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C:\LESSON\KINGDOM\JRISEN1.DOC 25-08-91 THY KINGDOM COME PART 1 JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Acts 1:3 to 5 read When the disciples had come together they were asking Jesus -- Saying -- Lord is it this time you are going to restore the Kingdom of Israel -- Jesus said -- It is not for you to know the time or the seasons which the Father has put in his own power --- but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit shall come upon you --- and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judah and in Samaria -- and even to the uttermost part of the earth --- And after he had said these things he was lifted up while they were looking on -- and a cloud received him out of their sight --- These first few words of the apostles set the scene for what you will find in this book --- Many people who read this book project into it everything that they believe -- in other words -- they saw there what they wanted to see --- I think that we should read the book and dare for it to speak to us -- rather than we speak to it --- If you read it this way it can be a very upsetting and disturbing book -- because I suddenly discover it is not interested in everything that I am interested in -- it has completely another approach --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 I mean you are not going to find any emphasis in this book on church building --- This would put most denominations out of business straight away --- I do not know where they meet -- sometimes it was in high schools -- and at other times it was in homes -- but there is no emphasis -- it is any old place -- it may even be under a tree --- Also there appears to be no appeal to some hierarchy -- there is no elite group of leaders --- Rather there is a great sense of brotherhood -- that runs through it all -- Even Peter says -- He is just a fellow brother and a fellow elder -- there is no big deal about it --- Real Christianity is quite unique in this -- In any pagan religion the first thing that you will notice about it is -- that there is an elite group who knows secret mysteries that they will only pass on to the one who will listen to them --- But when I come to this book of Acts -- I discover a common priesthood among all believers --- I find a brotherhood -- and that some of them stand out because of their gifting from God -- but they are not in an elite class who hold secrets and mysteries --- Also I find there is no great appeal to mass evangelism as we find in many churches today -- What I really see here is a one to one - where one reaches out to the next one --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Where one in the family comes to Christ -- that one then reachs out to the rest of the family --- I see this emerging out of the Acts of the apostles- You do not see that Paul had an advance manager who went on ahead and hired an auditorium -- then put up the posters- and notices in the local paper --- But rather a gentle -- or -- sometimes a violent explosion of the Holy Spirit -- But it is generally a one to one way of happening -- You will find in the Acts - great generosity -- Much of the book is taken up with Paul collecting offerings from Gentiles - to give to Jews who they would never meet -- You can be well assured there was no tax deductible receipts -- They are giving out of the sheer overflow of their heart We should consider our giving -- Are we giving to gain something or are we giving because the Bible says we are to give or is it -I just want to give -- I just love to share There is no denominational head quarters in the Acts -- it was not Jerusalem - and it certainly was not in Antioch -- There were no annual conferences to discuss business -- there was only this explosion of the Body of Christ -- There were no seminaries -- Paul took Timothy and taught him what he knew -- There were no weekly notices -- no hymn books -- no Sunday schools -- as we know them today --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 When you come to this book -- it could really stir the nest -- and makes us challenge much of what we are involved in -- When I look at these people on the positive side -- I am introduced to a company of people - who are absolutely convinced that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead -- and is now Lord of all -- There is no thought that one day Jesus will be Lord of all -- To them he rose again from the dead and he is now Lord of all and that all authority is given unto me in Heaven and upon earth -- therefore go and proclaim this to all nations --- There is here an echo from the Old Testament - You will never understand the New Testament until you have a reasonable understanding of the Old Testament -- If I wrote a book and you opened it at Page 50 -- And then say -- I do not understand what he is saying -- this is unfair to the writer of the book -- People come to the Bible and open it at Matthew or John And say -- I do not understand what it is talking about Of course not -- do you think that God wrote what came before this as a joke --- Here in the book of Acts we see men who have a deep awareness of the long promised Kingdom -- has now been fulfilled and is now among them -- The Kingdom of God has come -- it is here -- it is now JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 We are now living in the fulfilment of long uttered prophecies -- This can be seen all the way through the Acts of the Apostles -- and because of this they are driven to publish the news of this Kingdom to all men -- So they go across the world -- sometimes leaving a trail of their own blood behind them --- They looked upon the Holy Spirit as the administrator of the Kingdom of God on earth -- If Jesus Christ was Lord - and seated on the right hand of God -- then the Holy Spirit was his administrator here on earth to make that Kingdom happen In Acts 15 -- we see they had a meeting at Jerusalem and The scripture says -- It seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us -- From this you can see it is the Holy Spirit that is guiding them in their decisions -- It was the Holy Spirit that led Philip to the Ethiopian at the right time -- It was the Holy Spirit that said to Paul and Silus -- not Ephesus -- it was the Holy Spirit that sent them into Europe --- The Holy Spirit is the present now administrator of the Kingdom of God on earth -- this is reality But in many churches today it is unreality -- They are playing a game of going to church -- They could be just as easily be going to the golf club - - church to them is just another club -- But when I come to Acts - there is that pulsating - life -- they know -- He is alive JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 They know that the Spirit of God is present -- and they know the Kingdom has come and they know nothing can stop them This is the Acts of the Apostles From this you can see that this becomes a very important book -- in the understanding of the entire Bible -- because it shows me how the New Covenant which we are a part of -- actually entered and became part of us -- This is what the Old Testament was prophecying -- Now this is how it actually took place It tells me how the Kingdom of God was established among men - from Jerusalem - to Rome - and then beyond to the whole world -- Until I understand the Acts of the Apostles I will not understand the other books of the New Testament -- Because most books in the New Testament were written somewhere inside the history of the Acts of the Apostles --- Who wrote the book -- it was Luke -- Luke wrote the book of Luke and then continues to write on and it is called the Acts of the Apostles -- The Gospel of Luke could be called volume 1 -- the book of Acts - volume 2 --- The Acts is an interesting book in the sense that Luke was with them for most of the book -- at least for the second half of the book --- You will notice that after they leave Troas and move into Europe -- he stops saying they and he begins to say we - JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Luke is now travelling with Paul -- even though it does not say so - but the - we - tells me --- So here is a first hand account -- here is a man who is a medical doctor he makes it his business to know exactly what went on he was not satisfied with a second hand report In the gospel of Luke he goes back and talks to the people so as to get it first hand -- and this is the same in the Acts of the Apostles --- Every book in the Bible stands in context to the rest of the Bible --- you can not take a verse out of the Bible and say this is what the Bible says --- It must be in context with the other verses- Also you can not take a book out and act as it there is no other book in the Bible -- for each book leans on the other book -- it is one whole story --- Now how does the book of Acts relate to the other books of the Bible -- If you have read the Old Testament at all -- you will have seen that they were looking for something -- right from the very beginning --- Man has fallen from grace he now stands in his fallen state he is in darkness -- in his own selfishness And as man steped out of the garden -- God made an announcement -- Saying -- one will come who will be the seed of a woman- and that seed will crush the head of the serpent -- and in crushing the head of the serpent -- he himself would receive a wound and it would bruise his heel -- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 As the human race went on into its sin it carried a promise -- that was unconditional -- God did - NOT - say --- if you will do this then I will do that --- He is saying -- here it is -- this is what I am going to do --- Man carried this promise -- and the story of the Bible is to how the whole race of mankind narrowed it down to one family --- It went from the family of Noah to the family of Shem and to the family of Abraham From Abraham onwards there was another promise made -- Stating -- that through the descendants of Abraham all the families of the earth shall be blessed --- Then from Abraham to Isaac -- and onward it marched until -Jacob lays his hands upon his son Judah-- Saying -- Through this one - will come the Lion of the Tribe of Judah -- unto him shall the gathering of the people be --- Now we know that through this tribe will come the promise --- About 700 years later from this tribe came David -- God comes to David and says -- I will build a house for for you -- and through you will come -- a king who will sit upon a throne and rule for ever and ever -- and of his kingdom there would be no end --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 David now speaks of the Messiah -- which means the anointed one -- David sang about it -- Saying -- this King who will be anointed will have a kingdom -- where in all families of the earth may be blessed -- a Kingdom that shall have a king and that king shall reign forever --- The prophets took this up -- Saying -- it is a kingdom of peace that is beyond our understanding -- it is a kingdom that is founded on righteousness -- and in it there is no unrighteousness --- It is a kingdom of joy -- where there is dancing and singing -- and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads -- As Israel carried these promises they sinned and sinned against God - and were carried away into captivity --- As they went they took with them the scrolls of the Prophets -- and they waited and they waited knowing one day God would fulfil his promise -- As they were about to go into captivity there was a Prophet by the name of Jeremiah -- and he had the task of being the officiater at the funeral of a nation -- He is there to bury the chosen people --- Here we have these people that God has laid his promise upon -- through them was to come the blessings -- but they have broken the covenant --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Then God through Jeremiah says -- I will make a New Covenant -- and in that New Covenant -- your sin and your iniquity I will remember them no more --- This is their sins will be completly wiped out and they will never be remembered again --- Then he said -- I will write my law upon your heart -- I will put it into your mind --- A little after this Ezekiel says -- and I will put my Spirit within you -- causing you to walk in my ways -- He says -- Your sins are gone the Spirit of God is inside of you I am writing my law I am writing my desires into your heart Instead of you from the outside -- Saying -- I shalt not -- there will be a desire inside to Say -- I will not -- It is inside now -- not as it was outside --- He says -- within this New Kingdom -- this New Covenant -- every man shall know me personally says the Lord --- Then I shall be - YOUR - God -- not just God but - YOUR - God -- and you in the New Covenant will be MY people --- They carried this promise into captivity in its blackest moment --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Then Daniel in captivity prophesied -- Saying -- there will come a stone cut without hands -- that shall smash the statue of a great image -- the statue is seen as the kingdoms of this world --- The stone came from out of this world and it is the Kingdom of the God of Heaven -- So they waited for this Kingdom of Heaven to come -- After 70 years they came back to their land but this did not fulfil this Kingdom of Heaven -- nor did it fulfil the new covenant -- About 500 years after this man was greatly depressed -- and this was about the time Jesus was born -- At this time a man came out of the wilderness announcing something that Israel had never heard before -- He was saying -- the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand -- Every prophet said it is coming -- now this one -- Says -- It is at hand -- There is no more of it coming -- but it has arrived -- Out from this Jesus steps into the river Jordan -- and it was just as Isaiah the prophet had said - 750 years before The Spirit of the Lord shall come upon him -- Now Jesus is marked out by the presence of the Spirit and the Messiah Now the Kingdom of Heaven in a sense has come in him -- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 To the Pharisee Jesus is going to Say -- The Kingdom of God is among you or in your midst As you read through the New Testament you will see that there was a battle zone between religion and Jesus -- Why was this It was because religion has no idea of the nature of the Kingdom of God -- The people in the days of the New Testament -- headed up by the Pharisees -- and their second cousins -- the Zealots -- believed that the Kingdom of God was political that it was geographical That it would begin with a physical throne in Jerusalem - and there would be physical boundaries over which the Messiah would rule --- As far as they were concerned - the presence of the Messiah meant -- The blood of every Roman would run down the street and that there would be death to every Gentile power And that they - the Jew would become the number one nation Jesus did not come with this in mind -- He came Saying -- Love one another whether Jew or Gentile -- to the Jew this was foolishness -- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 He also said -- You religious Jews - will be damned in hell -- thieves and Gentiles will come and sit in the Kingdom of God's table --- The Pharisees were horrified when they heard this -- They saw their good works and they being a Jew insured them a place in the Kingdom -- The Pharisee would rise out of bed each morning - raise his right hand -- Saying -- I thank thee - O God that I am not as other men -- I am not a dog -- I am a Pharisee -- He thought his very existence gave him the right to be in the Kingdom of God -- He believed every Gentile was damned because he had Gentile blood -- Here comes the one who claims to be the Messiah -- Saying -- The Pharisees will not make it - because they are trying very hard to be good -- but the thieves and the Gentiles -- they will make it -- because they know their helplessness and will receive of God's forgiveness -- From this there arises this battle between Jesus and the Pharisees -- out from this they kill him -- Little did Pilate know what he was doing - When he brings out the -- battered - bleeding body of Jesus and presents him to the people -- Saying -- Behold your King -- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Little did he know that Jesus was the promised one by God First it was seen in the Garden of Eden -- and then through Noah -- Shem -- Abraham -- Isaac -- Jacob -- David -- and the prophets--- The people replied -- We do not want him -- and they crucified him -- All this was in the plan of God - for in his death he took all our sins -- And in the shedding of his blood -- the New Covenant takes place -- As he rises out of death in the heavens it is Announced -- that your sins and your iniquities will be remembered no more --- Now the Spirit of God could write the law of God on the hearts of men -- now man can know God face to face without an intermitinary priest --- Now we shall here him say -- you are my people and I am you God --- From here he comes to his disciples -- this is where Luke begins his description -- He says -- by many infalable proofs -- he showed himself alive from the dead --- They become scared for they think that they may be next on the list --- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 They know that seeing the Jews got rid of Jesus -- it would not be long before they tried to get rid of them -- so they lock themselves behind closed doors --- Suddenly there comes a message to say that the stone covering the tomb that Jesus was placed in had been rolled away and his body removed --- Peter and John run to the tomb -- and John out runs old Peter -- then hesitates at the door way of the tomb -- Whether it was in reverence I do not know -- Peter who knew reverence for no one -- just pushed past John and there he sees the grave cloths of Jesus -- The cloth around the body lay as if the body has just shrunk out of it -- the head piece of cloth was neatly folded --- If it had been a grave robbery the clothes would have been scattered around --- Then John follows Peter and sees also -- Saying -- Now I believe --- He is saying -- when I saw that -- I knew that he had risen from the dead -- They both turn and go -- leaving only Mary Magdalene at the tomb -- this is the Mary that Jesus had cast seven devils out of -- She is full of grief -- for all she knows is that Jesus has gone -- JESUS HAS RISEN PART 1 Kneeling in her grief she realises that there is someone behind her -- she thinks it is the care taker -- the gardener -- it may have been him that took Jesus away --- But to her suprise she found it to be Jesus -- Not wanting to let him leave again she grabs hold of him Saying -- Rabboni -- meaning my master --- Jesus gently pushes her away -- Saying -- Mary do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended -- and then comes the words of the New Covenant -- I have not yet ascended to MY FATHER and YOUR FATHER As Jerimiah said -- I will be your God -- Then he is gone - he steps from the visible to the invisible --- AMEN