1. The Book of Acts
Time to Act on Acts 1:8

2. The Message –
Conclusion

6. Video

7. Something Happened
What Was It?

8. Romans 1 …gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.

9. So What Happened?? The Gospel of God has happened.
Promised beforehand in the Prophets
Gospel is an Old Testament promise, as well as, a New Testament concept. They are one and the same.

10. Isaiah 40:9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain
Isaiah 40:9 You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”

11. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,     “Your God reigns!”

12. Through Whom Did God Implement His Promised Reign?
Through the Jewish Messiah, His Son, Jesus the Christ, the King

13. This is the Backstory

15. In our culture, fewer and fewer people are biblically literate.

16. They don’t know the backstory!!

17. Our message is lost on most people in our culture, if they do not understand the backstory. To them it is foolishness I Cor 1:18

18. So What Happened?
God ushered in his kingdom, his reign, with the resurrection from the dead of His only begotten Son, Jesus
As a result, the world changed and it will never be the same again. We are now living in the “in between period” awaiting the final consummation of God’s kingdom.

19. So What is the Gospel?
A Five Step plan that explains the elements of hearing, belief, repentance, confession, and baptism to the end that your acceptance means you will be among the saved?
The Gospel includes these, but its main point is something much more significant?

20. This is our Message
The Living God has inaugurated His reign through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
We have become partners with God in tending and renewing His kingdom.
Through the power of God, we can change the world through radical love, forgiveness, and good works.

21. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them NASB

22. What does this Gospel Look Like in Action?
Emanuel AME Church
Charleston, SC
June 17, 2015

23. What does this Gospel Look Like in Action?
Dylann Roof

24. What does this Gospel Look Like in Action?

25. Historical Notes
Words for gospel or good news were present in all the languages of the Ancient Near East going back to 2500 BC.

26. Historical Notes
In the Roman era, Christian use of the word gospel brought it into direct conflict to terminology used in the Imperial Cult for the Roman emperor.

27. Reasoner, Mark, Roman Imperial Texts:
In the first and second centuries of the Common Era, the word “gospel” literally “good announcement” …was used to describe what actions or events associated with various Roman emperors had occurred for the welfare of the world.
Reasoner, Mark, Roman Imperial Texts:
A Sourcebook, p. 1.

28. The Priene Calendar Inscription

32. The Priene Calendar Inscription
9 BC in the city of Priene in Asia Minor
The inscription recounts the zeal that the Roman proconsul and the people of Priene had on the restructuring of their calendar around the birthday of Caesar Augustus, 23 September.

33. and since Caesar when revealed surpassed the hopes of all who had anticipated the good news, not only going beyond the benefits of those who had preceded him, but rather leaving no hope of surpassing him for those who will come, because of him the birthday of God began good news for the world.

34. Next Week (25 Oct):
The Kingdom of God