3/3/57

Scripture: Acts 13: 26-43

Text: Acts 13: 32; “We bring you -- good news.”

Christians have a word for the message contained in the New Testament. It is “gospel.” The Greeks had a word which meant “to bring good news;” and that word is the one from which our word “angel” is derived. The Greeks added a prefix to the term to signify “to bring good news;” and from this comes our verb “evangelize.” Related to this verb was a Greek noun which, for us, is translated, “evangel” or “gospel.” It meant, in one sense, (1) the crown which they put on the head of a runner who burst in with good news from a distant place. Or it meant (2) the sacrifice which they offered in thanksgiving when they received good news. Or is meant (3) the good news itself. That is the word which is used in the New Testament for the Christian message.

It is wonderful to receive good news. How it lifted the hearts of Americans during World War II when, after long, anxious months of defeat and retreat, word came that enemy naval forces had been turned back in the Pacific, west of Honolulu. How earnestly thankful we were on receiving the news that the struggle was ended in 1945.

When we receive some word of personal success, or of good fortune for those whom we know well, how delighted we are! It may come in a telegram, or by telephone, or more directly as someone comes to us with the good news. And we are happy to get it.

It is also wonderful to take the good news to someone. A college professor, knowing how anxious a certain student was concerning his opportunity to be in school the following year, sent that student a special letter at Christmas time informing the student that he had been awarded a fine scholarship which would surely enable him to be in school for the work he so much wanted to take. It was obviously a joy, not only to the student who received the good word, but to the professor who felt that he had conveyed a special Christmas gift from the scholarship committee to the student!

A long distance telephone call, or a telegram, is an interesting experience each time it comes. If the message is unexpected, there are moments of excitement -- a mixture of anxiety and hope, until the message is stated. If the message turns out to be a happy word of some kind, you are happy to join the recipient in joy over the good news. It is a privilege to go to somebody and tell that one something good. You see the light break on his or her face. How happy is that one! Sometimes it is a whole group of folk to whom the good news brings joy.

This is the way the New Testament news was brought. It is still the way the Christian message comes. In the Gospel according to Mark, we read of Jesus that he came preaching the gospel of God -- that is, the good news about God and from God. Farther on in that same Gospel we read that “the great throng heard him gladly.”

In the Book of Acts, we read how Paul and Barnabas came to the city of Antioch. They stood up there and said: “We bring you the good news.” And a little later in the account, we read: “When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad.” Of course Jews had heard the message, too. And they were glad until their disaffected leaders in that place stirred up organized opposition.

It seems a tragedy that sometimes “evangelism” has come to signify threatening people with a fear of what may be their destiny if they do not reform their way and be converted. Joy and hope convert people as much as does fear. We ought certainly to stand in horror of sin and dread of its penalties. But the Christian message is primarily about how to experience the victory. When the message is only the severe one of admonition to duty, exhortation to responsibility, penalty of neglect, or of wrong choice, it is regrettable. For that is getting the matter backward. The Christian message is, first of all, wonderfully good news. When we have heard it, then, because we are grateful, we want to do the various things that are our duty and responsibility.

I once heard a man express himself about this matter rather vividly. He had been angered and disheartened about one phase of church life involving his family. In fact, he felt unfairly criticized, and he was resentful. Then there came to him what he recognized as the good news of the Christian gospel for him through the preaching of a minister whom he came to respect and like. And this man said, “I was so glad of it that I wanted to pitch in and help anywhere I could.” And so he volunteered to teach a class of boys in the Sunday School of his church!

Isn’t that the reasonable effect of the good news upon us? When we receive it, and recognize it, do we not then, out of gratitude for it, gladly perform the duty, shoulder the responsibility that we recognize as ours? It then becomes our sacrifice, our gift of thanksgiving, laid in gratitude upon the altar of our own building. That is what a true sacrifice is -- not a disciplining self-denial, but a gift of gratitude.

Now let us glance over the New Testament and bring together several of the statements in which there is this sense, that we are told something that is wonderfully good -- almost incredibly good, yet too good not to be true!

I. A first fact to be noticed is the amazing friendliness of what God has already done for us. The Gospel of John has this to say about it, that God loved us before we loved Him. “We love, because He first loved us.” As we try to understand this for ourselves, we remember that Jesus took illustrations from the home and family life, and used them as pictures of God and man.

Each of us has come into a family as a tiny baby, helpless, with little understanding. But, in the usual, ordinary home, we were received in love, and were surrounded by and sustained with love. The mother had prepared a crib and warm clothing and soft blankets. The father is hard at work to pay the bills he had calculated would be incurred. The baby, responding, thrives on this love. And if, perchance, love be lacking or entirely unexpressed, the baby actually languishes and may die. The baby is not yet old enough, nor experienced enough, to understand or comprehend. But eventually we have each grown enough, in years and wisdom, to realize some of what our parents have done for us. Then we become aware that they loved us before we were mature enough to know very much about what they were doing for us, to comprehend their love, or adequately to reciprocate it.

Perhaps it is a long time in life before we realize what our parents have done for us or how much of themselves they have given for us. And then we love them the more for our awareness that they have loved us already. In such fashion, God has put us in this world and prepared a thousand things for our benefit, to make it a home for us. We gradually become aware that love has been around us, even before we were understanding enough to know it, or before we comprehended God.

You recall that Helen Keller was very early in childhood stricken with both complete blindness and complete loss of hearing. Practically nothing got through to her through any senses except that of touch. When, after long and slow and patient work by her special teacher, it was possible to communicate ideas as well as necessary comforts, she was told about God. She signed back: “I have always known him, but I did not know his name.”

Even before we know God’s name, his love is around us. He loved us before we loved him. We grow up and learn to answer his love with our love.

Another part of this amazing friendliness of God is that he showed his love for us in that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners. Paul talks about this with the feeling that it is almost too wonderful to be true! Paul thinks of a righteous man as someone who is probably a rather stern, perhaps even harsh, man. One would scarcely die for such a person. Then there is the good and lovable man. Perhaps somebody would be willing to die for him. But, says Paul, Christ’s sacrifice (His gift) has depended on no such worthiness on our part. We were yet sinners when he died for us. Even though we were the ones who denied him, following only afar off, betrayed him, showed little interest, or perhaps snarled at him, he yet died for us. This shows us what God is like. We see, then, an amazing friendliness in God toward us.

II. Another thing we notice is an amazing generosity in God’s offer to us, in what we may recognize as the conditions of salvation. For one thing, God offers us forgiveness if we will only repent. There are several passages in the Old Testament and in the New Testament which state this: “Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return unto the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” [Isaiah 55: 7]. “Though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is lawful and right .... he shall surely live.” [Ezekiel 33: 14-15]. In the New Testament we find the message of Christianity summed up in the assurance “that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations.” [Luke 24: 47]. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [I John 1: 9].

This is so good that people can hardly believe it! Proof that it is difficult to believe is seen in the institution of penance in the Middle Ages. A vast penitential system was set up by men who did not believe it as it stands in the Bible. In this system it was necessary for the priest to pronounce absolution. This was believed to give freedom from eternal punishment, though temporal punishment would still have to be endured by the sinner here, or for a while in the hereafter. And so catalogues were made of the penances which must be performed to make up for sins. All the different kinds of evildoing which could be thought of were listed, and the corresponding things one must do to make up for each wrong committed. For one sin a man must stay up all night and pray. For another, he must visit a holy place. For yet another, he must go on a pilgrimage for as long as ten years, or, if he chose, pay a certain sum of money. This became a further danger in the system -- that of purchasing forgiveness with money. For some time, a period made notorious in history, indulgences were offered for sale, so that those who had sinned might buy a ticket which would set them free.

It was during this time in history that Martin Luther nailed up his theses for debate in which he declared: “The Christian who has true repentance has already received pardon from God altogether apart from an indulgence, and does not need one; Christ demands this true repentance from everyone.” That is a true teaching of the Christian religion. This is the easiest thing in the world, so far as rules and regulations are concerned. At the same time, it is the hardest thing to do, for you must turn to God with all your heart, and without reserving. If it were a matter of settling sin on the basis of indulgences, then one could sin, buy forgiveness, sin again, buy another forgiveness, and just keep that up like collecting parking tickets down town. You might even get somebody else to take care of it for you under some circumstances. What the Bible offers is harder than that -- and yet easier than that. Nothing is required -- but a complete turning to God, and then, it is promised, we are forgiven.

How amazing is the generosity of God who will justify us by our faith. According to legalism it would be necessary to pile up good works to achieve justification. But according to Paul, and Martin Luther, and God’s authentic word, we may be justified by faith. And out of this justification then proceeds the good works we are moved to do. In the paradoxical language which theologians sometimes use to describe religious truth, Paul Tillich says: “Faith is courage to accept the fact that we are accepted by God, even though we are unacceptable.” How amazing is the generosity of God toward us!

III. In the third place, beyond the amazing friendliness of what God has already done for us, and the generosity of what he offers us right now, we note the amazing blessedness of what he promises for the future. He promises that death will be an open door to a heavenly home. “In my Father’s house are many rooms,” was Jesus assurance to his followers. [John 14: 2].

Ozora Davis used to say that he had even anticipated some of what he would like to do when, within his next few months, he knew he would going through that door.

One who had traveled in Europe not long ago, came home to the USA with the story which he heard in England. A London scrub woman fell ill. Her friends made it possible for her to go to a hospital for treatment. While convalescing there, she went up and down the corridors becoming acquainted with other patients. Across the hall from her room was a red-headed, freckle-faced grade school boy with whom she liked to visit and who liked to see her. One day there was a commotion in the hall. The boy’s mother slipped into her room and said, “The doctors say that Willie has about ten minutes to live. Won’t you say something to him?”

It was a hard assignment. Praying inwardly for Christian grace, she walked quietly across the hall, sat down beside Willie, took his thin hand in her callused palm and said: “Listen, Willie, God made you. God loves you. God sent his son to save you. God wants you to come home to live with him.” The boy turned feebly toward her, tried to prop himself on his elbow, and entreated his friend: “Say it again.” Quietly she repeated the same words: “God made you. God loves you. God sent his son to save you. God wants you to come home and live with him.” Looking calmly into the face of his friend, Willie said, “Tell God ‘Thank you.’”

Well, the message is the same for you and for me. Will you not say “thank you” to God for his loving you before you even loved Him; for promising you forgiveness if you will only repent; for promising you an open door between this your mortal life and the eternal life of the hereafter.

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Delivered in Wisconsin Rapids, March 3, 1957.