THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM: Spiritual Gifts and the Kingdom

Memorial Drive 12/8/19 THE KINGDOM AND THE SPIRIT: Spiritual Gifts Various Text UNDERSTANDING JESUS’ MINISTRY … Parts of Jesus’ ministry are COMPLETE and NON-REPRODUCIBLE … • The Call to a CO-MISSION In Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20) • The Implied CONTINUATION OF THE WORK of Christ In Acts 1:1-2a “The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven …” (Acts 1:1-2a) The Gospel of Luke speaks of the life and work of Christ while on earth! Acts speaks of the continuing work of Christ through the lives of His followers in that body of believers called “church.” THE FIVE “M’S” OF JESUS MINISTRY … • Jesus’ MISSION: Isaiah 61 “… the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:17-19) Jesus draws about Himself a “ministry team” who will first help Him in His Kingdom Work and who will then lay a foundation for the continuation of that work after He leaves! • Jesus’ MESSAGE: The Kingdom Is At Hand “God’s kingdom cannot be confined to political borders or military conquests. His kingdom is established where His will is being accomplished. The reaches of His kingdom are everywhere the rule and reign of the King is being executed. God’s rule and reign has come in the person of Jesus!” (Blount, 31) “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.” (Matt. 4:23-24) “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand! Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” (Matt. 10:7-8) … A Problem With Over-Realized Eschatology “eschatology” – future, end times “realized” – completely established But Christ teaches that His Kingdom is only PARTIALLY realized now! • Jesus’ MEANS: The Holy Spirit Scripture Tells Us That Jesus Divested Himself of Many of His Divine Capabilities … “… although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:6-7) God seems to go out of His way to get us to see that what Jesus DID He DIDN’T DO MERELY BY HIS OWN ABILITIES but rather BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT! “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove …” (Luke 3:21-22a) “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1-2a) “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.” (Luke 4:14-15) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor …” (Luke 4:17) “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, (God) preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)— you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how GOD ANOINTED HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND WITH POWER, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:36-38) • Jesus’ METHOD: Reproducible To Say We Can Do Everything Jesus Did To the Same Degree Is To Say Too Much “Are you the one?” “Tell John what you hear and see …” – Matthew 11:3-5 “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.” (John 3:34-35) This Doesn’t Negate Jesus’ Intent That Much of What He Did Was Reproducible … “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing … and they went out preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” (Luke 9:1-2) “Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.” They were to “… heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.” Then we read that “The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.’” (Luke 10:1, 9, 17) “… speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now … you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.’” (Acts 1:1-5, 8) • Jesus’ MODEL: Show-and-Tell Gospel Matthew 9:35 Jesus proclaimed the gospel and healed sickness (WORD and POWER) Romans 1:16 The gospel is the power unto salvation (WORD) and I Cor. 2:3-5 He came in demonstration OF THE SPIRIT AND OF POWER (POWER) Application: Do you believe: Work is ongoing? Entrusted to His followers? Empowered by the Spirit? God knows what He’s doing in giving spiritual gifts to His people? "Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." Acts 4:29-30