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

Scene One: From Jerusalem to RomeAll 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.

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

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

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

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)

Pentecost: Coming of Spirit

Pentecost: Acts 2:1-13Old Testament PromiseJewish feast of PentecostFirstfruitsInclusion of nationsWind and fire: Powerful presence of GodTongues: Salvation for the nations

Pentecost: Acts 2:14-41Spirit 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)Peters Sermon Outline

A question about the kingdom (Acts 1:6)

An answer about the Spirit (Acts 1:8)It is not so much the case ofwhere Jesus is there is the Kingdom, aswhere the Spirit is there is the Kingdom.

-James Dunn

(Luke 3:21f; Matt. 12:28; Acts 10:38; Rom. 14: 17)

Era of WitnessSpirit

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

MissionIsraels mission to be light to nations: Failure!Jesus fulfills Israels missionJesus gathers new Israel to continue mission to nationsChurch continues Israels, Jesus mission

From Pentecost to ChurchFormation of new Israel (1:12- 26)Pentecost (2:1-13)Peters sermon (2:14-36)Response: 3000 added (2:37-41)Formation of ideal witnessing community (2:42-47)

The Spirit Forms aCommunity: Acts 2:42-47Devotion 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)

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

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

Witness in Jerusalem:Continuing Jesus MissionWord 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)

Witness in Samaria and JudeaBeyond JerusalemUnplanned expansion by persecution (8:1-3)To Judea and SamariaBeyond Apostles Stephen, Phillip (6:8-8:40)Common believers (8:4; 11:19-21)Beyond JewsGentiles (10, 11)

Witness to the Ends of the Earth Antioch: First Gentile churchPauls missionary journeysPauls trials and witnessTo Rome

Church as a Missionary Community: Nearby and FarawayChristians: 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)Pattern in Antioch (Acts 11, 13)

Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (Roland Allen)Attractive life of the communitySpontaneous evangelism by common members of the churchPlanting new churches

Pauls PatternPioneer church planting (Rom.15:23)Three missionary journeysBuild them up for faithful witnessVisits on journeysLetters

The Apostle PaulRabbinic training: old age and age to come

Spirit MessiahSinDeathEvilSatanKnowledgeof GodLoveJoyJusticeAGE TO COMEProphetic ExpectationOLD AGE

The Apostle PaulRabbinic training: old age and age to comeRejects Jesus proclamation that the age to come has arrivedConverted (Acts 9:1-18)Sees everything in a new way

Pauls TeachingThe kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and resurrection

Powers of sin death evil SatanPower of Spirits renewing workAGE TO COMEOLD AGENew Testament Fulfillment

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 to each other.-Ridderbos

Pauls TeachingThe kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and resurrectionNurturing the life of ChristOrganic: Growing up to maturityArchitectural: Building on a foundation

Pauls TeachingThe kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and resurrectionNurturing the life of ChristNew life and new obedience

New Life and New ObedienceObedience based on what God has doneResurrection life in the SpiritNew relationship to God: Justification, reconciliation, adoptionObedience motivated by loveObedience normed by lawWhole of human life

Pauls TeachingThe kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and resurrectionNurturing the life of ChristNew life and new obedienceFor the sake of the world

For the sake of the worldExemplary and attractiveThe 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

For the sake of the worldExemplary and attractivePublic life of culturethe 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

Pauls TeachingThe kingdom of God has dawned in Jesus death and resurrectionNurturing the life of ChristNew life and new obedienceFor the sake of the worldThe coming of the Lord

Ending of ActsWhy so abrupt? Loose ends?Story of Acts has not endedContinues today until Christ returnsthe 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

Scene Two: And into All the WorldTasting and Displaying the Kingdom:The Churchs Witness

Our Place in the Story

Our Place in the StoryWhat time is it? Where are we at in the story of the Bible?Light to the world: Continuing Israels missionGen.12:2-3; Gal.3:14: Channels of blessingEx.19:3-6; I Pet.2:9: Model peopleIs.49:6; Matt.5:14-16: Light to the worldMaking known the kingdom: Continuing Jesus mission

Summary: Jesus Kingdom MissionAnnounced reign of God with wordsDemonstrated reign of God with deedsExplained kingdom of God with teachingEmbodied reign of God with lifePrayed for reign of God to comeSuffered for reign of GodFormed community to live under rule of GodAs the Father has sent me, I am sending you.

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

Our Place in the StoryWhat time is it? Where are we at in the story of the Bible?Light to the world: Continuing Israels missionMaking known the kingdom: Continuing Jesus missionBearing faithful witness: Continuing the mission of the early church

Bearing Faithful Witness: Continuing the Mission of theEarly ChurchForetastePreview

We have a foretaste of the KingdomActual taste nowComplete meal in futureWe are previews of the KingdomActual footage of movie/kingdomDesigned to interest viewer in future movie/kingdom so they will want to participate

Bearing Faithful Witness: Continuing the Mission of theEarly ChurchForetastePreviewFollowing the church in Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 2:42-47; 13:1)Witness to Gods rule over all of life

Following the apostles, the church is sent Sent with the gospel of the kingdomto make disciples of all nations,to feed the hungry,to proclaim the assurance that in the name of Christthere is forgiveness of sin and new lifefor 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

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

Embodying salvation means......living under Christs lordshipin all of life.

Sacred/Secular Dualism(See Wolters p.66-68) SacredPrayerWorshipMinisterMissionaryChurchFamily SecularMaking loveWatching TVJournalistPoliticianUniversityGovernmentActivities

Professions

Realms

Clash of KingdomsAntithesis Kingdomof darknessKingdomof GodCreation

Bearing Faithful Witness: Continuing the Mission of theEarly ChurchForetastePreviewFollowing the church in Jerusalem and Antioch (Acts 2:42-47; 13:1)Witness to Gods rule over all of lifeTo the ends of the earth

Our Place in the StoryWhat time is it?Already/not yet era of kingdomAct five: Church continues the kingdom mission of JesusForetastePreviewWitness to Christs rule over all of lifeTo the ends of the earth

What does it mean to live in the Biblical story today?As university studentsAs citizensIn a world of poverty and over- consumptionIn a world of diminishing resources

End of Act Five