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Act Five: Spreading the News of the King & The Mission of the Church

Act Five: Spreading the News of the King & The Mission of the Church. Scene One : From Jerusalem to Rome.

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Act Five: Spreading the News of the King & The Mission of the Church

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  1. Act Five: Spreading the News of the King & The Missionof the Church

  2. Scene One: From Jerusalem to Rome All that Jesus continues to do and teach… (Acts 1:1)Acts tells the story of the continuing mission of the exalted Christ by His Spirit to give salvation to the church, and through the church to the whole world.

  3. Exaltation of Jesus • Coronation day: installation of rightful king • Place: Right hand of God (Acts 2:33) • Name: Lord (Phil. 2:9-11) • Hidden (Heb. 2:8f.)

  4. Work of Exalted Christ • Subdue his enemies (Acts 2:34f.) • Makes disciples (Matt.28:18-20) • Pours out blessings of salvation (Lk- Acts) • Directs world history (Revelation)

  5. “The book of Acts, the epistles, and Revelation… are predominantly about the work of the exalted Jesus in the church and in the world.” -Hendrikus Berkhof

  6. “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” (Acts 2:33)

  7. Spirit pouring out Spirit pouring out Jesus Luke 3:21-22 Church Acts 2:1-13 Pentecost: Coming of Spirit

  8. Pentecost: Acts 2:1-13 • Old Testament Promise • Jewish feast of Pentecost • Firstfruits • Inclusion of nations • Wind and fire: Powerful presence of God • Tongues: Salvation for the nations

  9. Pentecost: Acts 2:14-41 Peter’s Sermon Outline • Spirit means last days (17-21) • Life of Jesus (22) • Death of Jesus (23) • Resurrection (24-32) • Exaltation (33-36) • Response with promise of the Spirit (38-39)

  10. A question about the kingdom (Acts 1:6)… …An answer about the Spirit (Acts 1:8) “It is not so much the case of where Jesus is there is the Kingdom, as where the Spirit is there is the Kingdom.” -James Dunn (Luke 3:21f; Matt. 12:28; Acts 10:38; Rom. 14: 17)

  11. Era of Witness Spirit

  12. Pentecost: Acts 2:14-41 Witness to the Kingdom: • By Spirit through incarnate Jesus (gospels) • Of the exalted Christ by the Spirit through the church (Acts)

  13. Mission… • Israel’s mission to be light to nations: Failure! • Jesus fulfills Israel’s mission • Jesus gathers new Israel to continue mission to nations • Church continues Israel’s, Jesus’ mission

  14. From Pentecost to Church • Formation of new Israel (1:12- 26) • Pentecost (2:1-13) • Peter’s sermon (2:14-36) • Response: 3000 added (2:37-41) • Formation of ideal witnessing community (2:42-47)

  15. The Spirit Forms aCommunity: Acts 2:42-47 • Devotion to apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer: Celebrating and nourishing kingdom life (v. 42) • Life of kingdom manifested: Attractive ‘good news people’ (v. 43-47) • Lord adds to number (v. 47)

  16. Story of Acts (1:8) • Witness in Jerusalem 3:1-6:7 • Witness in Samaria and Judea 6:8-12:24 • Witness to Ends of Earth 12:25-end

  17. “Acts narrates the progress of the gospel from a small gathering of Jewish disciples of the earthly Jesus in Jerusalem, across formidable cultic, ethnic, relational, and geographical boundaries, to Paul's bold and unhindered preaching of the risen and ascended Jesus to Gentiles in Rome. Acts is unmistakably a story of missionary expansion, which is announced in 1:8 and confirmed along the way with the so-called progress reports.” -Rosner

  18. Witness in Jerusalem:Continuing Jesus’ Mission • Word and deed (3:1-26) • Suffering (4:1-22) • Prayer (4:23-31) • Work of God (6:7) • Attractive life of community (4:32-37; 6:1-6)

  19. Witness in Samaria and Judea • Beyond Jerusalem • Unplanned expansion by persecution (8:1-3) • To Judea and Samaria • Beyond Apostles • Stephen, Phillip (6:8-8:40) • Common believers (8:4; 11:19-21) • Beyond Jews • Gentiles (10, 11)

  20. Witness to the Ends of the Earth • Antioch: First Gentile church • Paul’s missionary journeys • Paul’s trials and witness • To Rome

  21. Church as a Missionary Community: Nearby and Faraway Pattern in Antioch (Acts 11, 13) • Christians: ‘Evidence of grace of God’ in church at Antioch (11:23) • ‘Great number of people brought to the Lord’ (11:24) • Sent Saul and Barnabas (13:1-3)

  22. Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (Roland Allen) • Attractive life of the community • Spontaneous evangelism by common members of the church • Planting new churches

  23. Paul’s Pattern • Pioneer church planting (Rom.15:23) • Three missionary journeys • Build them up for faithful witness • Visits on journeys • Letters

  24. The Apostle Paul • Rabbinic training: old age and age to come

  25. Prophetic Expectation Spirit Messiah Knowledge of God Love Joy Justice Sin Death Evil Satan OLD AGE AGE TO COME

  26. The Apostle Paul • Rabbinic training: old age and age to come • Rejects Jesus’ proclamation that the age to come has arrived • Converted (Acts 9:1-18) • Sees everything in a new way

  27. Paul’s Teaching • The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus’ death and resurrection

  28. New Testament Fulfillment Powers of sin death evil Satan Power of Spirit’s renewing work OLD AGE AGE TO COME

  29. “The whole content of Paul's preaching can be summarized as the proclamation and explication of the eschatological day of salvation inaugurated with Christ's advent, death, and resurrection. It is from this principal point of view and under this denominator that all the separate themes of Paul's preaching can be understood and penetrated in their unity and relation toeach other.” -Ridderbos

  30. Paul’s Teaching • The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus’ death and resurrection • Nurturing the life of Christ • Organic: Growing up to maturity • Architectural: Building on a foundation

  31. Paul’s Teaching • The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus’ death and resurrection • Nurturing the life of Christ • New life and new obedience

  32. New Life and New Obedience • Obedience based on what God has done • Resurrection life in the Spirit • New relationship to God: Justification, reconciliation, adoption • Obedience motivated by love • Obedience normed by law • Whole of human life

  33. Paul’s Teaching • The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus’ death and resurrection • Nurturing the life of Christ • New life and new obedience • For the sake of the world

  34. For the sake of the world • Exemplary and attractive “The Christians’ lifestyle should not only be exemplary, but also winsome. It should attract outsiders and invite them to join the community… Their ‘exemplary existence’ is a powerful magnet that draws outsiders toward the church.” -Bosch

  35. For the sake of the world • Exemplary and attractive • Public life of culture “…the obligation of Christians to ‘live as citizens’ in the world of politeia [the public life of the state] in a way that is worthy of the gospel.” -Winter

  36. Paul’s Teaching • The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus’ death and resurrection • Nurturing the life of Christ • New life and new obedience • For the sake of the world • The coming of the Lord

  37. Ending of Acts • Why so abrupt? Loose ends? • Story of Acts has not ended • Continues today until Christ returns “…the ending of Acts is truly an opening to the continuing life of the messianic people, as it continues to preach the kingdom and teach the things concerning Jesus both boldly and without hindrance.” -Johnson

  38. Scene Two: And into All the World Tasting and Displaying the Kingdom: The Church’s Witness Our Place in the Story

  39. Our Place in the Story • What time is it?’ Where are we at in the story of the Bible? • Light to the world: Continuing Israel’s mission • Gen.12:2-3; Gal.3:14: Channels of blessing • Ex.19:3-6; I Pet.2:9: Model people • Is.49:6; Matt.5:14-16: Light to the world • Making known the kingdom: Continuing Jesus’ mission

  40. Summary: Jesus’ Kingdom Mission • Announced reign of God with words • Demonstrated reign of God with deeds • Explained kingdom of God with teaching • Embodied reign of God with life • Prayed for reign of God to come • Suffered for reign of God • Formed community to live under rule of God • ‘As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’

  41. “Jesus has not left us with a rigid model for action; rather he inspired his disciples to prolong the logic of his own action in a creative way amid the new and different historical circumstances in which the community would have to proclaim the gospel.” -Bosch

  42. Our Place in the Story • What time is it?’ Where are we at in the story of the Bible? • Light to the world: Continuing Israel’s mission • Making known the kingdom: Continuing Jesus’ mission • Bearing faithful witness: Continuing the mission of the early church

  43. Bearing Faithful Witness: Continuing the Mission of theEarly Church • Foretaste • Preview

  44. We have a foretaste of the Kingdom… • Actual taste now • Complete meal in future We are previews of the Kingdom… • Actual footage of movie/kingdom • Designed to interest viewer in future movie/kingdom so they will want to participate

  45. Bearing Faithful Witness: Continuing the Mission of theEarly Church • Foretaste • Preview • Following the church in Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 2:42-47; 13:1) • Witness to God’s rule over all of life

  46. Following the apostles, the church is sent– Sent with the gospel of the kingdom to make disciples of all nations, to feed the hungry, to proclaim the assurance that in the name of Christ there is forgiveness of sin and new life for all who repent an believe– To tell the news that our world belongs to God. In a world estranged from God, where millions face confusing choices, this mission is central to our being, for we announce the one name that saves. Contemporary Testimony: 44

  47. The rule of Jesus Christ covers the whole world. To follow this Lord is to serve him everywhere, without fitting in, as lights in the darkness, as salt in a spoiling world. Contemporary Testimony: 45

  48. Embodying salvation means... ...living under Christ’s lordship in all of life.

  49. Sacred/Secular Dualism (See Wolter’s p.66-68) Sacred Secular Prayer Making love Activities Professions Realms Worship Watching TV Minister Journalist Missionary Politician Church University Family Government

  50. Clash of Kingdoms Antithesis Kingdom of darkness Kingdom of God Creation

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