Blog Archives - Ironworks Pike Community Church

Hyper-Grace #1

9/29/2014

I have juist begun a series on a movement called "Hyper-Grace"; you can listen to the first message over at "Messages" (aptly named). These days, the storm over this movement is blowing through a lot of charismatic churches, but this very same virus can be found in a lot of different denominations. For example, consider this opinion piece written by Dan Phillips, who took an entire course on grace from Presbyterian preacher Steve Brown at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.

http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2010/02/steve-browns-grace-in-church-course-at.html

False Christians Offended By the Gospel

9/25/2014

I have heard stories about pastors who created huge waves just by preaching the Gospel. They didn't preach the Gosel out in the "wicked world", but they preached it in their own congregations. I'm working on John chapter 6 as part of a Bible class I'm leading. At the end of it, many of Jesus' disciples -- Jesus' congregation -- are disgusted by His teaching about Him being the bread of life, and they leave Him. Jesus said that this happened because most of them didn't believe in Him -- even though they are called "disciples."

Churches of all types of denominations have “disciples” who think of themselves as Christians, but somehow those people never really, truly, clearly understood the Gospel. When a turning-point comes, and they figure out who Jesus really claimed to be, and what He really requires of us, they are shocked. Repelled! They react very strongly. Sometimes they force the preacher to leave, and sometimes they leave.

The Gospel is powerful and divisive. By its own nature it creates a spiritual fork-in-the-road for a listener. Sometimes you clear a room with the Gospel.