14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
If you go to a church where the mention of Jesus death on the cross, His sacrifice for us, is rarely mentioned, “Run for your life!” I mean it! If what God did on our behalf is left out of the preaching, teaching, singing, and prayer, you have found one of the many social clubs that masquerade as a church. The cross is central. That does not mean that every song or sermon must only speak of the cross, but the absence of the cross turns churches into self-help groups. The Gospel speaks to every human need and desire, so the sermons and teachings should touch on the full spectrum of human experience. We should be talking about pornography, incest, poverty, conspicuous consumption, mega-homes, child prostitution, gossip, eating disorders, anxiety, self-concept, child discipline, business, oppression, and football. (How did football get in there?) We should be touching on every area of life when God is present. This means also we talk about the provision, the abundance of grace that is available, the hope we have, the present and future glory we will share in, the power to overcome, and the joy of forgiveness. But if we leave out the reason we can have hope in this world and the next, then we are sadly misguided. Useless! That’s what the Scripture says. If the resurrection has not taken place, if the central tenant of Christianity is absent, let us just give it up. We are responsible for our growth in God. It is all His working, but we must show up at the His factory, moment by moment, so that the machines of divine planning can work their miraculous transformation in our lives. Remember, every circumstance, every interpersonal encounter, God uses to transform our lives if we are connected through the cross to that plan. Without the monstrous cross, our faith is empty.
The Arnold Journey 