Please watch/listen to this video of Paul Tripp speaking about the facts of our living in a broken world and the impact of the gospel. It dovetails well with Pastor Brett's sermon from last Sunday on the bloody cross, and it's a very important word for day-to-day living with right expectations in light of the truth and implications of the gospel - all of the gospel: the good news and the bad news, which makes the good news so good! 

Tripp says that "grace is only ever exciting to those who are needy." Are you needy? If the good news of God's grace is really going to sing in our hearts, he says, we need to be truly "broken by our brokenness." And we shouldn't be surprised by the brokenness we witness around us or in our own lives. After all, we live in a world that God has "subjected to futility" (Ro.8:20). We are broken and flawed, the world is broken and flawed, others are broken and flawed, BUT... we have a faithful God! The Christian community should be both the saddest and most celebrant community on earth, Tripp says. Sad - because we understand the depth and damage of sin. Celebrant - because we understand and get to experience the glory of transforming grace! The sadness and celebration kiss in Jesus at the cross.

Watch the video and then watch it again. Very helpful: http://vimeo.com/37356375