J. D. Greear - Above All: The Gospel Is the Source of the Churchs Renewal

Copyright 2019 by J. D. Greear

All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-5359-3479-4

Published by B&H Publishing

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 234

Subject Heading: GOSPEL / SALVATION / GRACE (THEOLOGY)

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Also used English Standard Version ( esv ). ESV Text Edition: 2016. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Also used New International Version ( niv ), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Also used New King James Version ( nkjv ), copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Front cover design and art direction by Jonathan C. Edwards.

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To the 1,102 Summit Network planters and international missionaries who have put comfort aside and left their homes because they believe the gospel really is above all.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Its a bit of a shame that only one name ends up on the cover of most books. Anyone who has written a book knows its a team effort. That has never been truer than with the book you hold in your hands.

Chris Pappalardo, The Summits editor, has longed joked with me that his role is to make me sound like the best version of myself. Hes said it so long that Ive started saying it. And at this point, I dont think either of us is joking. I dont like me without him anymore. Hes funneled all the energy from his days of being one of Duke Universitys Cameron Crazies into making the gospel clear and accessible.

Todd Unzicker has been leading the way in championing these ideas within the Southern Baptist Convention. I have been blown away by the sheer number of people he has talked to in order to make gospel above all a rallying cry for us. As I lead the SBC, I am led by Todd.

Jonathan Edwardsnot the Puritanapplied his editorial hand to both the design and the content of this book. I dont know anyone else who can play both of those games like that. If there is any life or beauty in these pages, undoubtedly youll find his fingerprints there.

At the eleventh hour, Katelyn Byram and Daniel Riggs helped me track down those niggling citations that were too slippery for my middle-aged mind. I once heard it said became a footnote with a citation. If anything is still amiss, thats on me.

Dana Leach has directed J. D. Greear Ministries (JDGM) now for two years. But I have grown so trusting of her leadership, it feels like its been twenty. Im praying for at least twenty (a real twenty, not a felt twenty) more years.

Speaking of JDGM, Michael Jongkind and Katie Persinger were indispensable during JDGMs launch, and they have kept that good ship steady ever since. Id have sunk the boat five times already without them.

Aly Rand, my executive assistant with the New Joisey accent, has a large binder entitled, How to Run J. D.s Life. Im not kidding. She doesnt know I found it. And run it she does. Im convinced that as long as she is at the helm, I could go missing for about two to three months before our church would notice. If Aly went missing for a couple of minutes, everything would implode.

Devin Maddox, Taylor Combs, and the crew at B&H pushed to get these ideas into print harder than I did, and they have been the biggest believers in this book all along the way. Its hard to imagine a more encouraging publishing team.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I passed over my wife, Veronica, who consistently gives me the greatest gift an author can receivea reminder that real life matters more. No one thinks I am more of a hero than Veronica, but at the same time, no one is less impressed that I write books. May God give everyone a blessing like that. And my four kids, Kharis, Allie, Ryah, and Adon are awesome. They love the ideas in these books and have cheered me on in writing them more than anyone. Love you guys.

THE GOSPEL PRAYER

Because I am in Christ...

1. I have done nothing that could make you love me less, and nothing I could do that would make you love me more.

2. You are all I need for everlasting joy.

3. As you have been to me, so I will be to others.

4. As I pray, Ill do so according to the compassion youve shown at the cross and the power you demonstrated through the resurrection.

Chapter 1

Gospel above All

Bible-based Christianity is dead.

At least thats what society wants you to believe.

Churches are closing their doors. Evangelicals are leaving the faith. The tide of those who identify as no religion is rising.

Is the handwriting on the wall? Is the Christian movement done? Must Christians rethink their convictions?

It seems change is the only option.

We cant hope to reach the next generation with our Bible-thumping, worn-out doctrines of sin, the exclusivity of Christ, and our archaic notions of marriage and sexuality.

Change or embrace irrelevance.

And looking around, it seems a lot of Christians have gotten the message. Many have given up trying to maintain their historical Christian convictions.

Does God really believe that about marriage?

Is the Bible really believable?

Is church really all that important?

For those that havent given up on their beliefs, theyve relegated their lives into the shadows. Hunkered down. Quarantined. Protected. Fighting to keep themselves and their children free from the infection of the culture that lurks about. Theyre no longer praying that Christ would use them to turn their worlds upside down like Peter did in those golden days of optimism. Not a chance. Peter didnt have to deal with the secular media. Or Hollywood. Or the LGBT agenda.

Instead theyre praying that Christ would return within the hour and save them from the evil around them so that their troubles would be left behind. They might not get out much and engage with their neighbors in need of saving, but they will for sure mobilize to get to the voting booths. Thats our last stand.

How will the recovery of something we already know take us to places weve never been?

Go into these churches and ask the faithful attenders how a person can be saved, and you will likely get a biblically reliable answer. They know the Sunday school answer is Jesus. Ask them to explain the gospel, and theyll likely be two for two. This makes things interesting because I believe what the churchyou and meneeds most in our present time is a recovery of the gospel.

But how will the recovery of something we already know take us to places weve never been? After all, isnt the proverbial definition of insanity doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results? For this reason were tempted to think we need something new. We need something to change. We need a different method.

Isnt the real issue that we havent mastered the new media of our hyper-technological age? Or that we need to update our politics to fit the twenty-first century?

Maybe its a leadership crisis. After all, everything rises and falls on leadership! If seminaries would just train pastors to be better leaders, to staff to their weaknesses, to get more in touch with culture, and to understand and use their enneagram number, our churches would grow again. Right?