Thy Kingdom Come
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[00:00:00] To heaven. And after he had by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over 40 days, and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God and gathering them together.
He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, 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. So when they had come together, they were asking him, saying, Lord is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?
But he said to them, it is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem. And Ju and in all [00:01:00] Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth, let's pray.
Father in heaven, we're so grateful for your word. It's just beautiful. The more we study it, the more we love it, the more we love you, and thank you Holy Spirit, that you are our guide and teacher, that you are the one that shines the light of understanding on your word. We pray today that it would be living and active and sharp and pierce the depths of our souls.
Uh, Lord, we pray as well that you're pleased and glorified and blessed by all of our singing to you, the ministry of the Word, our confessions. Lord, we pray that you're blessed by it all, and Lord, we pray that it brings you glory in this place, in Christ's name. Amen. Amen. So, uh, you may be seated. You know, a lot of us here with some water under our bridge, [00:02:00] um, so to speak, who've grown up and even raised our own families.
We know that the season of life in a teen, in a, in a teenager's life called puberty is, uh, in a, can be a really awkward time. It's a time of transition, maybe even a, a time of transformation with some people. And each of us who've worked through that short season experienced things like crazy growth spurts.
How many of your boys have con, consistently have high waters on all the time? There's an awkward overlap between being a a little kid and being a grownup, and sometimes there's confusion about identity and, and there's a new view of authority even. And, and sometimes there's, uh, even relational issues and struggles for independence.
We all know that. But of course for the most part, there eventually becomes a stabilized rest in that next season of life. It's normal. [00:03:00] And at parents we know now breathe a sigh of relief. 'cause it seems like you're putting stuff, information in the front of their heads faster than it's, or slower than it's leaking out the back sometimes.
But I remember as a kid myself, there was a point in time where I wanted to sit with the older people. Anybody remember that you, you kind of got to this point where you wanted to listen to what the older people were saying. You wanted to hang out with them and listen to their discussions. Instead of playing squirt guns outside and riding bikes, and later as an adult, I've noticed that same tendency with our kids and with other families.
There's a transition taking place and it's a transition to maturity that's underway in our passage here in Acts this morning. This passage is the first step into the deeper waters of maturity for the people of Israel. In fact, from the day that John the Baptist showed up in the wilderness of Judea, yelling out, repent for the kingdom of heaven as at hand in [00:04:00] Matthew three clear up until the complete destruction of the temple in the year 80 70, the immature Israel was undergoing a transformation.
From its childhood into its manhood, and as you study scripture, you begin to see that the Bible often refers to Old Covenant Israel as being a child in a sense. Immature, elemental, still infants, still drinking milk and still childish. And then this transition into the new covenant reality described as becoming a man.
Interesting. And I think it's very cool the way scripture speaks. For example, in one Corinthians 13, speaking of a coming transition as he discusses the, uh, order, uh, that should be happening in the body of Christ, the corrective, the apostle Paul looks forward and, and [00:05:00] he writes and says, for we know. In part, then we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
That word perfect literally means mature. When the mature comes, the partial will be done away. And Paul continues that same in that same passage and rites and says, when I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child reason, like a child. When I became a man, I did away with childish things.
He says for now standing at pre ad 70 point in time where he was, he says, we see in a mirror dimly, but then when maturity comes, we'll see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I have also. Been fully known like it is with a, a little girl wanting to grow up to be a woman like her mom or, or a boy that wants to do [00:06:00] dad things.
It was hard for and others, um, other believers in his day to see the fullness of what Christ had finished in establishing his kingdom. Kind of like now how it's hard for us to imagine what our kids are gonna be like when they grow up. We can only see dimly. We can look at each other and say, I wonder what they're gonna be like.
In fact, the Old Testament is full of the copy type, shadow symbol of what Paul is calling the mature or the perfect. If you were to only look at my shadow, I know it's here somewhere. I think I have a shadow. If you were only to look at my shadow, you wouldn't be actually looking at me. You would only.
Kind of see me, you would only see dimly or in part, uh, in Acts. A transition is underway. And from the perspective of the [00:07:00] writers of the New Testament, the fullness of that trans, that transformation that was happening, they couldn't see it perfectly. They could only see it dimly like my shadow. Before we jump into our text, I want to think about one last thing along these lines.
Think about people from the Old Testament. What about Joseph? Think about how he supplied food to the whole world in a sense, as he reigned over a kingdom after being raised from the dead, in a sense, out of a pit. Or Moses. Moses mediated and interceded on behalf of the body of his new nation. Or what about David who reigned?
Fro over the kingdom from his throne. And he even went out to battle. Solomon built a temple for the dwelling place of God in a sense of the place that God would meet with his people. And each one of these examples is a, a copy type, shadow or symbol of the, something greater than simply their [00:08:00] story.
Something greater in a sense than their shadow was coming on the horizon, as you know. Uh, and have been rightly taught the whole Old Testament is the, is uh, the shadow in a sense points us to the reality that was coming with Christ in his new covenant. Joseph pointed to Christ, Moses pointed to Christ.
David pointed to Christ, Solomon did even Adam and Noah and many others. If you look at them for themselves, it's interesting, but it's not Christ like my shadow isn't me. But if you look at them as a type of him who is to come, you will see great and wonderful things. So back to puberty again. Youth and childhood Under the old covenant maturity and manhood under the new, and of course the Old Testament points to, to this manhood dimly and acts this morning as we [00:09:00] start to open our bibles there, this.
Brings you and me into the coming of age of that new man, of believing Israel, being transformed by the spirit of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and taking on the responsibilities of that new season of life, so to speak. Reigning with Heaven's King, equipped with power from on high, not many days from now.
As we read this morning, power and authority with the assigned expectation of gathering the lost sheep of Israel, of all the tribes and warning unbelieving Israel and saying, uh, that her soon to come, judgment was right over the horizon, and just around the corner acts actually lays out a lawsuit. With indictments and testimony against that covenant breaking nation and, and not only that, but acts at the same time, sends the [00:10:00] apostles out, taking leaves of healing to the desperately sick among the nations leaves that even brought healing to your and my emaciated souls.
When we believed that day in Acts, the kingdom has come. And every passage demonstrates that the sovereign, expanding and overcoming rule of our great Lord and king Jesus Christ was at the door. So let's open our Bibles now. Look down at verse one in Acts. The author jumps right into a thought immediately as the text begins.
He says, the first account of Theophilus. I composed about all that Jesus began to do and teach the, the first account. He says, uh, I want to just talk for just a, a minute about who is the writer of Acts. Let's turn in our Bibles to Luke chapter one.[00:11:00]
If you haven't seen this, I'm sure it'll be an eyeopening, but I opener, but I'm sure most of you have. In Luke chapter one, verse one, he says, the writer says, in as much as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us, it seemed fitting per me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write out for you an orderly sequence.
Most excellent Theophilus so that you may know the certainty about the things you have been taught. And based on what we read here, it seems like the person who wrote acts is the same person who wrote Luke. We have to pretend that it's not Luke. 'cause we're trying to figure that out, right? Yes. Uh, even they even used the, the two letters even used similar vocabulary.[00:12:00]
But even though we can see Luke and Acts are written by the same author, we really don't know yet officially and specifically who that author is. So we, I don't wanna belabor it. I know that it's been proven a thousand times or shown. So, in essence, the general approach scholars have taken, uh, and used to decide that this is Luke, because he never really identifies himself, was kind of a process of elimination using a series of passages.
Where he speaks of himself as part of a first person plural, like he says, we did this or that because he was a companion of Paul. And then he compared. And then the scholars have used other passages in the News Testament letters where Luke is listed as a companion. And kind of by process of elimination, they lined them up and determined that this was Luke.
And also historically, not only did the early church believe that this was Luke, but obviously even today, the understanding remains. As [00:13:00] you can see, if you look at the top of the gospel of Luke, it says Luke there. So that's, that's how we derive who was, uh, the author of the Book of Acts as well. Um, acts was likely written in early 80 sixties.
Uh, it seems to have been written after a lot of the New Testament letters because the letters were written in the context of the things that were happening in the Book of Acts. Also, Luke wasn't an apostle, he, but he was relying on apostles eyewitness testimony of Jesus and the Lord used him mightily to share, uh, the testimony of the apostles all over the Book of Acts.
And there's evidence in scripture that he was also a gentile convert. If you look, you might write down Colossians four 10. To look that up. He was identified as a physician, which is likely why he made a great historian. He was a really thorough guy. Uh, and then he was a faithful missionary companion of Paul.[00:14:00]
And interestingly, he shows up for the first time in the first person narrative of acts you might write down in Acts 1610. There was the first time that he actually includes himself. In terms of the word we, uh, when, uh, speaking about the ministry that was happening. So maybe he joined the ministry right then.
So kind of in summary, as you study acts, you can come to see Luke as a close companion of Paul. You can see him as a careful historian who wrote the book or the Gospel of Luke and, and Acts. And then in that writing he's giving us, and we're gonna see more of that, a detailed account of how God. Brought Israel from Covenant Childhood into maturity through Christ by the Holy Spirit in his new covenant.
Let's go back to our text again. O Theophilus. I composed about all that Jesus began [00:15:00] to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen. I'm gonna think about the recipient of the letter just for a second.
Theophilus, we can conclude that he was most likely a prominent person in the community. Uh, maybe even a Roman official. People have assumed that, uh, commentators have assumed that because that word or that phrase, most excellent Theophilus, is also used in other places of Roman officials. People that were in a place, places of high, uh, capacity in the community.
And then also he probably had been already taught about Jesus to some degree. So it's possible that Luke was giving Theophilus some more instruction to strengthen his certainty as the text says about the things of Christ. And it was likely helpful for Theophilus to have this kind of information, not [00:16:00] only for his own personal reasons, but possibly even to help interpret what had happened or what was happening and how he should make decisions responding.
As an official, again, from our same passage, uh, in Acts one, one and two, uh, uh, Luke says Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom he'd chosen. By the Holy Spirit. Um, Luke was referencing his gospel as what Jesus began to do and teach and, and just so we can have right understanding of act, let's stop just to notice a couple Holy Spirit things, and Luke, as we transition into acts this morning.
The Holy Spirit, it turns out, is managing this whole thing. You might remember in [00:17:00] Luke's Luke 1 35 where the angel Gabriel was answering Mary's question about how these things will be. She was wondering about how there would be this savior born. The angel says The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will overshadow you.
And for that reason, the holy child shall be called the son of God. The Apostles Creed even says Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Other creeds agree. Jesus's incarnation and ministry was of the Holy Spirit. Luke four, he was full of the spirit and, uh, led by the Spirit in the power of the Spirit. He was anointed.
By the spirit to preach. The text says he was sent by the spirit to do God's will. Luke 10, Jesus even rejoiced in the Spirit, Jesus' entire ministry was in of and by the Holy Spirit of God. So here in Acts one, [00:18:00] two, as Luke looks back to the end of the gospel, it shouldn't surprise us that he was even giving orders by the Spirit.
To the apostles whom he had chosen before he sented to heaven. So some even call acts, acts of the Holy Spirit. God's kingdom is of the spirit. As you read through acts, you see that plainly in the administration of the old covenant, the covenant of the flesh as scripture a lot of times calls it in a sense, actions were carried out by the letter they were carried out.
Uh. By men's manipulation in a sense. But in the new covenant, in Christ, everything is by the spirit. Through the spiritual law, written on transformed hearts. And even in John six, Jesus says, the Spirit is the one who gives life the flesh, prophets nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are [00:19:00] spirit and life.
The new covenant, the Christianity that you and I have is by the spirit of God. Je Jesus himself in this very passage, gave orders to the apostles by the spirit before he was taken up into heaven.
Before we move on in our text to the next verses, I wanna make sure we all see an Old Testament connection here in verse two. I would, I would normally just quickly read over the words given orders. Do you guys see that in your Bible? He had. Given orders to the apostles, nothing is wasted in scripture. It says, until the day when he was taken up to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen.
It sounds normal and we would expect that, but I just wanna connect a couple things together here. We mentioned Moses earlier. [00:20:00] We all remember the book of Exodus. Moses was used to lead a nation out of bondage to, uh, out of their bondage, uh, that they were into Pharaoh and to bring freedom to captives. In that sense, that's what Exodus was all about.
God was rescuing a people for himself into covenant. But in the process leading up to rescue Day like Jesus with his apostles here at Acts one, God had commanded or given orders to Moses, who himself had come out of Pharaoh's household to lead his people out. These orders were to the end that a covenant people would be established as a nation.
God had commanded or given orders to Moses to act and speak on his behalf to make that happen. God's orders to Moses were kind of a commissioning for him to take care of business. This is [00:21:00] common all over the old Covenant. God gave orders to people like Moses. Like I said, Joshua. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Aaron, even, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, to carry out his covenantal purposes.
And of course, that all points to Christ here in Acts one, two, with his new Exodus, like with God, who chose Moses? Jesus was giving a covenantal commission to his apostles whom he had chosen. It turns out that the Exodus is all over the Bible. Back to verse three. Continue, uh, the passage in our Bibles here.
The look, look down at, uh, where it says to whom. He also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over 40 days, and speaking about the things concerning the kingdom of God. Again, back to the Exodus, like [00:22:00] with Moses, who was on the mountain at Sinai for 40 days receiving covenantal instruction in the presence of his great and awesome God, and afterward had brought the word down to the mountain, down the mountain to see the elder, to give it to the elders of Israel.
Herein acts Jesus, the son of God, spends 40 days with his witnesses speaking the things concerning the new Exodus. And the new covenant that would be proclaimed by these faithful apostles. Just to, let's look a little bit closer at that. Let's turn to numbers. Chapter 11 in your Bibles, if you have one in your lap, it's Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy, that's where you're headed.
Numbers chapter 11, we're gonna be in verse 16. In the context of the passage here in Acts where Jesus is commissioning through, commanding [00:23:00] them and speaking to them concerning the kingdom, in a sense, giving them direction on how things will be and what they will do concerning his kingdom, even the source of their power.
There's a similar covenantal pattern here in numbers 11 and numbers 11. Israel is in the wilderness. The covenant people are being formed and God is ordering how his people will be governed. That's what he's doing in this passage. Moses, the covenant mediator, in a sense, stands at the center of all that numbers 1116 says Yahweh, therefore said to Moses, gather from me, 70 men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers, and take them to the tent of meeting and let them take their stand there with you.
And listen to this, then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the spirit who is upon you and will put [00:24:00] him upon them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you so that you will not bear it alone. Own Moses remains the mediator of the covenant in that setting, but the spirit rests upon.
The elders so that they share in the administration of the people. The spirit authenticates Moses' authority and produces covenantal order and produces fruit from that ministry. Numbers 11 shows us that God governs his covenant people through spirit empowered representatives who act in delegated authority, just like Pastor Mike and Elder Matt.
Here in Acts one, the risen king prepares to ascend to his throne and he shares his mission with his apostles. He pours out the spirit to authenticate his authority and to extend his reign through their witness throughout the book of Acts. [00:25:00] Remember from our first reading this morning as we started the service in Isaiah 49, so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.
In numbers, the spirit shared Moses' administration. But here in Acts, the spirit extends Christ's reign where Moses shared authority because he couldn't bear the burden alone. Christ shares authority because his reign is expanding and not because it's lacking thy kingdom come. Amen.
Think about about it this morning. This pattern doesn't stop in ax. It doesn't stop here. Christ still reigns the same way today. He reigns from his throne by the spirit, extending his authority through people like you and me who belong to him. We don't replace him. In fact, he doesn't even need our help at, at some level.
We don't [00:26:00] add some new capacity to his work. But like with the elders, with Moses, or like Christ with his apostles, we're allowed, we're even called to participate in his reign today, even as a spirit regenerate. Born again Christian. Walking out your life either at home with your kids, or at work with coworkers or bosses or employees, you reign with Christ today.
His kingdom is present and active in this world today.
The kingdom is in our midst. It's not waiting to arrive. This is the way he reigns. His kingdom isn't merely some future thing, just always around the corner. It's today in the spirit of the Spirit by the spirit. He's chosen you that his salvation may reach the end of the earth. You and I need to believe [00:27:00] this and walk this truth out in obedience.
He's given us orders
back to our passage. Back in Acts. Look down at your Bibles in verses four and five it says, in gathering them together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, 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.
The promise of the father of this promise. It wasn't new. It was a, a faithful fulfillment of something that had already been promised, and it was just a, this fulfillment was just around the corner. Back in Isaiah 32. In the Old Testament, it says, behold, the king will reign. Righteously and princes will rule justly.
Each will be like a [00:28:00] refuge from the wind. I love that in a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry country, like the shade of a huge rock in a weary land until the spirit is poured out upon us from on high and the wilderness becomes a fruitful orchard. And the fruitful orchard is countered as a forest.
That's the language of the promise of the Holy Spirit being poured out. Isaiah 44 3. Again, he, uh, it says, for I will pour out water on the thirsty ground and streams on the dry land. I will pour out my spirit on your seed and my blessing on your offspring, and they will spring up among the grass like poplars by streams of water.
This one will say, I'm Yahweh's, and this one will call on the name of Jacob, and this one will write on his hand belonging to Yahweh. And we'll name, Israel's name with honor. Again, the promise of the [00:29:00] father, Joel, too, really relevant to our situation and, and it says two in 2 28 it says, and it will be afterwards that I will pour out my spirit on all mankind.
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions even on the male slaves and female slaves. I will, in those days pour out my spirit. There's way more that I've skipped over at Ezekiel as well. And in many other places. But then finally in Luke, Luke 24 49, and behold, I am sending the promise of my father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.
The whole, the Apostle John spoke of this promise in John 70. It says this, he spoke of the spirit whom. Those who believed in him were going to receive for the spirit has not, was not yet given [00:30:00] because Jesus was not yet glorified. John knew the promise of the Father. It was a spirit himself. And here in Acts one, Jesus says to his apostles, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Not many days from now, the Lord keeps his promises. Amen. Have you seen all of those connections to the Old Testament that show? That the spirit was on the way and it was around the corner in their lives. Right? Then back to our text. Let's go to verse six. Luke still recounting what happened in the gospel.
So he says, uh, it says so when they had come together, they were asking him, saying, Lord, is that at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel.
Lord is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? That's what they wanted to know.
Most of us are used to [00:31:00] today's teaching on this question, which really goes kind of something like this. It goes, like it says, the apostles were confused and naive and fleshly in their understanding of what was happening and they, they thought Jesus would. Put things back the way they were with David and Solomon and others and conquer the Romans and put Israel back on top, et cetera, et cetera.
And so he didn't really answer their confused question. That's kind of, uh, the way that goes. They didn't understand that his kingdom wouldn't come for thousands of more years. That's mostly the way I've heard teaching on this verse. It is a worthy verse to study. I mean the, this is a good question. Were they blind and misunderstood everything or did they actually know what they were talking about and ask an astute question This morning, I wanted to share another perspective with you from a guy named Ken Gentry, an author and theologian, a contemporary [00:32:00] guy.
He's alive right now, back in 1989, Ken Gentry. Uh. Co-authored a book with a guy named Greg Boson called House Divided the breakup of Dispensational Theology. They wrote this book to show that dispensationalism is a really messed up and really inconsistently and biblically unsound theology, and that scripture instead teaches a unified covenantal fulfillment of God's kingdom promises.
And all of it culminating in Christ's first century reign rather than a postponed future kingdom like is often taught in churches today. I'll tell you what, that's my kind of book because you know what it does? It connects scripture together with scripture, and it brings the word to life. Anyway, so Gentry deals with this question by the apostles in verse six in a different way than, than you may have heard.
Remember the question was this, [00:33:00] the apostles asked, Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?
Kinda like the apostle, the, uh, the disciples in Matthew, the beginning of Matthew 24. When will these things take place? Gentry argues that Jesus spent 40 days. It says that right in the text. In fact, you mighty if you write in your Bible circle that. He spent 40 days teaching them, teaching his apostles about the kingdom.
And if Israel had been permanently set aside, Jesus would've corrected that, that that exact, that problem explicitly, especially after having spent 40 days explaining it to them. I know that I, I know because I am myself. I know that I'm dull a lot, but after 40 days from the perfect teacher, it seems like you would get something.
You would [00:34:00] understand something, and so the questions that you would ask would be kind of astute. So Gentry gives the apostles a little bit more Credit. Gentry also argues that the apostles expectation of restoration isn't even rebuked by Jesus or denied.
And that Paul teaches Israel had been partially hardened but not thrown away. And that if Israel had been permanently set aside, Jesus would've corrected that explicitly. And so Gentry's take on the question, Lord, is that at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel Is a question more to do with covenantal restoration than it is political confusion.
Gentry would say that their question isn't naive at all, because at that moment, restoration had begun. Christ had all authority in heaven and on earth, yet hardening was operating. Israel was resisting at times violently. Inclusion [00:35:00] of the Gentiles was on the way. All while covenantal judgment was on the horizon.
This was a dynamic time. The apostles were wondering, are we going to be restored? Will the hardening be released? That's one view, that's Gentry's view. And coupled with all that the true reality of Israel's restoration wouldn't be based on the copy and shadow of the old Covenant, but instead based on the new covenant reality through the spirit in Christ Israel, it turns out, was being transformed like we've already suggested.
Gentry's thoughts might be summarized by saying that Israel was blinded for a time, not so the kingdom would fail, but so God could save a remnant, bring in the Gentiles, and bring the old covenant to its end. So the apostles were wanting to know if that was coming to an end now and [00:36:00] Israel Israel's hardening was being lifted and they were being restored now or was something else happening?
I don't know. Maybe Gentry has a good point. Honestly, at least something like that seems to make more sense to me. Again, especially considering that Jesus spent 40 days teaching them about the kingdom. Let's give them a little bit of credit. After 40 days, it seemed like you'd have a decent understanding.
Back to verse seven, Jesus said to them. It is not for you to know the times or seasons which the father has set by his own authority, times or seasons. Sometimes it's good to look at multiple translations and look back at the Greek and this verse. In the Greek, the word seasons is the word kairos. In the context of scripture, it's often mostly used as [00:37:00] a term for an appointed time.
A time of something that has been planned in advance. The father set this appointed time. Jesus says by his own authority in Deuteronomy 29, Moses says that the secret things belong to Yahweh are God, but the things revealed belong to us, into our sons forever. Just a few cha uh, chapters later in Deuteronomy, in the Song of Moses, I wanna tell you about a prophecy.
That Moses in that context is lamenting. He's, he's lamenting a future point in time where the covenant unfaithfulness of Israel is gonna become so profound that God had actually appointed a time for their destruction and actually what he calls a day of vengeance for their covenant breaking relationship with him, which turned into not being a relationship at some level.[00:38:00]
The appointed time was determined even back in the days of Moses and Joshua, and that the appointed time would be marked by the wicked and perverse generation spoken of by Jesus himself. If you go back to Deuteronomy 32 and you start to study that passage, you'll see that there's words like there will be a wicked and perverse generation, and at that appointed, and there, there is an appointed time for their destruction.
And it's interesting to me that Jesus comes on the scene in the first century and says, A wicked and perverse generation demands a sign. Something's happening. There's a finality coming. There's a kairos in the future that God has set for the destruction of that, um, unbelieving har latres nation. I wanna give credit to theologian and author Mike Sullivan, who's written a wonderful book, tracing this appointed time of Deuteronomy 32, all through the scripture in his book called Moses to Messiah.[00:39:00]
This a final appointed time on the horizon that Jesus is telling his disciples about In Acts one, seven is a time of vengeance and destruction, and at the same time, it's a time of fullness, of salvation for the faithful. Judgment and salvation were coming and looking back now we can see it came through the ad 70 Destruction of the city and the Temple, which would also bring about the end of the mosaic covenant and the fullness of the redemption of Israel's remnant to the very restoration hoped for by the apostles, just as they were asking in verse six.
Jesus also spoke of this appointed time in Matthew 24. He spoke of it in Luke 21. He spoke of it in Mark 13. It was a certain event with a fixed timetable known to the father, near to that generation, yet not for the disciples to calculate somehow. In fact, their [00:40:00] primary warning was when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, run for the hills.
But in the meantime, look down at verse eight. Jesus says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and all, in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth. This last verse is often used to outline the entire book of Acts, Jerusalem.
In Al Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth when Jesus says, you will be my witnesses. He's not using that word necessarily like we've come, become to use it in missions or evangelism, but instead it's like he's convening a courtroom. And as you study the book of Acts, one thing that stands out are the many times Luke presented an almost courtroom style indictment and [00:41:00] testimonies against that covenant nation, covenant breaking nation regarding their disobedience and the wrath that was promised as a result.
As we wind down here, I wanna leave a flavor in your thinking that this term witness isn't. Merely that they will be a missionary or, or an evangelist or some even something like that, which mostly, uh, we use it like that, which is okay, we say we witnessed to that person or we testified of Jesus to that person.
Um, but what was happening in the days of Acts was that an indictment was being brought against that unfaithful nation, namely that their Messiah had come, but they refused to receive him as a Messiah, and then they killed him. They were guilty.
If you read just into the next chapter, you see Peter talking about that they are cut in their hearts and they're like, what do we do?[00:42:00]
What he was doing, Peter, in that situation, was being a witness against that nation.
Instead of by faith moving into manhood, like we've discussed, Israel at that day had embraced their youth and they persecuted the mature. They refused to grow up.
And so incrimination based on the word of God, flowed like a river out of God's people. People like Peter and John and Steven. Remember Steven testifying against that nation throughout his entire testimony? What he was doing was incriminating them based on the blessings and curses of the laws of Deuteronomy, and [00:43:00] at the end, they didn't like that.
So what did they do? They killed them.
Or Philip and Barnabas and certainly Paul, it's an exciting account to study in the book of Acts. Each of them brought some level of accusation against. Israel calling them to repentance and compelling them to run to Christ for salvation. They were his witnesses in the courtroom of covenant unfaithfulness because the appointed time of their destruction was coming.
And the rescue himself who offered them, pardon? With standing at the door and knocking,
would they grow up or would they clinging to their childhood?
I wonder this morning if you personally have moved from [00:44:00] childhood to maturity.
Are you struggling like Israel in the days of acts? I'm not asking if you're still play with logo or Legos, you know, privately. In your house,
but have you heard God's legal testimony against you this morning?
What will you do with your sin?
How will you appease God's wrath?
How will you personally escape his judgment?
What can you do?
Of course, in one sense, nothing but in [00:45:00] another sense, everything.
Listen to the untimely. Apostle Paul from Acts 13, he says, let it be known to you that through Jesus forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that in him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which could not be justified from through the law of Moses. That should be. Delicious news for your soul.
The gospel isn't merely that Christ forgives children, but that he brings sons to maturity who can stand justified before God. I'd recommend taking a look at the Book of Acts, read through it. Enjoy it. [00:46:00] Connect the letters together with it. Go to the Old Testament, connect it back and forth. It'll come to life for you.
Let's pray. Father, we're so grateful for this time and your word. Uh, thank you for this beautiful passage transitioning into this fast paced, amazing work of your sovereignty in the lives of your people. Lord, we pray that that would bear much fruit in us today, I pray. Anyone here who is of course metaphorically clinging to childhood in their unbelief, trying to manipulate things their their own self-sufficiency with their hands.
Lord, I pray that that person, by the power of your Holy Spirit. By regeneration this morning would turn away from [00:47:00] that, would repent and trust solely on the true and wonderful and complete and finished work of the cross in Jesus Christ. And I propose or pray, Lord, this morning, that they would step into that fullness of maturity.
We pray in Christ's name, amen.
