false teachers who offer what appears to be religion, but it is not actually true godliness. They pass themselves off as learned, but do not actually offer the truth. In doing so they oppose and reject true Christianity. In light of this danger the preaching of the word is needed. Second, because it is the only way to true discipleship. Look at 4:3-5. The problem of sin is ever-present even in a church who desires continued sanctification so Timothy must use the word at all times (“in season and out of season”) to “reprove”, “rebuke” and “exhort” his people with all “patience and instruction.” The gospel as displayed in the Bible is the antidote to our sinfulness, so the Bible must always be taught, meditated on and obeyed.
Second, you will find that since the word of God is the foundation of what we do, it’s center becomes our center. That center, or the theme, of Scripture is the gospel of Jesus Christ so that becomes the center or theme of our church. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2:1-5 is our key text here. It is very easy for mere activity in a church and ministry to become the heart of ministry. Paul wants us to avoid having this narrow view that equates busyness with divine purpose in the church. To avoid this fatal mistake, and it is indeed fatal, we need to make sure that our priorities are straight; that they are set on that which matters most to God. We need to understand that our highest, and only priority, is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul understood exactly this and in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 he outlines his thinking to the Corinthians church. The gospel is everything, it is of “first importance”, in the ministry of Paul. It is what he preached; what the Corinthians received; what the Corinthians stand on; what saves the Corinthians; what he heard from Christ; and, what he passes on to the Corinthians again. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they are, like all churches, to be founded on the gospel of Jesus Christ. The preaching and following of the gospel is the common content of the apostolic message and is to be the common foundation of the church for which Christ died. Paul reminds the Corinthians that all of their spiritual issues can be traced back to one simple fact – they have abandoned the central confession of the whole church for mere spirituality and activity and they need to get it back to its proper place.
In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Paul explains how his gospel focus works itself out in his ministry. While it is no doubt true that the cross was not the only thing that Paul talked about while he was in Corinth, or elsewhere, as though he was blissfully ignorant of anything other than the cross, what it does mean is that the gospel is what unifies and centers ALL of Paul’s ministry no matter what he is saying or doing. The gospel, to Paul, is more than just a doctrinal commitment that forms the foundation of his doctrinal statement, it guides his priorities, his lifestyle, his contextual teaching, his style of ministry. This means that when Paul thinks of anything, it is always guided by the gospel, it is the epicenter of everything about him and his ministry, and the same is to be true in the church. Whatever the issue, the solution is the same, the gospel. As John Piper notes about Paul's ministry, “whatever else he knew, whatever else he spoke about, and whatever else he did, he would know it and say it and do it in relation to Christ crucified... He will not let the cross become a historical relic. He puts it at the center of his everyday work and relationships. He makes tents in the shadow of the cross. He preaches in the shadow of the cross. He disputes with opponents in the shadow of the cross. He eats and drinks and sleeps Christ crucified.” It is thus our desire to proclaim “the testimony about God” as found in the Gospel, that we may “resolve to know nothing... except Jesus Christ and him crucified,” so that the Spirit of God may demonstrate his power among us so that the faith of each one who comes into contact with CRC may rest not on the wisdom of any one of us, but “on God’s power.”
Third, we recognize that as a church we have clear responsibilities toward each other that are articulated by Christ and encouraged by the rest of the NT authors. We use the term discipleship to define those responsibilities, but essentially what we are about is living out the many one another’s in Scripture. Let’s look at Philippians 3:1-17. This text shows us what a disciple is and is not. Paul begins by speaking in the negative. First, a disciple, Paul reminds us, is NOT a religious person. (vv 1-3) In fact Paul is not very nice to the Judaizers whom he targets in these verses as being exactly that, religious but not disciples. He calls them “dogs”, “those who do evil” and “mutilators of the flesh.” Not very nice words, but descriptive of their true identity. They care more about human effort and maintaining their religious facade than being true disciples of Christ. Their problem is that they believe in God’s grace in salvation, but they add their own works to it. The issue for the Judaizers wasn’t works vs. grace. No, it was grace + works vs. grace ALONE. They affirmed the former by their constant desire to put confidence in their heritage, traditions, spirituality and obedience. Second, Paul reminds us, a disciple has no confidence in himself. (vv 4-6) This is an extension of the previous point. Because our works don’t save us, we can’t have any confidence in our heritage, traditions, spirituality and obedience. It is all “dung.” (v 8) So a disciple turns from that which is generated by his efforts and sees them all as nothing.
On a more positive note, Paul understands that a disciple knows a few very key things. First, he knows what’s good for him and what is not. (vv 7-11). He knows that his works are dung and are not going to save him. He knows that religion is worthless. But he also knows that justification (v 9), sanctification (v 10) and the hope of glorification (v 11) are the most important things to a disciple of Christ. In other words, clinging to the dung of human effort is bad, clinging to the sufficient, complete work of Christ received by faith on account of God’s grace is good. Second, a disciple also knows that he has not yet arrived. (vv 12-14). A disciple recognizes that he has not obtained all of what he has been saved to experience and as a result he strives and strains and presses on. But notice that his goals are not his own, this is religion, his goals are Christ’s. The last thing Paul says a disciple knows is that he can’t keep the message of God’s grace to himself, he must proclaim it to others. In v 17 Paul asks the Philippians to join him in following his example of discipleship and to take note of the pattern of obedience that he has given them. Discipleship, in other words, is a church wide thing. We are all to do it and we are all to do it together.
Last, is the umbrella under which all of the above operates -- we pursue the glory of God above all things. Colossians 3:1-17 is our text here. There is a lot of really good stuff in this passage, but I want to focus on the concluding verse. Bringing all of Paul’s practical instructions in this section to a close is this statement in v 17 – “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” What has just come before this verse are the practical ways in which we do this. Giving glory to God and enjoying him forever are not things that are mystical and mysterious or esoteric. They don’t involve some sort of ritual or special ceremony or special demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power. Doing all things in the “name of the Lord Jesus”, living out what it means to be under the rule of Christ and pursuing the glory of God, is immensely practical.
“Whatever you do” means exactly what it says: the whole of life is to be related to and lived under the lordship of Jesus. Because of this, everything in our lives is an act of worship. Every detail in our lives - words, actions, aims, goals, whatever - are to be done in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is what Paul indicates elsewhere when he speaks to the Corinthian church. To them he says, after a discussion of Christian liberty relating to food and drink, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31) We need to understand that everything in our life is an opportunity to glorify God or to not glorify God; to act in the name of Christ or to defile that name. On account of this we are to strive never to do, or say, anything that Jesus would be ashamed to sign his name to - or accept responsibility for.
This way of life is reflected in the Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 1:
What is the chief end of man?
Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
So that’s what we are about at CRC - the bible is our foundation, the gospel is our center, discipleship is the focus of our ministry, and our ultimate goal in all things is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.
Soli Deo Gloria
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