Title: Act Five: Spreading the News of the King & The Mission of the Church
1Act Five Spreading the News of the King The
Missionof the Church
2Scene One From Jerusalem to Rome
- All that Jesus continues to do and teach (Acts
11)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.
3Exaltation of Jesus
- Coronation day installation of rightful king
- Place Right hand of God (Acts 233)
- Name Lord (Phil. 29-11)
- Hidden (Heb. 28f.)
4Work of Exalted Christ
- Subdue his enemies (Acts 234f.)
- Makes disciples (Matt.2818-20)
- 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 233)
7Pentecost Coming of Spirit
8Pentecost Acts 21-13
- Old Testament Promise
- Jewish feast of Pentecost
- Firstfruits
- Inclusion of nations
- Wind and fire Powerful presence of God
- Tongues Salvation for the nations
9Pentecost Acts 214-41
Peters 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 16)
- An answer about the Spirit (Acts 18)
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 321f
Matt. 1228 Acts 1038 Rom. 14 17)
11Era of Witness
Spirit
12Pentecost Acts 214-41
Witness to the Kingdom
- By Spirit through incarnate Jesus (gospels)
- Of the exalted Christ by the Spirit through the
church (Acts)
13Mission
- Israels mission to be light to nations Failure!
- Jesus fulfills Israels mission
- Jesus gathers new Israel to continue mission to
nations - Church continues Israels, Jesus mission
14From Pentecost to Church
- Formation of new Israel (112- 26)
- Pentecost (21-13)
- Peters sermon (214-36)
- Response 3000 added (237-41)
- Formation of ideal witnessing community (242-47)
15The Spirit Forms aCommunity Acts 242-47
- 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)
16Story of Acts (18)
- Witness in Jerusalem 31-67
- Witness in Samaria and Judea 68-1224
- Witness to Ends of Earth 1225-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 18
and confirmed along the way with the so-called
progress reports. - -Rosner
18Witness in JerusalemContinuing Jesus Mission
- Word and deed (31-26)
- Suffering (41-22)
- Prayer (423-31)
- Work of God (67)
- Attractive life of community (432-37 61-6)
19Witness in Samaria and Judea
- Beyond Jerusalem
- Unplanned expansion by persecution (81-3)
- To Judea and Samaria
- Beyond Apostles
- Stephen, Phillip (68-840)
- Common believers (84 1119-21)
- Beyond Jews
- Gentiles (10, 11)
20Witness to the Ends of the Earth
- Antioch First Gentile church
- Pauls missionary journeys
- Pauls trials and witness
- To Rome
21Church as a Missionary Community Nearby and
Faraway
Pattern in Antioch (Acts 11, 13)
- Christians Evidence of grace of God in church
at Antioch (1123) - Great number of people brought to the Lord
(1124) - Sent Saul and Barnabas (131-3)
22Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (Roland Allen)
- Attractive life of the community
- Spontaneous evangelism by common members of the
church - Planting new churches
23Pauls Pattern
- Pioneer church planting (Rom.1523)
- Three missionary journeys
- Build them up for faithful witness
- Visits on journeys
- Letters
24The Apostle Paul
- Rabbinic training old age and age to come
25Prophetic Expectation
Spirit Messiah
Knowledge of God Love Joy Justice
Sin Death Evil Satan
AGE TO COME
OLD AGE
26The Apostle Paul
- Rabbinic training old age and age to come
- Rejects Jesus proclamation that the age to come
has arrived - Converted (Acts 91-18)
- Sees everything in a new way
27Pauls Teaching
- The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and
resurrection
28New Testament Fulfillment
Powers of sin death evil
Satan
Power of Spirits renewing work
AGE TO COME
OLD AGE
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
30Pauls 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
31Pauls Teaching
- The kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and
resurrection - Nurturing the life of Christ
- New life and new obedience
32New 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
33Pauls 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
34For the sake of the world
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
35For 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
36Pauls 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
37Ending 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
38Scene Two And into All the World
- Tasting and Displaying the Kingdom
- The Churchs Witness
- Our Place in the Story
39Our Place in the Story
- What time is it? Where are we at in the story of
the Bible? - Light to the world Continuing Israels mission
- Gen.122-3 Gal.314 Channels of blessing
- Ex.193-6 I Pet.29 Model people
- Is.496 Matt.514-16 Light to the world
- Making known the kingdom Continuing Jesus
mission
40Summary 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
42Our Place in the Story
- What time is it? Where are we at in the story of
the Bible? - Light to the world Continuing Israels mission
- Making known the kingdom Continuing Jesus
mission - Bearing faithful witness Continuing the mission
of the early church
43Bearing Faithful Witness Continuing the Mission
of theEarly Church
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
45Bearing Faithful Witness Continuing the Mission
of theEarly Church
- Foretaste
- Preview
- Following the church in Jerusalem and Antioch
(Acts 242-47 131) - Witness to Gods 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
48Embodying salvation means...
...living under Christs lordship in all of life.
49Sacred/Secular Dualism
(See Wolters p.66-68)
Sacred
Secular
Prayer
Making love
Activities Professions Realms
Worship
Watching TV
Minister
Journalist
Missionary
Politician
Church
University
Family
Government
50Clash of Kingdoms
Antithesis
Kingdom of darkness
Kingdom of God
Creation
51Bearing Faithful Witness Continuing the Mission
of theEarly Church
- Foretaste
- Preview
- Following the church in Jerusalem and Antioch
(Acts 242-47 131) - Witness to Gods rule over all of life
- To the ends of the earth
52Our Place in the Story
- What time is it?
- Already/not yet era of kingdom
- Act five Church continues the kingdom mission of
Jesus - Foretaste
- Preview
- Witness to Christs rule over all of life
- To the ends of the earth
53What does it mean to live in the Biblical story
today?
- As university students
- As citizens
- In a world of poverty and over- consumption
- In a world of diminishing resources
54End of Act Five