Post by disciple on Jun 1, 2010 14:12:03 GMT -5
CHAPTER 4
THE KEY THAT HANGS AT THE FRONT DOOR
OF CHURCH HISTORY
THE KEY THAT HANGS AT THE FRONT DOOR
OF CHURCH HISTORY
PURPOSE: SHOWING “THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ONE” AND GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF PERSONAL DISCIPLE MAKING
ACTS 1:1-CHURCH HISTORY IS THE ACTIONS OF SENT ONES (NOT: UN-ACTS OF CLEAN CHRISTIANS, BUSYNESS OF COMING ONES, PLANS OF THEOLOGICAL ONES, ETC.)
1. PREVIOUS DOCUMENT (GOSPEL OF LUKE)
· BUILT AROUND 10 HISTORICAL FACTS: VIRGIN BIRTH, SINLESS LIFE, BAPTISM, TEMPTATION, TRANSFIGURATION, GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE STRUGGLE, CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION, ASCENSION
· WHO WAS LUKE, AND HOW DID HE GET INTO THE STORY? (TELL THE STORY, BEING SURE TO NOTE THAT SOME OF IT MAY BE JUST A STORY)
2. PERSONAL DISCIPLE (THEOPHILUS)
· ONE FOURTH OF THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN TO ONE PERSON, BY ONE PERSON!!
· FOCUS ON THE NEXT MAN AND THE NEXT STEP (MAGNIFYING GLASS TO START A FIRE)
· GOSPEL OF LUKE BROUGHT HIM TO SALVATION; BOOK OF ACTS BROUGHT HIM TO DISCIPLE MAKING (SALVATION IS JUST A START-IT IS HIS DESIGN THAT EACH BELIEVER BE A REPRODUCER OF REPRODUCERS WITH THE ENDS OF THE EARTH CONTINUALLY IN MIND)
· DID THEOPHILUS MAKE DISCIPLES? WE DON’T KNOW. EVERY PERSON MUST BE GIVEN MAXIMUM CHANCE AT ENLISTMENT, EQUIPMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT, WHETHER HE PRODUCES OR NOT
3. PLAIN DECLARATION OF PURPOSE (1:1)
· “ALL THAT JESUS BEGAN DOING AND TEACHING”
i. ALL: TOTAL TRANSFER OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
ii. JESUS: HE IS THE LEADER AND MODEL
iii. BEGAN: HE IS STILL DOING AND TEACHING, THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US
iv. DOING: WITHOUT ACTION, TEACHING IS INTELLECTUAL AND SELF-CENTERED
v. TEACHING: WITHOUT TEACHING, DOING BECOMES UN-STRATEGIC OR DESTRUCTIVE
· WHAT IS HE DOING NOW?
i. HE LIVES IN AND THROUGH US BY THE SPIRIT; WE ARE TO BE LIKE OUR RABBI, EXCEPT-
ii. HE NEVER SINNED; WE DO
iii. HE IS UNIQUELY THE ONLY, ONE-OF-A-KIND SON OF GOD
WITH THESE MODIFICATIONS, EACH BELIEVER IS TO BE AN EXTENSION OF THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST!
4. WHAT KIND OF PERSONS DID JESUS USE?
· COMMON MEN: ANYONE CAN DO THIS. JESUS DID NOT DRAW A SALARY FOR BEING THE SON OF GOD OR GET EXCEPTIONALLY “CALLED” TO IT; HE SIMPLY DID WHAT HE SAW THE FATHER DOING. HE WANTS ALL PEOPLE, OF ALL PROFESSIONS, GENDER, ETC., TO FOLLOW HIM.
· CHOSEN MEN: ACTS 1:2-CHOSEN IS MIDDLE VOICE V. (BOOMERANG), WE ARE CHOSEN FOR HIS SAKE, BECAUSE HE LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE BELIEVES IN US AS OUR RABBI. DISCIPLES MUST BE HAND-PICKED, THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL, AVAILABLE, AND TEACHABLE.
· CONVINCED MEN: THEY DID NOT DO THIS HALFWAY. THEY KNEW JESUS HAD CHOSEN THEM, AND THEY WERE COMMITTED TO FOLLOWING HIM.
· COMMANDED MEN: GREAT COMMISSION; ARABIAN HORSES ILLUSTRATION (HORSE'S CHOICE: TROUGH OR TRAINER)
· CONTROLLED MEN: ONLY BY THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT CAN WE DO ANYTHING OF ETERNAL VALUE
THE EXAMPLE OF LUKE AND THEOPHILUS SHOWS US THE TREMENDOUS IMPORTANCE AND POTENTIAL OF PERSONAL DISCIPLE MAKING, EVEN IF IT IS “JUST” ONE MAN. JESUS SAW THE WHOLE WORLD-INCLUDING US-THROUGH 11 MEN AND A GROUP OF WOMEN.