THE GOSPEL
DR. JIM DIXON
1 PETER 1:23, ROMANS 1:16
APRIL 18, 1993
If today you were to sail into the harbor at Syracuse on the island of Sicily, you would see, as you approach the shore on the waterfront, you would see a great statue of Archimedes. Archimedes was the Greek mathematician and engineer who, in the siege of Syracuse, is alleged to have set fire to the Roman fleet through the refraction of his mirrors. Archimedes is the man who explained to the world the principal of the lever. It was Archimedes who once boasted to the King of Syracuse that if he could just find solid ground upon which to set a great lever, he could, with that lever, move the world.
Now a little over two centuries later, a ship came into the harbor at Syracuse. That ship came from Malta. It was bound for Rome. On board that ship there were prisoners bound in chains and one of those prisoners was the Apostle Paul. The Apostle Paul, you see, had found the lever with which to move the world and that lever was called the gospel. It was said of the apostles that they were turning the world upside down and they were doing that with the power of the gospel. The Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God.”
Now the word “gospel” comes from the old English word “godspell” and the word “godspell” literally means “good news.” In the Bible, the word that is translated gospel is the Greek word “euangelion” and that word literally means “good news.” The gospel is good news and why is that? Why is the gospel good news? Well, I have two teachings this morning and the first is this. The gospel is good news because the gospel has power to rescue lost people. Now if you believe in Jesus Christ, this statement is not new to you. You know the gospel has the power to save people.
In my office, there is a drawing of a great ship of the Andrea Doria. The Andrea Doria was the pride of the Italian Merchant Marine. It was the pride of the Italian line, a massive ship, able to hold approximately 2,000 people—magnificent, and with luxurious accommodations. Now, of course, today, the Andrea Doria rests on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. The picture in my office portrays the Andrea Doria in its final transatlantic voyage, in its final moments as it was about to collide with another ship called the Stockholm.
It was July 25, 1956, and the Andrea Doria was making its 51st transatlantic voyage bound for New York, racing towards Nantucket. In the midst of a thick, dense fog the razor-sharp bow of the Stockholm just crashed into the starboard side of the Andrea Doria. The Stockholm reversed her engines and backed up, but it was too late. She had penetrated into the side of the Andrea Doria, had penetrated 30 feet into the great ship. When the Stockholm backed up, it had left a hole 30 feet deep and 80 feet wide. Even a great ship like the Andrea Doria could not survive that and the Andrea Doria was going down. Immediately, the starboard side of the great ship tilted 18 degrees and the lifeboats on that side of the ship were no longer useable. There were 8 lifeboats on the other side of the ship, and they held 1,004 people, not nearly enough. In panic, the captain of the Andrea Doria sent out a desperate S.O.S. Four ships came.
The Ile de France was the first ship to arrive. After that came the William H. Thomas, and then there came a battleship called the Allen and then a freighter called the Cape Anne. These four ships became giant lifeboats. Those four ships became rescue ships. For the people on the Andrea Doria, those four ships represented their salvation.
Now, the Bible tells us that this world is like a sinking ship. The people of this world are going down. The Bible tells us that the people of this world are drowning in a sea of sin and death. The Bible tells us there is one giant lifeboat, one great rescue ship, and that lifeboat is Christ, and the gospel is the invitation to board that ship called Christ and find salvation.
Now in Genesis chapter 6, we read, of course, about Noah and we read about the Ark. Historians and theologians and Bible scholars debate the historicity of the ark and the flood of Noah. They debate whether the dimensions of the ark were sufficient to contain all the known species of animal life in the world. They debate whether the configuration of the ark would have, as described in the Bible, would have provided a ship that was truly seaworthy. They debate whether the period of time in which it rained was sufficient to create the great deluge. They debate whether there is scientific evidence to support the reality of a global flood. They, of course, debate today whether Noah’s ark is really resting on the icy, cloud-shrouded peaks of Mt. Ararat.
Certainly, I believe in the historicity of the book of Genesis. I believe in the historicity of the flood and of Noah and of the ark, but I think sometimes when we spend too much energy focusing on such debates, we miss the whole point of what God is trying to say to us. What God is saying to the world, in the book of Genesis there, is that the world was riddled with sin and the judgement of God was about to descend from heaven and the ark of Noah was God’s offer of salvation. God wants us to understand the same reality exists today. The world today is riddled with sin. The judgement of God is imminent, and God has provided an ark of salvation in the person of Jesus Christ and the gospel is the proclamation of good news of salvation through Christ.
Of course, the problem that we have in the world today is that there are so many people who do not really believe they’re drowning. There are so many people who don’t really believe they’re on a sinking ship. A lot of people who do not feel the need to be rescued and a lot of people who don’t take seriously the reality of their own sin.
Monday morning, Barb and I were kind of bored and we flipped on the TV. We started flipping through the channels and we came to Geraldo Rivera. He was interviewing. Suzanne Sommers was sharing her life story. She told how, when she was 17 years old, she married this really neat young guy, but when she was 18 years old, she had an affair with a 47-year-old married man who was an alcoholic. Because of that affair, her early marriage was ruined. She said for years she felt guilt, but she said she’s come to the point where she realizes that she never should have felt any guilt, that there should never be any guilt. She said that she now realizes that in this life “There are no mistakes. There are only lessons.” No mistakes. Only lessons.
Sounds so Hollywood. No mistakes. Only lessons. You know that message seemed to appeal to the audience. I think it appeals probably to a lot of people because it sounds like such a beautiful positive way to view life. But, you see, it’s a ludicrous way to view sin. I mean, sure we need to learn from mistakes. We need to learn from sin, but we also need to understand the reality of sin.
The Bible tells us that adultery is sin. It is sin. Now, of course, Woody Allen has been all over the news of late. The newspapers have carried his story. According to the newspapers, Woody Allen just wonders what all the fuss is about. He cannot understand why his ongoing relationship with Mia Farrow’s young adopted daughter would be an item. He said the reality is that he loves her, and she loves him and as surely as night follows day, their love had to be consummated in sexual intimacy. He wrote it all off by simply saying, “The heart wants what the heart wants.” That’s Woody Allen’s explanation, “The heart wants what the heart wants.” Those seven words more or less describe the philosophy of many. “The heart wants what the heart wants.” No sin. He is just following his heart. But, you see, the Bible says, “Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me. Know my thoughts. See if there by any wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free.”
The Bible says, “this is the message we have heard from the beginning. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us but if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. My little children, I am writing this to you so you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the expiation for our sins, not for our sins only, but also for the sin of the whole world.” Here is the invitation of the gospel to receive salvation, to find rescue, forgiveness, eternal life through Jesus Christ. That is good news.
Now, there is a second teaching I have this morning and it is this. The gospel is good news, not only because it has power to rescue lost people, but it’s good news because it has power to rescue fallen cultures. The gospel has power to rescue, to purify, fallen societies.
Now, in Time Magazine, this most recent issue, the cover story concerns the city of Los Angeles. The cover story is entitled “Is the City of Angels Going to Hell?” Is the city of angels going to hell? When you read the cover story, when you read Time Magazine, you understand how they describe all of the multiplicity of problems that exist in the city of Los Angeles. Those problems are great, but the reality is that we’ve got problems in every city in America. We have problems in the rural areas of America. We’re having tremendous problems in our culture, tremendous problems in our society, in our civilization. We need to be rescued. It is the truth. The Bible tells us that as the people of God, “We are called forth as shining lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among which we hold fast the word of truth.”
Now, there’s a sense in which, as we live the gospel, and as we proclaim the gospel, we become salt, purifying salt, in the midst of decay and we become light in the midst of growing darkness. How necessary this is.
I would like to just share with you… it’s kind of unusual but I would like to share with you some quotes from history. I would ask you to listen and I would preface this by saying it really doesn’t matter. With respect to this discussion this morning, it doesn’t matter whether politically you are a Democrat or Republican and it doesn’t matter whether politically you are conservative or liberal. I’m not seeking a political discussion here, but I do want us to get an accurate glimpse of our culture’s history that we might better understand the reality of what the gospel faces today.
This first quote is from George Washington. When George Washington wrote this, he didn’t think anyone was going to read it because he wrote it in his diary, and it was found after his death. These words were read: “Let my heart, gracious God, be so affected with your glory and majesty that I may fulfill the weighty duties which you require of me. Again, I’ve called on you for pardon and forgiveness of sins by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ offered on the cross for me. You gave Your Son to die for me. You’ve given me assurance of salvation.”
I think the faith of George Washington was not atypical in early America. In fact, 52 of the 55 men who signed the Declaration of Independence believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All fifty-five were at least theists. I mean, all fifty-five believed in God but fifty-two of them believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Fifty-two of them embraced Christ as Savior from sin and Lord of life.
In our nation’s early history, tax dollars were used to educate students throughout the educational system, an educational system that was distinctively Christian. In 1782, the Congress of the United States issued this statement to the schools of America. It says the Congress… these words are recorded and they’re part of the historical record. “The Congress of the United States approves and recommends to the people the Holy Bible for use in all of the schools.” United States Congress, 1782.
In the year 1811, in the People vs. Ruggles, a man publicly just blasted the Bible and he was actually brought to trial. Ultimately that trial came to the United States Supreme Court. In 1811, the United States Supreme Court issued this statement. “You have attacked the Bible and in attacking the Bible, you have attacked Jesus Christ. In attacking Jesus Christ, you have attacked the roots of our nation.” The United States Supreme Court, 1811. Incredible. You will not find that statement quoted in a public school classroom today.
In 1844, in Vita vs. Gerard, a public school decided that it would teach morals and ethics without the use of the Bible. So, it came all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court allowed that school to teach ethics and morals without the use of the Bible, but the United States Supreme Court gave this admonition to the school, and this is part of the historical record: “Why not use the Bible, and especially the New Testament, to be read and taught as the divine revelation in the schools? Where can the purest principals of morality be learned so clearly or so perfectly as from the New Testament?” The United States Supreme Court, 1844.
On March 27, 1854, a group of people petitioned the United States Congress seeking to establish separation of church and state. We need to understand separation of church and state. Those words are not found in the United States Constitution. The concept of separation of church and state as it is believed today was not conceptually in the United States Constitution. For the first 150 years of our nation’s history there was no separation of church and state as we understand it today. So, a group of people, on March 27, 1854, petitioned the United States Congress to establish separation of church and state. The United States Congress issued this statement: “At the time of the adoption of the Constitution and the Amendments, the universal sentiment was that Christianity should be encouraged. In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity. That was the belief of the founders of the Republic, and they expected it to remain the belief of their descendants. The great and vital element in our system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The United States Congress, 1853. You will not find any public school classroom today quoting that though it is part of the historical record.
In 1892, in the Church of the Holy Trinity vs. the United States, the Supreme Court issued this statement: “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible for it to be otherwise and in this sense and to this extent, our civilization and our institutions are distinctively Christian.” The United States Supreme Court, 1892. 101 years ago.
Even as recently as 1931, the United States Supreme Court issued this statement: “We are a Christian people, and we acknowledge with reverence the duty of obedience to the will of God.” United States Supreme Court, 1931.
But, you see, things have changed. It does not matter what your political position is. You would have to admit things have changed. In 1947, the United States Supreme Court declared separation between church and state.
My son is in a public school, a public high school, and he was told by his history teacher that separation of church and state was the vision of our founders from the inception of this nation. Our son was told in his history class that it was the vision of the founders of America that God would never be mentioned in any governmental or public setting. Now this man’s entitled to his beliefs. People can believe today whatever they want to believe but, you see, they cannot change history. We have to be fair and square with history. The reality is that it was 1947 when the Supreme Court of the United States declared separation between church and state.
In 1962, the United States Supreme Court banned prayers in the public school classrooms of America. In 1963, Bible reading was outlawed in the public schools of our nation. In 1965, the right of a student to bow his head and pray audibly over his lunchtime meal became illegal or against the law in America by the declaration of the United States Supreme Court. In 1967, the court even outlawed a nursery rhyme in a case that was brought before the United States Supreme Court. The United States Supreme Court outlawed a nursery rhyme that didn’t even mention God, but the court issued this statement: “Although the word God is not contained in this nursery rhyme, if someone were to hear it, it might cause them to think of God and it is, therefore, unconstitutional.” The United States Supreme Court, 1967.
You see, things had begun to change a little bit. In 1980, in the case of Stone vs. Graham, the United States Supreme Court, of course, ruled that the Ten Commandments could no longer be posted in the public school classrooms of America. In conjunction with that, the United States Supreme Court issued this statement: “If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce school children to read them. If they read them, they may meditate upon them and perhaps venerate them and obey them. This is not a permissible objective.” The United States Supreme Court, 1980.
Big changes. So, we have witnessed in your generation the secularization of America. We are now reaping the fruit of that secularization. Today, the United States of America is number one in the world with regard to violent crime. We are number one in the world in divorce statistics, number one in the world in teenage pregnancies. We are number one in the world in voluntary abortions. We are number one in the world in illegal drug abuse—not in the production of illegal drugs, but in the use or utilization of illegal drugs. In terms of the industrial world, we have the worst record for illiteracy.
I think most of you have heard recited the differences in the public school classrooms of California between 1960 and 1985. I know Barbara Bush gave this information to the nation. In 1960, the top seven complaints in the public schools of California were these: Talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, running in the halls, cutting in line, dress code violations, littering—a bad crew of kids! In 1985, the seven top problems in California public schools were identified as these: Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, rape, robbery, violent assault. Unbelievable transformation. The fruit of secularization.
Of course, in 1960, 53% of the teenagers in America said they had never kissed. Ninety-two percent of the teenagers in America said they were virgins, those teenagers who had come through the 50’s—92%. Things have obviously radically changed today. Today, 30% of our nation’s children are born out of wedlock. We have already seen on a prior Sunday how 62% of the babies born in Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital, are born out of wedlock. There are some inner cities in America where 80% of the children born are born out of wedlock so is it any wonder that the United States of America now has the highest percentage of children living in single parent households in the world?
Of course, in the last 30 years, violence has gone up 500% in America. Our murder rate is now nine times higher than England, our rape rate fifteen times higher than England. We have skyrocketing rates of venereal disease in America. One and one-half million babies are aborted every year in America. Of course, we’ve even witnessed a proliferation of psychiatric disorders in our country. In the last 20 years, teenage suicide has risen 300%. This is the fruit of secularization. I must say we are a culture, we are a society, we are a nation, desperately in need of the gospel.
You know, Harvard was the first college founded in America. It was founded by evangelical Christians. Harvard was named after a Puritan minister, John Harvard. Its charter statement said that the purpose of Harvard was identified as preparing young people to take the gospel to the nations. This was true of most of the ivy league schools. They were founded by evangelical Christians, and they had in their purpose statement the objective of taking the gospel to the nations. Perhaps as time has gone by, we’ve just kind of failed in this nation to be faithful with respect to the gospel, evangelism and discipleship.
The statement “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” That is not the sum of the gospel. That is the core of the gospel, but the Bible tells us the gospel is literally summed up by every word of God. The gospel refers to the sum and total of the revealed word of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been called to live the gospel and to share the gospel with our culture and with our society. Perhaps we have not been faithful. Maybe we have not been faithful to live the gospel. Maybe we have not manifested the social demands of the gospel. We have not loved like we are instructed to love. We’ve not shown the compassion of Christ or the love of Christ, the care of Christ. Maybe we’ve just been hesitant to share verbally the gospel in our culture and in our surroundings. Maybe we are ashamed of the gospel.
The Apostle Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God.” But maybe today, many of us, if the truth were known, are ashamed of the gospel.
You know, I would like to close this with a little story concerning Sir Isaac Newton. Sir Isaac Newton has been called the “greatest scientific mind.” It is said that he had the greatest scientific mind in the history of the world. A mathematician and physicist, it was Isaac Newton who developed the three laws of motion. Those three laws of motion enabled people in his day to understand much that they had never understood before to understand why apples fall from trees, to understand how the planets move, and why they move the way they do.
It was Sir Isaac Newton who invented calculus, much to the dismay of many students. It was Sir Isaac Newton who brought to light the mysteries of color and light and explained their consistency and the realities behind them. It was Sir Isaac Newton who explained to the world why tides rise and fall and why we have tides at all in the oceans of the world. It was Sir Isaac Newton who built the first reflecting telescope. I mean a great mind.
Now a lot of people do not realize that Sir Isaac Newton was also, in England, a public servant. For many years, he served in the British Parliament. He was Cambridge University’s representative to the House of Commons, and he served for years in the British Parliament. Yet with that brilliant mind, with incomprehensible abilities of analytical thought, he sat in the Parliament for all those years and never said anything. He sat there all that time. I mean, all those issues so important to that culture, to that society, to that civilization so many issues were discussed and debated. With that brilliant a mind, maybe as great a mind as our world has known, he said nothing. In fact, in all of his years on Parliament, Sir Isaac Newton only spoke once and that was when he stood up and asked that the windows be closed because there was a draft in the room. What a waste. What an incomprehensible waste.
God wants you to understand today that when you came to Jesus Christ, you came with all the abilities, all the aptitudes, all the gifts with which He has endowed you and He wants you to use them. He doesn’t want you to waste them that you might go forth in this world as light in the darkness, salt in the midst of decay, that you might be His ambassadors that people who are lost might be rescued and a culture which is tragically lost might in some measure be purified. This call of Christ is upon us that we would be a faithful people. Let us close with a word of prayer.