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Love: The Two Great Commandments Introduction: Matthew 22.34-40 goes in two different directions. God to man (vertical) and man to man (horizontal) relationships. I) Jesus’ Mission Was Spiritual In Nature A) Spiritual warfare more important than physical warfare 1. Jesus did not start a college in order to educate man, he did not develop a job training program, try to improve the slums and housing of mankind 2. He came to save His people from their sins, Matthew 1.21 3. He came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19.10); to serve (Matthew 20.28) B) The social gospel places the emphasis on the physical part of man 1. Recreation, food services, entertainment, medical services; the man to man relationship 2. Many today do not go to "church" to be saved but to be served. II) Differences Between the Gospel & The Social Gospel A) Purpose 1. Social gospel seeks to make life better here and now, improve one’s social status, make one feel better, stresses PMA 2. The Gospel of Christ seeks to save souls lost in sin. B) Method 1. Social gospel attacks the symptoms of the disease (sin) 2. Gospel of Christ attacks sin itself a. Example: AIDS – social programs developed to talk about "safe sex" to give out clean needles to drug addicts; the Gospel of Christ tells us to stop the sin that causes the spread of aids, 1 Corinthians 6.18 b. It is one thing to get the people out of the slums; it is another to get the slums out of the people. C) Authority 1. Social Gospel goes by the wisdom of men; no longer believe in God’s authority or even concerned with what the Bible teaches. a. Churches preach the social gospel because they don’t have the Bible 2. Gospel of Christ goes by God’s word, 2 Timothy 3.16-17 a. We are not to go beyond what is written, 1 Corinthians 4.6 b. To abide in the doctrine of Christ, 2 John 9 c. If we go by Matthew 22.34-40 there will be no need for the social gospel III) Look At Matthew 22.34-40 A) First is the vertical relationship, 2nd is the horizontal relationship 1. 1 John 5.3 God’s commandments can be divided into 2 categories a. Those religious in nature (God to man) b. Those social in nature (Man to man) B) God to man 1. Of the 10 Commandments, 4 are directed in how man is to reverence God, Exodus 20.1-8 `a. The only way these relate to our fellowman is our influence 2. There are New Testament commandments that deals with God to man (Faith, Repentance, Confession, Baptism, Assembling, Prayer, etc) C) Man to man, the other 6 commandments 1. They are repeated in the New Testament plus some others 2. If we do not keep these we are not good people, we may even go to jail IV) Why Is One Greater Than The Other A) 1 John 5.3 We are to keep His commandments, both those dealing with God and with our fellow man 1. To keep the first we must also keep the second. 2. One can keep the 2nd without keeping the 1st, 1 John 4.20-21 a. I can love my fellow man but not worship God b. I can honor my parents but not confess Jesus. V) Application A) We can be religious toward God but not toward man (Faith, repent, confess, etc) 1. Have no concern for my fellowman, Mark 7.2,5,6-13 a. Pharisee’s divided the law into 613 statutes, 248 positive, 365 negative; then tried to find the loop holes. 2. Today people go to church on Sunday and then live like the devil the rest of the week (use profanity, drink, abuse family members, not pay their bills, etc.) B) We can be religious toward our fellow man but not toward God 1. We admire good moral people, but are they right with God? a. They have not kept the 1st and greatest commandments, 1 John 5.3 2. Obedience is not selective a. We can not choose the parts we like and want to keep and then disregard the rest b. If we are to keep the 1st commandment then we must also keep the second. 3. We are to obey God when we understand the why and even when we do not understand the why. Conclusion: The social gospel forgets about God, disregards God’s word and His power. If we want to have a better society and raise man up we must have a better relationship with God. D.T. @ Westside Church of Christ 08.19.07 |