Entrusted with the Gospel: Pastoral Expositions of 2nd Timothy is a collection of six sermons from the six plenary sessions of the 2009 Gospel Coalition Conference. The plenary speakers at the conference were John Piper, Philip Ryken, Mark Driscoll, K. Edward Copeland, Bryan Chapell and J. Ligon Duncan. These sermons are exemplary in that they are thoroughly grounded in the Bible are Christ-Centered in their focus and Gospel-focused in their application. These sermons will confront you, rebuke you, exhort you, and cause you to worship and praise the God of all grace.
Having attended churches that were program driven rather than Gospel-Driven- words cannot even express how much I appreciate the Gospel Coalition and their work. This book is just a reflection of their overall work. Through blogs, conferences, audio/video and more, the Gospel Coalition seeks to be thoroughly grounded in, by and for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words the Gospel is not just a slogan for the Gospel Coalition- it is something that this ministry and movement seeks to think about, breathe, live under and proclaim to the entire world.
This book will challenge you in several ways. First it will challenge you to grow in personal holiness. These messages are delivered by Pastors and Professors who love Jesus and the Church. These are men who have committed their lives to the task of eating, breathing, studying, living and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ contained in the Word of God. Whether you agree with every point they make is irrelevant but you should at least consider their arguments and counsel as they are experienced men whom God is using for the sake of His glory.
Dr. Piper in chapter one challenges us to feed the white hot flame of the Gospel by growing in personal holiness and service unto the Lord. In chapter two Dr. Ryken challenges us to follow the pattern of sound words that Paul gave to Timothy. In chapter three Pastor Mark Driscoll challenges us on the marks of positive ministry and how to deal with difficult people. In chapter four K. Edward Copeland stresses how to deal with the pitfalls and parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry. In chapter five Dr. Bryan Chapell exhorts us from the Word on “Preaching the Word”. In chapter six Dr. Ligon Duncan teaches us to finish well.
These sermons as I said earlier will challenge you. The Gospel is necessary for your salvation but it is equally necessary for your sanctification and growth in discipleship. If you are seeking to grow in what it means to live under the Gospel, I encourage you to read this book. Whether you are a Pastor, in a full-time, bi-vocational ministry, or just a layman or lay woman- this book will challenge you to see that the Gospel is for all of life. This book will rightly orient your life and ministry around the Gospel by stressing the importance of personal growth in holiness as you serve in ministry.
Picking up this book will challenge you and at times make you uncomfortable. It will challenge your apathy and pride. It will challenge the way you do ministry. In the end though the Christian life isn’t about living a comfortable life of easy it is about following the rugged road to the Cross. I recommend you pick up Entrusted for the Gospel that you may grow in personal holiness unto the Lord even as you minister for His glory in whatever capacity He has you in.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Dave Jenkins is happily married to Sarah Jenkins. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021) and The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
