Faithful Preparation for Gospel Proclamation

Acts 1:12-26

Purpose: to take our place as Jesus Christ’s witnesses requires faithful preparation.

1. Faithful Preparation Requires Obedience (Acts 1:12-13)
        What is God asking you to do in preparation?

2. Faithful Preparation Requires Unity (Acts 1:14a)
        Who do you need to be reconciled to so that your witness isn’t hindered?

3. Faithful Preparation Requires Engagement (Acts 1:14b)
        Who are you praying for that needs the Lord, and how are you praying that you might be used to see them saved?

4. Faithful Preparation Requires Anticipation (Acts 1:15-20)
        What are you expecting the Lord to do in and through your witness?

5. Faithful Preparation Requires Intentionality (Acts 1:21-22)
        What steps are you taking to grow your capacity for faithful witness?

6. Faithful Preparation Requires Action (Acts 1:23-26)
        What is your next step to prepare to be a faithful witness? Take it.

Holy Spirit empowered witness requires that we are actively and expectantly preparing for faithful gospel proclamation that Jesus Christ is alive!

Witnesses Of the Risen Savior
Acts 1:1-11

          Purpose: to take our place as Jesus Christ’s witnesses for the salvation of the nations!

1. It All Begins With the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44-53)
       All the OT is Fulfilled in the Gospel Event of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:44)
       Scripture-Saturated (Luke 24:44-46; 3X)
       Gospel-Centered (Luke 24:46; 1 Cor 15:1-4)
       Mission-to-the-Nations (Luke 24:47)
       Apostolic Witness (Luke 24:48)
       The Promise of Power (Luke 24:49)
       Ascension and Worshipful Abandon! (Luke 24:50-53)
       Sin paid for, death defeated, Satan shamed, God glorified above all!

2. It All Culminates in Our Witness of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:1-11)
       Orders Given (Acts 1:3)
       Jesus is Alive! (Acts 1:4)
       Holy Spirit Promised Power (Acts 1:4-5)
       Kingdom Confusion (Acts 1:6-7)
       Kingdom Clarity, the Great Commission in Acts (Acts 1:8)
       Between Two Events/Advents! (Acts 1:9-11)

3. Promise Kept!
       All of Acts is a Result of the Gospel of the Risen        Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 24)
       All of Acts is a Fulfillment of the Prophecy of Jesus Christ (1:8)
       Jerusalem (1:6-6:7), Judea & Samaria (6:8-12),
       Remotest Part of the Earth (13-28)
       All of Acts is Empowered by the Promised Holy Spirit (1:8)
       God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit on Mission through His Church to Save All Nations!
       God calling His church into existence for Worship, Discipleship, and Mission

The Book of Acts is all about the Father and the Son brining salvation to all nations of the world through Holy Spirit empowered witness that Jesus Christ is alive! All who repent and believe in the risen Lord Jesus are saved to the
glory of God!

Living In. Living Out.

The Book of ACTS

Purpose: To see how we put the gospel in action

1. Living In, And Living Out Acts.

• What is a New Testament Church?
• We exist to glorify Christ in Worship, Discipleship, and Mission.
• One time, All-time, Our time

2. The Gospel In Action

• Where we have been
• Where we are going

3. Being An A.C.T.S. Church

• A Church That … Spreads the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8)
• A Church That … Seeks the Lord in Prayer (Acts 1:14)
• A Church That’s…Spirit-Led (Acts 1:5, 8, 16; 2:1-4; 13:2)
• A Church That … Surrenders
• A Church That … Studies God’s Word (Acts 2:42)
• A Church That … Sends (Acts 1:8; 13:2-4)
• A Church That … Stands Up to Earthly Judgment (Acts 22-28)

YHWH, Is Redeemer
Ruth 4

Purpose: To see God’s hand in redemption.

1. The Would-Be Redeemer (Ruth 4:1-6)

    

    

    

2. The Lesser Redeemer (Ruth 4:7-12)

    

    

    

3. The Greater Redeemer (Ruth 4:13-17)

    

    

    

4. YHWH, Our Redeemer (Ruth 4:18-22)

    

    

    

Both in the story of Ruth, and in our own story, it is God who is working through His providence to redeem a people for His own inheritance.

There Is a Redeemer

Ruth 3

Purpose: To see the greater redemption in Christ.

1. Redemption Planned (Ruth 3:1-5)

2. Redemption Sought. (Ruth 3:6-12)

3. Redemption Found. (Ruth 3:13-18)

We see in the details of Ruth and Naomi’s redemption in Boaz a picture of the greater redemption Christians find when they humbly submit themselves to Christ for salvation.

The Lord of Providence Restores Hope
Ruth 2

Purpose: To act on our trust in the Lord based on our persevering hope in God’s providence.

1. The Lord prepares Ruth to be blessed despite her unawareness. (Ruth 2:1-2)
        Introduction of Boaz – a kinsman
        Conversation between Ruth and Naomi
        Relevance of Ruth being referred to as a Moabitess
        The act of gleaning and what it means

2. The Lord provides for Ruth based on her faith and hope in the Lord. (Ruth 2:3-17)
        Faith and hope acted upon by Ruth
        The character of Boaz on display
        Ruth and Boaz meet

3. The Lord restores hope when we sincerely trust Him. (Ruth 2:18-23)
        Ruth reports back to Naomi
        Hope is restored
        Naomi’s outlook and attitude change

4. The Lord is in control of all things.
        How do we respond when life throws a curveball?
        Do we place our hope in Him?
        How big or small is the Lord in your life?

When we trust in the Lord and His providence, by faith placed into action, even when we do not know what lies ahead, our hope is then truly in Christ alone.

YHWH, LORD of All!

Chapter 1

Purpose:  To trust the LORD in all things.

1. The LORD Controls Nature (Ruth 1:1-7)

2. The LORD is Worthy of Worship (Ruth 1:8-18)
        Dialogue in Moab
        What does Naomi want her d’s-in-law to do?  (vv. 8-13)
        Why?  - Kinsman Marriage (see Deut. 25:5-10)
        How does the writer of this book want us to view God?
        What is Ruth doing in going with Naomi? (vv. 14-18)

3. The LORD, Our Only Hope (Ruth 1:19-22)
        Returning to Bethlehem
        What do verses 20 and 13 have in common
        What does this say about the writer’s concern?
        What does this say about Naomi’s view of God
        The beginning of the harvest! (v. 22) Why is this important?

4. Character Studies in Ruth Ch. 1  
        Naomi - 1:13, 20
           Destitute - no family = no
   inheritance/welfare/health care/social security
           Widowed, depressed, and hurting, has the LORD left her?
           “Bitter” is the same word used in 13 and 20

                      Ruth - 1:18; Matthew 1:5
                         Moabite
                         Widowed (same position as Naomi) - she could have gone back to family
                         Personal commitment and sacrifice - 1:16-17
                         To whom is the commitment and sacrifice
                         What does it cost her?

                         What does Ruth believe about God? 
                         How would you describe Ruth’s character/behavior?

            YHWH LORD - 1:1, 6, 8, 9, 13, 16, 17, 20, 21 
                       In full control of famine and food in the ‘natural realm’
                       In full control of hardship and blessing in the ‘human realm’
                      How is our God referred to here? 
                      Any miracles performed, religious activity done, prophets speaking for God?
                      Does God act in this way (i.e., vv. 13, 20) in people’s lives? (See Job 2:10)
                      When we believe in Jesus Christ, we are believing in YHWH, the LORD of all creation and providence in our lives!

Spiritual Wisdom for a New Year

A Study on the Assurance of Salvation[1]

As taken from the book of 1 John which was specifically written “so that you may know that you have eternal life.”  1 John 5:13

1. Do you share the intimacies of the Christian life with God and other believers? 
        1 John 1:6-7

2. Do you have a deep awareness of your sin against the Word and love of God?
        1 John 1:8-10

3. Do you live in conscience obedience to the word of God? 
        1 John 2:3-6

4. Do you despise the world and its ways?
        1 John 2:15

5. Do you long for the return of Jesus Christ and to be made like Him?
        1 John 3:2-3

6. Do you habitually do what is right more and sin less?
        1 John 3:7-10

7. Have you suffered rejection because of your faith?
        1 John 3:13

8. Do you love other Christians sacrificially and want to be with them?
        1 John 3:14

9. Do you experience answered prayer?
        1 John 3:21-22

10. Do you discern the presence of the Holy Spirit within you?
         1 John 3:24
         1 John 4:13

11. Can you discern between spiritual truth and error?
         1 John 4:1-3

12. Do you enjoy listening to the doctrines taught by the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ?
         1 John 4:6

13. Do you believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ?
         1 John 5:1

[1] All Scripture texts NASB.  Questions taken from Donald S. Whitney, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian: What the Bible Says About Assurance of Salvation, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: Navpress, 1994), 49-66.

Worship Jesus Christ!

Purpose:  To glorify Jesus Christ in worship at Christmas, and forevermore!

1. Angels Worship Jesus Christ
     Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 2:8-14; Hebrews 1:6; see also Psalm 19:1
     Jesus “born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2:11)

2. Kings Worship Jesus Christ
     Matthew 2:1-12; Psalm 2:1-12

3. Shepherds Worship Jesus Christ
     Luke 2:15-20
     “A man should not teach his son to be . . . a herdsman . . . for their craft is the craft of robbers.” (Mishnah: Kiddushin 4:14)
     See Luke 4:18 quoting Isaiah 61:1-2

4. Will You Worship Jesus Christ?
     Psalms 2:11; 22:27; 29:2; 95:6; 96:9; 99:5, 9
     Philippians 2:9-11; 3:3

We exist to glorify Jesus Christ in Worship!

Jesus, King Forever!

Mark 15-16

Purpose: it begins with the world against Jesus. It ends with King Jesus saving the World!

1. The World Against King Jesus
       King Jesus on Trial (Mk. 15:1-15)
       King Jesus Mocked (Mk. 15:16-21)
           Psalm 2

2. Jesus The King Reigns!
       King Jesus Crucified (Mk. 15:22-37)
           Psalm 22
       King Jesus Buried (Mk. 15:38-47)
       The King is Alive! The Kingdom of God Bursting Forth! (Mk. 16:1-8)
       Acts 2:22-24
       1 Cor 15:1-8

3. The King’s Mission, Our Mission!
       Mark 16:9-20
       Matthew 28:18-20
       Luke 24:44-47
       John 3:16; 4:42, 20:21
       Acts 1:6-11

The Kingdom of Jesus is bursting forth upon the world! Jesus is the King, God in the flesh, who came to pay the price we could not pay, and rose again to give eternal life to all who repent and believe in Him!

Jesus, The King Born To Die
Mark 14

Purpose: to show the plan of God, from before the foundation of the world, that the Sovereign, Servant, Savior would come to die.

1. An Anointing and a Prophecy Made (Mk. 14:1-11)
2. A Last Passover and Prophecies Made (Mk. 14:12-21)
3. A New Covenant and A Prophecy Made (Mk. 14:22-26)
4. A Bold Promise and Prophecies Made (Mk. 14:27-31)
5. A Passionate Prayer and Prophesies Fulfilled (Mk. 12:32-52)
6. An Illegal Trial and A Prophecy Made (Mk. 14:53-65)
7. A Denial, a Prophecy Fulfilled (Mk. 14:66-72)

The plan of God, from before the foundation of the world, was that the Sovereign, Servant, Savior would be born in a manger and die on a cross
for you.

Jesus, Trustworthy King for All Time!

Mark 13

Purpose: to be faithful to King Jesus to the end, no matter what!  

1. King Jesus Prophesies the Temple’s Destruction (Mk. 13:1-4)
       The Destruction happened in A.D. 70

                      Focus your faith on Jesus, not a building, not a religion!

2. King Jesus Presses Us to Faithfulness! (Mk. 13:5-23)
       “See to it no one misleads you” (v. 5)
       “Do not be frightened” (v. 7)
       “Be on your guard” (v. 9)
       “Do not worry” (v. 11)
       “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (v. 13)
       Abomination of Desolation (see Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11)
       “Lead astray, if possible, the elect” (v. 22)
       “Take heed, behold I have told you everything in advance” (v. 23)
       As Jesus warns against deceivers, He’s more concerned with our faithfulness!

                Focus your faith on Jesus, not on other people, not on a crisis!

3. The “Son of Man” Who Saves His Own! (Mk. 13:24–27)
       “Son of Man” from Daniel 7:13

                     Focus your faith on Jesus, He will save you!

4. The Parable of the Fig Tree (Mk. 13:28–31)
       The Imminent Return of King Jesus
       The Permanent Nature of His Words

                     Focus your faith on Jesus, expecting to see Him soon!

5. Watch for King Jesus! (Mk. 13:32–37)
       “No one knows” “you do not know” “not know when” (vv. 32, 33, 35)
       “Take heed, keep on the alert” “stay on the alert” “be on the alert” (vv. 33, 34, 35, 37)

                    Focus your faith on Jesus, not the times, always alert!

When end-times false teachers call us to take our eyes off of Jesus Christ, is when we need to be faithful to Him the most!

Responses to the King’s Heavenly Authority
Mark 12

Purpose: to show the proper response to the Sovereign, Servant, Savior

1. A Parable (Mk. 12:1-12)
       Isaiah 5:1-7
       Psalm 118:22

2. A Trap (Mk. 12:13-17)
       Mark 3:6

3. A Mockery (Mk. 12:18-27)
       Deuteronomy 25:5-7
       Exodus 3:1-6

4. A Question (Mk. 12:28-34)
       Deuteronomy 6:4

5. A Revelation (Mk. 12:35-37)
       Psalm 110:1

6. A Condemnation (Mk. 12:38-40)

7. A Commendation (Mk. 12:41-44)

False teachers point people to themselves and lead people to destruction.
True followers follow the true King completely.