In the next two blogs I will try to communicate how amazing the day we live in is. It is very easy to become distracted by difficulties in our lives and the world and miss the greatest moment this world has ever seen. I am referring to the coming of Christ to be the atoning sacrifice “to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.” (John 11:52). “Before His coming a grand “mystery” was kept secret for ages. With the uncovering of this mystery, the “times of ignorance” (Acts 17:30) ended, and the call to repentance now sounds forth with a new specificity” (Piper, John, Let the Nations be Glad, page 126). Let me give you that verse in full: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent”. No one understood as clearly as Paul how this mystery was going to be revealed through the gospel. “This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” (Ephesians 3:6). “This truth, now revealed, is called the “mystery of Christ” (v.4). It is the truth that people from all the nations of the world would be full and complete partners with the chosen people of God” (Piper, page 127). What should ignite our hearts is that we have been given by the Spirit to understand this “mystery of Christ” and that through the gospel we can proclaim it to every nation (“ethnos”) on earth. My heart is pounding a little harder as I think about this and want to get the ‘job’ done so Jesus will return and God will have eternal glory. What about you?
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Yesterday we learned that resolving the ‘wrong directions’ in our lives, marriages, families and churches is by humbly STOPPING what we are doing, REPENT, and RETURN to the SCRIPTURES, walking in the ways of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Today can be a new day. Paul gives us very clear “imperative” instructions as to how this can be a new day in the Spirit. Think about how these verses will change your heart and thinking every day: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16). “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18). “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:13). Galatians 5:22-23 shows that it is ONLY through the Spirit we can bear fruit that will glorify the Father (John 15:8). When we are really walking in the Spirit and being led by Him, it will be very evident to others (Acts 4:13). The Early Church flourished because they allowed the Spirit to have full control of their lives. His power was very evident in the growth and expansion of the gospel. DANGER: You will never go forward in your spiritual walk by looking back at the past. Paul makes this very clear; “Brothers…one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,” (Philippians 3:13). Be led by the Spirit and experience glorious opportunities. I'm ashamed to admit that there have been many times in my life when I thought the way I was going was the right way, only to discover I made a wrong turn or simply did not read the directions correctly. Pride makes it hard to admit we have gone the wrong way. STOP, TURN AROUND AND RETURN to the point of departure from the right way. Who better than Peter to remind us to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” (1 Peter 5:6). That is what Jesus was begging the church in Laodicea to do because they did not realize their real condition; “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Let me relate what I just said above to the words of Jesus to this church in Revelation 3:14-22. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” (3:19). First, the way God works in our lives, marriages, families, and churches is always from an infinite love for those He rebukes, reproves and disciplines. Second, the way back to God’s way is through genuine repentance. We must rely on the Holy Spirit and ask Him to work this in us. Third, be zealous (sincere, earnest, wholehearted) about RETURNING to God’s awesome plan and purpose for us in the Scriptures. If you give something only 99% of your mind and heart to the Lord and His way, you will miss 99% of the joy. It’s the last 1% that makes the presence of Christ a fellowship of unearthly quality and glory. Otherwise this will be just another superficial, powerless and wasted study. Jesus said rivers of living water would flow out of us (John 7:38-39). The Holy Spirit is “able (and desires) to do exceedingly abundantly more than we ask or think according to His power at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). Please do not quench (1 Thess. 5:19), resist or grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). He is pleading and begging to take over our lives and ministries. That was His purpose in coming at Pentecost! As we looked at Acts 1:8 and 2:1-4 yesterday, we saw why Pentecost became the birth and launch of the church with just what it needed to fulfill the command Jesus left with His disciples. I will also add that it is all the church needs until our work is done and Jesus returns as He promised (John 16:22; Acts 1:11). Because this event is so critically important, let me make sure your answers agree with mine. What is God’s “power” according to Acts 1:8? The power of the Holy Spirit. When will his disciples receive this “power” according to Acts 1:8? When the Holy Spirit comes upon them. What will his disciples become when they receive this “power” according to Acts 1:8? They will become His “witnesses” (martyr, a witness for Jesus who dies because of that witness). Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) #3459. Where will his disciples be a “witness” according to Acts 1:8? “In Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. When was the promised Holy Spirit sent to His disciples according to Acts 2:1-4? When the disciples “were all together in one place” on the day of Pentecost. Is this what we are experiencing today? A Chinese Christian leader, after visiting the USA was asked what impressed him most about the churches and ministries in US. He thought and replied, “I am amazed what they can do without the Holy Spirit.” What an indictment against the Western Church! Let us stop right here before proceeding any further and make sure we are not like the Laodicean Church, who thought they were rich and had no need of the Holy Spirit, not realizing they were “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked”. Turn now and read Revelation 3:14-22. As you observe from Scripture, God provides a way back to the way of Christ and the apostles. Right now, He is standing at the door of our hearts begging and knocking for us to open. If we will open our heart’s door and invite Him in, He will come in and take over our lives by the Holy Spirit. Do you hear Him knocking today? We continue our look at Jesus’ Command to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15). Jesus' last words to the disciples according to Luke in Acts 1:8 give us further insight into HOW this command will be carried out. In this blog, I will let you discover some of the critical elements of Jesus words. What is God’s “power” according to Acts 1:8? When will his disciples receive this “power” according to Acts 1:8? What will his disciples become when they receive this “power” according to Acts 1:8? Where will his disciples be a “witness” according to Acts 1:8? When was the promised Holy Spirit sent to His disciples according to Acts 2:1-4? Since the Holy Spirit did come at Pentecost, why does the church today look and act as if He has not come and is not here (pre-Pentecost or before Pentecost)? As we will see throughout the Book of Acts, the disciples, and those that became apostles, were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and accomplished exactly what Jesus sent them to do. They turned the world up-side-down! Why are we not seeing this same power today, particularly in the western church? Why are we so slow to obey Jesus' command and reach the unreached? REMEMBER: IT IS HIS POWER, not our programs or man-made ideas! Yesterday we looked at Jesus’ Command to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15). Something must take place before they went out (and before we can go out) to proclaim the gospel. If we follow Jesus’ command to the disciples, He gave specific instructions as to how to “GO” so that it would be impossible for them or us to fail. Notice what Jesus said before ascending into heaven: “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49). “And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;” (Acts 1:4). The night before Jesus was crucified, He was careful to tell the disciples; “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16–17). Take time to read verses 16 to 26 and let Jesus’ words provide comfort and confidence in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus ends this section by saying, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26). Tomorrow we will look at Acts 1:8 and see more details in Jesus’ instructions to the disciples before they went out preaching the gospel. In the past few blogs we have looked at three major aspects of God’s Purpose and Plan. 1. God’s Purpose – God will be glorified among all the nations (people groups – ethnos). 2. God’s Plan – “I will build my church!” (Matthew 16:18) 3. God’s Promise – “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it [the church]!” Now we come to the fourth: 4. God’s Command – “Go”! Let’s look at the biblical basis for this fourth part of God’s BIG PICTURE – His purpose and plan. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20.) “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15). “Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”” (John 20:21). “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46–47). I trust you are putting this BIG PICTURE together in your mind and heart. God wants to use you and me as His instruments for accomplishing His Purpose and Plan. There are two things required for us to fulfill His command: 1) A willing, obedient heart and 2) – you will have to wait until tomorrow to discover this second, most important requirement. What is a nation? The word “nation” comes from the Greek Word “ethnos” or “ethnic.” The literal meaning of “nation” is an ethnic group or a people group “based on various cultural, physical or geographic ties” (1). It is through these “ethnos” that the gospel can flow without significant barriers of understanding like language, customs and family identities.
We will see below that from Genesis to Revelation, God has always desired redemption for all the people groups of the world. It is through these people groups that God will fill the earth with His Glory. Read the following verses and write the missing key word on a piece of paper and what you learn about God’s will for all the people groups of the world: Genesis 12:1-3: Through Abraham “all the _______ of the earth shall be blessed.” Psalms 67:3-5: “Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the _______ be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the _______ upon earth. Selah. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!” Habakkuk 1:5: ““Look among the ________, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” and 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all _______, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Revelation 5:9: “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you [Jesus the Lamb] to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and _______” (See also 14:6; 21:24; 22:1-5). Most of the people groups who have not been reached with the gospel are located in what is called the 10/40 window. The 10/40 window comprises 1/3 of the world’s land and 2/3 of the world’s population. Ninety-five percent of these people have not even heard the gospel and eighty-five percent of them are among the poorest in the world. For more information about specific areas of the 10/40 window, see www.joshuaproject.net. Through this understanding, God wants to motivate you and me to be part of His plan in reaching the unreached. The end result will be that God is known and glorified in every “ethnos” for all eternity. (1) Swanson, James, A Dictionary of Biblical Languages, No. 1620. While it will take working through all the lessons of our manual, God’s Plan for His Church, to understand the full scope of God’s plan, we need to first look at the general elements of His plan. We start in Matthew where Jesus gives His PLAN AND PROMISE.” In God’s Plan according to Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “I will build My church”. This plan is absolutely reliable because of who Jesus is, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16:16). Jesus is the immovable “rock” on which He will build the church. Peter refers to Jesus as “a living stone” or “the cornerstone” (1 Peter 2:1, 8). The point here is that Jesus Christ is the builder. GOD’S PROMISE follows: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (the church)” (Matthew 16:18). Looking at the person who made this promise gives us great confidence. Be careful not to be distracted by what you see happening in the world around you. Keep your eyes focused on the One who made the promise, “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). When and how will this plan and promise be finally fulfilled? “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14). God wants to employ you and me as messengers of this gospel – spoken and lived – so the testimony is crystal clear to those who hear. Tomorrow we will look at the word “nations” to understand how and where we carry out our mission and message. In the following blogs, I will drill down into the specifics of God’s Purpose and Plan for His Church, but Paul gives us two underlying reasons that propelled his ministry. They come from Ephesians 3.
1. The first was that God’s grace enabled him “to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (verse 8). That word “unsearchable” literally means “impossible to understand”. Yet, Paul gave his life to proclaiming these riches because they transform people still dead in sin (see 2:1). This view of the plan of God gives Spirit filled energy to our preaching and a limitless vision to what God wants to do. 2. The second was that through his preaching Paul wanted “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God” (verse 9). Those without this glorious gospel are still in darkness. But the pure gospel enlightens the eyes of the heart by the Holy Spirit (1:17-18) so God’s plan, unknown before Pentecost, is now revealed. Why were these two goals in Paul’s preaching so critical to his ministry? They form the foundation for planting and establishing churches wherever he went. But they also led into a vital function of the church. Note carefully what Paul says; “So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Ephesians 3:10–11). Now that should really expand your view of God’s Plan! It’s not just so the world may see His wisdom through the church, but “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places”. This should take our interest in God’s Purpose and Plan through the church to a whole new level. We want to make sure God’s wisdom is clearly seen in every function of the church. We will look tomorrow at more Scriptures that outline what God’s plan is for His church. |
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