Daily Gospel Renewal: Sustaining Our Christian Walk

 

Summary

The evening was a special gathering focused on deepening our understanding of the gospel and its application in our lives. We were honored to have Jerry Bridges with us, a man whose writings have profoundly shaped many in their Christian walk. Our mission at the Orchard is to glorify God by multiplying believers who are centered on Christ and transformed by the gospel. This mission underscores the importance of the gospel not just as a message of salvation for unbelievers but as a continual source of nourishment and empowerment for believers. The gospel is essential for both personal devotion and corporate ministry, and it is the foundation upon which we build our efforts to reach the world.

Jerry Bridges shared insights on the necessity of preaching the gospel to ourselves daily. He emphasized that understanding the gospel is crucial, as it is the message of Christ's death and resurrection, which offers forgiveness and righteousness to all who believe. The gospel is not just the entry point into the Christian life but the sustaining power for daily living. Jerry highlighted the importance of recognizing our ongoing need for the gospel, as our natural tendency is to revert to a performance-based relationship with God. By preaching the gospel to ourselves, we remind ourselves of the grace that saves and sustains us.

Jerry also addressed the common misconception that once we are saved, we must earn God's favor through our works. Instead, he reminded us that every blessing and answer to prayer is a result of Christ's finished work. The gospel is the mainspring of the Christian life, and like a watch that needs winding, it must be revisited daily to keep our spiritual lives vibrant and aligned with God's truth.

Key Takeaways:

1. The All-Encompassing Gospel: The gospel is not just for salvation but is essential for daily living and ministry. It nourishes and empowers believers, reminding us that our faith is not based on works but on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. This understanding helps us to live out our faith authentically and effectively. [01:16]

2. Preaching the Gospel to Ourselves: We must continually remind ourselves of the gospel to combat our natural tendency to rely on our own performance. By doing so, we keep the truth of Christ's sacrifice and righteousness at the forefront of our minds, which sustains us in our walk with God. [10:17]

3. The Great Exchange: The gospel involves a profound exchange where our sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. This truth assures us of our standing before God, not based on our merit but on Christ's perfect obedience and sacrifice. [25:47]

4. Living in Grace, Not Works: Many Christians fall into the trap of trying to earn God's favor through their actions. However, the gospel teaches us that all blessings and answers to prayer are secured through Christ's work, not our own. This liberates us to live in the freedom of grace. [40:17]

5. Daily Gospel Renewal: Just as a watch needs daily winding, our spiritual lives require daily renewal through the gospel. By revisiting the truths of forgiveness and righteousness in Christ, we maintain a vibrant and joyful relationship with God, rooted in gratitude and love. [01:00:40]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:14] - Introduction and Mission Statement
- [01:01] - The Importance of the Gospel
- [01:44] - Discovering the Apostles' Message
- [02:36] - The Mercy of Faith
- [03:06] - Introducing Jerry Bridges
- [04:50] - Prayer and Introduction of Jerry
- [06:13] - Jerry Bridges Begins
- [07:09] - Preach the Gospel to Yourself
- [08:03] - What is the Gospel?
- [10:17] - Why Preach the Gospel to Ourselves?
- [12:00] - 2 Corinthians 5:21 Explained
- [14:34] - Our Condition Before God
- [21:13] - Christ Made Sin for Us
- [25:47] - The Great Exchange
- [37:03] - Why We Need the Gospel Daily
- [44:32] - How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself
- [55:33] - Righteousness Credited to Us
- [01:00:40] - The Gospel as the Mainspring
- [01:01:24] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
2. Romans 5:6-10 - Discusses our condition before God and the love demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice.
3. Galatians 3:10 - Highlights the curse of relying on the law for justification.

#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jerry Bridges mean by "preaching the gospel to ourselves," and why does he emphasize its importance? [07:09]
2. How does Jerry Bridges describe the "Great Exchange" in the context of the gospel? [25:47]
3. According to the sermon, what is the common misconception about earning God's favor after salvation? [09:41]
4. What analogy does Jerry Bridges use to explain the necessity of daily gospel renewal? [01:00:40]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does 2 Corinthians 5:21 encapsulate the essence of the gospel, and why might it be considered a profound statement in the New Testament? [12:00]
2. In what ways does Romans 5:6-10 help us understand our need for the gospel and God's love for us? [13:16]
3. How does Galatians 3:10 challenge the belief that we can earn God's favor through our works? [37:21]
4. What does Jerry Bridges mean when he says the gospel is the "mainspring" of the Christian life, and how does this metaphor help us understand our daily need for the gospel? [01:00:40]

#### Application Questions
1. Jerry Bridges talks about the importance of preaching the gospel to ourselves daily. What practical steps can you take to remind yourself of the gospel each day? [07:09]
2. Reflect on a time when you relied on your own performance to earn God's favor. How can the truth of the gospel free you from this mindset? [09:41]
3. The sermon mentions the "Great Exchange" where our sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. How does this truth impact your view of your identity in Christ? [25:47]
4. Consider the analogy of the watch needing daily winding. What are some daily practices you can implement to keep your spiritual life vibrant and aligned with God's truth? [01:00:40]
5. How can understanding that every blessing and answer to prayer is a result of Christ's finished work change the way you approach prayer and your relationship with God? [43:14]
6. Identify one area in your life where you tend to revert to a performance-based relationship with God. What specific gospel truth can you apply to that area this week? [09:41]
7. How can you share the message of the gospel's sustaining power with someone who might be struggling with the misconception of earning God's favor through works? [09:41]

Devotional

Day 1: The Gospel as Daily Nourishment
The gospel is not merely the starting point of the Christian faith; it is the sustaining power for daily living. It serves as a continual source of nourishment and empowerment for believers, reminding them that their faith is rooted in the grace of God through Jesus Christ, not in their own works. This understanding helps believers live out their faith authentically and effectively, as they are constantly reminded of the grace that saves and sustains them. By revisiting the gospel daily, believers can maintain a vibrant and joyful relationship with God, rooted in gratitude and love. [01:16]

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (2 Timothy 1:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What specific aspect of the gospel can you meditate on today to nourish your spiritual life and remind you of God's grace?


Day 2: Combatting Performance-Based Faith
Believers often fall into the trap of relying on their own performance to earn God's favor. However, the gospel teaches that faith is not based on works but on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. By preaching the gospel to themselves daily, believers can combat their natural tendency to rely on their own performance and keep the truth of Christ's sacrifice and righteousness at the forefront of their minds. This practice sustains them in their walk with God and helps them live in the freedom of grace. [10:17]

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself relying on your own performance rather than God's grace? How can you remind yourself of the gospel in those moments?


Day 3: The Great Exchange
The gospel involves a profound exchange where believers' sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to them. This truth assures believers of their standing before God, not based on their merit but on Christ's perfect obedience and sacrifice. Understanding this exchange helps believers live confidently in their identity in Christ, knowing that they are fully accepted and loved by God. [25:47]

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding the Great Exchange change the way you view your relationship with God? What difference does it make in your daily life?


Day 4: Living in the Freedom of Grace
Many Christians mistakenly believe that they must earn God's favor through their actions. However, the gospel teaches that all blessings and answers to prayer are secured through Christ's work, not their own. This liberates believers to live in the freedom of grace, knowing that they are fully accepted by God because of Christ's finished work. By embracing this truth, believers can experience the joy and peace that come from living in grace rather than striving for approval. [40:17]

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel burdened by the need to earn God's favor? How can you embrace the freedom of grace in that area today?


Day 5: Daily Gospel Renewal
Just as a watch needs daily winding, believers' spiritual lives require daily renewal through the gospel. By revisiting the truths of forgiveness and righteousness in Christ, believers can maintain a vibrant and joyful relationship with God, rooted in gratitude and love. This daily practice helps believers stay aligned with God's truth and live out their faith authentically and effectively. [01:00:40]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What specific practice can you incorporate into your daily routine to ensure that you are renewing your mind with the gospel each day?

Quotes

The gospel is the mainspring of the Christian life but it has to be wound every day. [01:00:40]

The gospel is essential for us individually privately and our own devotions to us corporately as a church seeking to bring the gospel to Indonesia and hungry in India to the farthest ends of the earth. [00:02:46]

The gospel is the message of salvation for the unbeliever but we also believe that the gospel is the way that the believers soul is nourished and strengthened and equipped and empowered for godly living and service. [00:01:01]

The gospel not only brings us into the kingdom of God but the gospel that is God through and let me pause here and say when I speak of the gospel that's my shorthand expression for all the work of Christ. [00:40:02]

The gospel is more than that and so Paul contained newse so that in him now let me stop and address those two words in him that's one of Paul's most used expressions either in him or in the Lord or in Christ and that's Paul's shorthand expression for being in union with Christ. [00:27:14]

The good news of the gospel is that Christ not only died in our place but before he died he lived in our place and so now you and I when we trust in Christ as our Savior our sins are forgiven because Christ bore the penalty and we have been credited with the perfect righteousness of Christ. [00:30:44]

The reason I mentioned that is because it's very important that we keep the gospel front and center in our own personal lives and so tonight in addressing this subject to preach the gospel to yourself I want to seek to answer three questions first one and the most important of course is what is the gospel. [00:10:08]

The gospel is the message of Christ's death and resurrection, which offers forgiveness and righteousness to all who believe. The gospel is not just the entry point into the Christian life but the sustaining power for daily living. [00:10:17]

The gospel involves a profound exchange where our sins are placed on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. This truth assures us of our standing before God, not based on our merit but on Christ's perfect obedience and sacrifice. [00:25:47]

The typical view is we are saved by grace but we earn God's favor by our obedience in fact that's virtually a quote of a of a very good pastor here in the US whose name I'll not name he's a good man I've read one of his books and I agree with him with most everything he says but when he said that I thought oh my goodness how good do you have to be in order to earn God's favor and Paul says all things abide by all things written in the book of the law. [00:40:28]

The problem is as I said earlier our default setting is to revert to a works relationship with God we accept the fact that we are saved by grace but we assume that we have to earn God's favor by our obedience that leads to two problems on the on the one hand if you think you've been pretty good you know you've had in the navigators you'd say you've had all the disciplines you have you white I'm your scripture memorization all down pat and you've done your Bible study and you shared the gospel with somebody this week and last week and so forth and then you hit a roadblock and you say what happened I mean god I've done so much why are you not coming through with me that's one extreme the other extreme is a person who has a very sensitive conscience and walks around with a sense that they've never done enough or this that and the other and they're just waiting for the other shoe to drop they're just waiting for God to bring some catastrophe in their lives because they haven't measured up these two extremes the self-righteous why isn't God coming through and then the person who's has a very sensitive conscience you know I might as well go back to bed kind of a thing and the solution to both of those is to realize that God not only saves us by grace through faith in Jesus Christ but he blesses us through faith or through grace by faith in Jesus Christ. [00:41:17]

The gospel is not just for salvation but is essential for daily living and ministry. It nourishes and empowers believers, reminding us that our faith is not based on works but on the grace of God through Jesus Christ. This understanding helps us to live out our faith authentically and effectively. [00:01:16]

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Transcript
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