Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- At the start of the chapter - we see fearful disciples / in unbelief
- But at the end of the chapter - in Jerusalem every day, continually blessing and praising God
- We can get a false idea of what happened before Pentecost
- They had already met the risen Christ
- Jesus had blessed them
- They were full of joy
- Focussing on v47-49: on the last words given by Jesus
- A fuller version in Matt 28 (the Great Commission)
- The gospel was now going out to the nations (previously to the Jews)
- The disciples were to proclaim the full gospel message
- To start in Jerusalem and then to the ends of the earth
- Jerusalem had not been a light to the nations
- Example of Jonah
- God had always planned that His church would be from every tribe, tongue and nation
- The Mission of the Church
- The Message of the Church
- The Motivation of the Church
The Mission of the Church
- The Church is primarily for the equipping of the saints
- We are to share the gospel outside of the Church
- We may need training to go out
- Jesus gave instruction to the disciples - first the 12, then the 70
- This is no longer a short-term but a long-term mission
- The disciples were to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit
- They could not preach in their own strength - they needed the power of God to come upon them
- Matt 28:18-20
- Jesus has all authority - examples
- What an encouragement to go in the authority and strength of Jesus (not their own strength)
- The promise of the blessing through Abraham - Gen 12,15,17
- That blessing will come as the gospel is preached
- Where were they to start?
- Acts 1:8 - Jerusalem
- This was a hard task - the city that rejected their Messiah
- Peter preached in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost - 3,000 were saved
- Then 5,000 were saved
- Then some of the chief priests were saved
- Acts 1:8 - then all Judea
- Acts 1:8 - then Samaria
- Remember that Jesus had gone into Samaria
- Acts 10 - Cornelius and his household is saved
- Acts 1:8 - then to all the world
- Consider Paul's 3 missionary journey's
- Macedonia, Achia (Corinth), Galatia, finally to Rome - over hundreds of miles
- He travelled with a team
- He saw great blessing
- We have inherited this commission
- We can pray, give, support
- We should be invested in missions
- Not all of us can be like the apostles and leave our jobs, but we can be witnesses
- This is a challenge for us - wherever we are, to speak of Christ
- Help us to see and take the opportunities
- We glorify God in obeying the great commission
- What God has done in the past, He can do again
- Example of Poor Frenchman, the Mauravian Movement, of Brazil
The Message of the Church
- There is no point in going if we have the wrong message
- Some people do promote the wrong message - examples
- Blessing, morality, part of a spiritual movement
- We are to preach Jesus Christ
- His death, His resurrection, His ascension, His coming again
- At the centre - Jesus crucified
- We preach the good news
- We speak about sin
- We speak of the cross that overcomes sin
- We speak about the resurrection of the dead
- We speak of forgiveness of sin
- v47 - "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name"
- We call people to turn away from their sin: to repent
- To change their thoughts about themselves and Jesus
- To change their mind that results in action
- To turn away from sin and turn to Christ
- We are justified and then sanctified
- First put right with God
- Then made (and being made) holy
- We call people to believe in the promise of the forgiveness of sin
- Example of the Living Waters Ministry
- He presents the 10 Commandments
- He confronts their sin: a blasphemous lying thief
- He confesses his own sin
- We need to be wise in how we evangelise
- We need to get to know people
- We point them to the law (for conviction), we point them to Jesus, we speak of heaven and hell
- We could give our testimony
- A persons response - to repent and believe in Jesus Christ
The Motivation of the Church
- Of course to give God glory
- God has promised He will be with us
- We do not go alone
- We have the promise of the Holy Spirit (v49)
- The Holy Spirit came down and remained with the Church
- He gave the power to go out and preach the gospel
- The Spirit of God remains in us
- We are a dwelling place of God (Eph 2:22, 1:21,23)
- We need to understand and prove these things
- Consider the disciples: changed from fearful and cowering to joyful boldness