Our Timeless Message

Introduction

A few years back a writer coined a phrase when attempting to explain the way many modern American Christians perceive the God today.

The writer called it: Moralistic Therapeutic Deism...

Much is lost with Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, the greatest of loss being the timeless message of the church: The gospel of Jesus Christ.

Today one might believe the timeless message of the church is:

“Join us and be entertained while receiving positive life principles, comfort and joy, and hope for a better life when you die because of this really great self-help guru named Jesus.”

There are many problems with Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, the greatest problem being that it is fleeting…it’s not timeless.

The real message of the church of Jesus Christ is timeless.

But what is our timeless message?

Jesus helps us understand in the last part of Luke.

Key Question: What is the timeless message of the Christian church?

Text: Luke 24:33-49

While the Bible is full of how we are to live out our Christian walk, this passage shows people what we must believe about Jesus and, upon believing, the message that we need to take to others and the power that will make that commission possible.

What We Must Believe:

Jesus physically rose from the dead.

A state of confusion and excitement leads to an encounter that would forever change the disciple’s lives...

Notice that the disciples didn’t yet believe what they were seeing…another proof that they didn’t make the resurrection up.

Jesus goes to great lengths to prove to them that He rose from the dead; physically not simply spiritually:

Physical proof (“See my hands and my feet”)...

Welcomed them to touch Him...

He ate food...

Thus, we call this the bodily resurrection of Christ.

The bodily resurrection of Christ is a non-negotiable when it comes to the Christian faith.

You cannot call yourself a Christian and reject the bodily resurrection of Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:12–20 ESV

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

So, again, you cannot call yourself a Christian and reject the bodily resurrection of Christ.

What We Must Believe:

Jesus death and resurrection fulfilled God’s promises, allowing people to repent and be forgiven of their sins.

“…must be fulfilled.”

The OT is an arrow, pointing us to Jesus.

All the Messianic prophecies find their fulfillment in Christ, but as we discovered last week, the OT is filled with typology of Christ (or characters and events that remind us of Christ).

“…he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...”

This could be a supernatural opening, or it could be that they had a Bible study.

The point being, Jesus showed them what they were missing from the OT.

“…repentance for the forgiveness of sins...”

Repentance and the forgiveness of sins or repentance for the forgiveness of sins?

Repentance is a complete change of mind about your sin, your position before God and your ability to justify yourself before God. As a result, you trust Him to forgive your sins and cleanse you of all your unrighteousness.

Repentance is a willful response to the Holy Spirit making us aware of our guilt before God and the one and only solution for the absolution (pardoning) of that guilt.

Forgiveness means that God embraces you in love and fellowship, having cleansed you of your guilt before Him.

The gospel

What the Church Must Proclaim:

Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is the message that the church must proclaim.

“…repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name...”

The gospel is the one and only message of the church of Jesus Christ.

“…to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

To all “ethnic groups”

It would begin in Jerusalem with Jewish people, then expand beyond Jerusalem and Jews alone.

“You are witnesses of these things.”

What you know is what you bear witness about.

All Christians are commissioned to bear witness about who Jesus is and what He accomplished.

How the Church Fulfills the Commission:

Jesus empowers His people with the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill the commission.

“I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.”

The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father.

Luke 3:15–16 ESV

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

“…until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Being wrapped up in the power of God’s Holy Spirit to fulfill the commission.

What does that look like?

Just days before this these men couldn’t pray for an hour straight. Now, they would return to Jerusalem and participate in all-day/all-night prayer meetings awaiting God’s promise.

Then, once they received that promise, they would go out a boldly proclaim the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to the very same people they were hiding from a couple months earlier.

After this, these same people would leave Jerusalem and travel throughout Israel, proclaiming that same message. Then, they would go outside of Israel and begin proclaiming this message to people throughout the Roman Empire, both Jews and Gentiles.

Was all of this done by their own power? Of course not! If it was their own power, they’d still be hiding out in an upper room somewhere praying that God would give them direction.

But no, they were clothed with power from on high and were therefore able to boldly proclaim repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all the people groups God sent them to.

And that same God is still at work in His people today!

But I’m not a super-Christian like the early disciples!

And you’d be correct, if it wasn’t for the fact that it wasn’t their power at work, and it won’t be yours either!

So What?

What is the timeless message of the Christian church?

The timeless message of the Christian church is that Jesus died to save His people from our sins and rose again, bodily and is alive even today. His people, the church, have been commissioned to bring His message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins to as many people as possible. And, He’s given us the power we need to fulfill this commission through His own Holy Spirit.

Have you repented and received forgiveness for your sins?

What are you doing to bring His message to other people?