THE KING'S COMMAND

Regarding his doings, we said that his actions were kingly.

As the perfect Adam, He took up the creation mandate to rule and subdue the earth.

And the gospels record his triumph and authority over all kinds of forces that rule life on earth.

The weather rules the world — he ruled the weather

Sickness rules the world — he ruled sickness

Money ruled the world — he ruled money

Sex rules the world — he ruled sex

Satan rules the world — he ruled satan

Earthly authorities rule the world — he displayed authority over the authorities

Colossians 1:15 ESV

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 2:15 ESV

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

says

And then last week we examined Jesus’ teachings and saw that they are overwhelmingly about the kingdom and even more specifically about who is in the kingdom and who is out.

That’s all a setting of the table for a single word in — “began”

All that Jesus began to do and teach. The book of Acts records Jesus’ ongoing doings and teachings in the world. And what we find in the book of Acts is gloriously more of the same.

Jesus’ kingly actions continue. He continues to rule and subdue.

People continue to be healed.

Demons continue to be cast out.

Earthly authorities are put in their place.

And the who’s in and who’s out teaching continues. That teaching usually takes shape in the declaration of the gospel.

The Gentiles are brought in

Women are

The whole world is invited

37 verses into the book of Acts Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Asians, Phyrgians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, Arabians — are invited into the kingdom of God.

Acts 2:9–11 ESV

Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

The King’s Command

Everything Jesus did in the gospels is not only continued in the book of Acts, it is exponentalized. Jesus is the king of kings and his reign continues through the book of Acts where his rule and reign goes global.

And last week we hinted at the revolutionary strategy at work. Jesus’ kingdom will expand by saving one sinner at a time. Jesus’ fruitful multiplication is the key to his practical ruling and subduing.

“Perhaps the best way to discern what the book of Acts is essentially about is to compare the composition of the Christian community at the beginning of Acts and at the end. At the beginning, the community is comprised primarily of Jews. At the end, it includes persons from a wide range of ethnicities.” — Carson, C. R. (2011). Acts and History. In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.), The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

NT176 The Gospel Message in the Early Church Early Church Growth Statistics

The sociologist Rodney Stark has researched the historical data, and he surmised the following growth statistics: We know, and we’re pretty sure this is accurate, by AD 40 there were approximately 1,000 Christians in the Roman Empire. By AD 100 that number has risen to about 7,500 Christians in the Roman Empire. By AD 150 there are about 40,000 Christians in the Roman Empire. By the time we get to AD 300 there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in the Roman Empire, representing roughly 2 percent of the entire population. By AD 350 there were as many as 34 million Christians in the Roman Empire—more than half of the entire population.

How?

(ESV)

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Jesus continues to do more of the same

Let’s focus in on that word commands. We know, don’t we — what those commands were.

His disciples

This kind of growth is not the rule of the kingdom. It doesn’t usually expand by 33 million people in 50 years. But growth itself is the rule. The kingdom comes through the conversion of one sinner at a time.

We’ve hijacked Jesus into a self-help system rather than a kingdom.

We’ve twisted the gospel of the kingdom into a self-help system.

We’ve hoarded the benefits of the gospel. Turned them inward for us and ours.

Basically, we’ve grown to believe that the declaration of the gospel to the world is optional.

Perhaps the best way to discern what the book of Acts is essentially about is to compare the composition of the Christian community at the beginning of Acts and at the end. At the beginning, the community is comprised primarily of Jews. At the end, it includes persons from a wide range of ethnicities.

Carson, C. R. (2011). Acts and History. In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.), The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Verse 2 of says, “until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

We will focus in on the phrase, “after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles”

Before he ascended

We know what the commands are

This is through the Holy Spirit

Why the holy spirit here?

to provide continuity between Jesus and the Holy Spirit

to explain what the Holy Spirit has to say to believers

here’s what the holy spirit has to say to believers — go into all the world

It defeats any notion that the apostles carried the bulk of the load.

Carson, C. R. (2011). Acts and History. In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.), The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Three basic changes:

His ascension

The institution

The Spirit

And last week we hinted at the revolutionary strategy at work. Jesus’ kingdom will expand by saving one sinner at a time. Jesus’ fruitful multiplication is the key to his practical ruling and subduing.

We know what the commands were...

Luke 24:45–49 ESV

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 are clothed with power from on high.”

(ESV)

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

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.”

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

Mark 16:15–16 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

The command was to go into all the world and testify to the reality of Christ and the good news of the gospel.

You know what the great commission is.

What I think you might not know is what the word command means. Or what the word Lord means. Or what the word disciple means.

Jesus commanded the disciples to be witnesses and.... they did it. Do you know why they did it? Because they were true disciples of the true Lord and he had commanded them to do so.

We think we don’t know the gospel well enough. Or don’t know the bible well enough. Or don’t know the culture well enough. But what if we simply don’t know what the word disciple means, the word commands means, the word Lord means.

When Jesus said go, they went. Ala-Cart Christianity hadn’t yet been invented. They were following a person — they weren’t simply selecting from a menu of promises.

We hadn’t yet reached “drive thru customized Christianity” yet

Un yeah, I’ll take the eternal life, half an order of inner peace, and a side of morality — light on the accountability.

I was having dinner at a church member’s house the other day. In that house lives a very precocious boy who I think is just great. His mom is exhausted but I think he’s a hoot. His dad was telling him to do something and the boy was basically headed in the direction of obedience but the whole way he’s offering his objections and complaints. I thought to myself, ‘the yeah-buts is strong with this one.’

Kingly doings

Kingdom teachings

Chris Oswald / General Adult

He continues to and teach those very things in the book of Acts.

Acts: The Kingdom Continues / Leadership; Church: Leadership /

Acts 1:1–5 ESV

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

He continues to establish his kingship through miracles and defeating earthly powers.

TEXT

He continues to teach who is in and who is out. And this gets very interesting with the Gentiles coming in.

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Insert growth stuff.

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

He does this in partnership with the Holy Spirit.

Over the last two weeks, we reviewed the things Jesus began to do and teach.

T

WHAT HE DID

Regarding his doings, we said that his actions were kingly.

As the perfect Adam, He took up the creation mandate to rule and subdue the earth.

And the gospels record his triumph and authority over all kinds of forces that rule life on earth.

The weather rules the world — he ruled the weather

Sickness rules the world — he ruled sickness

Money ruled the world — he ruled money

Sex rules the world — he ruled sex

Satan rules the world — he ruled satan

Earthly authorities rule the world — he displayed authority over the authorities

ESV

Colossians 2:15 ESV

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

WHAT HE TAUGHT

And then last week we examined Jesus’ teachings and saw that they are overwhelmingly about the kingdom and even more specifically about who is in the kingdom and who is out.

THE WORD ‘BEGAN’

That’s all a setting of the table for a single word in — “began”

All that Jesus began to do and teach. The book of Acts records Jesus’ ongoing doings and teachings in the world. And what we find in the book of Acts is gloriously more of the same.

Jesus’ kingly actions continue. He continues to rule and subdue.

People continue to be healed.

Demons continue to be cast out.

Earthly authorities are put in their place.

And the who’s in and who’s out teaching continues.

That teaching usually takes shape in the declaration of the gospel.

The Gentiles are brought in

THE WHOLE WORLD INVITED

37 verses into the book of Acts Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Asians, Phyrgians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, Arabians — are invited into the kingdom of God.

Everything Jesus did in the gospels is not only continued in the book of Acts, it is exponentalized. Jesus is the king of kings and his reign continues through the book of Acts where his rule and reign goes global.

“Perhaps the best way to discern what the book of Acts is essentially about is to compare the composition of the Christian community at the beginning of Acts and at the end. At the beginning, the community is comprised primarily of Jews. At the end, it includes persons from a wide range of ethnicities.”

How? Let’s examine v. 1-2 again…

Acts 1:1–2 ESV

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Let’s focus in on that word commands in v. 2. We just went through the book of Luke. We know, don’t we — what those commands were.

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

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.”

Mark 16:15–16 ESV

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Luke 24:45–49 ESV

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 are clothed with power from on high.”

ESV

John 20:21 ESV

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

THE MEANING OF COMMAND

So the commands spoken of in our text — was Christ’s command to go into all the world and testify to the reality of Christ and the good news of the gospel.

When says, “… after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

I know - that you know what commands were.

But I don’t know if you know what the word command means.

When Jesus commanded the disciples to be witnesses.... they did it. Do you know why they did it? Because he had commanded them to do it.

We think we don’t know the gospel well enough. Or don’t know the bible well enough. Or don’t know the culture well enough. But what if we simply don’t know what the word commands means?

Demands made of his people, or obligations laid upon his people, by God. Scripture stresses that being the people of God involves responsibilities as well as privileges, and sets out the demands which God justly makes of his people.

When Jesus said go, they went.

Ala-Cart Christianity hadn’t yet been invented.

We hadn’t yet reached “drive thru customized Christianity” yet

Un yeah, I’ll take the eternal life, half an order of inner peace, and a side of morality — light on the accountability.

We’ve hijacked Jesus into a self-help system rather than a kingdom.

We’ve twisted the gospel of the kingdom into a self-help system.

We’ve hoarded the benefits of the gospel. Turned them inward for us and ours.

Basically, we’ve grown to believe that the declaration of the gospel to the world is optional.

You can have a saving faith or you can have a selective faith. There is no such thing as Ala Cart Christianity.

Consumers select from a menu of promises

Christians follow a person

And they do what he commands

THROWING CHAIRS IN FRONT OF MONSTERS

Have you seen the movies where the victim is running away from a monster or an attacker and the victim is doing whatever they can to evade the beast. They’re throwing chairs and lamps and books in the way — whatever they can to keep the monster from reaching them. In my experience, many people view the call to evangelism as that monster. And they’ll throw whatever they can in the way of that beast.

One of those objections/obstacles people throw out has to do with the Great Commission being for the apostles only. And that’s probably worth examining, especially considering how our text puts it,

“until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

So let’s think about this for a minute. Is it possible that Jesus only intended for the Great Commission to fall upon the apostles and maybe we will even include professional pastors, evangelists, etc… in that question. Are average Christians exempt from this command? Should we read this text as purely historical? Is this recording something Jesus said to the apostles? Or is this recording something Jesus said to all disciples of Jesus?

Its the later. When Jesus gave command to the apostles, he was giving it to the whole church that would come to be.

Consider

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

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.”

That phrase in v. 20, “And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Who is Jesus talking to there? Are the apostles still going to be around when the end of the age occurs? Seems like Jesus is talking through the apostles to the future church.

But even more convincingly, look at v. 19, “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.”

So what are the apostles supposed to teach the nations to observe? Everything — all — that I have commanded you. Did Jesus command the apostles to evangelize the world? Yes. Are you supposed to observe (obey) all they were commanded to do?

EXPONENTIAL EXPANSION

The sociologist Rodney Stark has researched the historical data, and he surmised the following growth statistics: We know, and we’re pretty sure this is accurate, by AD 40 there were approximately 1,000 Christians in the Roman Empire. By AD 100 that number has risen to about 7,500 Christians in the Roman Empire. By AD 150 there are about 40,000 Christians in the Roman Empire. By the time we get to AD 300 there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in the Roman Empire, representing roughly 2 percent of the entire population. By AD 350 there were as many as 34 million Christians in the Roman Empire—more than half of the entire population.

Christian population in the Roman Empire

40 AD = 1,000 Christians

100 AD = 7,500 Christians

150 AD = 40,000 Christians

300 AD = 1.2 Million Christians

350 AD = 34 Million Christians

So the best growth in the church happened long after the apostles were dead and most definitely not because of a boom of professional clergy.

Another noted historian Kenneth Scott Latourette makes this observation about the spread of the gospel:

The chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not to have been those who made it a profession or a major part of their occupation, but men and women who earned their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those whom they met in this natural fashion.

BUT I DON’T KNOW ENOUGH

Well that’s concerning because you do need to know a certain amount to be saved. If you know enough to be saved, you know enough to share the gospel.

IT ISN’T A MONSTER

There are many other objections that our sinful flesh could bring to mind. Other pieces of furniture to throw in front of the monster. But how bout we stopped viewing it as a monster?

OBEDIENCE IS THE GOOD LIFE

Trying to walk the fine line between obeying God and enjoying the good life. But guys, obeying God is the good life. Solomon wrote in

Ecclesiastes 12:13 ESV

The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

INTEGRITY FEELS GOOD

Suppose your next door neighbor passes away. You’re at the funeral and everyone is speaking confidently about his eternal state. The thing is, you happen to know this guy had some serious inconsistencies. He had women over to the house when his wife was out of town.

And you’re thinking — gosh — was he really a believer? I mean there was this ongoing thing and it didn’t even seem like he was repentant. The bible is pretty clear that that kind of behavior is sin. And this guy didn’t even seem to be pursuing change.

I think that’d be a reasonable way to think at the funeral of your neighbor. But what I’m trying to get across is that not being a gospel witness is inconsistent with the expectations of the bible. And it is so inconsistent as to be a troubler and disrupter to your inner peace. You can’t mock God. You can’t disobey his commands.

FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS FEELS GOOD

says,

John 15:14 ESV

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

says,

John 14:15 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT BURDENSOME

(ESV)

1 John 5:2–5 ESV

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

THE BOOK

Read the book and do what it says…

LORD TABLE

1 Corinthians 11:17–32 ESV

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not. For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. 18 For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you. And I believe it in part, 19 for there must be factions among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. 20 When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. 21 For in eating, each one goes ahead with his own meal. One goes hungry, another gets drunk. 22 What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, I will not.

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

I think the “worthiness” element of this passage is largely overblown. But what I do think is valuable is a kind of seriousness. And, on this issue, I think I have a fair point to make.

Do you plan on taking the command of Jesus Christ seriously? Or do you hope to leave this place and put as much space as possible in-between you and this command?

This table doesn’t demand a perfect record. But God does expect a willing heart. A repentant heart. Not just a, “yeah, good point God… I need to change.” But a, “I’m very sorry for dismissing your commandment.”