Derwin L. Gray's Blog, page 5

How a Partnership Between a Church And School Is Changing a Community

At Transformation Church we believe if our community doesn’t change then we’ve failed. Just four short years ago we began developing a relationship with Indian Land Public Schools which are located less than a mile away from our building. Afterall, what better way to impact a community than through loving and serving the students, teachers and administrators of a local school? Through our partnership we’ve seen God do amazing things.. Take a couple of moments and watch!

Watch the rest of the sermon here –> http://transformationchurch.tc/sermon...

What Was The First Major Church Dispute?

What was the first major church dispute?

Was it over Calvinism, Arminianism, or Molinism?

Was it over speaking in tongues, prophecy, or healing?

Maybe it was over worship music styles? Those Jews just couldn’t stand those Greek worship leaders wearing tight, skinny leg jeans.

A THIRD RACE OF HUMANS IS BORN OUT OF THE TRUE HUMAN: JESUS

The first major church dispute was over how fast multi-ethnic churches were growing outside of Jerusalem. These (ethnically) racially diverse congregations were blowing up the mental and cultural circuits of the Jewish believers in Jerusalem.

These 1st Century, multi-ethnic churches (Jew and Gentile) were filled with uncircumcised Gentiles (Africans, Arabs, Greeks, Syrians, Asians, Romans, Persians, and more). See Colossians 3:11, Ephesians 2:14-16, Galatians 3:24 and the rest of the Bible.

Sure, the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 was about circumcision and food, but it was also about race (ethnicity). The Gospel of grace is so glorious; a new humanity is birthed and humanity is reconciled to God and to each other (2 Cor. 5:14-21).

Before Jesus, there were two ethnic groups on earth: Jew and Gentile. After Jesus’ resurrection, a new ethnic group made up of Jews and Gentiles was birthed. This new ethnic group is called the Church; the one “new man.” Ethno-centrism gives away to Christo-centrism.

For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. Ephesians 2:14-16 ESV

Theologian Christopher J.H. Wright in his marvelous book, The Mission of God, page 191, insightfully writes:

“If only all the theological disputes in Christian history had been caused by successful mission and rapid church growth. Undoubtedly the first dispute was. The first major council of the church (Acts 15) was convened to consider a knot of problems caused by the success of crosscultural church planting efforts. These had been initiated by the church of Antioch and carried out among the predominately Gentile and ethnically diverse peoples of the Roman provinces that made up what we now call Turkey. Paul and Barnabas, who had been entrusted with this initiative, were not the first to cross the barrier from Jew to Gentile with the good news of Jesus Christ. Philip (Act 8) and Peter (Acts 10) had already done that. They were, however, the first to establish whole communities of believers from mixed Jewish and Gentile backgrounds―that is, to plant multiethnic churches.”

BE LIKE PAUL

As a church planter of a multi-ethnic, local church, it is so beautiful to see ethnically diverse people loving Jesus and each other as one voice glorifying God.

Are you concerned with multi-ethnic church planting? You should be. The Apostle was. And it’s God’s heart.

Marinate on that,

Pastor Derwin

Jesus’ Resurrection Power On Display

Like most churches, this past weekend Transformation Church celebrated the resurrection of Jesus…it was glorious!  As a part of our celebration, Pastor Derwin shared a video that displays Jesus’ ressurection power in a profound way.  Take a few moments to watch! 

Watch the rest of the sermon here –> http://transformationchurch.tc/sermon...

 

The Gospel, Racism, Sexism, & Classism

RACISM, SEXISM, CLASSISM

The 1st Century Greco-Roman world, in which the Apostle Paul preached the glorious unsearchable riches of Christ, was a hate-filled, racially divided world.

Many Jewish Pharisees would pray, “Thank you God that I am not a Gentile, woman, or slave.”

And the Gentiles didn’t like Jews very much either. For much of Israel’s history, it was Gentile nations that enslaved and oppressed them. And some Gentiles like, Haman in the book of Esther, wanted to exterminate the Jews from the face of the earth.

This gives us a small glimpse as to why the Pharisees wanted to kill the Apostle Paul when he said,

And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’ “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ‘The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!” They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. Acts 22:20-23 NLT

WHY DID A JEW RISK HIS LIFE FOR GENTILES?

How could Paul, a Jew of the Tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, say he was going to the Gentiles, who the Jews considered their enemies and oppressors?

Paul met Jesus. And Jesus’ love and Gospel transformed him from a racist into, as my friend Dave Anderson says, a “gracist.” (Acts 9)
Paul had insight into the ‘Mystery of Christ.’ This mystery “is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).
Paul knew God’s Eternal Purpose (multi-ethnic local Churches).

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ. And to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:8-11 NIV

Paul preached a theology of incorporation into Christ.


As a result of faith in Jesus, the believer is incorporated into Christ. What is true of Jesus is now true of His followers. This is called Union Life in Christ, which is the unsearchable riches of Christ.
As a result of being incorporated into Christ, the believer is ‘justified.’ Justification means that Jesus’ righteousness is now the believers’ righteousness based solely on His life, death, resurrection, and exaltation.

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:24-29 ESV (See also Genesis 12:1-3).

Paul knew that the believers’ incorporation into Christ meant:


“There is neither Jew nor Greek”: Because Jesus’ resurrection birthed a new multi-colored, multi-ethnic group called the Church.
“There is neither slave nor free”: Every believer in Jesus’ church is equal despite their socio-economic position; CEO and garbage man, equal in Christ.
“There is no male and female”: Women and men are equal; both made in the image of God, equally gifted for the glory of God.
“For you are all one in Christ Jesus”: In Christ there is a new ethnic group of people because racism, sexism, and classism died at the foot of the cross. This is the Kingdom of God. And this why the Apostle Paul planted multi-ethnic, local churches.

He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. Ephesians 2:15-18 NLT

AMERICA’S MOST SEGREGATED INSTITUTION

Sadly, the most segregated institution in America is the Church. In the 1st Century, it was the Church and the Gospel She preached that brought ethnically and socio-economically diverse people together.

If we don’t start preaching a Pauline Gospel and risk our lives and ministry for the sake of the Kingdom of God, the Church will continue to be marginalized and seen as an irrelevant relic of the past.

Pastors and Church Planters, may we have the courage to follow in this Gospel-centered path blazed by the Apostle Paul.

Marinate on that, Pastor Derwin

He Longs and Loves to Forgive

When someone’s story intersects with God’s greater story, a life is changed. His story is about longing  and loving to forgive.  Take just a couple of moments to watch and see what happened when April’s story intersected with His!

Watch the rest of the sermon here –> http://transformationchurch.tc/sermons/?pray_strong/receive_forgiveness/

Jesus, an Old White Couple, and Prison Inmates

I received a phone call requesting me to come and preach at Kershaw Prison near Charlotte, North Carolina. I agreed and after preaching at Kershaw, the inmates asked if they could receive copies of my sermons to watch on a weekly basis.  Transformation Church provided the sermons and after that, Transformation Church Kershaw Prison was launched.

Through Kershaw Prison Chaplin Gerry Potoka and Transformation Church Outreach Director Ken Lake, we now have nine, inmate-led TC Groups (small groups), a process for leadership development , and close to 100 men have been baptized in the last year.

All of this happened because of Robert and Pat Vinroot, a white couple in their sixties.  Because of the Vinroot’s love for Jesus, they wanted the men in Kershaw Prison to love Jesus too!

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  2 Corinthians 5:14-15 NIV

5 Thoughts on Creating an Evangelistic Church

Preach Jesus and the unsearchable riches of His wondrous grace!
Every follower of Jesus is a missionary!
Pastors and leaders, empower your congregation to be spiritual entrepreneurs!
The deeper the congregation’s discipleship, the more passionate they will be to reach the lost!
Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make you an evangelistic church; then be brave!

Marinate on that,

Pastor Derwin

True Faith Impacts How We Live

Faith, it’s not just a matter of memorizing a curriculum or acquiring a lot of biblical knowledge. Faith is so much more!  Watch as Pastor Derwin explains!

Watch the rest of the sermon here -> http://transformationchurch.tc/sermons/?pray_strong/receive_bread/

Object Lesson

Do you remember when you were in elementary school and your teacher would teach an object lesson?  Somehow by using something tangible to demonstrate a point, what the teacher was trying to explain became very clear.  This past weekend Pastor Derwin did that very thing and as a result people experienced a life changing truth in a very real way.  Take just a moment to watch and learn! 

Watch the rest of the sermon here -> http://transformationchurch.tc/sermons/?pray_strong/receive_kingdom/

My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less

GREAT SADNESS IN THE MIDST OF GREAT ABUNDANCE

The 1830’s French political thinker, Alexis De Tocqueville, remarked that despite America’s abundance, Americans are melancholy.

Melancholy is defined as a pensive sadness.  Words like sad, sorrow, and unhappy describe the state of being melancholy.

We find ourselves in this sad state because we try to find hope, satisfaction and significance in people, in our possessions, in our careers, in our accomplishments, and in our money.

We are worshiping a created person or thing instead of the Uncreated Creator.  The Bible calls this idolatry.

And our idolatry has made us hopeless.

HOPE IS ON THE WAY

In the first-century, Greco-Roman world, the Apostle Paul taught the young churches in Rome how to find hope:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV

God, Who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is our hope.

My house is not my hope, though it provides shelter.

My children are not my hope, though they are wonderful.

My wife is not my hope, though she is my best friend and the love of my life.

My ministry is not my hope, though Transformation Church is a beautiful community of people.

Our hope must be built on “nothing less than Jesus’ blood and His righteousness.”

GOD IS OUR HOPE

When God is our hope, the Holy Spirit fills our lives with joy and peace.

Marinate on that,

Pastor Derwin

Why Pray?

Many if not most of us have uttered some sort of prayer in our lifetime.  Perhaps as a middle school student we prayed to pass a test for which we didn’t study.  Or after a long day of being at home with two small toddlers a parent has prayed for patience.  Oh, and let’s not forget the prayer that we’ve probably uttered as we’ve been pulled over for speeding.  Really though, have you ever stopped to consider the implications of praying “Our Father?” Please take a few minutes to watch as Pastor Derwin unpacks a life changing truth!

Watch the rest of the sermon here ->http://transformationchurch.tc/sermons/?pray_strong/child_of_god_pt2/