BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH

Transcription

1 BRENTWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH ACTS 1:4-14; 2 COR. 5:14-21 JANUARY 12, 2014 TEACHING PLAN PREPARATION > Spend the week reading through and studying Acts 1:4-14 and 2 Corinthians 5: Consult the commentary provided and any additional study tools (such as a concordance or Bible dictionary) to enhance your preparation. > Determine which discussion points and questions will work best with your group. > Pray for our pastors, the upcoming group meeting, your teaching, your group members, and their receptivity to the lesson. HIGHLIGHTS BIBLICAL EMPHASIS: The Book of Acts chronicles the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. God s people are called to be on mission and are entrusted with the gospel message that is true and transformational for everyone. The final words of the first coming of Jesus are given to His followers, as they are told the source of their power, the significance of their role, and the scope of their mission as witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and in all Samaria, and to the end of the earth. The goal of our calling to Middle Tennessee is to be faithful to fulfill our role as witnesses in our Judea and Samaria. TEACHING AIM: As a result of today s study, you will be motivated by the reminder of 1) our mission (Acts 1:4-8); 2) our power (Acts 1:9-14); and 3) our motivation (2 Cor. 5:14-21). 1 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

2 INTRODUCTION As your group time begins, use this section to help get the conversation going. In a recent article for Forbes.com, Kiri Blakeley wrote about our culture s obsession with things going viral on the Internet, and what you need to know if you want something to go viral. Blakeley wrote, No one can deny the power of the virus.... Whether it s a video, a song, a picture, or a blog, something going viral can mean the difference between success and failure; riches and poverty; immortality and obscurity; life and death. 1 While Blakeley admits that last one is a bit of a stretch, it s interesting to apply these same circumstances that surround viral Internet posts to the spread of the gospel, which really can be the difference between life and death. Things going viral on the Internet begin with a single person s desire to share something good news, a funny video, a heartwarming story, and so on. According to Blakely, the other key component you need is simplicity. Information needs to be communicated in a manner that is easy to follow and digestible. Both of these factors are essential in our evangelism efforts. First, we have to believe we have good news that needs to be shared and, second, we have to communicate it in a way that is easy for people to understand. Desire to share and simplicity are key as we think about the importance of evangelism in our Middle Tennessee Initiative. 1 When was the last time you heard news that was so good you couldn t wait to share it with others? What was the news, and whom did you want to share it with first? 2 Do you find it easier to discuss spiritual things with people you know or with strangers? Why do you think this is? 3 What makes Christians uncomfortable about sharing their faith with others? 1. Blakeley, Kiri, Why Does Something Go Viral? Forbes [online], 6 September 2011 [cited 27 November 2013]. Available from the Internet: 2 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

3 Jesus has come and accomplished redemption through His death and resurrection. Now we await His return from heaven, but God s plan is not finished. Jesus established and commissioned His followers to take His message to the rest of the world. Today we will see how we as the church of Jesus Christ fit into that plan, and what resources God has given us to accomplish His mission. UNDERSTANDING Unpack the biblical text to discover what Scripture says or means about a particular topic. > Have a volunteer read Acts 1:4-8. The disciples experienced 40 days with Jesus after He was raised from the dead. Can you imagine their anticipation about what was coming next? As witnesses to the miracle of His resurrection, they no longer doubted Jesus was the Messiah. They were also confessing Him as their Lord and God (John 20:28) the King to conquer the final enemy of death (1 Cor. 15:26). Having encountered Jesus power, they asked a question they must have wondered about throughout Jesus ministry: Is the nation of Israel going to be restored to its glorious place as the chosen people of God? This question was rooted in the Old Testament concept of the Day of the Lord. When the Day of the Lord would come, Israel s adversaries would be overthrown, and God s kingdom would be established through His people. The disciples were considering the prevalent belief that the promised Messiah would be the One to establish this kingdom. Unfortunately, their focus, just like ours, was smaller than the mission God was calling them to. For the disciples, the nation of Israel had become the focus of the story, just as we so often try to make ourselves the focus of the story. The disciples were asking Jesus if Israel would be restored to prominence, but Christ s response focused on the trajectory of God s mission moving forward. What are some ways we unintentionally make the gospel solely about us? 3 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

4 What happens when we focus on the benefits of our salvation and not our calling from King Jesus? To understand Jesus answer concerning God s mission, we must return to Genesis. It was in the garden of Eden that God initiated His rescue mission of redemption following the disobedience of Adam and Eve. He revealed His worldwide intentions when He called a man named Abram and promised to make him into a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3). However, God did not stop with a single nation, for His promise was to bless many nations through Abraham s descendants. Jesus wasn t saying anything new; rather, He was bringing attention back to the scope of God s mission from eternity past. He was telling His disciples, You (children of Israel) are not the point of what you are experiencing. God s plan had always been to bless the world through the descendants of Abraham. Israel had a unique calling to be God s missionaries to the world, but they traded this mission for conformity to their pagan neighbors. In what ways are we tempted to trade our mission for a life of conformity to the world around us? When you think of the mission of God, do you think in terms of God s global work the ends of the earth or His local work your Judea and Samaria? Why? In the Great Commission, Jesus gave His disciples clear directives for being His witnesses to the ends of the earth. They were to make disciples, baptize new believers, and teach them to obey Jesus commands (Matt. 28:19-20). Again, the emphasis was upon all nations. Jesus was sending His disciples out as missionaries to the world, not just to their fellow Israelites. Missionaries are those who are sent by God to carry out His mission. We follow the model of Jesus, who Himself was sent by the Father to the world (John 20:21). > Have a volunteer read Acts 1: Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

5 What was the significance of Jesus ascension? What does this passage teach about Christ s future coming? What else does this passage teach us? The angels confirmed that the same Jesus who was taken from them would come back in the same way: visibly, bodily, and with clouds of glory. In the meantime, the disciples were to be busy with His commission. Thus, the fact of the end times, including Christ s return, was affirmed, even though the time was still unstated. This was a mandate for all, including believers today, to stop gazing and get to work being on mission with God. What are some ways believers today stand looking into heaven? How does having the Holy Spirit living in believers create a greater sense of urgency today about being on mission with God? How can we create a greater awareness of this sense of urgency? After Jesus ascended, His followers returned to Jerusalem. The distance was less than a mile. The passage says that when they arrived, they went to the room upstairs, or the upper room. Here Luke lists a number of men and women who gathered together. The most important observation for us is that all these were continually united in prayer. While they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they prayed. They were preparing to fulfill their mission as witnesses for Christ. They were preparing to launch the church. > Have another volunteer read 2 Corinthians 5: As the church, we are called to obey Jesus command to go into the world and preach the gospel. But what is the motivation behind our 5 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

6 obedience? The apostle Paul dealt with our motivation by taking us back to the reality of Christ s love. The driving force behind God s messengers is Christ s love for the world He came to save. John 3:16 is clear that God s love was the motivation for giving Jesus. That love now fills our hearts and becomes our motivation for giving of ourselves. The selfless love displayed by Jesus in His life and death is Paul s reference point for our love for others. The love of God compels us to live for Him and to pour ourselves out for others. This was Jesus desire (John 12:50), and it now becomes our own. We live for a resurrected God and Savior, not for ourselves, and this should press us into action. What happens when we are compelled by something other than love in our involvement in God s mission? Paul focuses our attention upon the spiritual dilemma that is solved only through the gospel. We do not see others in a purely human way because we recognize the necessity of new life that comes at conversion. The new creation that we become in Christ begins in the spiritual realm, not the physical realm. We will experience new creation bodies at the resurrection, but the work of the Holy Spirit begins by making our spirits, which were dead in sin, alive to God. We must begin seeing the lost around us as people who need new life. Paul also makes clear that there is no Plan B for taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. God has chosen us for the task to be His ambassadors. We are ambassadors to the world with a message of reconciliation. God has made a way for sinful people to become His friends instead of His enemies. God has provided a pathway to peace in spite of the world s rebellion. The fact that God offers peace in spite of us, not because of us, is what makes this such good news! So what do we do? We plead with others to be saved. All of this reconciliation, ambassadorship, life, and new creation comes because of what Jesus did in our place. Because Jesus took upon Himself our sin, shame, and punishment, we receive God s righteousness, friendship, and mission. And now we serve as ambassadors for King Jesus! 6 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

7 In what ways does your life reflect the priorities of ambassadorship for the kingdom of God? Does your heart match Paul s heart in pleading with people to be saved? What resources does our church have that can be used for God s global mission? In what ways does our church enable you to be used for God s global mission? APPLICATION Help your group identify how the truths from the Scripture passage apply directly to their lives. Because God is a missionary God, He sends us out to spread the message of redemption that comes through His Son, beginning right here in Middle Tennessee, our Judea and Samaria. The good news is we are not alone in this task. In Acts 1:8, Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the mission, and in Matthew 28:20, He promised His presence. God does not need us for this mission, but He wants us to experience the overwhelming joy that comes through partnering with Him. As the church, we will accomplish the mission of God when the love of Christ so fully engulfs our hearts that sharing the gospel and loving others as Christ loved us become the natural expressions of our relationship with God. 1 What would change if we saw ourselves (first and foremost) as those sent by God on His mission? 2 Who are some people you know who practice Jesus command today? In what ways are they fulfilling Jesus commission? 7 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

8 3 Do you consider yourself a missionary to Middle Tennessee? What would it take for you to become one? 4 What would change if we saw ourselves (first and foremost) as those sent by God on His mission? P R A Y The disciples obeyed Jesus by returning to Jerusalem, and while they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit, they were continually united in prayer (Acts 1:14). This week, instead of praying in the larger group, divide your group into pairs. Suggest that partners pray for each other, asking God to help them link their burdens for people, their love for people, their passions, their spiritual giftedness, and their natural talents into mission experiences. 8 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

9 FOLLOW UP Midway through this week, send a follow-up to your group with some or all of the following information: > Questions to consider as they continue to reflect on what they learned this week: How is the Holy Spirit changing the way you think about the mission of the church? What is God teaching you this week about your involvement in the local missions efforts of Brentwood Baptist? > A note of encouragement, following up on any specific prayer requests mentioned during your group gathering. > The challenge to memorize Acts 1:8. 9 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

10 COMMENTARY JANUARY 12, OUR MISSION (ACTS 1:4-8) 1:4-5. The Father s promise refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit, which would soon come (chap. 2). John s baptism was a symbolic washing to purify and to indicate repentance of sin. Jesus baptism of believers would be of greater impact and involved the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 1:6-7. Restoration of the kingdom of Israel was something for which all first-century Jews longed. It was commonly believed that Messiah, son of David and heir to his throne, would accomplish this restoration. Jesus deflected the disciples misguided question and repeated His command that they were to be His witnesses near and far (see Matt. 28:19). 1:8. The major focus of the Book of Acts is stated in this verse. Jesus said believers would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, empowering them to be His witnesses in Jerusalem first and then spreading to the ends of the earth. Note three things about how this unfolds. First, the empowering presence is to be the Holy Spirit, not Jesus Himself. Jesus prepared His disciples for the transition when the Holy Spirit would come to be a constant presence in His bodily absence. Second, the growth of the church would come about through the witness of the disciples. From the beginning, the church is depicted as a community that actively witnesses to their faith in Jesus Christ. Third, the result of this witness will be measurable, geographical growth. This growth will begin in Jerusalem and then spread through ever-widening concentric circles to other Jewish areas (e.g., Judea), to areas on the edges of Judaism (e.g., Samaria), and eventually to the ends of the earth, which may refer to the known world of that time, likely coextensive with the reach of the Roman Empire. As new lands and peoples were discovered in coming centuries, the church understood that it must keep expanding its witness to reach the newfound ends of the earth. 2. OUR POWER (ACTS 1:9-14) 1:9-10. Here we find the seven last words of Christ on earth: and to the ends of the earth. Immediately after uttering those words, He ascended and was hidden by a cloud, even 10 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

11 COMMENTARY JANUARY 12, 2014 as they watched. The concept of a cloud linked with God is a common Old Testament theme (Exod. 13:21; Ps. 68:4; Isa. 19:1; Dan. 7:13). We refer to it as the Shekinah glory explained in Ezekiel 11: This account elaborates on Luke s earlier report to Theophilus. The two men who announced this great event in history were angels. Angels taking the form of men was hardly unknown, even in New Testament times (Matt. 28:2-3; John 20:12; Luke 24:4). Picture the disciples standing in fear and awe looking intently, a phrase which appears fourteen times in the New Testament, twelve of them in Luke through Acts. We know this was the eleventh appearance of the Lord after His resurrection and that the ascension took place on the Mount of Olives in the vicinity of Bethany (Luke 24:45-53). 1:11. These disciples were literally men of Galilee, citizens of the northern portion of Israel. The angelic question took on special poignancy in the light of the Lord s command; but rather than scolding, the angel assured the disciples that Jesus would return. Let s not miss the emphasis of Luke s specific words: This same Jesus... will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven. Not some different Jesus, but a literal, physical, resurrected Savior would return. The Jesus they knew and loved would come again to earth just as He ascended from earth. Other New Testament passages such as 1 Thessalonians 4 5 explain the details more fully. Why would the Lord return to heaven? Why did He continuously say to the disciples that His exit was essential to the Holy Spirit s entrance? Certainly it fits God s plan and purpose, and that reason alone would be enough. We can also see some practical things. The second coming has no appeal for unbelievers, only for believers. With Jesus in heaven, we must live our lives by faith and turn our hearts and vision upward and forward. During the time He is there and we are here, He serves as our heavenly intercessor and advocate an encouraging thought in our efforts to live and witness for Him. 1: The apostles returned to the city and went to a specific room. This is the same list of disciples we find in Luke 6, but not in the same order. We see no superstars here, only ordinary people. How crucial in our day to resist celebrity Christianity. All believers form the church and must function in response to the Lord s command. The outstanding thing about these men is 11 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

12 COMMENTARY JANUARY 12, 2014 that they were not outstanding. God chose ordinary men to do an extraordinary task. 1:14. They not only prayed, but they prayed together and they prayed constantly. Luke characteristically reminds us that women were included along with the disciples and Jesus physical brothers. This is the last New Testament mention of Mary the mother of Jesus. His half brothers, born after the virgin birth of Jesus, have already appeared in Luke s Gospel (8:19-21). Did the group pray for the Holy Spirit to come? Probably not, since Jesus had already said that would happen. Perhaps the important thing here is not the content of their prayers but the fact and nature of their praying. A crucial moment filled with expectation and wonder was also a moment of prayer. 3. OUR MOTIVATION (2 COR. 5:14-21) 5:14. Paul then explained why these two motivations controlled his ministry. He began with the statement that Christ s love compelled him. Paul was compelled in ministry by the love that Christ demonstrated when He died for all. Christ died for all, and therefore all died with him. Dying with Christ was one way Paul described conversion (Gal. 2:20). In this context, the all is all of the Corinthian Christians. It is not that Paul was assured of the salvation of each individual in the church he plainly stated that he was not (2 Cor. 13:5). In this passage he accepted their professions of faith at face value for the purposes of his argument. 5:15. The phrase those who live refers to believers who are now spiritually alive (Eph. 2:4-6). Christ s death and resurrection ministry have become the pattern for the believer s death and new-life ministry. Paul personally modeled this as well. 5:16. The phrase in a purely human way is a good rendering of the Greek text (lit according to the flesh ). There are always two conflicting perspectives on a situation: the natural versus the divine. A natural view of Christ led to His crucifixion and to Paul s persecution of Christ-followers. After the light of divine revelation broke in on Paul on the Damascus road, he could no longer know Him in this way (Acts 9). 12 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church

13 COMMENTARY JANUARY 12, : The words in Christ refer to being in union with Him. Genuine conversion begins life transformation, but not by reforming the old nature. The indwelling Spirit creates divine life in believers (Rom. 8:8-10), enabling a life of new things. Other New Testament passages communicate this truth by using language such as born again or regeneration (John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23). Those who were enemies of God have now become friends by being reconciled to Him. God s wrath against sin was satisfied in the death of His Son. Sinners who formerly put self-interest above God s glory (Rom. 1:21; 3:23) have been brought to cherish God as their highest treasure (2 Cor. 4:6). The ministry of reconciliation being an agent of this good news was Paul s special responsibility, but the task belongs to all who have received this ministry. 5: What Christ did, God did. Christ s death mainly affected the world, that is, human sinners (rather than evil supernatural beings, for whom no divine provision for reconciliation has been made). Christ s death upholds God s righteousness. Trespasses were placed on the One who did not know sin. In return, the righteousness of God is credited (imputed) to all who are in Him. The message of reconciliation is known to others only when ambassadors for Christ spread it. The Great Commission is the responsibility of reconciled human beings, not angels (Matt. 28:18-20). 13 Evangelism Brentwood Baptist Church