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Expert Commentary

Gospel Relevance=Gospel Application

Posted Aug 06 2008


 
April 4th, 2007 by iMonk

Studying Acts with my students, it’s freshly clear to me that the immediate struggle of the early Christians was not only, or even particularly, theological, but practical.
How do we live out, in the church, family, community and world, the significance of Jesus NOW?
What kind of behavior, actions and community appear in “”the Kingdom of God” as Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit create it on earth (and as the church is a “demonstration plot” of the Kingdom?) That is what we’re praying for…right?
What are the relevant issues where the application of the way of Jesus will make an immediate difference?
I heard Mike Goheen say something like this: faithfulness to the gospel and the relevance of the gospel to culture are the same thing. This is deeply true, and pulling them apart damages everything that the church is left on the earth to do. The assumption that “culturally relevat” means skateboard services is ridiculously shallow.
It amazes me that the apostles immediately know- they KNOW- that Christianity has to be applied in ways they had never thought before. Perhaps the story in Acts 10 is a window to how the Holy Spirit stirs us up to get off of the roof and down into a Roman’s house.
The Apostles apply the Gospel broadly. There must be a different kind of economics. There must be a different kind of inclusion around the table and in relationships. There must be prayer, breaking bread, teaching doctrine, but there is more. You cannot leave out the issues of hunger, inclusion, assistance, mercy ministries, economics or even political theology. While you can point out the kinds of issues that weren’t addressed, it’s remarkable what kind of issues are addressed…and how they are addressed.
“Christian culture” is always a counter-culture, not a consumer culture, an entertainment culture or a political lobby. “The Church” is a gathering of people loyal to Jesus who believe certain things, but it is a movement of people who apply the gospel to those issues in their midst that demonstrate the meaning of the Kingdom of God.
There is a lot of scholarly controversy over whether the “communal” passages in Acts reflect the teaching of Jesus or whether the Apostles are going beyond what Jesus taught and forcing an application of the gospel that Jesus did not require.
This “either/or” may be missing the point. If a particular form of the application of Jesus’ teaching turns out to be a failure on some level- such as the communal experiment of Acts 2 and 4- that does not mean that it was wrong to conclude “the gospel must be applied and practiced, as well as believed.” If this is a failed “program,” it is not a wrong application of the Gospel. Jesus leads us to issues of ownership, the lordship of mammon and the meaning of being one body. We may not see the Acts “commune” passages repeated throughout the New Testament, but we do see the relevant questions and hear the relevant applications in most of the New Testament letters.
For example, Paul may not have approached the issue of slavery the way a Justice Mission might today pursue the same issue. But does anyone argue that Paul believes Christ does not transform, undermine and put in motion the eventual end of slavery?
This is why I can commend many Christians for their attempts to put the Kingdom of God into practice even if I disagree deeply with their particular application. I have mixed agreement with many liberals and conservatives, but I commend them for seeing that Jesus has a meaning for politics, relationships, community and culture.
This is the kind of “cultural relevance” that many churches and younger leaders are seeking that is ignored or misunderstood by critics. Caricatures always criticize younger leaders and missional churches for seeking to be “cool,” but what is to be said to those who are asking these questions:
What are the pressing human needs in the community that surround us, and how can we help meet those needs?
What are we doing to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, care for the widow and visit the prisoner?
What are the ethics of building when the maintenance of facilities takes away substantial support for mercy ministries?
What priority can we give to supporting denominational programs as we seek to use our resources to become a missional congregation?
How do we connect the gospel as proclamation to the application of the gospel?
How can we make our gospel application meaningful to those who see any application of the gospel as capitulation to liberalism?
How can we keep our application of the gospel from manipulation by those with agendas that are not Christ-centered?
How can the teaching of the faith and the application of the faith in proper balance so that the faith confessed and taught is never displaced by works of any kind?
One other thing is sadly clear: there were and will always be people who do not want the Gospel to change things. They want women in their place, economics ordered as best benefits them, politics left to the politicians and “those people” left to suffer since the poor will always be with us. The only widows who should be cared for are the ones they know. People of different color, different beliefs and different religions aren’t our business. We should grow our church by sticking to our own kind.
That kind of sad thinking- untouched by Jesus and the power of the Spirit will always be around, and those engage in it are usually generous with their views. The application of the Gospel means responding to those kinds of opponents as well. We give an answer, we choose to suffer in order to love, and we keep doing what Jesus would do.


One Response to “Gospel Relevance=Gospel Application”

  1. ReV.Dr.B.JOHN EMMANUEL RAJU.DD Says:
    August 8th, 2008 at 8:43 am

    GOSPEL and SOCIAL SERVICES

    ACCORDING TO BIBLE: StMatthew: 25:34-40

    KANURU – 534329, WEST GODAVARI
    DISTRICT, ANDRA PRADESH, SOUTH
    INDIA
    E-MAIL:b.babyraj @yahoo.com
    syam.vijay@yahoomail.com
    Phone numbers: 00918819225799
    Cell phone: 009989608711
    Rev. B.J.EMMANUEL RAJU, B.Th., M.Div, DD
    Preparing Soldiers for Christ
    Praise God for the Wonderful testimony of my dream mission for the preparation of soldiers for Christ. I have gotten an opportunity by the Grace of God to strive to know, follow, initiate and belong to Jesus Christ in a very deep and special way made available to a lay person. It has been raised up by Holy Spirit to answer the needs of our times and to evangelize our secular society to reach out to hundreds of uncharted people and fallen away faithful and to teach faithful how to live out and deepen their lives in Christianity in the remote tribal villages. They find their strength and energy in a life of prayer centered on the faith.
    Please let me introduce myself. I am Rev.Dr.B.JOHN Emmanuel Raju, D.D. I am 44 years old. I am doing the Jesus Christ Service for the past 20 years. We have visited 15 surrounding villages regularly to lead the people towards Jesus Christ by my Gospel. On this occasion, I am distributing Gospel Tracks, new Testaments and other material of biblical subject to the people of these villages. In order to achieve these objectives, I used to visit door to door and praying for their illness and help the poor widows, orphans by providing food, shelter, clothing, medicines and financial support for their essential needs like medical treatment, education etc.
    On my personnel prayers, I always remember “O my Jesus, you have said, “Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7)
    We are using our profession, education, talents and skills in the mission to serve the poor and needy. By the grace of god, I have been in this mission for over 21 years and I am very grateful to god for allowing me to be little part of his great work. Without rendering such a service people might otherwise be condemn to their state of poverty. The poor around us desperately need our service to educate, care for and lift them up from their state and teach them how to improve their quality of life and standard of living. We educate people how to make good use of resources and foods available them. We are also providing first aid in the field of health care. So many people are sick and fear going to hospitals for a variety of reasons. People are just suffering the disease and dying unnecessarily. People are afraid to open about their ailments, but when they know we are a missionary to release them and they easily open up bout their problems which are most of the time easily solvable. When remote tribal people go to hospital, the doctors are typically rough and uncompassionate with the patients. It seems they are only concerned about the money. Many times, if don’t pay upfront, no matter how bad of shape you are in, they won’t treat you.
    I know people who have died because they didn’t have the funds to pay the Doctor for a life threatening surgery; we make an arrangement to provide a doctor who is a member of my mission. He takes his time and is patient with them. He also helped many people get through and recover from simple as well as serious illness.
    Dear brothers and sisters, Praise the Lord. This is my service and Gospel, Social work to my surrounding village people.
    In the Service of the poor and remote tribal area’s children, we are conducting regular weekly Sunday schools and medical camps, food, clothing, education etc. We are making them as good citizens of this country. Around 50 children are getting our services in orphanage home.
    As on today, we have an enormous response from the village people who were massively converted to Christianity and they stand for Jesus Christ. They were participating our regular weekly masses with dedication and full faith. Here presently around 100 or above member in each church are running in 15 different remote villages with 24 churches. Each church is running with one poor Pastor who is also dedicatedly working beyond their capacity. Some of the churches does not have permanent buildings also. But still our pastors are actively conducting their regular weekly masses.
    Church Members gathered under the Tree for conducting Weekly Sunday Mass
    Now we have started an innovative programmed to service the old age people and widow in our churches and their neighboring areas. In these programs we are supplying food, cloths, and medicines regularly and also preparing them for gospel by door to door campaign for conducting prayers and lead the new souls toward Jesus. Pray for us as we are going to construct a shelter for them to improve their services and make this program success.
    Please help for construction of bible collage or children home. These are the details GIVEN below Para.
    We are also conducting bible classes & collages for the youth to make them confident to become a preacher. The total members of youth in my service and in ministry are 250 above for the youth to make them confident to become a preacher. Kindly pray for this effort as we are struggling hard for procuring books, bible material and various Gospel books and other stationary. We also are planning to provide a shelter for them. So that this programmed may take in large scale and also planning to expand our mission beyond our present remote villages. We have also delegate a responsibility to the youth who are well trained with us, to the remote villages still nobody knows about Jesus and spreading this gospel even remote corers of the tribal villages in West Godavari. In order to achieve this programmed, we are hiring a rented vehicle, with rented sound systems, electrical, visual media equipment for every week. Because of limited resources, we could not make up this programmed so successful. Kindly pray for us to procure vehicle and own electrical, visual media equipment so that we can extend our support to Gospel with these bright and young & dynamic youth achieve wonderful and fruitful result.
    Distribution of Books, Slates, Plates & Glasses to the Children of Poor in Remote Tribal Area
    We have distributed food items, mats, buckets and other essential commodities for the victims of the fire accident
    We are distributing the ration and essential commodities like rice, mats, buckets etc to the victims of Fire accident
    We are also conducting medical camp to the poor remote tribal women
    Medical Camp: Doctor giving instruction to the poor patients
    Distributing Cloths to the Old age Widows in the remote village by Rev. Dr.B.J.EMMANUEL RAJU, Gospel & social work missionary
    At last I wish to convey that while conducting such a wonder programs, we are facing financial crisis, and social crisis etc. Despite of all these hurdles we have determined to putforth our service. So far I am conducting these programmes with the mobilization of local
    Funds through my colleagues. I am a middle class person and with the help of such likeminded employee’s participation we are going in such a progressive gospel program me. We don’t have any external funds apart from my salary and some small contributions from my employees. So I am requesting all of you that any type of help such as medicines, books, visual media equipment, vehicle provision, etc may definitely helpful in Gospel and I beg you that kindly became an associate in my service by extending your support and your prayers.
    For all these programmers’ are conducting under my guidance while facing so many difficulties and also I am engaging on this task round the clock for the Lord Jesus and the reason for such an effort is by the holy bible verse “I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGHCALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS” Phil: 3:14.”

    FOR US SPECIFIED CHURCH IS NOT THERE THAT’S WHY WE ARE PRAYING IN THE TENTS.PLEASE PRAY AND HELP FOR CONSTRUCTION OF CHURCH IN 2008 IS OUR AIM. WE ARE TRYING A LOT.PLEASE PRAY AND SHARE OUR PROBLEM WITH NEIGBOURS .AND TELL TO THEM TO PRAY AND HELP US.

    PLEASE PRAY AND HELP FOR THE POOR PASTOR, ORPHANS CHILDERNS, FOR CONSTRUCTIONS OF CHURCHS IN AND BIBLE COLLEGE IN MY VILLAGE SORROUNDING AREAS .OUR YOUTH MEMBERS ARE VERY INTRESTED TOWARDS JESUS.IAM AND MY PASTORS TOGETHER GATHERED AND DESCOUSED ABOUT THE MATTER BIBLE COLLEGE IN OUR VILLAGE .TO MAKE THE YOUTH , IN FUTHER PASTOR AND TO DO JESUS WORKS IN THEIR DAILY LIFE AND TO PREACH THE BIBLE WORDS TO THEPEOPLES IN DIFFERET PLACESES .AND WE ALSO DIDN’T HAVE CHURCHS IN MY VILLAGE SORROUNDING AREAS .WE ARE COLLECTING SOME FUNDS .THAT FUNDS ARE TOTALLY SPENDING FOR ORPHANS CHILDERNS ,AND FOR THEIR MAINTAINS..THE PEOPLE ARE INTRESTED IN CONSTRUCTING THE A NEW CHURCHS. WE TRYING VERY HARD FOR CONSTRUCTION OF BIBLE COLEGE FOR YOUTH AND CHURCHS FOR POOR PEOPLE IN SURROUNDING AREAS. THE FUNDS COMING FROM THE PEOPLE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT FOR CONSTRUCTING THE CHRUCHS AND BIBLE COLLEGE FOR YOUTH.PLEASE PRAY AND HELP IN TELLING THIS MATTER TO YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE YOUR REAIATIVES TO HELP US IN ANY WAY.ABOVE MENTIONED OUR PROBLEMS ARE IN VERY NEED TO US.WE ALSO NEED A VAN OR CAR TO CANVERS AND IN MANY WAYS FOR CHRUCHS PURPOSE .ONCE AGAIN PLEASE PRAY PRAY AND HELP FOR MY PROBLEMS.

    THIS IS THE PHOTO OF WHICH YOU HAD ARRIVE TO MY VILLAGE BEFORE 10 YEARS BACK.BY COMING TO MY VILLAGE SO MANY WONDERFUL GOD’S THING THAT WERE DONE BY YOU.AT THAT TIME ONWARDS I AM TRYING TO GET YOUR ADDRESS OR YOUR E-MAIL .I ASKED THE SADRICK BUT HE DIDN’T GAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR’S.I ALSO HAD WROTE AN LETTER TO YOU THIS MONTH .YOU TOLD THAT
    “I HAD SEE SOMANY VILLAGE’S IN INDIA AND ALSO SEEN SO MANY FACE’S”.FOR THAT I HAD KEPT THIS PHOTO AND ABOUT MY SERVICE AND ALSO ABOUT OUR CHURCH PROBLEM.

    Therefore, it is requested to my entire brother and sisters in the name of Jesus may kindly pray AND HELP for me and my services for the poor and remote village people.
    Thanking you
    Rev.Dr.B.JOHN EMMANUEL RAJU.

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