Organic Christianity: The Organic Gospel

I. Introduction

A. Our goal in this series is to examine the first century church and to see what Christianity looks like without manmade additives and changes, with the goal hopefully, to follow in their steps. Being “organic” – whether this is in reference to being Christians or a local church as God designed them to be, I believe, must be what we aim for if we have devoted ourselves to the Apostles doctrine. Our goal; our aim as Christians, is to be pleasing to God, and we know that the Christians in the book of Acts, as they followed the direction given to them by the Apostles of the Lord Jesus, were pleasing to God.

B. We have spent most of our time in verses 42-47 of , looking at how obeying the Gospel changed the lives of the earliest believers. They devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching. They devoted themselves to the relationship they had with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and they devoted themselves to remembering their Lord’s death and to prayer…

C. Today, for this lesson, I would like to take a step back and consider the message that changed these people; the Gospel, the message that they heard which was God’s power to save and transform these people. As you go through many of the sermons within the book of Acts, you see many themes that are in most of the them, that brought all together, show us the “organic Gospel”... I would like to focus on these main themes for today.

II. Jesus fulfills the OT Scriptures

A. Peter said in , “But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”

B. Paul’s custom as he entered cities to teach the Gospel to people…

1. "And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures…" ()

a) As he went city to city, he would first find synagogues to go to so he could teach Jews and believing gentiles, showing, from the Old Testament scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ.

b) If there wasn’t a synagogue, he would find places where Jews met to pray (Phillipi – ). Then he would go to other public areas to teach both Jews and Gentiles…

2. “according to the scriptures” ()

a) "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," ()

b) There was a big emphasis on how the actions of Jesus fulfilled what the Old Testament prophets said about the Messiah.

C. – The Ethiopian Eunuch

1. Reading from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. The specific passage, we see in vs32-33 is from , the passage about the suffering servant. Philip began at this prophecy and began teaching this man about the Lord Jesus and how he was the one Isaiah was speaking of.

a) My favorite prophecy to share with others…

(1) “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

(2) How I use it...

III. Jesus is Risen; Eyewitness Testimony

A. Let’s consider this idea first in Paul’s preaching. Paul’s gospel centered on his seeing the resurrected Christ ()

1. He recounted how he was in the process of persecuting Christians, even going to cities outside of Jerusalem to arrest them. He caused them to blaspheme, gave approval of their deaths… Then, while he was on the road to Damascus, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a vision. This was the only thing that could explain the changes in him and his calling to be an apostle of Jesus Christ

a) But Paul also spoke of how others saw Jesus resurrected;

(1) “…he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me." ().

1. If anything was THE main emphasis of Gospel preaching in the first century, it was this! The resurrection and what it meant. The eyewitness testimony to Jesus being resurrected was the ultimate evidence that all were given that Jesus needed to be submitted to. It was the evidence that Paul gave in that God was going to judge the world. It is the evidence that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ.

B. à The first Gospel Sermon

1. ""Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.' "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses." ().

a) Most of Peter’s sermon focuses on the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. How it first fulfilled prophecy that was written by David, and then their own eyewitness testimony.

2. "This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses" ().

IV. Jesus is King (Christ/Messiah)

A. This is an important part of the Gospel message… Part of what the OT scriptures prophesied was that the promised Messiah, after his death, would be glorified and given a kingdom. King David was promised that one of His descendants would be placed on the throne to reign and have a kingdom without end. in , God says that a child would be born who would be given the government and that the increase of it “would have no end.” The Messiah would sit “upon the throne of David” and reign “from that time forward, even forever.” We are also given a prophecy in which shows when the kingdom of the Messiah would spread over the whole world, and are even given the time period when this would happen… during the fourth empire of the vision Daniel interprets in … which would be the Roman Empire… These are just a few of the promises that the Jews kept in mind as they awaited the arrival of the Messiah.

B. So it should not be any surprise to us that after Jesus was resurrected that they proclaimed him to be the King.

C.

1. During our last point on the resurrection read . In this passage, Peter said that Jesus was raised from His tomb in order to sit on His throne. Verses 33-36 tell us where the throne of David is that Jesus reigns on as King NOW.

a) "Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool."' Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."" ()

b) Peter preached that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed King of God who was reigning on the throne of David. Jesus was “exalted to the right hand of God” to reign over his kingdom ().

D.

1. The disciples were persecuted for preaching that there was another King who all people needed to submit to and call their Lord

a) People starting causing a riot due to Paul’s preaching, and they were looking for him to arrest him. They couldn’t find him, so they arrested those who invited Paul into their house. Take note what is said in this passage regarding their message

b) "And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."" ().

2. Jesus’ kingship was a central part of their Gospel. They were proclaiming that there was a new Lord, a new King who all in the Roman empire and beyond needed to submit to: Jesus the Christ

V. A Call to Repentance

A. – Paul in Athens, preaching to Gentiles

1. "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent," (). This is a call to submit to the king. To leave a life of serving self and submitting fully to Jesus and confessing him as Lord.

B.

1. At the end of the first Gospel sermon in , the people believe the Gospel and are convicted because of their sin in putting to death the Son of God. They cried out to Peter and the apostles, “Men and brethren, what must we do?” Peter’s call to repentance is interesting because it is quite different than what we see in many churches today.

a) Peter didn’t answer their question by saying:

(1) “You don’t have to do a thing. Jesus did it all on the cross just 50 days ago for you!”

(2) “Just say this prayer with me and Jesus will come into your heart.”

(3) “It seems like you already believe what I’ve said, so you are already saved!”

b) Peter, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit ().”

(1) Peter commanded repentance. They needed to submit their lives to the King.

(2) And he also commanded that each one of them be baptized, to be immersed in water,

(3) for a specific reason… in order to receive forgiveness of their sins

c) We are told in verse 41 that those who “received his word were baptized” and 3000 people that day were added to the number of the disciples; were added to the church.

VI. Conclusion – END NO SLIDE

A. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies from the Old Testament scriptures, scriptures that were written anywhere between 400-1500 years before Jesus came to this earth. They spoke of how Jesus was to come to this earth and work among his creation during his ministry, healing and teaching. The scriptures spoke of how he would give his life as a sacrifice, and be resurrected and ascend to His glorious throne, where he would be given a kingdom, a kingdom that we are called to join by submitting to the King.

B. This is the organic Gospel, the Gospel without any manmade changes or additives. This message when it is believed and responded to in repentance and baptism, makes one a Christian just like they were in the book of Acts. God can wash away your sins today and add you to the church of Jesus Christ today.