Unstoppable Gospel: Living Out the World-Changing Vision of Jesus's First Followers

by Gregg Matte

The path of least resistance is seldom the path of greatest impact. This is a truth that the apostles knew intrinsically, but from which we, the modern church, seem to shy away. They boldly proclaimed the Gospel, in season and out of season. We want to avoid risk, avoid stepping on toes, avoid any bad publicity that might come with going out on a limb. But much like the first rockets to leave Earth's atmosphere, giant leaps forward in God's kingdom don't come without a big vision and a great big dose of risk.

In Unstoppable Gospel, pastor Gregg Matte calls readers to take up the task of the early church and go change the world. He shows how using ordinary, everyday people has been God's plan from the beginning and how we all have a part in that plan. He shares many practical ways Christians can get involved in their churches and communities to take advantage of the countless opportunities God provides for us to make a lasting kingdom impact in our world.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2015

Reviews

[DT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid book—I agreed with the writer’s theology and points. I just didn’t find it to be particularly unique or groundbreaking. The organization and pacing didn’t really make it the best read. I can’t even pinpoint what the book was about. He covers a lot of general topics encouraging us to live out our faith with a vague focus on the book of Acts.

[Kyle Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unstoppable Gospel is a proactive book. While it does contain biblical accounts of the history of Christianity, it is not written to give you a history of Christianity, the Bible, or the church. This book is written to ignite a fire in those that desire to live on mission for Jesus, and as a call to action to regular church goers who have become complacent. God's purpose is for the church to be more than just an event on Sunday morning; it's meant to be a fuse lit to unleash the explosive power of a believer's life. What it boils down to is this: We need to be doers of the Word instead of just hearers of the Word. Satan hates the church because it demonstrates the wisdom and love of God. When you push the church out into the community, Satan becomes powerless to stop the advance of the church. I like how the author, Gregg Matte says it: "Id we define the church as a building or an organization, no wonder people choose to sleep in or watch football instead of getting involved. We need to restore the original biblical vision of the church as a movement, radiating into the world with a sense of power, changing lives, impacting the culture, accomplishing a mission."

This book focuses on the entire Book of Acts, particularly the theme presented in Acts 1:8 - "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit base come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." The author has adapted the identity of his church, First Baptist Houston, based on this verse, calling it Mission 1:8. In Acts, we have a group of ordinary people that truly impact the world they lived in, providing major spiritual and numerical growth, as well as expanded growth of ministry to the poor, orphans, widows, and prisoners. They were not ashamed of preaching and teaching the Gospel, nor did the fear the possible repercussions for their actions. Matte highlights how FBC Houston has now grown to four campuses, all born in different ways and reaching different communities. The vision of the church stems directly from the Great Commission. They strive to be a "relevant biblical community". Relevant reaches out to culture, biblical impacts souls, and community connects the people. Too often today we're churches that entirely miss the point. Yes, a time of fun and fellowship is important, but the church should always be all about Jesus. The church is not a place to socialize, promote success, or a platform for politics - it's about Jesus. Period.

Matte goes on to describe how he once saw a vision of his church as a beacon for orphans, as well as strong support and foundation for adopting families. This is also something that is lacking in today's society. Where better to look for loving families to adopt children than our churches?

In order to grow as a church we need to focus on three initiatives: prayer, care, share. Always be in prayer, care for others, and share with the community. There are forces in our culture that want to erase the name of Jesus from the public square. This is spiritual warfare. We are reminded that as Christians we need to put on the whole armor of God, stand firm in the faith, be watchful, and be courageous in our fight.

The leaders in Acts realized that Peter and John, who were merely fishermen, had been with Jesus because their wisdom and courage reflected what the men had seen in Jesus himself. The author points out that when you define yourself spiritually, you walk vocationally with a purpose. The latter part of the book moves further into Acts to tell the courageous story of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, and the incredible story of the radical transformation of Saul of Tarsus into the apostle Paul. Johnny Hunt perfectly describes the paradox of Paul: "Christianity has never had a more dangerous enemy than Sauk of Tarsus, or a more dedicated friend than Paul the Apostle; both are the same man."

A church of impact is made up of people of impact, everyday people with the vision and courage to change the world. If you want to have an impact on potential believers, passersby, pleasure seekers, and prideful people, ask God to give you a spirit that is sensitive to needs. Don't worry about your lack of gifts or eloquence. Just do it. Go in the name of Jesus.

The appendix includes examples of the Daniel Fast and the ministries both locally and globally that FBC Houston has partnered with in their Mission 1:8 ministry.

I would highly recommend this book to any and all people, regardless of belief. It tells the story of ordinary people spreading the words and love of Jesus to positively impact the world. I received this as a free ARC from Baker books on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michele Morin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the End of the Earth




Out loud and together.
That’s how my patient husband and I are reading through the Bible this year, and, believe it or not, we’re just about on schedule! Right now we are taking in the book of Acts in great gulps, two or three chapters at a time interspersed with the corresponding epistles. That breathless pace feels about right for the book of Acts, for in this solitary book of New Testament history, everything was full steam ahead.

Gregg Matte plowed into the book of Acts, harvested principles from the early church, and has endeavored to sow them in the soil of Houston’s First Baptist Church where he is senior pastor. Awed by the power of the Gospel’s shockwaves through his community, he now offers his observations and experiences along with their application to the 21st century church in the pages of Unstoppable Gospel.

Studying the book of Acts, it’s easy to lose the forest among so many trees: geographic regions, people groups, and multiple missionary journeys. To counteract the blur, Gregg lays out the big picture in terms of Acts 1:8:


“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This mission statement for the church is 100% relevant because, in Gregg’s words, “the first century church didn’t receive anything that you and I don’t already have. We received the same power they had on the day we became Christians . . . Now our work extends from our doorstep to the ends of the earth.”

And as we journey through the book of Acts with Pastor Gregg, he shares with exuberance the acts of the Holy Spirit in Houston, Texas as they relate to growing the church. Christ is the starting point, and from Him stretches a chain of dominos — a series of encounters and events — that ensure that God’s plan is in perpetual motion. Unstoppable Gospel seeks to awaken in the reader a desire to find his/her unique place in that two thousand year long line of dominos.

Gregg’s words will meddle with your comfort-zone if you give them half a chance. For example, Acts 4 demonstrates Peter’s courage in the midst of a life-threatening event. Turbulence is the rule rather than the exception in the book of Acts, so prayer is a way of life and is conducted on the fly.
•Peter’s been imprisoned by King Herod — yes, the same guy who executed James! Impromptu prayer meeting at Mary’s house!
•“Hey, Ananias, Saul the persecutor is in town. Go and talk to him about your faith.” Gulp.

Unstoppable Gospel unpacks the Greek word describing this kind of earnest prayer: “at full stride.” For the believer who wishes to connect with unbelievers of all backgrounds, this kind of prayer will cultivate the right kind of heart response — to slow down and notice needs, to be sensitive to sin, and to show up where the need is greatest. Paul may have been more comfortable at the synagogue, but he hung out in the market place too.

If the book of Acts seems to end with a cliffhanger, it’s because the final chapter has not been written. The life changing power of the Unstoppable Gospel is at work in the world through believers today. Could it be that the most exciting chapters are yet to come?


This book was provided by Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. 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.”

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Church has been a big part of my life from the very start. I grew up in Sunday school and vacation bible school programs and with a Deacon for a father. My family always tried to be good friends to the pastor's family and my dad was involved in the governing of the church. We saw the nitty gritty of what makes a church run and what causes a church to flail. We ended up leaving my childhood church when I was 18 due to long term, unhealthy attitudes and actions taken by the leadership towards the pastor there. We saw a lot of drama and hurt- the kind of stuff that causes people to be leery of churches or leave them behind all together. But my parents knew a truth- the Church is a diverse group of people, sinners, who are united under common beliefs and hope but still run into contentions and hurts between human beings. We now attend another small community church that we love and brought me some very good friends and even my husband! We love this little body of believers but you know what? We've also been hurt by other Christians there and seen some ugly issues happen here as well. No church, until Christ's return, is immune from human error.

Unstoppable Gospel: Living Out the World-Changing Vision of Jesus's First Followers is a jam packed resource of a book that does a very through job addressing the issues that the church runs into and more than that, the power of the church. Gregg Matte maps out the history of the first church and the foundational beliefs they anchored their faith in and found their mission through. He stresses the importance of intense prayer and reminds us of our mission to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (and how amazingly possible that is in today's modern world!). Matte brings us back to the core truth that a successful church isn't measured by how many ministries there are, attendance numbers or how relevant the service is. A successful church is all about Jesus.

Unstoppable Gospel goes on to give some great advice on how to find a balance in tithing, to slow down and spot opportunities to minister to searching hearts, and how to find the true measure of the sacrifice required of following Christ. Matte finishes out the book with a challenge to consider the higher disciplines of a life in mission work and fasting. I feel this book covers a lot of bases when it comes to what the church was created to be, is in reality at times and can be thru the power of the gospel.

I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Lucien]

This is not a critical or scholarly review but an observation of the great encouragement, inspiration and motivation one gains from picking up this book from pastor Gregg Matte and reading it.

"Unstoppable Gospel" is Gregg Matte's way of reminding all Christians churches of the centrality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact all of Scriptures point to no other than to Jesus Christ. "The foundations of the early church suggest what the church today can become again." (P.18).

To say the church "can become something again" implies that it has lost what it needed, what it once had. And that is the underlining theme of all thirteen short and easy to read sermon-like chapters. The early Christians led by the apostles boldly proclaimed the Good News in spite of the dangers and persecutions they faced. They were willing to offer themselves up as living sacrifice . In contrast today, the church wants to avoid risks and in so doing it is becoming more complacent.

"Unstoppable Gospel" goes through the Book Acts showing how and why the early church armed with the Good News and empowered by the Holy Spirit through prayer was on the move like a runaway train, constantly advancing, relentlessly taking and occupying new territories from Jerusalem to far corners of the then known world.

"Unstoppable Gospel" examines how a small group of Jesus's followers who believed in the resurrected Lord, lived beyond themselves, and turned the world upside down. That pattern set by the first century church is the same the church in twenty first century needs to be relevant and truthful to the message of the cross and the empty tomb.

"Unstoppable Gospel" calls every Christian to take up the mission of the early church spelled out in Acts 1:8 seriously and go change the world. God used everyday and ordinary people in the first century to spread His Word. Likewise Today he is capable of doing the same through people who believe and are willing to take advantage of many opportunities to make lasting impact in our broken world.

This is a book that not only encourages but inspires and motivates to take action. Onward and together. To the ends of the earth!

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some people are frustrated with the church and want to give up on it. Matte reminds us Jesus left no option to follow Him while isolating ourselves from other believers. Christians would be known by their love for one another and if you want to be used by God, Matte writes, “then you need to learn to love His church.” (13)

He takes us through the book of Acts where we see that the gospel (and the church) was unstoppable. The same power of the Holy Spirit that turned the world upside down is available today. “The first-century church set a pattern that is still the model for producing explosive results in the twenty-first century...” (19)

There are many lessons Matte brings out of the Acts narrative. He writes of the primary importance of prayer, paying attention to God's timing, the tension of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, believers caring for the needs of one another, paying attention to the opportunities God provides, and preparing for persecution.

I like that he reminds us, “Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. But once His power comes upon us, we can do anything.” (24)

Matte's emphasis is on the first half of the book of Acts. He adds many examples from his own life, that of his church, and experiences of others to illustrate his teaching. I did feel that he told plenty of stories about successful ministries in his own church. Some pastors of smaller congregations may find those stories a bit intimidating.

I recommend this book to those looking for a very readable look at the early church as seen in the book of Acts. There is good encouragement to actively participate in the mission of the church.

Food for thought:
“The church is all about Jesus. Anything else is not the church.” (67)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Travis Heystek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an excellent read. I started it back in November and the work started piling up so I had to put it down as our church prepared for the Christmas season. Matte's book is based on Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." I really appreciated the integrity to scripture. A lot of times Christian authors will use scripture out of context and although it may not be a bad conclusion, it's not always the most biblically accurate translation. I believe that Greg Matte does a great job maintaining the biblical integrity, while also challenging readers to deeper level of intimacy with God, and a deeper level of commitment to God, all done from a new angle. Same message, new compelling perspective and stories.

I received this book from Baker Books Bloggers.

[Carol Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great tool to show how you can take advantage of what is presented to you to expand the knowledge of the Gospel. The author tells how others have taken advantage of various situations to get involved in their communities and share the Gospel. He shows how it can be better acknowledged when it is in action instead of just told. An excellent tool for those looking to make an impact in their church and community.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book via Goodreads Giveaway.

This book is a great read for any Christian, reguardless of denomination. Mr. Matte, is very good at sharing his gospel views and how to better live a Christian life. The Unstoppable Gospel take you back to the days of the early church and the apostles, and shows how the Book of Acts is just as relavent to day as it was back in ancient times.