Love One Another : Love to Proclaim
preached Sept 2, 2018
This morning, as we continue our series, “Love One Another”, I want to teach you another Greek word--not to show off, but because it is an important word that has grown more important to me.
It is kerygma.
Kerygma is "preaching" and it's closely related to kerusso which is "a proclamation". Kerygma developed to mean the oral tradition of the apostle's teachings. The kerygma was first witnessed by the disciples as Jesus lived, taught, died and resurrected. That story, the Good News (or evangelion if you enjoy learning Greek words) passed from the apostles to the first believers we read about in Acts last week.
A story of the proclamation
This morning will be a little different, because we won't stay on one passage. The whole story spans the Bible. The beginning is the story of Creation where all is good. Then, conflict rises. God's Good Creation is perverted by the devil's work. Our first parents Fall. But, in the great climax of human history, Jesus enters the scene. His death on the cross destroys the power of Satan. Now, we live in the falling action. Resolution is coming soon.
Let's pick up the story in Luke 24 just after Jesus' resurrection.
Luke 24:36-49
As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them.
Luke 24:36-43
It is vitally important to not miss the details of this passage. Notice how Jesus moves about. Notice He is flesh and blood. He is not a ghost. The earliest perversion of the Gospel is that Jesus rose as a spirit. It continues today, but liberal theologians dress it up in different clothes. They say, "He rose in their hearts" or "The disciples had visions" or some other nonsense.
He rose in flesh and blood!
The empty tomb is the greatest evidence for the resurrection. Remember, at the time, the Romans couldn't care less about the events of Palestine. The soldiers on guard did their jobs, because they were concerned about duty and punishment. But when the angel came down (Matt 28), they took off running. They told the chief priests what happened, but instead of putting their faith in Christ, they paid off the guards to say the disciples stole the body. Notice, the authorities didn't go find the body or present the tomb as still filled. They paid off the guards and spread rumors.
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you ware clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:44-49
Did you catch why the Old Testament is still important today? The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms all point to the coming Messiah. It is the beginning of the story and the leading scenes to the climax at the cross.
And look closely at verse 47:
and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning form Jerusalem.
The kerygma is for all nations--all people.
But before they can go to all nations, they must stay awhile in the city and wait to be clothed with power from on high.
Luke continues his story in the Book of Acts. Turn now to Acts 1.
Acts 1:6-9
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Acts 1:6-7
The disciples ask a legitimate question here. Is this the end? Will Israel be free and God’s people be set apart from the nations? You see, they are still seeking the past. The prophecies of old told of a never-ending kingdom established by God’s Anointed. Jesus has died and resurrected proving He is the Messiah, God’s Anointed. So is this it?
But Jesus replies simply, “It’s not for you to know”
Church, it is not for us to know God’s timeline. We were told what will happen, but we aren’t told when it will happen. And if you ever hear of someone saying, “I’ve got it! I figured it out!” Just smile and say “That’s nice”, because they haven’t figured out a thing. And if you ever hear of someone saying, “Here He is. Jesus has come back”, just look up. If the sky hasn’t split and trumpets haven’t sounded, then they’re wrong, too. There will be no mistake when Jesus returns.
If you think back to the tabernacle days of Israel, you’ll recall the priests would blow the shofar to call Israel into worship. The shofar is a large horn made from a ram. You can buy one at Mardel’s sometimes. I’m sure they’re also on Amazon, but that’s not the point. The point is: when the trumpet/shofar was sounded, everyone in the camp heard it. Even though Israel was an enormous group of nomads at the time, everyone heard the trumpet. The tradition continued into the days of the Temple and into the synagogues. When it was time to enter for worship, every Jew would hear a trumpet blast. Likewise, we are sojourners and strangers traveling through earth. When the trumpet sounds for us to enter the Eternal Temple, we will not be confused, nor will we miss it. All of God’s people will hear the trumpet and be taken up.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and rSamaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, the was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
Acts 1:8-9
But what will happen for the disciples is this: they will be witnesses. The Holy Spirit will come upon them and they will witness to the ends of the earth. The rest of the Book of Acts is the story of how Christianity spread through the known world in the first century. Church History continues to tell the story of Christianity’s spread. And today, we continue that part of the story.
Is this a pattern to follow or mandate?
You may recall in the late 90s and 2000s the SBC began a program called “The Acts 1:8 Challenge.” It was a way for churches to cultivate a missions attitude in their congregants. The idea is actually pretty simple. Begin in your city (Jerusalem), then to your county (Judea), then head into a neighboring county or group of people outside your comfort zone (Samaria), then finally do your part for the ends of the earth. Typically, the last one involved an overseas trip.
Is that what Jesus is saying here? Well, no…and sort of.
In Acts, He is simply telling the disciples what will happen. It’s a prophetic statement. If you read Acts closely, you’ll notice the story begins in Jerusalem with the establishment of the Jerusalem Church after Pentecost. (We read that last week.) Then the Apostles travel Judea continuing to preach. After Stephen is killed, the story picks up in Samaria where Philip proclaims Christ to the Samaritans and many are saved (Chapter 8). Afterward, Paul is converted on his way to Damascus, and the remainder of Acts is how Paul planted churches throughout the Roman Empire.
Again, History tells the story of how the kerygma continues to spread beyond Rome, but just a little missionary trivia for you: the Gospel has been proclaimed in every geographic location on the earth. Not every people group have heard the gospel, but in terms of where the Gospel has gone, it has circled the globe. A great book you should read is Back to Jerusalem. It tells the story of the Chinese Church who has taken on the mission of connecting the Church from China back into the Middle East. This area, though in the past they had heard the Gospel, currently there is very little witness.
So what did they do? Turn with me to 1 Peter 2.
1 Peter 2:9-12
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you has sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
1 Peter 9-12
Chosen people, set apart, why? to proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light. By virtue of who we are, we proclaim Christ. I don’t believe churches need more training or programs for evangelism. They can be helpful, but they aren’t necessary. What’s necessary is for Christians to remember who they are and whose they are. We are God’s people, saved from this wretched generation and transformed from death to life, darkness to light. Evangelism will happen more in churches when churches remember who they are.
Now when I write that line, I can’t help but remember The Lion King. I know you’ve seen it. Don’t tell if you haven’t watched it, because that will age you more than you know. But think about the scene where Simba has been running around with the pig and meerkat. Simba is lost and doesn’t know what to do. He’s just learned that Scar has pretty well destroyed the Pride Lands. What does he see? He sees his dead father, Mustafa, appear in the clouds. What is his father’s advice? “Remember”… in that awesome voice that only James Earl Jones can give. It’s only when he remembers that he is the child of the king that Simba fulfills his calling and saves the Pride Lands.
Church! Remember!
You are children of the One True King! You have been bought with a price, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may PROCLAIM the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness!
As God’s people, look at verse 11, Peter urges us as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
The first step toward evangelism is to remove the sin from your life. Christian, you cannot proclaim the light walking in darkness. You cannot share life when you are covered in death. Step out of death and walk in the light. Church people, one of the main reasons people outside the church don’t know Christ is because many sitting in the pews today don’t know Him. You cannot share what you don’t have. Stop playing around with religion and surrender your whole self to the One who gives life.
Get rid of your sin. Then, you’ll be able to fulfill verse 12, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation”
One more book plug, read Randy Stark’s The Rise of Christianity. In it, he demonstrates how Christianity spread mainly because of the ethics of Christians. They lived like no other people. When disasters struck, they stuck around to help. When plagues hit, they ministered to the sick. When death was threatened, they welcomed it if it meant following in Jesus’ footsteps. They cared for orphans and widows. They allowed women to serve in roles unheard-of before. And though they didn’t abolish slavery, slaves and freemen alike were welcomed into homes as members of the same church. Stark argues rightly, the reason Christianity spread is because Christians kept their conduct so honorable that the people around them saw their good deeds and praised God.
Church, if we are to reach others with the Gospel: we must first remove sin in our lives and our church, then we must keep our conduct so honorable that outsiders see our good deeds and say “God must be good, look at His people!”
So how does this story end? How do we know when we’re done? Turn with me to Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:9-17
Now, the more studious of you will say, “Hey there’s more after this chapter”, but Chapter 7 has a particular line I want to focus on. You are right though, Chapter 22 is awesome also.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7: 9-10
Look at who is in the great multitude. All nations, all tribes and all peoples and languages are represented. There is no one on this earth more privileged or less privileged to hear the Gospel. It is for anyone and everyone who will receive it. That means we don’t have to worry about whether or not we should share with someone. If they need Jesus, they need Jesus. Just share. If they don’t want to hear it, that’s their business. It’s our business to live well and share. God will work salvation in the hearts of people that want to be saved. Whether or not we’re around to see it is secondary. We just share.
But for now, let us keep the end in mind. Look with me.
And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?”
I said to him, “Sir, you know.”
And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white min the blood of the Lamb.
“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:11-17
We have a hope for the imperishable. John describes the best he can what he saw. But what we can see is that God is before the people. Every sadness is gone, every hunger is filled, every thirst quenched. Jesus is there shepherding His people to springs of living water.
I’ve decided my favorite author now is C. S. Lewis. One of his arguments that permeates many of his books is how Heaven is ultimately what we all really desire. Every good thing we have on earth is to help point us toward our desire for Heaven. We are created for the Joy of Heaven. That’s why nothing on this earth really satisfies.
Possessions grow old and rot. Consumerism is ultimately a waste, simply because no thing can satisfy.
Our own fame will fade. 100 years from now, pretty much all of us will be forgotten. Think about it: how many people can you name from 1918? What about 1818?
Relationships with family and friends are wonderful, but they can’t last. People will leave us, either because of life or death, they will eventually be gone.
These earthly desires are not bad in of themselves, as long as they pointed toward God who is the Only Good. When I use my possessions for His glory, they become instruments in the Eternal Story.
When I use whatever fame I have to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called me out of darkness, my short life becomes part of the Eternal Story.
When I point my family and friends to God, they become partakers of the glory that awaits all God’s people.
Church, remember who you are. We are God’s people, transformed from death into living creatures that will not taste death, not really. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these other things will be added unto you.
So What is The Church's Mission?
It has already been given. Look at our last verse today.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:18-20
While we wait for Jesus’ Return, we have a simple task. Go and make disciples. Jesus is with us wherever we go to help us along the way.
As we wait for our part of the story to end in the Final Resolution of all things, go and make disciples. Go where? Go wherever. As you go where God leads you, abstain from the desires of the flesh, keep your conduct honorable, and proclaim the excellencies of the One who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous Light.
As we end today, I invite you to join us in the light. For the one who has been walking in darkness, clinging to the things of this earth, let go and surrender. First, seek Heaven, find Jesus, and everything else will fall into place later.
For the Christian who has forgotten…remember. Remember you are a child of God. You are chosen and saved from this wicked generation, out of darkness. Don’t wallow around in death and sin. Leave the mud hole and realize God has a far better place for you to enjoy.