The Essentials

The Essentials – Pastor Steve Camp

There are four biblical pillars that the Cross Church is built upon – nonnegotiables of the faith. They are:

1. The One Triune God (the nature and character of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
2. The Word of God (the sufficiency, authority, perspicuity, and veracity of Scripture)
3. The Gospel of God (the foundation article of faith – sola fide – upon which all other doctrines rest)
4. The Worship and Glory of God (man’s chief end and greatest joy)

The above will be the theme for this Sunday’s sermon – beginning the new year by refocusing on eternal things.

Also, by way of introduction to the message, I have written a list of essential attributes for each of us in the body of Christ to prayerfully pursue by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit this year as we gather on Sunday and scatter Monday through Saturday in the towns, homes, jobs, schools, and places of recreation right where God has sovereignly placed us. This is one aspect of “living missionally” in a fallen world.

Let’s take heaven by storm beloved in 2010…
Pastor Steve
2 Cor. 4:5-7

pray fervently:
praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. -Eph. 6:18

study carefully:
Now these Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. -Acts 17:11

embrace fidelity:
And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. -1 Thess. 2:13

contend earnestly:
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. -Jude 3

live missionally:
and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, -Romans 15:20

serve sacrificially:
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. -Phil. 2:1-4

teach faithfully:
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. -Titus 2:1-8

love genuinely:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. -1 Cor. 13:4-8a

walk obediently:
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. -Titus 3:1-2

repent daily:
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” -Luke 17:3-4

worship continually:
Through Him [Jesus] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. -Hebrews 13:15

and watch expectantly.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. -2 Tim. 4:8