Evangelism and Social Involvement
The Gospel should always come first in evangelism, and social involvement should be secondary, but Christians have a responsibility to be compassionate and generous to those in need.
William MacDonald emphasizes the need for Christians to find a balance between evangelism and social involvement, arguing that while addressing physical needs is important, the priority should always be the Gospel. He points out that Jesus was concerned with both spiritual and physical needs, but stresses that the eternal significance of the Gospel must take precedence over temporal issues. MacDonald warns against allowing social activities to overshadow the core mission of spreading the Gospel, and he critiques the ineffectiveness of political solutions to spiritual problems. Ultimately, he encourages believers to engage in compassionate acts without compromising their commitment to evangelism.
Text
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people." Matthew 4:23
A recurring problem among Christians is maintaining the proper balance between evangelism and social involvement. Evangelicals are often criticized for being too concerned with people's souls and not enough with their bodies. In other words, they don't spend enough time feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick and educating the illiterate.
To say anything against any of these ministries would be like criticizing motherhood. The Lord Jesus certainly was concerned with man's physical needs, and He taught His disciples to be concerned also. Historically, Christians have always been out in front in compassionate causes.
But as in so many other areas of life, it is a question of priorities. Which is more important, the temporal or the eternal? Judged on this basis, the Gospel is the main thing. Jesus intimated this when He said, "This is the work of God, that ye believe..." Doctrine comes before social involvement.
Some of man's most pressing social problems are the result of false religion. For example, there are people dying of starvation who won't kill a cow because they believe a relative may be reincarnated in the cow. When other nations send enormous shipments of grain, the rats eat more of it than the people, because no one will kill the rats. These people are shackled by false religion and Christ is the answer to their problems.
In trying to strike the proper balance between evangelism and social service, there is always the danger of becoming so occupied with "coffee and doughnuts" that the Gospel is crowded out. The history of Christian institutions is filled with such examples where the good has become the enemy of the best.
Certain forms of social involvement are questionable if not altogether "out." The Christian should never participate in revolutionary attempts to overthrow the government. It is doubtful that he should resort to political processes to right social injustices. Neither the Lord nor the apostles did. More can be accomplished through the spread of the Gospel than through legislation.
The Christian who forsakes all to follow Christ, who sells all to give to the poor, who opens his heart and pocketbook whenever he sees a genuine case of need, need not have a guilty con-science over social unconcern.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Importance of Evangelism
- A. The Lord Jesus' example of evangelism and compassion
- B. The need to balance evangelism with social involvement
- II. The Danger of Prioritizing Social Involvement Over Evangelism
- A. The risk of becoming too focused on 'coffee and doughnuts'
- B. The importance of doctrine and the Gospel
- III. The Role of Social Involvement in Evangelism
- A. Addressing social problems through the Gospel
- B. The need to be discerning in social involvement
- IV. The Christian's Responsibility to the Poor
- A. The importance of generosity and compassion
- B. The freedom from guilt over social unconcern
Key Quotes
“This is the work of God, that ye believe...” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- Christians should prioritize the Gospel and be discerning in social involvement, recognizing that some forms of social involvement are questionable or 'out'.
- The Christian who forsakes all to follow Christ need not have a guilty conscience over social unconcern.
- More can be accomplished through the spread of the Gospel than through legislation or revolutionary attempts to overthrow the government.