Contemporary Christian Series – serie

Scripture has brought us light in darkness, strength in weakness, comfort in sadness. It isn't difficult to endorse the Psalmist's experience that the words of God are 'more precious than gold... sweeter than honey'.So it's distressing to watch the Bible being dislodged from its position of authority, not only in our nation but also in the church.Here we focus on the urgent need to continue in, respond to, interpret and expound God's Word.

The church lies at the centre of God's purpose. Christ gave himself 'to purify for himself a people that are his own'.But when we think about church, there's the tension between the ideal and the reality. The former is beautiful: God's special treasure, the covenant community, a haven of love and peace. The latter? A motley rabble needing constant rebuke and exhortation.Here we focus on the ideal, on what God intends his church to be, while all the time keeping in view the reality, so that we can grasp the changes that need to be made.

We have a God-given responsibility to infiltrate the world, listening to the world's challenges, but also to bring our own challenge to the world by sharing the good news by word and deed.We look at four aspects of mission:* The uniqueness of Jesus, the chief foundation of Christian mission* The nature of God himself, and mission coming from his heart* Mission in word, but also in works* A clear and fresh vision of ChristWe look at the model, the costliness, the mandate, the motivation and the urgency of the mission to which we are called.

How can Christians effectively engage today's world while staying true to Scripture? Calling us to listen well to both the Word and the world, John Stott shows how Christianity can preserve its authentic identity and remain relevant to current realities. With the God's Word for Today series, pastor Tim Chester has updated Stott's classic and bestselling book The Contemporary Christian and made it accessible to new generations of readers. In The Gospel, Stott declares that Christianity is not a religion but God's good news for the world. To present the gospel faithfully, we must emphasize both the human need for true freedom and the historical work of Christ. Beginning with the question "What does it mean to be human?" Stott explains a biblical perspective on the human paradox: our dignity and our depravity. He then considers common objections to the gospel message, the importance of Jesus' physical resurrection, and what affirming that Christ is Lord means for all of life. The gospel is truth from God that has been committed to our trust. The Gospel offers a trustworthy guide for readers to understand the essence of the Christian faith and share the good news in a way that connects with people around us.Chapter 1: The human paradox looks at what the Bible teaches and what our experience endorses: the glory and shame of our humanness, both our dignity as creatures made in God's image and our depravity as sinners under his judgement.Chapter 2: Human freedom: what is traditionally called 'salvation', seen in terms of 'authentic freedom'.Chapters 3 and 4: The central themes of the death and resurrection of Jesus, securing our freedom. This section also looks at a number of objections and denials.Chapter 5: The far-reaching implications, both for faith and for life.Radical indeed is the discipleship which takes all of this and Christ's lordship seriously. It's nothing short of a life-changing message.