Missions, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

On Sunday I planned to offer some practical help on how to engage others for the purposes of the gospel based on our text, Acts 8:26-40, but I ran out of time. If you missed it, you can listen to or read the sermon here. There was too much gospel gold to serve up in one sitting. What follows compliments what has already been said there.

God’s Heart

One of the reasons I love this passage is that it shows us so much about the heart of God. It shows us that God loves those who are really, really, really far from him. It shows us that God can use even the briefest, chance encounters to effect eternal change. It shows us that God is weaving a story beyond our comprehension. It shows us that he invites us in to be part of the action as conduits of his grace.

Where Do I Start?

One of the questions I often get is “Where do I start?” Many of you want to participate in God’s mission of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, but you don’t know where to begin. This passage gives us some help to do just that. What follows are five practical principles for joining Jesus’ mission, based on Acts 8:26-40.

#1) Keep it Simple. Don’t over-complicate what it means to live life with gospel-intentionality. You don’t need to carve out 10 extra hours a week. No one has 10 extra hours in their week. Rather, ask yourself, “Where is God already at work?” and then, “What would it look like for me to join him in that?” We don’t know exactly what Philip was doing when he heard the angel of the Lord tell him to head to the desert, but we do know that he was (1) in a place to hear the Lord and (2) ready to follow Him. Are you? Keep doing what you’re already doing, but with ears ready to discern where God is working and a spirit ready to obey. Keep it simple.

#2) Ask Questions and Listen. (Acts8:30,34-35) The very first thing that Philip did was ask a question, Do you understand what you are reading? That’s a good principle. It is easy to assume that we know where people are at and what they are thinking. But, often, the truth is we don’t. If we’re ready to share the gospel of grace, we must also be ready to tangibly demonstrate that same grace by patiently asking questions and listening to others – that’s just love. When the timing is right, they will eventually ask, How can I, unless someone guides me? You’ll be surprised how people will express interest in your beliefs, if you do the same for them.

#3) Use the Word of God. (Acts 8:35) We are told that, beginning with this Scripture [Philip] told him the good news about Jesus. He started with the Scriptures. When possible, we should too. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. The Spirit uses His inspired word to work faith into hearts. There is no other way to say it, other than it is a supernatural work. I experienced this first hand when I became a Christian. This means it is important for every follower of Jesus to, not only have a Bible readily available, but also have some verses that you can quote from memory, such as John 3:16, 1Jn 4:10, Rom 5:8, Eph 2:8-9, Rom 6:23, John 1:12, etc.

#4) Open Your Mouth. (Acts 8:35) This almost goes without being said. Almost. We have to open our mouths. Yes, we need to pray. Yes, we need to demonstrate the grace, mercy and transforming effect of the gospel in our lives. Yes, often others need to know that we care, before they will care about what we know. But, there comes a point where we must open our mouths to communicate the life-changing, world-altering, sin-forgiving news of the gospel. Much wisdom and love is required to walk this tension.

#5) Lookout for Hungry Hearts. (Acts 8:28) If you want to share the gospel with others, look for hungry hearts around you. Who is seeking? Who is asking questions? Who seems to be interested when you talk about church, the Bible or Jesus? Who is going through a rough season of life and potentially more open to talking about deeper things? If there are people around you that this is true of, that’s from God. It’s not a guarantee they will turn to God, but it is a sign that God is stirring faith in them. Act on that. Pray for everyone, but lovingly pursue hungry hearts.

So, where will you start? Invite neighbors over for a monthly BBQ? Ask a co-worker out for lunch or coffee? Be more intentional with that one friend? Adopt a Real Change seller downtown? Pray for greater sensitivity to the Spirit’s movement? Look at everything you’re already doing, and everyone involved in what you’re already doing, and ask, How can I best live every day, ordinary with gospel intentionality? Just start and watch Him work.

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Audio

Summary

In Acts 8:9-25 the gospel faces potential distortions. What we see is that for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to spread in our city, and in our lives, we must continually clarify it, confirm it and commit ourselves to it. Christianity is not an abstract theory, but the living work of the living God in the living Savior, Jesus. At its center is an incomparable Gospel.

Introduction

We are about of a third of the way through our study of the book of Acts, which is the earliest authoritative historical account of the beginnings of the Christian church. We’re taking our time through this great book because as a new Bible-believing, Jesus-loving, Gospel-centered church it is crucial for us to understand the nature of true Christianity and our part in God’s continuing story, today. Last week we saw the church scattered, due to the stoning of Stephen (7:54-60), into Judea and Samaria, in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (1:8). We then looked at, in Acts 8:1-5, five marks of effective gospel ministry: movement of missionaries, city-focused, gospel-declaring, gospel-displaying, reconciling.

Today, the story zooms into the city of Samaria, where Luke the Physician (author of Acts) records the encounter of Simon the Magician and Philip and the Apostles. Up to this point, the gospel of Jesus Christ has exploded like a bomb in Jerusalem and is now making its way to the world, via Samaria. Opposition began immediately, ranging from external persecution to internal hypocrisy. In this section, the gospel is potentially threatened with distortions. This is significant because when the gospel message is distorted it loses its saving and transforming power – and becomes like any other message. This is incredibly relevant for us today, as we living a city with many varying messages of hope, life and joy. For the Gospel to spread here, and for the sake of our own souls, we must continually clarify it, confirm it and commit ourselves to it.

By way of set-up, today we’re going to be talking about other religions and worldviews in relation to Christianity. That can inevitably cause tension b/c Christianity makes a claim to exclusivity. That is a cardinal sin in Seattle – if it believed in such things. One of the things I often hear is, “Who am I to judge someone else’s beliefs and tell them they’re wrong?” In other words, all paths must lead to the same place. That particular stance is called religious pluralism: all claims are equally valid. The implication here is that to be exclusive is to be arrogant and condescending. But, to be pluralistic is to be humble and loving. That is not true and we have to establish that from the beginning.

There are many people who have carefully considered the religions of the world, carefully searched for truth and humbly came to conclusion that Jesus is exactly who he said he is. That is not arrogant. Rather, that is being genuine. Insisting on what is true doesn’t make you arrogant, though there is an arrogant way to do that. Ironically, religious pluralism can also be arrogant by insisting that all roads lead to God – and there is no other way. That is an exclusive itself. The point here is simple. We’re all in the same boat. Let’s think through this together, humbly, and in pursuit of truth.

8:9-13 Clarifying the Gospel.

Here we meet Simon the Magician. His magic is not what is known as magic today, the art of illusion. Rather, he was utilizing occult practices to manipulate the spirit world with incantations, formulas and rituals. We’re told that everyone paid attention, from least to greatest. Not all spiritual power is positive. Simon can do amazing things – and amaze others – but the power is not from God. There are good and evil spirits. Meanwhile, Philip arrives and preaches the good news regarding the kingdom of God (God’s active rule and activity in forgiving, healing, reconciling, etc) and the name of Jesus. Those previously amazed by Philip’s magic are now more amazed by the good news of the gospel – including Philip. The one who amazed others is now amazed himself.

What can we learn from this?

You might object, “Well, no one gets that caught up in things like that today. Magic?” Yes we do. All the time. Look at the passage. The Samaritans went form believing magic to embracing the gospel. The principle here is that we are always believing something. We are always amazed by something. There is no neutral ground. Another way of saying this, is that we all believe a gospel, an ultimate good news. It is gospel news that gives us ultimate worth, value, meaning, purpose. If your ultimate happiness depends on something you can lose, you are trusting a magic gospel. It appears legit, but it is ultimately empty.

There is competition for our amazement. We are created to be amazed by God, but instead we are amazed by created things. Ro1:25 “[we] have exchanged the truth about God 4 a lie + worshiped + served the creature rather than the Creator” That is what sin does. It distorts. There’s truth there, but distorted. Result? “MAGIC” gospels. What is your magic gospel? What competes for amazement?

This same distortion happens within religion and other belief systems too. Some have estimated there are 20 world religions and 100s subsets within those. It can be overwhelming. One of the results of that is the prevailing view has become that they are all the same. They all deal with a higher power + spiritual cxn + various practices + afterlife.

But, there is another option. Maybe they’re not so similar because they’re all the same. Maybe one is true and the others are all distortions. Christianity claims to be THE truth; Not that others don’t have any truth, but its distorted truth.

You might say “That can’t be.” Let me show you how similar other religions are in the end…

• Islam. Muhammed. Revelations. 610-632AD. Re-wrote Bible. Jesus ≠ God. Saved = obedience/good.
• Mormonism. Joseph Smith. 1820’s. NY. XNty distorted. Bible + others. Jesus ≠ God. Saved = works Jehovah’s Witness. Charles Russell. Pittsburgh. 1870’s. Jesus ≠ God. Created own Bible. Saved = works
• Baha’i. 1800’s. Iranian business man. Bible only one of many sacred texts. Jesus≠God. Saved = works.
• Christian Science. 1860’s. Mary Baker Eddy. Jesus ≠ God. Bible filled w/ errors. Saved by works.
• Buddhism. Self salvation by following Middle Path, Four Noble Truth, Eightfold Path. Goal = Nirvana.
• Unitarian Universalism. Bible filled error. Jesus ≠ God. Save self through moral character = works.
• Scientology. L.Ron Hubbard. 1950’s. Bible = legend. Jesus = legend. Self-help.
• New Age. Man = divine. Bible one of many. Jesus ≠ God. Salvation = works and reincarnation. Grown in popularity, in particular, in the last 50 years.
• Atheism/Agnostics. This life all there is. Jesus≠God. Bible=book. YET, still moral, “good person”.

 
You can see why people say “They’re all the same.” They do sound similar, except Christianity which is the opposite. Initially it seems like there are a lot of options, but in the end there aren’t that many. CS Lewis noted during his journey from atheism to Christianity, that in the end Hindusim (polytheistic) and Christianity were the only viable options. Why? Because Hinduism absorbs all religious systems, and Christianityexcludes all others, maintaining the supremacy of claims of Jesus Christ.

One of the things that stood out to me during my preparation was how similar religious pluralism is to Hinduism. The Bhagavad Gītā (4:11) says, “As people approach me, so I receive them. All paths lead to me” The underlying assumption of Hinduism is that everyone worships the same God, whether they know it or not. That’s an underlying assumption in Seattle too. Seattle is very Hindu in its thinking – without knowing it.

But, the gospel stands apart from all others. It is incomparable.
Jesus is God in the flesh who came to seek and save the lost, because we cannot save ourselves (which every other worldview and religion maintains). We cannot save ourselves. But, God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes shall not perish. Therefore if we repent of our sin and trust Him, we receive forgiveness, grace, adoption, Spirit, eternal life and so much more (i.e. unsearchable riches of Christ). He is who is says he is. Other religions and worldview may have some truth, but He is the Way, Truth and Life. (John 14:6) We all believe a “gospel” – but is it this one? Is it the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you amazed by this gospel?

8:14-17 Confirming the Gospel.

This is passage causes more confusion and debate than nearly any other passage in the Scriptures, in particular vs 16, “[the Spirit] had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Does the Spirit come at conversion or at some point subsequent to conversion? Entire denominations have formed around various answers to that question. I will try to answer this as clearly and succinctly as possible. There are many passages in the New Testament that say you get all of the Holy Spirit at the point of conversion. (1Cor12, Acts 2:38-39, Rom 8:9, Rom 8:14-16, 1Cor6:19, Gal3:2,14;4:6) But, there are two places in the New Testament where they didn’t get the Holy Spirit at conversion, including Acts 2 (prior to Pentecost) and, here, Acts 8.

So, why was the Holy Spirit not given when people believed in Acts 8? Some will say that these two exceptions describe the normal experience. In other words, the normal experience is to trust Jesus and then receive the Spirit at some other point, like the Apostles (on Pentecost) and the Samaritans (here). But, the most natural explanation is that this is a unique instance as it is the first occasion the gospel is proclaimed outside of Jerusalem and inside Samaria. An unprecedented situation demanded exceptional methods. Since the church was breaking new ground, apostolic confirmation was required.
Relatedly, though clearly different, it is crucial for us to confirm the true (vs false) gospel today.

Relatedly, though different in obvious ways, it is crucial for us to confirm the gospel today within Christianity. False gospels always leave something out. I’ll give you some examples:

• “Be Good or Else Gospel” = Moralistic Gospel based on fear and rules in order to discourage sin and encourage holy living. This often results in self-righteousness for rule-keepers and despair for those unable to live up.
• “Give-me-something-useful Gospel” = Pragmatic Gospel. This focuses on techniques, principles, steps rather than pointing people to the only thing that has the real power to change hearts and lives – Jesus.
• “Let’s-git-er-done-Gospel” = Activist Gospel. This gospel’s center is a political party, platform, agenda or cause, not Christ.
• “I hope I don’t offend you gospel” = Careful gospel. This is the “I don’t want to upset you so I’ll share a bunch of stories” gospel. There is no urgency. Yes, be careful, wise, gracious and winsome, but not too careful. The gospel without urgency is not the gospel. God commands all people everywhere to be saved. Today is the day of salvation.

 
Admittedly, all of these start with noble aspirations to help people. But, if God is not the center of the gospel, you have a distorted gospel.

Three practical ways you can confirm the gospel:
#1 Listen. Is it all there?
#2 Scriptures. Does it line up with what you find there?
#3 History. The gospel is not changing. It should be the same until Jesus returns.

If you spend enough time with Downtown Cornerstone, you’re likely to hear about our desire to be a gospel-centered church. What does that mean exactly? Practically, this means that we’re committed to:

• Reading and teaching the entire Bible in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (i.e. who God is, what He has done in human history through His life, death and resurrection, who we are, how we can know him, how we are now to live, etc.)
• Preaching the Gospel to believers and unbelievers. The Gospel is how you being and how you continue the Christian life. You become a Christian by repenting of sin (turning from it in heart, mind and deed) and trusting Jesus. And, you continue to grow as a Christian by continuing to repent and trust Jesus, day-by-day.
• Cultivating a culture marked by increasing Gospel astonishment.
• Cultivating an atmosphere of grace and serving as a safe place for seekers, skeptics, and those outside the faith. This itself is rooted in the idea that even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

 
Developing disciples who don’t just know the doctrine of the gospel but love the person of Jesus Christ.

8:18-25 Committing to the Gospel.

Here, things go poorly for Simon. He sees people receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit at the hands of the Apostles and requests to buy the ability to do the same. Peter responds quickly and clearly to this request. There is some debate regarding whether or not Simon was a true believer or not. Everything here in this passage suggests that Simon has not experienced the redeeming and transforming work of Jesus. How could this be? Jesus himself tells us that is possible to have a sort of cognitive faith but not saving faith.

“Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord, wIll enter the kingdom of heaven…on that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” Mt7:21-23

No one can only rest their faith on a past public profession or baptism or church attendance. Simon had all those things. We need those, but there’s something more. We should test ourselves. In the end what matter is not appearance, but your personal knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merely about a cognitive faith, but a committed faith. Do you know him?

Some questions to ask yourself:

• What part does Christianity play in my life? Does it control me? Is it the biggest thing in life or add on?
• Am I giving Jesus the minimum or maximum? Christians do the maximum, at least desire to do so, even though they often fail. Cognitive believers just do the minimum.
• Have I changed? Do I love Jesus and others more? Increasingly hate sin and see need for grace?
• Can I give the reasons for my hope in Jesus?
• Am I persevering? Heb 3:14 “We have come to share in X if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” What really matters is not only when you start following Jesus, but do you ever stop?

 
In the end. what matters is not appearances, but your personal knowledge of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merely a cognitive faith, but a committed faith/trust. Are you committed to Jesus Christ, by grace through faith?

Christianity is not an abstract theory, but about the living work of the living God in the living Savior, Jesus. What is the primary gospel you believe? Is it a magic gospel or the gospel of Jesus Christ? Your work or His? God is concerned for your souls. That is why he came. You cannot work to him, so he came for you, to die for your sin, in your place.Jesus took God’s wrath so you can experience God’s love. There is no other news this good. All others say try harder, do more, be better. Jesus, “it is finished”. This is what makes it the INCOMPARABLE gospel!
For gospel to spread in Seattle – and in our lives – we must clarify it, confirm it + commit ourselves to it. If we do that, He will build His church, He will draw all people to Him and He will use us for His glory in our city. We will be a movement of missionaries, armed w/ good news of gospel of Jesus Christ. We will have the great privilege of watching him build a great city, through the gospel, for His glory – and our good.

“A great man knows he is not God and the greater he is, the better he knows it. The gospels declare that this mysterious maker of the world has visited his world in person. The most that any religious prophet has said was that he was the true servant of such a being. But if the creator was present in the daily life of the Roman empire, that is something unlike anything else in nature. It is the one great startling statement that man has made since he spoke his first articulate word. It makes dust and nonsense of comparative religion.” GK Chesterton

News, Teaching

Church planting is hard.

We need all the help we can get. The Launch Documents are a compilation of the various resources we created, synthesized or adapted during the Launch Community development phase (June-Dec 2010) of Downtown Cornerstone Church (DCC). Some of you will remember these! We formatted them for clarity and unity, but otherwise they were left untouched. Original sources are notated throughout, though admittedly there may be exceptions. Honestly, I can’t remember. We never planned to compile them. It’s messy…just like church planting.

Three Groups.

First, for those that are new to DCC who would like to better understand where we’ve been as a newly forming church. Second, for those that have been a part of DCC from the beginning who need a refresher. Third, for those that are planting a church (or involved in a church plant) and are looking for a resource on how to cultivate their initial launch community. This is not the way to do it, but it is how we did it. It looks polished and put together, but that’s not how it felt when we were in the thick of it.

Our timeline.

MAY ’10 We began with an initial prayer gathering which marked the start of our launch team recruitment and development. From there, we met every Sunday night and engaged the community on some level during the week (Happy Hours, service opportunities, city events, etc).

JUNE We took the first month (June) to discuss and debate our vision, mission and values (pp 5-22).

JULY-SEPT Then, we transitioned into a three month (July-Sept) study through the Gospel-Centered Life material from World Harvest Mission. This was crucial in setting a gospel-centered trajectory. We supplemented this material with tangible ways to live out our vision as a newly forming church (pp 23-26).

FALL ’10 In the fall of 2010 we held four preview gatherings. The first of these was a vision night for friends, family, neighbors, coworkers or anyone who was remotely interested in joining or supporting this work. We explored our core values over the course of the next three preview gatherings. We continued to meet as a launch community on the Sunday evenings in between. I also created a study that merged elements of Total Church, Tangible Kingdom and Gospel in Life (pp 27-66). After the “Loving the City to Life” material (pp 67-76) we transitioned into the next season.

JAN ’11 In January we went into “soft launch” mode with weekly Sunday semi-public gatherings in the AM.

APRIL On April 4th we marked our birth as a newly forming church in the heart of downtown Seattle.

Cultivate your first love.

Jesus gave us Great Commandments (Mat 22:36-40) and a Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20). Amidst the great joys and tribulations of planting, if you cultivate a vibrant relationship with Jesus, grow in community and mix-it up with non-Christians you’ll do well – and you and the city will be the better for it, no matter the outcome. Love God. Love people. Make disciples.

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20

 
For Jesus’ Fame,
Pastor Adam

Teaching

THE STORY CONTINUES IN SEATTLE

This fall we will begin an adventure through the book of Acts. While the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) tell the story of what he “began to do” (Act 1:1),  the book of Acts tells the story of what Jesus continues to do by the Holy Spirit. It’s a story that continues to unfold to this day, in our city and the cities of the world. It is perhaps the most exciting book of the entire Bible as it recounts the days following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the foundation of the early church, the expansion of the gospel to the edges of the known world, and God’s powerful Kingdom-advancing work through unlikely people – people like us.

A THEOLOGICALLY PRACTICAL BOOK

Acts serves as the hinge of the New Testament, bridging the gospels with the letters, giving us insight into the personality of Paul and the context of all his writings. This incredible book also provides foundational insight into the areas of church planting, evangelism, the work of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, spiritual warfare, and the power of prayer. We’ll also encounter issues such as cultural engagement, church government, opposition of Satan, persecution from men, and the freedom, joy, and victory that are ours in Jesus as we follow Him. Not surprisingly, we’ll also learn more about the gospel, including the centrality of the resurrection, the importance of cities and the role of God’s people in its spreading. It’s going to be a great series.

JOIN US

So, we invite you to join us as we unpack Luke’s account of the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ from “Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth” (Act 1:8) and discover our role as God’s people in God’s story in our great city. After all, the story continues…

Missed a Sermon? Visit the Media page or subscribe to our podcast.
Sundays @ 10:00AM
Court in the Square, 401 2nd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104
Parking
Downtown parking is free on Sunday. Please allow time to secure street parking.
Children
Cornerstone Kids is provided for kids 1 to 6 years old.

For more information on our Sunday Gatherings email: info (at) downtowncornerstone.org.

Community, News, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

Cities are places of transition. Seattle is no different. Many people move to Seattle for school, work or new opportunities. Moving to a new city is difficult. But, finding a church that loves Jesus, believes the Bible and preaches the gospel is even more so. Since launching in April we’ve met many new-to-the-city Jesus-following transplants in search of a church to call home. That search is not as easy as it might sound, particularly in Seattle. What follows are questions I encourage people to consider when in search of a new church family. Disclaimer: This is genuinely not written for the benefit of DCC but for all in our city looking for a Bible believing, Jesus-loving, Gospel centered church to call home. Jesus wants you covered by a church like that.

#1 Have you prayed about it?

No, really. Have you prayed about it? Oftentimes we assume that Jesus wants what we want. He might. Or, he might have something even better in mind – but, it may look entirely different than what you expect.

#2 Do they love Jesus?

Is it clear the church worships Jesus Christ? Is Jesus’ name mentioned regularly? Is the music sung to Jesus? Does the preaching center around the person and work of Jesus? Is Jesus not merely assumed, but demonstrably loved?

#3 Do they preach out of the Bible?

Is the Bible opened during the sermon? Is the sermon itself clearly taken from the text or just used as a launching pad for some other topic? Is it clear the Bible is loved and trusted as the Word of God?

#4 Is the gospel clearly presented?

The gospel is the good news that God became man in Jesus Christ to live our life and die our death, in our place, for the forgiveness of sin. Does the church believe and preach this? Is the gospel applied to both Christians and non-Christians?

#5 What happens beyond Sundays?

Don’t let Sunday define the church. There are six other days of the week. Some churches are able to pull off a big production every Sunday, but there is little depth otherwise. Others may have a weak Sunday presence, with great depth. Look beyond Sundays.

#6 Is the church on Jesus’ mission or their own?

Do you hear more about all the great things the church is doing or all the great things that Jesus is doing? Who has center stage? Is Jesus used to prop up the mission of the church? Or is the mission of the church to point to Jesus?

#7 What is the community like?

The church is a people, not a place. It can take time to get to know people. As you narrow down your options, I recommend taking one month to get involved in the life of a church before making a final decision. Get to know people. Meet the pastor(s). Join a community.

#8 How are you gifted to serve the church?

Keep in mind this search is not all about you. Jesus wants you to participate in his mission through the church. Where are your gifts most needed? Don’t merely look for what’s comfortable. Jesus cares more about who you are becoming than your comfort. We often want comfort, Jesus wants us to be like him.

#9 Does the church want to see people meet Jesus?

Does the church view itself as an outpost for the gospel? Is the church primarily focused on its programs or primarily focused on seeing the gospel form a new people on Jesus’ mission.

#10 Are you willing to make a decision and commit?

At some point, you’ll need to make a decision. Don’t make the process drag on for months and months. Prayerfully find a church. Get connected. Serve as you’ve been served in Christ. Extend grace towards the church as Jesus has extended grace towards you. Give generously to the church as Jesus generously gave himself for you.

Whatever you end up deciding, pray for every church you visit. Encourage the pastor, as appropriate. Don’t make this search an exercise in self-righteousness. Don’t search for the elusive perfect church. Approach with what you can give, not what you desire to take. Thank God for all that He is doing in your city and ask Him to do even more for His glory and the good of others.

News, Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

On Thursday, August 11th, Downtown Cornerstone will be celebrating its first baptisms at Myrtle Edwards Park. We’ll light up the grills, play some beats, and celebrate the grace of God – most clearly seen in Jesus Christ – in baptism. Invite a friend. Bring some meat. Arrive expectant. Many of you may not be familiar with the act of baptism, so I prepared the following as a biblical brief.

The Gospel is the good news of the forgiveness of sin in Jesus Christ.

When we repent of our sin, trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation, we should be baptized (Mat 28:18-20; Acts 2:38) In baptism we identity with Jesus in his death (being immersed under water) and his resurrection to new life (being brought out of the water) for the forgiveness of sin (Rom 6:1-10; Col 2:12). It is outward symbolic act that demonstrates the inward reality of what God has accomplished on the cross through His Son. In so doing, we identify ourselves with Jesus (Acts 10:48; Rom 6:3; Gal 3:27), the universal church (1 Cor 12:13), and the local church (Acts 2:41).
Why should Christians be baptized?
Jesus commanded that all Christians be baptized (Mt 28:19).
Who should be baptized?
Every baptism in the New Testament is preceded by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus (Acts 2:38-41; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 9:18-19; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 16:14-15, 40; Acts 16:29-36; Acts 18:8; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 22:16). In other words, only Christians who have repented of sin and have trusted in Jesus should be baptized. Therefore, all non-Christians and children too young to demonstrate repentance and articulate faith should be excluded.
May I be baptized if I have previously been baptized?
Once baptized there is no need to be baptized again (Eph 4:5). However, there is one exception, if you were baptized as a non-Christian and now desire to profess your faith in Him you may be baptized (Acts 19:1-5). This would include would include people who were baptized in cults and heretical churches, as well as those baptized as infants at the request of their parents. Downtown Cornerstone does not require those who were baptized as children to be baptized as believing adults, though encouraged, but leaves this decision to the conscience of each Christian.

If you would like to be baptized or if you have any additional questions, please contact Pastor Adam or your community leader.

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

“He has made everything beautiful in its time…” Ecc 3:11

If you’re just getting involved with Downtown Cornerstone, it’s important to know that one of the distinct challenges of church planting is ambiguity. Something is ambiguous if it is unclear or can be interpreted in a number of different ways. There can be many things that are unclear at a newly forming church. When you start anything from scratch – including churches – there will inevitably be much that is ambiguous. That’s normal. To thrive in a church plant you must be comfortable with varying levels of ambiguity or you will grow frustrated and disappointed.

To thrive in a church plant you must be comfortable with varying levels of ambiguity or you will grow frustrated and disappointed.

Even though Downtown Cornerstone “launched” on April 3rd, ambiguity remains. There is still much to be done and many questions to be answered, such as: When will we have more communities? What’s the long term plan for intentional life-on-life discipleship? Why do we do this and not this? How will we engage the arts and music scene? What will it look like to genuinely serve the city? When will we have training for evangelism? When will we have more elders, deacons, etc? When will we roll out the membership process? And more.

These are great questions. They are. Each question has a place in the queue and the overall strategy.
But, it is going to take some time.

Those who struggle with wanting to control their environment and have all of the answers (like me!) in advance will have a hard time with ambiguity. But, the answer isn’t necessarily to find an environment where you’re comfortable, with all questions answered, but to ask the Father what He wants to do in and through you in this season. The church is a people, not a place, and this is an exciting opportunity for you to use your God-given gifts for the mission of God as He builds His church.

Maybe none of you struggle with this. Maybe I’m the only one. But, I suspect not. When faced with ambiguity we have the choice of leaning into control or leaning into Christ. In the end, Christ is the only non-ambiguous element of this church and our lives. If we’re honest, that’s true no matter where we are. How gracious of our Father to use the ambiguity of this season to push us to deeper trust, love and dependence on King Jesus – and love, patience, and kindness towards others.

His promise is great, “He makes everything beautiful in its time”, even amidst the ambiguity.

But, he starts with us.

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

This past winter* I came across a distinction that was incredibly helpful to me: Goals vs Desires. This distinction helped to clarify my expectations and the emotions inevitably tied to those expectations. Understanding this will help breathe greater freedom and joy into your life and ministry; it has for me. The distinction is simple, but subtle. Goals are objectives under your control; desires are not.

Goals are objectives under your control; desires are not.

For example, if you want to see 50 people baptized in the next year, that would be a desire but not a goal because you cannot control the outcome. You can influence the outcome, but not control it. In this case, your desire is to baptize 50 people in the next year. Your goals, however, should be directly tied to whatever will most likely help bring your desire about (e.g. gospel-centered sermons, intentional prayer, cultivating missional communities, equipping your people to live with gospel intentionality, teaching on baptism, etc). In this way, we work toward our goals and pray for our desires.

We WORK toward our goals and PRAY for our desires.

When we confuse goals and desires it can easily lead to pride and arrogance (because we subtly believe we can control people, like God) or depression and bitterness (because we’re trying, and failing, to control something that is outside our control). But, when we keep this distinction in mind it reminds us we’re responsible to work wisely toward our goals while trusting deeply in God who offers us the true desires of our heart.

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Ps 37:3-4

* I picked this up at the Global Church Advancement training in Orlando, Florida. This particular material was delivered in a session by Steve Childers, Priorities – The Main Thing. If you’re an aspiring church planter, or within the first two years, I highly recommend this conference.

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

I’ve intended to put together a recommended reading list for over a year. Finally, here it is. It’s lengthy but covers a multitude of topics and should be a helpful starting point for all interested in further study and stoking the embers of your heart, mind and soul to burn brightly for Jesus Christ.

All this, of course, comes at a cost, so I recommend:

• Utilizing the library
• Checking for free copies online (particularly for the classics)
• Purchase electronic versions to save $
• Buys books together to share, discuss and pass along

As I note in the attachment, its important to read critically. While we do not necessarily fully endorse everything in every book listed here, every book listed has something to offer. The list is not exhaustive, but my hope is that these books serve as tools in cultivating us as a God-saturated, Gospel-centered, and Christ-exalting people. Enjoy.

Would love to hear how it goes.

DOWNLOAD THE DCC RECOMMENDED READING LIST HERE

Teaching | by Pastor Adam Sinnett

WHY NOT JULY?

Every January, in various Christian circles, there is an emphasis placed on Bible reading in the new year. That’s a good practice. But, why not July? As July approaches I’d like to encourage all of us to evaluate our daily communion with the Father and commerce with His grace through regular prayer and Bible reading.

WE NEED A PLAN.

I love the Bible, but I need a plan for my reading. Maybe you’re like me. Without a plan, I drift somewhat aimlessly, accomplish little, and lack focus. Without a plan, all of my good intentions often remain just that, intentions. For the majority of us, the answer is simple: we need a plan.

A “NEW” PLAN.

Over the years, I’ve found two Bible reading plans to be particularly helpful. The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (which plans for 25 days of reading each month, leaving five days for catch-up or further study) and the M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan (through which you read the New Testament twice and Old Testament once per year). I like elements of both, so I combined them.

Attached you will find a customized and combined version of the M’Cheyne and Discipleship Journal Bible Reading plans. What does that mean?

• Bible+ in 12 months: You’ll read through the NT/Psalms 2x’s and OT 1x over the next 12 months
• God’s Unfolding Story: Every day you’ll read 4-5 chapters from four different parts of the Bible, which will allow you to daily dip into different chapters of God’s unfolding story.

• 25 days/Month: Each month you’re scheduled to read for 25 days. This gives you 5+ days at the end of the month to catch up from previously missed days (which are inevitable) or for study of other topics. In most plans, if you get behind, it is difficult to catch-up so this helps alleviate that.

• Numbered Months: Most plans start in January, which means you have to wait or enter the plan midway. On the attached, I numbered the months to remove that obstacle.

This is optional, of course. For those of you looking for a plan, this could be a good place to start. For other Bible reading plan options go HERE.

DOWNLOAD THE COMBINED BIBLE READING PLAN HERE.