Is this really the whole gospel?

Former soldierFormer soldier““Thank you for Thank you for

praying for me last night. praying for me last night. I’m free now!” I’m free now!”

MissionaryMissionary““This is the power of This is the power of

the Cross, and the the Cross, and the reason we must preach reason we must preach the whole gospel.”the whole gospel.”

““The point of Christianity The point of Christianity is not… to go to heaven is not… to go to heaven when you die. [Rather, it when you die. [Rather, it is] putting the whole is] putting the whole creation to rights.”creation to rights.”N.T. Wright

The Four-Chapter The Four-Chapter GospelGospelRecovering the First and Last Chapters

Creation

Gen 1:27-31

Fall

Rom 3:22-23

Revolution

Rev 22:1-5

Redemption

Rom 3:24-26

Even Chuck Colson is trying to restore the

missing chapters

Q Conference, NYC ‘08

Chapter 1: Created to Love

Genesis 1:27-31

So God created man in his own image… male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it… God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

Ephesians 1:4-6

For he chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his [children] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will…

Chapter 4: Sent Together to Heal

Ephesians 1:9-10And he made known to us

the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Revelation 22:2-4

And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

““SHALOM”SHALOM”Not just absence of conflict, but rich human flourishing in all directions. The way God

meant for the world to be.

First: CREATION Last : NEW CREATION

Shalom bookends our existence: it characterizes both the Garden and the eternal City, and so provides the vision for

our existence in between.

““The gospel, then, is not The gospel, then, is not just about individual just about individual happiness and fulfillment. happiness and fulfillment. It not just about a It not just about a wonderful plan for ‘my wonderful plan for ‘my life’ but a wonderful plan life’ but a wonderful plan for the world; it is about for the world; it is about the coming of God’s the coming of God’s kingdom to renew all kingdom to renew all things.”things.”Tim KellerRedeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC

Creation

Gen 1:27-31

Fall

Rom 3:22-23

Revolution of Justice & Hope

Rev 22:1-5

Redemption

Rom 3:24-26