Jesus, the Promised Messiah

Intro/Scripture

Acts 2:14 (NIV)

14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd:

Acts 2:22–32 NIV

22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’ 29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it.

Pray.

I was on a plane recently. Flying to Dayton, Ohio for a conference. I had to connect in Atlanta. I sat next to someone who was travelling to Conroe to help with a family member’s estate who had just passed away. We were having a great conversation until she asked me what I did.....

I am a pastor

Her: Why would you do that?

The book of Acts gives us a window to the beginning of the church, the calling of the disciples, and the strategies of the sent ones as they begin to press into a new world they are called to inhabit.

We read about pentecost and I think we place that day and the experience in a box that it was for them and specific to their time. And yes that is true, but there is also some things we can learn about evangelism from those first witnesses.

Yes the Spirit falls and yes Peter has a special anointing as he proclaims the good news. But he is also strategic and aware of his surroundings. As a matter of fact, all of Acts is very strategic and models a dedicated evangelism of witnessing to the good news of Jesus. Before we get there, we need to root ourselves in the story:

Imagine with me for a moment we find ourselves 2000 years ago. Enjoying a feast with our leader. We have left everything for him, and while things are getting crazy right now with riots and corrupt government…what we have seen Jesus do gives us assurance. He has healed sick people, made the lame to walk, cast out demons, and even told dead people to stop being dead. Over dinner things got weird, predicting a betrayal and more talk of martyrdom. Jesus is troubled, but confident.

After sometime Jesus goes into the garden to pray. This sort of activity was normal, but the emotion was different. Something didn’t seem right. Then in the dead of night a mob comes into the garden. We resist but Jesus instructs us to let it happen. In a heap of fear and emotion most of us run into the night so that we do not share the same fate. The next couple of days would be the most draining and painful days of our lives. We watch in horror and heartbreak as Jesus is tried and prosecuted, beaten, and then nailed to a cross with criminals.

For us, desperation turned to a numbness and disbelief as Jesus gave his last breath. Wasn’t this the one we were waiting for? Was he not the Messiah? The one who would deliver us from Roman rule? Oppression? Can you imagine the next couple of days. Death brings mourning and hurt, but this feels like we lost more than that.

Then, after what felt like weeks of desperation, rumors began to fly amongst our friends and fellow travellers. Rumors of an empty tomb. Some of the women have claimed to see a messenger from God. Ressurrection is a word we dare not speak for this sort of hope seems to much to simply find disappointment at the end. We immediately go to the others and wait and pray. The Roman government is on fire over the matter so things are not safe for us so we find a secluded place and lock the doors in fear. Then in an instant Jesus himself appears like he was there all along…and this is not some vision he is really here. He shows us his scars, trying to calm our nerves and doubts. We touch him, it is true. All at once the emotions are too much…he has been telling us of this since the beginning. This mission was so much bigger than we could dream of. The gates of hell has taken its best attack on him and he is still standing. Surely this is God. To clarify Jesus begins to teach and describe this victory. Citing the defeat of sin and the forgiveness that is now available. This is the messiah but his victory has cosmic consequences.

As witnesses to all of this, we are told that the mission will now continue through us. Then, he tells us he must leave again. Wait what? Why are you leaving? This has just started. Comforting us he promises that he is going to send down power and somehow it is better if he goes. Our insecurity is overwhelming but surely we can trust in Him who has defeated death. As Jesus departs that last time we worship and pray.

We return to a safe place as he instructed and awaited this unexpected power, helper, that was promised. The expectation and wonder is too much at times. Then, at the dawn of the great Pentecost celebration…when Jerusalem would be full with travelers from all around, and as we are spending time with eachother. Time stands still in anticipation. In the midst of prayer, a rushing wind fills the room and we are overcome with a presence that is indescribable. No longer do we have full control of our faculties and we are led into the community. Some begin speaking in other languages, and people gather to see the spectacle. It is difficult to describe what was happening in that moment, but the power has surely arrived. The power that we witnessed as Jesus healed people and cut to the hearts of people in intimate conversation. That same power flowed through us now and we began to speak of the scriptures. The narrative that we somehow finally understood. What the prophets had talked about and Jesus had prepared for us. Peter, began to preach and people’s hearts began to turn as God’s power unleashed truth and grace throughout the crowds. Jesus conquered and now we continue this mission. Now it is time for the world to know the name above all names.

There are 7 things I want to lift up when it comes to sharing our story, Michal Green is helpful here:

serious

specific

flexible

witness

Jesus-centered

Challenge

Conviction and Compassion

Sharing the good news

1. Seriousness

The disciples were so serious about sharing the good news:

they new their OT and weaved in all of the promises

Paul disappears after his conversion

Greek poetry

there was nothing casual about their sharing

2. Specific

no syncretism

they dialogued but they did not give into the times in any way.

Incense in front of the Emporers statue, or eat this or that

Acts 4:12 NIV

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

3. Flexible

But they were flexible in their presentation and location. Always ready to share. Inflexible in their core message but flexible in all the other ways.

with the Jews on Pentecost they went to David and their scriptures ....

Paul to the greeks went to creation

we too often save evangelism for specific circumstances

Or we try to make things so formulaic. Romans road.

4. Witness

“The content of witnessing is just the same as of proclaiming or telling the good news. It is no puny self-centered thing as so often today when someone is put up to tell you how bad they were before they met Christ and how great a difference has been since then!”

We bear witness to him!

last week I told you a story of my calling. Resurrection came to me at On the Border mexican grill and cantina while making guac.

5. Jesus-centered

I am in a group of pastors and we have to review our sermons together and sometimes I hear jokes about “I dont think I mentioned Jesus once.”

We preach Jesus crucified. Jesus resurrected.

6. Challenge

CS Lewis

Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.

7. Conviction and Confidence

Can I challenge myself outloud in front of you?

I can bring the house down in here and lack confidence to preach to my neighbor. Why? I fear rejection more than I love my neighbor.

Conviction comes from deep faith, confidence comes from love....not having all the answers

“To offer Christ is to offer the reign of God proclaimed by Christ, present in him, and offered to the world in his life, death, and resurrection. The church offers Christ by telling his story and also by embodying that story in its worship, ministry, and obedience. But while this offer has experiential and cognitive dimensions, it is not in the first place the offer of an experience of Christ or a set of beliefs about Christ—at least not as those are configured within the modern logic of desire, production, and exchange, as commodities to be possessed or consumed. The offer of Christ is instead the offer of a peoplehood, of participation in a body. It is the offer of a ‘way’ and of a formation by the Spirit into that way” (Stone 243).

• Invitation to a people… life boat versus life saver