Rewind: Part 4 - America, Paul, and "the gospel"

1. OPENING PRAYER
Holy God, you gather
the whole universe into your radiant presence
and continually reveal your Son as Savior.
Bring healing to all wounds, make whole
all that is broken, speak truth to all illusion,
and shed light in every darkness,
that all creation will see your glory
and know your Christ.
Amen.

2. Based on the approved budget for 2024,
anticipating $123,000 in giving for Jan-Jun we
need $20,500/month on average.
In January we received $30,976.*
This puts us $10,476 “ahead” so far in ‘24
and $2,949 ahead of this time in ‘23
*This includes $12k in “year end” gifts +
“extra” gifts processed accidentally, so…
JANUARY GIVING UPDATE
$

3. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4
5th Sunday of Epiphany

5. If I proclaim the gospel, this gives
me no ground for boasting, for an
obligation is laid on me, and woe
to me if I do not proclaim the gospel…
in my proclamation I may make
the gospel free of charge, so as
not to make full use of my rights
in the gospel… I have become all
things to all people…I do it all for
the sake of the gospel, so that
I may share in its blessings.
1 COR 9
(selections)

6. BASIC DEFINITION
Euangelion = euaggelion;
good news; in the Greco-Roman world
it was used to describe
or announce an event of significance,
like the rise of a new ruler to the
throne, or a major military victory; used
76 times in the New Testament,
but…HOW DOES THE NT USE IT?
WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?

7. ONE MODERN VERSION
1. Created in God’s image
2. Sinned and broken that image
3. God loves you, sent Jesus to die
4. If you receive this, believe in Jesus,
and receive him into your heart you’ll
be reconciled with God
5. Once reconciled, you can live
with God forever in heaven
6. Believe in Jesus, accept him as savior,
that makes you a Christian
WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?

8. WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?
“THE BRIDGE”

9. WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?
3:23
6:23
5:8
10:13
10:9
8:1

10. WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?
3:23
6:23
5:8
10:13
10:9
8:1

11. AMERICANIZED VERSION
1. God loves you and has
a wonderful plan for your life.
2. People are sinful, separated
from God, so we cannot experience
God’s love or
know God’s plan for our lives.
WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?

12. 3. Jesus Christ is the only provision
for our sins, and through him
we can know God’s love/plan….
4. We must individually receive
Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior in
order to know and experience God’s
love and plan for our lives.
WHAT IS THE
GOSPEL?
AMERICANIZED VERSION

13. These formulations of “the gospel”
tend to facilitate individual decisions
in a salvation culture (where folks “know”
who is “in” and who is “out)
but rarely lead to faithful discipleship
in a gospel culture. Plus: they aren’t
actually presented this way in the text!
(NOTE: 90% of those who pray
the “sinners prayer” in their youth
have nothing to do with the church
by the time they reach 35yrs of age)
DR. SCOT
McKNIGHT

14. • Acts 2 (Peter; no sign of this version…)
• Acts 10 (Peter; still no sign of this version…)
• Acts 13 & 14 (Paul; nope…)
• Acts 17 (Paul; still nope…) CONSIDER
EVANGELISTIC
SERMONS
IN ACTS

15. CONSIDER
2 TIM 2
8-9
Remember
(1) Jesus Christ (or: Christ the King)
(2) raised from the dead,
(3) a descendant of David (completes a story!)
that is my gospel. (Still nope…)

16. CONSIDER
1 COR 15
1-4
Now I would remind you, brothers
and sisters, of the good news I passed
on to you, which you in turn received,
in which also you stand, through which
also you are being saved, if you hold
firmly to the message that I proclaimed
to you…For I handed on to you as of
first importance what I had received:
that (1) Christ died for our sins in
accordance w/the scriptures (2) he was
buried, and (3) he was raised on the
third day in accordance with the…(STILL nope!)

17. A KINGDOM GOSPEL CULTURE
A church telling and living the story
of Jesus, then letting the Spirit work…

18. A KINGDOM GOSPEL CULTURE
A church telling and living the story
of Jesus, then letting the Spirit work…
KINGDOM IN SCRIPTURE
1. King (YHWH/Jesus who was crucified/died/buried…)
2. Ruling (God/Messiah “completing” Israel’s story)
3. People (Israelites/Church in koinwnia)
4. Law to follow (Covenant/Love God/people)
5. Land to inhabit (Canaan/God so loved The World)

19. SO, WE SEEK…
• NEW LIFE for the dead/dying
• To extend the KINGDOM to all
• Repentance AND forgiveness
• JUSTICE for the oppressed
• FREEDOM for captives
• RELEASE for prisoners
• HEALING for the sick
• I.E. To be a kingdom gospel culture

20. • Led the Azusa Street Revival (1906)
• Later tried to go to Bible college
• Wasn’t allowed to register,
but could sit outside and listen in
WILLIAM
SEYMOUR

21. • Led the Azusa Street Revival (1906)
• Later tried to go to Bible college
• Wasn’t allowed to register,
but could sit outside and listen in
American salvation culture was
okay with exclusion based on racism;
a kingdom gospel culture is not
WILLIAM
SEYMOUR

22. • Recognized as a fantastic teacher
• Seen as one who lives with integrity
• Shares wisdom and insight
• Shares invitation and challenge
American salvation culture
was okay with exclusion based
on patriarchy and sexism;
a kingdom gospel culture is not
BETH
MOORE

23. • Gifted in leadership
• Give of their personal resources
• Growing in scholarship
• Recently married
• Willing to serve if/when allowed
American salvation culture
has been okay with exclusion based
on homophobia or transphobia;
we contend a kingdom gospel culture
should not be
MATT &
ALEJANDRO

24. SOUL TRAINING
Get intensely curious about what version
of the “gospel” you received and how it
compares with the kingdom gospel in
scripture…
• American? Bridge? NT? Other?
• How has that impacted your faith?
• Is the problem “the gospel” or the
kind you heard/were wounded by?
• Does “baby/bathwater” thing apply?

25. God, you who are the source
of hope, joy, and love;
there is nothing we can do
to make you love us more than you do,
and nothing we can do
to make you love us any less.
As you have been gracious to us,
empower us to share that same grace with others.
Amen.
CLOSING PRAYER