When "Gospel-Centered" Isn't Centered on the Gospel (Part 3)
What Gospel-Centered Looks Like
How often do we exhaust our people—not because we lack passion, but because we unintentionally preach responsibility without renewal?
A Case Study
A church desiring to become deeply committed to serving the poor in its city preaches regularly about self-denial and generosity. Week after week, the congregation hears sermons from passages like:
Isaiah 58 – “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness… to share your bread with the hungry?”
James 1:27 – “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God… is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.”
Luke 14:13 – “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.”
These sermons draw from Scripture—these are passages that should be preached—but something is missing.
The focus is almost entirely on the congregation’s responsibility: We must care for the poor. We must give sacrificially. We must serve our community.
And for a while, it works. People are inspired. They sign up for initiatives. They give, they serve, they engage.
Perhaps from time to time, they’re told this is a “gospel initiative,” or that reaching the poor “flows from the gospel,” but how this is the case is still quite confusing to them.
And so, over time, something shifts.
The work is hard. Needs seem endless. People start feeling exhausted by the work, guilty from repeated failures, and burdened by what they’re hearing every week. Some wonder if they’re doing enough. Others burn out and quietly step back. What was once a mission fueled by conviction begins to feel like an obligation—a pressure to perform.
Why?
Because, without realizing it, this church has been preaching the “what” without the “how.” The congregation has been told what they must do, but not how they are empowered to do it.
The problem isn’t the passages that are being preached—it’s how they’re being preached.
Now, imagine a different approach.
Instead of simply exhorting people to do more, the church instead roots its mission in the gospel itself. They don’t just tell the people that this initiative is connected to the gospel, but they show them how it is by regularly immersing their people centrally in His good news.
The same passages are preached—but now, they’re connected to Christ’s finished work.
Isaiah 58 isn’t just a call to generosity—it’s a reflection of how Christ set us free at the cost of His own life.
James 1:27 isn’t just about caring for orphans—it flows from the reality that we were once spiritual orphans, and through Christ, we have been adopted.
Luke 14:13 isn’t just a command to invite the poor—it’s a reminder that Christ invited us when we had absolutely nothing to offer.
Now, serving isn’t pressure and obligation—it’s freedom and joy.
Generosity isn’t about proving commitment—it’s the natural overflow of being loved by Christ.
This is the difference between a church that simply believes the gospel and a church that is powered by it.
A Verse We Often Ignore
The above pattern of exhaustion isn’t just an unfortunate byproduct of ministry—it reveals a deeper issue about how we understand obedience itself. And this is precisely why Paul’s words in Philippians 2:12-13 matter so much.
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13, ESV)
At first glance, this verse seems self-contradictory. Are we working toward obedience, or is God the one doing the work?
Paul refuses to resolve this tension, and for good reason. Both are true.
Obedience in a Gospel-Centered Life
Let’s break this down:
1️⃣ Paul’s call here is a call to obedience. He tells the Philippians to "work out" their salvation, making it clear that real effort is expected in the Christian life. This matters because some people hear "gospel-centeredness" and assume it minimizes the call to obedience. If that's ever true, it's to our shame. The more gospel-centered we become, the more our sin should be put to death—not less. The question is how that happens.
2️⃣ Paul tells us what makes our obedience possible. He follows up the command to "work out" salvation with these words: “for it is God who works in you.” This isn’t obedience rooted in self-effort, guilt, or pressure—it’s obedience that flows from God's work within us.
3️⃣ Paul’s solution to division (earlier in Philippians 2) is to apply the gospel. Before he ever gives them a call to obedience, he reminds them of Christ:
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Philippians 2:5)
The gospel isn't just the starting point of faith; it's the framework through which everything flows—including how we live, lead, and disciple others.
The Problem We’ve Been Addressing
Over the last two weeks, we’ve looked at the danger of gospel-centeredness becoming a motto rather than a movement.
We clarified that:
The gospel is not “some of Christ for all of life” (where we pick and choose which parts of Christ’s authority we accept).
The gospel is not “all of Christ for some of life” (where the gospel is central for salvation but disconnected from the rest of Christian living).
True gospel-centeredness is “all of Christ for all of life”—where His grace extends into every aspect of personal faith, discipleship, and church life.
But here’s the real question:
What Does That Actually Look Like in Practice?
If the gospel is truly central, what does that mean for preaching, discipleship, church structure, and church culture?
A truly gospel-centered church isn't just one that talks about the gospel—it is one where the gospel shapes everything it touches.
This kind of church can take many forms, but here are some non-negotiables.
1️⃣ A Gospel-Centered Church Proclaims the Gospel Every Week—Not Just to Save, but to Shape Its People and Fuel Its Mission.
The gospel must be the center of every sermon, the basis for every initiative, and the means for every step of discipleship.
Many churches agree that the gospel is essential. But in practice, it often functions more as a doorway rather than the foundation of Christian growth.
Too often, the gospel is:
Assumed rather than proclaimed.
Relegated to the start of the Christian life rather than the source of daily transformation.
Used primarily in evangelism but not in preaching, leadership, or discipleship.
The reality is, the gospel touches everything. Think about it for a minute. What if the following is actually true (and it is):
✔ Individually, the gospel reshapes how Christians approach…
Discouragement, suffering, relationships, sexuality, self-control, guilt, self-image, joy, holiness, human dignity, cultural differences, and right living.
✔ Collectively, the gospel reshapes how the church approaches…
Worship, outreach, church unity, doctrinal distinctives, mission, forgiveness, leadership, miracles, and church health.1
If this is the case, our energies must be completely focused on proclaiming such a gospel into everything.
If your church is focused on a good initiative, the key is demonstrating clearly, explicitly, and continually how God makes this work possible through the gospel—how it flows from the gospel. Then, do it again. And again.
Don’t just tell your people that it’s connected to the gospel. Show them how. Show them in the text. Proclaim the gospel to their hearts centrally every single week, and make the depth of gospel grace so routine that it becomes second nature for your congregation to think in these terms.
And then do it again. And again. And again.
Because we are forgetful creatures. And the moment we stop, we will drift.
2️⃣ A Gospel-Centered Church Structures Itself for Gospel Growth—Not Just Spiritual Performance
Discipleship must be built around gospel identity, not performance checklists. We can’t claim gospel centrality but disciple through law.
If we truly believe that obedience flows from the gospel, then the way we disciple people must reflect that.
Too often, churches:
Preach grace but structure discipleship through law.
Say obedience flows from identity in Christ but disciple people through behavioral checklists.
Talk about grace but train people through performance-driven spirituality.
A gospel-centered church will carefully align its discipleship model with the message it preaches. If we claim gospel centrality but structure discipleship in a way that pressures people toward self-reliance, we are functionally denying the very message we claim to hold.
3️⃣ A Gospel-Centered Church Cultivates a Culture of Grace, Not Performance
If the relational culture is driven by comparison, pressure, or fear, then people will live by law, not grace—no matter what’s being preached from the pulpit.
A church can preach gospel-centered sermons every week and even structure discipleship in a gospel-centered way, but if the relational culture is still law-driven, performance-based, or fear-driven, the people in the church will feel the weight of expectation rather than the power of grace.
✔ Leaders lead from security in Christ, not performance pressure.
✔ People feel the freedom to confess weakness rather than hide it.
✔ The “strong” in the church don’t look down on the “weak.”
✔ Failure is treated as an opportunity for growth, not a cause for exclusion.
Even if a church preaches gospel-centered sermons and structures discipleship well, if the culture is still built on comparison, pressure, and performance, the people will live by law, not grace.
4️⃣ A Gospel-Centered Church Trains and Equips Believers to Apply the Gospel to Everything
The gospel must extend into daily life—shaping work, parenting, relationships, suffering, money, and more. A church should teach people not just what to believe, but how to think and live through the gospel lens.
A truly gospel-centered church doesn’t just teach the gospel in sermons—it trains people to think and live through the gospel in daily life.
✔ Equipping believers for everyday struggles.
✔ Training leaders in gospel fluency.
✔ Helping people make gospel-driven decisions.
✔ Teaching people to counsel one another through a gospel lens.
A church can preach gospel-centered sermons and even structure its discipleship well, but if people aren’t being actively trained to apply the gospel to their everyday lives, then gospel-centeredness remains abstract rather than functional.
Conclusion: The Danger of Empty Language
✅ Does our church truly disciple people in a gospel-centered way?
✅ Are we structuring church life in a way that reinforces gospel growth rather than self-reliance?
If not, the answer isn’t to abandon gospel-centeredness—it’s to reclaim its depth.
And that starts with proclaiming not just that the gospel is central, but showing how it actually transforms everything it touches.
If you're wondering where to start, that’s exactly what I’ll cover in my next post.
In the next installment, I’ll be compiling a practical resource for churches that want to move from gospel-centered talk to gospel-centered reality. We’ll also start looking at real, actionable steps churches can take to shape preaching, discipleship, leadership structures, and culture in a way that keeps Christ at the center.
Let’s not just affirm gospel centrality. Let’s build churches where it’s felt, experienced, and lived.
This list of individual and corporate ways the gospel shapes the Christian life has been modified from Tim Keller’s article, The Centrality of the Gospel.