The gospel reveals the glory of God. According to God's Word, he is the sovereign Creator of all things.

So the challenge for us is to live in such a way that we are radically dependent on and desperate for the power that only God can provide.

In a world where everything revolves around yourself-protec t yourself, promote yourself, comfort yourself, and take care of yourself-Jesus says, 'Crucify yourself. Put aside all self-preservati on in order to live for God's glorification, no matter what that means for you in the culture around you.'

The key is realizing - and believing - that this world is not your home. If you and I ever hope to free our lives from worldly desires, worldly thinking, worldly pleasures, worldly dreams, worldly ideals, worldly values, worldly ambitions, and worldly acclaim, then we must focus our lives on another world.

We are afraid that if we stop and really look at God in his Word, we might discover that he evokes greater awe and demands deeper worship than we are ready to give him.

This extremely shocking and utterly revolutionary call is the essence of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus: we are not called to simply believe certain points or observe certain practices, but ultimately to cling to the person of Christ as life itself.

We bask in sermons, conferences, and books that exalt a grace centering on us.