WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE THE WORLD? (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    None of us will ever develop a cure for cancer.

None of us will ever solve the problem of homelessness.

None of us will ever bring about world peace.

 

B.     Things of that nature would radically alter the world.

 

C.     Yet, we have it within our power to change the world in which we live and thrive.

 

D.    We noted last week that the change is really found in one thing:  The Gospel.  To change our world, we must do some things with the gospel.

1.      We must believe the gospel is truly the Word of the living God.

2.      We must commit ourselves wholly, first and foremost, and genuinely to God’s teachings.

3.      We must live the gospel out in our lives.  Paul put it well when he wrote that we should be “transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2).

 

E.     There are three more things that we also need to do with gospel that will enable us to change the world in which all of us live.

 

I.                    PREACH THE GOSPEL

 

A.     If we are truly living the gospel, it has radically altered our lives. 

1.       Those who once worshipped idols turn from them to serve the living and true God (1 Thess. 1:9).

2.       We were individuals who were without hope and without God in the world, “but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off are made nigh by the blood of Jesus” (Eph. 2:12-13).

3.       Those who stole steal nor more, but work with their hands the thing which is good, that he may give to him that hath need (Eph. 4:28).

4.       No corrupt communication proceeds out of our mouths, but that which is good to the use of edifying (Eph. 4:29).

5.       Bitternesss, wrath, anger, clamour, malice and evil speaking are put away from us; and we become kind, tenderhearted, and forgive one another (Eph. 4:31-32).

6.       The example of Saul of Tarsus (Gal. 1:23).

 

But they had heard only that he which persecuted us in times past now preached the faith which one he destroyed.

 

a.       Adversary to ally

b.      Persecutor to the persecuted

c.       Doubter to defender of the faith

d.      Pharisee to preacher of the gospel

e.       Injurious to the cause to an inspired man of God

 

B.      Having experienced this change, we do not want to keep it to ourselves.  We must tell it to others.

 

C.     We do this by preaching the precious gospel of Jesus Christ.

1.       “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

2.       “…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21).

3.       Peter and John told the Jewish counsel:  “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).

4.       Paul’s example

a.       Romans 1:14-15

 

I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.  So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

 

b.      1 Corinthians 9:16

 

…for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

 

D.     All those who hear and heed our message will manifest unbelievable changes in their lives.

1.       The two major changes that take place:

a.       Death to sin

b.      Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ

c.       Romans 6:11

 

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

2.       The results of these changes will be demonstrated in their lives.

a.       They will change their gods.

b.      They will change their thinking.

c.       They will change their friends.

d.      They will change their language.

e.       They will change the use of their time.

f.        They will change their behaviors.

g.      They will change the use of their money.

 

II.                 DEFEND THE GOSPEL

 

A.     There is a sense in which the gospel does not need to be defended. 

1.       Man can fight against it all they desire.

2.       The Word of God, however, will always stand.  It is indestructible (Matt. 24:35).

 

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

 

B.      There is another sense, however, wherein the gospel does need to be defended.

1.       Philippians  1:17

 

But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

 

2.       The gospel needs to be defended when men seek to deny, change, and manipulate the message causing innocent people to be lost in the process. 

C.     The gospel was defended by many men of God in the first century.

1.       Paul wrote 2 Corinthians because false teachers had entered into the church attacking him and his ministry (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

2.       Paul wrote Galatians to defend the gospel from Judaizing teachers, that is, teachers who sought to bind aspects of the Jewish religion upon the Gentile converts (Gal. 1:6-7).

3.       Peter wrote 2 Peter and warned against the false teachers who would lead many stray (2 Pet. 2:1-2).

4.       John wrote his gospel and his epistles to protect the church from Gnostic teachers of his day (1 John 4:3).

5.       Jude wrote his brief letter to exhort his readers to contend earnestly for the faith because false teachers were in their midst (Jude 3-4).

6.       In several of the letters to the churches of Asia, the Lord Jesus Christ confronts false teachings that had entered some of those churches (Rev. 2:6, 14-15, 20).

 

D.     Defending the gospel is one of the most difficult things we are called upon to do as God’s children.

1.       We have to confront and most do not enjoy confrontation.

2.       The time when confrontation is needed is not always convenient and “proper.”

3.       Sometimes individuals spew out so much error that we hardly know where to begin.

4.       We do not want to get individuals angry with us, especially friends and family.

5.       We have not been trained to answer error very well.

 

E.      As I was thinking about this point, I was wanting to develop some ways that you and I can effectively defend the gospel of Christ.

1.       I have thought of developing a set of 3x5 card that have brief answers to some of the false doctrines that are taught today.

a.       Example:  Salvation by faith only

b.      There are some difficulties. 

1)      We may not have the right card to give to an individual.

2)      We would have to carry a lot of different cards to be ready for several situations.

3)      It would take us some time to find the right card to give to an individual.

2.       Perhaps the best way for us to confront the teaching is to become knowledgeable of the Scriptures.  When someone teaches error, we can write down two or three verses and tell the individual to study these verses and get back with you. 

a.       Baptism is not essential to salvation (Mark 16:16)

b.      Faith only (James 2:24)

c.       Can’t fall from grace (Gal. 5:4)

d.      The use of “father” as a religious title (Matt. 23:9)

e.       The Jews are the people of God today (Rom. 2:28-29)

f.        NOTE:  To do this, we must be intentional and kind.

 

III.              DIE FOR THE GOSPEL

 

A.     The ultimate test of faith is one’s willingness to die for the cause of Christianity.

1.       Life is one of the most precious possessions that a person has.

2.       To die for one’s faith can make a huge impression on others.

 

 

B.      Many died for the cause of Christ in the first century.

1.       Stephen (Acts 7:58-60)

2.       The apostle James (Acts 12:2)

3.       The apostle Paul (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

4.       Antipas (Rev. 2:13)

 

C.     What happens when a child of God dies for the cause of Christ?

1.       He affirms the message he believes is true (2 Cor. 1:9).

2.       He proves that death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person.  Suffering eternal condemnation is much worse (Matt. 10:28).

3.       He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:20).

4.       He displays the highest form of love (John 15:13).

5.       He acknowledges that his reward is not here but in the world to come (Phil. 1:21; 2 Tim. 2:8).

 

D.     When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, a centurion was there witnessing the events of the day.  Jesus’ death impressed him (Mark 15:39).

 

And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     We will never save the entire world, but we can change the little worlds in which we live with the gospel.

 

B.      We have found that we can change the world by

1.       Preaching the gospel

2.       Defending the gospel

3.       Dying for the gospel

 

C.     We noted in our first lesson that these things have been tried by some, but they were not tried very hard or for very long.

 

D.     The church at Thessalonica changed their world.

1.       In 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul reminds the Christians there that it was the gospel that was brought unto them.

 

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance…

 

2.       The Thessalonians became followers of Paul, “and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” (1 Thess. 1:6).

3.       Their changed lives impacted the regions of Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thess. 1:7-8).

 

So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonian and Achaia.  For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not speak anything.

 

4.       The Christians in Thessalonica were changing their world and so can we!