Key Episode Scripture: Luke 24 and Acts 1-2
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awecame upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47 ESVUK)
What happens when you hear good news? If it is good news, you’ll celebrate it. If it’s good news, you might be keen to share it. The nature of the good news will determine how you engage with it. Hearing that your friend is getting married might lead you to offer a gift and a word of support. Hearing that you passed an exam may lead you to celebrate and make the most of the qualification.
The good news that the promised Messiah had risen from the dead led over one hundred people to commit to obeying the instruction to stay in Jerusalem. As they waited, they spent time in prayer. When they experienced the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit, they spoke the wonders of God that drew a crowd to hear the good news – the good news of the rule of the King who defeated death, forgave sins and offered the precious promise of the Holy Spirit.
The episode in which Jesus spent 40 days teaching His followers about the Kingdom of God after His resurrection and before His ascension speaks volumes about a breathing principle that shapes an effective mission for us today. We considered the context before outlining the content, then explored some concepts and reached a conclusion on this matter. In light of this episode, there are intriguing consequences for us to consider.
Breathe In – Belonging
The followers of Jesus reached a stage of belonging that inspired 120 of them to meet in an upper room and pray. The aftermath of Pentecost multiplied members of a community belonging to the Father and each other through the Spirit that unified them.
Today, everything we are and do is based on our membership in God’s family. It starts with being affirmed by the Father as we receive the revelation of the Son by the power of the Spirit. These truths are to be absorbed and meditated on. They provoke praise, adoration, and worship of the Father’s eternal purpose, the centrality of the Son, and the pivotal role of the Holy Spirit. They prompt a perspective of each other as spiritual siblings and joint heirs that draws us to each other in the love of God.
Breathe Out – Sharing
The reality of all that God has done is not an insular experience. Pentecost saw men and women overflowing with the desire to communicate with others. The aftermath of Pentecost saw men and women filled with a desire to look out for each other and meet the needs of others. The Spirit within flowed out to share beyond.
Whether it’s in proclaiming, conversing or discussing the good news, there is a connection between taking in the wonderful rule of God and wanting to see that spread to others. That’s just as much seen in the practical outworking of the goodness of God as it is about the words given to spark faith in hearers.
Breathe In – Learning to Serve
The desire to be together and develop closer communion with God is about learning Jesus’s ways. Learning about His teachings is not an exercise to fill our heads with academic information to regurgitate when prompted. Learning the teachings of Jesus shapes and forms behaviour in line with the servant heart of the King we serve. Learning these in the community doesn’t just tell us what to do with what we’ve been given; it shapes the attitude of the heart as we conduct ourselves.
It requires a commitment to learning Christ among each other in word and action so we can display to the world how we’re disciples of Christ by our love for each other. This revelation of the risen Saviour and Lord impacts what we do as we gather and work out what it means to be His siblings.
Breathe Out – Intentional Missional Service
Jesus’ instructions to His followers were that they were to wait to receive the promise that would empower them to witness to others on the local, regional and global scale. The impulse of what is worked within is to demonstrate it locally, regionally and beyond. That demonstration is as varied and creative as the Lord who instructs and directs. This Lord, in wisdom, made all things for His pleasure. That vast degree of creativity means His family are imbued with demonstrating the rule of God through projects and activities deliberately designed to impact lives, influence minds and indicate to others how distinctive the rule of God is.
The good news of the Kingdom overflows into participants of that Kingdom keen to be effective ambassadors of this new rule. That ambassadorial role inspired schools, hospitals, orphanages, prison services, rehabilitation centres, signs, wonders and much more because the rule of God had to be seen in lives transformed even as Jesus turned lives around by His Word, touch and presence. Today, as we reflect on how Spirit-empowered people left an undeniable impact on a city, region, nation and beyond, we see that undeniable impact on generations and cultures over the millennia. Today, we are invited to continue the mission as the Lord Jesus Christ tells us He sends us.
The Father sent the Son. The Father and Son sent the Spirit. The Father, Son and Spirit send those who respond to the gospel of the Kingdom in repentance and faith. Sent from the time spent intimately knowing the One who sends us. Sent from a community of believers who share the joyful news of the rule of God. Sent to serve and sent to speak. Sent to declare the rule of God and sent to demonstrate it. Demonstrate it as much by the example of what we do among ourselves as well as what we do to others beyond us. When Jesus sends the promised Holy Spirit, it confirms how He sends those who follow Him to carry on the great mission.
Next, in the final part of the series, we will share some reflections on the 40 Days in the Epilogue.
For His Name’s Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
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