Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good… Who went about doing good. The true criterion by which Christianity must be tried is its adaptation to the world's necessities. The text of Peter's sermon was Jesus Christ. "We are witnesses" of what he was, what he did, how God testified his authority. I. THE WORLD'S GREAT WANT. 1. Deeds, not words. Failure of all mere human schemes of philanthropy. 2. A benevolence working from a spiritual basis. External reform insufficient. 3. Universality. "All the ends of the earth shall see this salvation." 4. A permanent motive to philanthropy. National, legislative, personal efforts apt to die out. II. THE WORLD'S GREAT RESOURCE. 1. Philanthropy springing out of religion. The deepest springs of humanity touched. The lowest and highest united together. Reverence for the weak a truly Christian sentiment; absent from all heathenism. Destroyed by science unless guarded by higher motive. 2. A Divine hope at the root of all effort. The kingdom of heaven was what Jesus proclaimed. Not relief merely, but restoration. 3. A perfect Example. The character of Christ acknowledged even by opponents to be unique. Its influence on his disciples inexhaustible. The method of Jesus a great guiding fact - "he went about doing good," not waiting for organization, or merely presiding over others, or sitting on an inaccessible throne of dignity, but doing the work by personal, individual ministration. III. THE TOUCHSTONE OF TRUTH. 1. Apply it to the claims of rival religions. "Doing good." 2. Apply it to the prevalent tendencies of modern society. Philosophical scepticism. Socialistic experiments. Rationalistic criticism. Lowering Christianity to a mere republication of morality. 3. Apply it to individuals. Are we treading in the footsteps of Jesus as he went about doing good? Is there an impelling motive, a generous self-sacrifice, a single-minded simplicity in us, like his? - R. Parallel Verses KJV: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. |
    |