The Gospel is Social
Notes
Transcript
The Gospel is Social
The Gospel is Social
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ...
It was this gospel that transformed his life -
Paul until Acts 8-9 was:
Intellectual - Gamaliel
Influential - Sanhedrin
Religiously committed and intense.
But in all his
power
position
prestige… He was empty...
He was lost - and there is nothing in this world that will satisfy and fulfil the emptiness that is down in the soul of men / women/ teenagers / and children - who do not know the power of the Gospel...
The word gospel has several meanings:
Good News...
Result of the good news...
The Gospel - the good news is that Jesus Christ:
died on the cross vicariously for you and for me...
He was buried
On the 3rd day, he rose again - according to the scriptures… I Cor. 15.1-3 - this is the gospel
The gospel… This good news… makes an impact!!!
It made an impact in the Apostle Paul’s life...
It has made an impact in thousands of people’s lives over the past 6,000 years...
We have heard
we have seen the results of the good news...
****
Historically, there have been movements that have been positive and some that are negative...
The “Social Gospel” movement (a protestant movement) began in the late 1800’s and had a major impact in our country.
The premise of the “Social Gospel” movement, was promoting the idea of setting up the Lord’s kingdom here on earth -
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
The Lord’s kingdom would deal with all of the social issues that plagued the world.
Out of this came many reforms -
The AFL - American Federation of Labor - labor unions
(Billy Sunday opposed labor unions - “The organized shops destroyed individual freedom”
Settlement movements- helping poor and immigrants improve their lives - YMCA was spawned out of this
The AME (African Methodist Episcopal church) was active and supportive of these Social Gospel programs.
Womens Sufferage Movement - ultimately opening up the 19th amendment to the constitution - Women’s right to vote.
Prohibition
The New Deal
Civil Rights movement - Martin Luther King Jr
these programs and movements have made an impact on our society...
The Gospel impacts socially:
Individually
Paul
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
Maniac of Gederra
Mary Magdalene
Family
Jailer
29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
Morally
Woman at the well
15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
b. woman caught in the act of adultery
c. Simon
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
Civically
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.
3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God’s high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.
Eternally
Lazarus
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
Rich man
Accept / Reject