Jesus + (ANYTHING) = NOT the Gospel
If you’re 30 years and younger, get to know some of our senior adult members. They are a treasure in and of themselves. They are also walking encyclopedias of history. In their lifetime, they have seen dramatic technological changes, such as moving from radio to television, from black and white television to color, from cable to streaming, from rotary telephones to cellular, from film-based cameras to VHS video, from VHS video to DVD, and I could go on and on.
The older generation has experienced how an older technology is made obsolete by a newer one. While the change Jesus brings about are more significant and eternal, the idea of the old being replaced by the new helps us to understand how Jesus inaugurating the new age of salvation in his first coming, replaces the old. You see, when Jesus came, he inaugurated the new covenant and did away with the old. This is the point of Luke 5:33-39.
Jesus had been feasting with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 5:27-32), and someone wonders aloud, “How come, Jesus, your disciples do not fast?” Jesus’s answer: Because the bridegroom is here, and the wedding celebration has begun. It is inappropriate to fast at a wedding (Luke 5:34). Jesus knows he will go to the cross to die. That is how he initiates the new covenant – by his blood. At that time, it will be appropriate for his disciples to fast (Luke 5:35). But now is the time for joy and feasting, for the promised age of salvation has dawned in Jesus’s coming.
Crucially, Jesus makes the point that you cannot simply add the new covenant to the old. Jesus’s point is that since he has come and fulfilled the old covenant, it is set aside (Hebrews 8:13). You cannot fit the new covenant ways into the old covenant structures. It will rupture the old covenant structures like new wine ruptures old wineskins (Luke 5:36-38). Sadly, this is exactly what some Jewish background believers tried to do in the first century. They were called Judaizers, and they traveled to Gentile churches trying to convince them that to be saved, they needed Jesus + circumcision + keeping Sabbaths + observing the dietary restrictions. Paul constantly battled against this idea (Colossians 2:16-23). This is what is known as the Galatian heresy: Jesus + _____________.
This should serve as a warning to all of us today. We may not try to add the Law to what Jesus did, demanding that faithful Christians keep the Sabbaths, dietary restrictions, and practice circumcision. But we are tempted to ADD to the gospel what it means to be a faithful Christian. We are tempted to bind other’s consciences by what we’ve added to Jesus’s work on our behalf. In my opinion, this is one reason evangelical Christians are so divided – because we are tempted to ADD to the gospel what it means to be a faithful Christian: Jesus + (politics, social justice, educational choices, position on vaccinations, and on and on it goes). These issues are NOT unimportant. But they are NOT the gospel. And this is one reason we work diligently to guard the gospel from additions.
The sad reality is that we tend to take our personal views, opinions, and convictions on third-order matters or what we call charity beliefs and make a law or a rule that if others don’t see matters the same way, then they are simply not faithful Christians. Jesus came to save us from the demands of the Law by keeping it perfectly and taking upon himself the punishment of law-breaking. Now, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we are counted righteous before God. And now, in this new age, we have new hearts and God’s Spirit living in us who empowers us to obey all that Jesus has commanded. We don’t obey to be accepted before God. We obey because God has accepted us in Christ. This is good news!
Resources of the Week
Understanding Justification by Faith Alone:
On Christian Hospitality (Feasting with Others):
On Fishing for Jesus (Evangelism):
Song of the Month: The Church’s One Foundation
HPBC APP Announcement
As we roll out the new website, we will be updating the Church Center App and retiring the older HPBC app.
Our High Pointe Baptist Church app is retiring May 21st. If you don't have the Church Center app, download it today using the links below! If you need help in accessing the new app, please visit our Connection Center or speak with one of our staff.
Do you have questions about the change? Email us at info@highpointeaustin.org.
Opportunities to Serve and Grow at High Pointe
(For Opportunities to Serve at High Pointe, click HERE)
Men’s Steak and Hymns Fellowship | Friday, March 28
All men are invited to come enjoy steak and fellowship at High Pointe on Friday, March 28 from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Sides will be provided, but attendees must bring their own meat to grill. Register here.
Young Adult Luncheon | Sunday, March 30
The young adults will be having lunch together after the service on March 30. The lunch will begin at 12:30 PM, and it will take place at Buddy’s Burgers (9001 Cameron Rd Ste 101, Austin, TX 78754).
Senior Adult Luncheon | Sunday, March 30
The 55+ Adults will be having lunch together after the service on March 30. The lunch will begin at 12:30 PM, and it will take place at the Luby's on Dessau and 183.
Gospel Witness and the True and Better Story (Evangelism Seminar) | Saturday, April 5
Do you struggle to be a gospel witness in today’s skeptical world? Are you looking for better ways to have meaningful conversations about God that offer hope and purpose? Join us for an Equipping Workshop on Saturday, April 5 from 9 AM to 12:00 PM where we’ll explore how to share the true and better Story—Jesus Christ, the Hero and center of history. This workshop will equip you with practical tools to share the gospel in a way that resonates deeply with others. Feel free to arrive at 8:30 AM for fellowship. Snacks and coffee will be provided. Childcare is limited and will not be offered past April 1 at 4:00PM. Register here.
Women's Jewelry Making Workshop | Saturday, April 12
There will be a Jewelry Making Workshop on Saturday, April 12 from 1-3 PM at High Pointe. Come and learn how to make a necklace or bracelet that you will get to wear home! This is a beginner class. We have a limited number of seats, so make sure to enroll early. There is a $25 fee to participate in the event! Register here.
Life Classes | Sunday at 9:00 AM
Life Classes are meant to equip High Pointe for life as a Christian. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and join us. Childcare is available for ages 8 months through Pre-K. This session, we are offering the following classes from January 26 to May 25:
Evangelizing through Mark (Room 201, Old Choir Room)
Discipling Through Ephesians (Room 203, Livingston Room)
Spanish Life Class | Los Atributos de Dios (Room 200, East Training Room)
Youth Life Class | The Pentateuch (Room 101, Old Library)
Kid's Life Class | K-5th grade (Room 104, Overflow Room)
Sunday AM Preaching Schedule: Pray regularly for the ministry of the Word at High Pointe. Also, prepare for our gatherings by reading the sermon text, thinking it through, and asking questions about the text before Sunday. Here is our (tentative) preaching schedule designed to help you prepare for Sundays:
March 23 | Luke 6:1-11 | Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath | Pastor Juan Sanchez
March 30 | Psalm 119:9-16 | Meditating on Scripture | Pastor Robert Cline
April 6 | On Prayer | Pastor Robert Cline
April 13 | Luke 6:12-26 | The Blessings and Woes of the Kingdom | Pastor Juan Sanchez
April 20 | Luke 6:27-36 | Love Your Enemies | Pastor Juan Sanchez | Easter Sunday
April 27 | Finding Your Place in the Big Story of the Bible | Pastor Robert Cline
May 4 | Luke 6:37-42 | Judge with Righteous Judgment | Pastor Juan Sanchez
May 11 | Luke 6:43-49 | Two Ways to Live | Pastor Juan Sanchez
May 18 | Luke 7:1-35 | Are You the One? | Pastor Juan Sanchez
May 2 | Luke 7:36-8:3 | Jesus and Women | Pastor Juan Sanchez
Begin praying as you prepare to gather with us this Sunday at 10:00 am.
Gospel Partner of the Month: Predica Fiel
In our approach to missions at High Pointe, we not only seek to send our best, but we also want to equip and encourage those who are already serving in the field. One of the ways to do that is to provide training for national pastors and missionaries. Predica Fiel is a training ministry that equips pastors, missionaries, and church leaders in expositional teaching and preaching. They provide training workshops throughout the island of Cuba and the Spanish-speaking world.
Please pray that the Lord will give them favor and fruitfulness in their work. Pray that the Lord would grant them continued opportunities to train pastors, missionaries, and teachers. And pray that the Lord would provide all the resources they need to do their work.
On-Call Pastor
To better care for you, High Pointe, we have an “on-call” pastor available for emergencies after office hours and on weekends. To reach the on-call pastor, call 512-837-7725, extension 1.
