I had a conversation this week with a friend who shared that he had been reading an author who believed that preaching with too much of an emphasis on grace will adversely affect the mission of the church. He said that grace will lead to laziness, license and apathy with regard to the command to evangelize. I immediately thought of the new iPad- seriously! I watched the entire Apple Keynote presentation on the iPad, and was totally blown away. I can hardly stop talking about it. Others have only watched a snippet, or heard about it second hand, and THINK they understand iPad technology. Therefore, they are not that impressed. I realized that is the way it is with the gospel and mission. The problem with a lack of mission is not that we’ve made the gospel too good (too much grace). The problem is that we have not made it good enough!  In preaching we only show snippets, and people think they get it—but it doesn't blow them away. I think that the only way mission will be set free from the umbrella of guilt and duty is if we see the grace of Jesus more like the full iPad presentation. Revolutionary. Captivating. Life altering. No longer will I see life from a religious grid where I am forgiven, accepted and blessed on the basis of MY obedience and sacrifice. I will have a new lens on life, whereby in the gospel, I am forgiven, accepted and blessed COMPLETELY on the basis of the obedience and sacrifice of Jesus. This is the gospel. Revolutionary. Captivating. Life altering. It is not something that I have to share. It is something that I am compelled to share. It is the propulsion of grace.

As Creekstone begins preview services, I wanted to remind myself and all those who are part of the launch why we exist as a church. 

"Our dream for Dahlonega and North Georgia College and State University, is that Creekstone Church will glorify God by helping ordinary people like us come alive to the wonder of the gospel. Our mission is focused on the gospel because it is the grace of God that is the power that reconciles people to God and motivates and empowers the entire Christian life. We agree with Tim Keller, who says, 'The gospel is not just the ‘A-B-C’ but the ‘A to Z’ of the Christian life... The key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of God’s grace.' As a result, spiritual life and continued vitality hinges on the Spirit of God bringing a conscious wonder of His grace alive in our hearts through faith. We want to be facilitators in that process. Therefore, helping people come alive to the wonder of the gospel is at the very heart of our vision to glorify God."

We will encourage all the folks in the church to see themselves as missionaries of grace, word and deed ambassadors of the gospel. With that missional mindset, we will emphasize what it means to be “salt and light” in the context of our organic, relational spheres of influence. As Marva Dawn says, “Being Church means following a way of life... Evangelism happens as we go about our daily lives—to work, to the grocery store, to school, to the neighbor’s house for tea—we live the gospel. We speak it freely... We incarnate it. We display a joy in following Jesus and his Way that invites our neighbors to consider the truth of his life in us.”

But mission is never merely a personal endeavor. And so as we gather for worship, we desire for the service to be accessible to non-Christians. In fact, whoever preaches or teaches will assume there are non-Christians in attendance, and will speak in a way that addresses their questions, fears, and doubts in language that they can understand.

As part of this commitment, we will encourage non-Christians to “belong before they believe,” letting them know that they don’t have to change their belief systems or lifestyles to participate in the community as they investigate the claims of the gospel. This is because we recognize that coming to faith is often a process, as is growing in grace as a disciple of Jesus. Therefore, we will not view non-Christians as enemies, but precisely as the people to whom we are called to serve, love and offer the living hope of God’s transforming grace.

Whether the mission is starting a new business, exploring space or driving for a vacation to Disney World, a mission is an adventure which requires stepping into (often) unknown contexts with uncertain outcomes. Sure, I have a portrait in my mind of how it will all turn out. However, that picture is rarely how the paint is applied in real life. In setting sail on a new adventure, experience can quickly turn optimism into pessimism. So what I need in order to sail well in my present adventure in mission/church planting is neither an unbridaled optimism or an enthusiasm crushing pessimism. I need gospel realism. That is what I find in Acts 17, where Luke records the ongoing adventure of Paul's missionary adventure.

In Thessalonica, some Jews and many Greeks were persuaded by Paul's preaching and became believers. They would later be the recipients of I and II Thessalonias in the New Testament. And yet, some of the Jews became jealous and formed a mob (probably to stone and possibly kill Paul). Paul escaped the city by night.

In the city of Berea, as he preached, many people "received the word with all eagerness." But Paul's Thessalonian opponents tracked him down, and so "the brothers sent Paul off on his way to the sea..."

During his next stop in Athens, he reasoned in the Jewish synogogues and with anyone in the marketplace who was open to dialogue. After an invitation to preach in the Aeropagus, "some mocked," but "some men joined him and believed."

The lesson for me here is to maintain gospel realism. God is at work. People will respond to the gospel and believe. However, there will be opposition and rejection, too. If I do not expect both, I either will grow disillusioned or cynical. So I'm glad for Acts 17, which mirrors the effect of the cross. Some mocked Jesus, beat him and spit on him. But even a hardened Roman soldier/executioner ends up confessing, "Surely, this was the Son of God."