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  • (Go into all the world and) SHARE the Gospel – 2

    (Go into all the world and) SHARE the Gospel – 2

    The Great Commission

    Preach the gospel (KJV & others); proclaim the gospel (ESV & others); share the good news: kēryssō  euaggelion – publish good tidings to every creature.

    “You share everything else on social media, why not share the good news of Jesus Christ”

    Jesus, the Messiah of God died for our sins and is risen: therefore you may have eternal life in Him! Good News, a gospel we should long to share.

    Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

    What an amazing end to a Son of Man crucified on the cross! Jesus appears many times to many followers; He IS alive in body and spirit. Jesus tells not only the eleven to share the gospel, our Lord commands more followers who witnessed his resurrection and by His command those who will follow.

    20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

    More to Come

    You could say the the Gospel began in Genesis. It the the privilege and duty of Israel to share the truth of the One Lord with everyone. John’s gospel reveals to us that in spite of the fall of adam, the Word was present not only from before Abraham, as Jesus claims, but from before the beginning.

    John 1:1-5

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    Jesus IS the Word and the Light. Even after a fallen Kingdom of David, Jesus claims the eternal Throne to which He anointed Kings and Prophets by the Authority of the LORD. And the Good News gets even better.

    The Resurrection of Christ

    1 Corinthians 15:1-6A

    Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

    For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time…

    20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

    Mystery and Victory

    Paul encourages believers with words oft’ repeated when mourning the death of a loved one.

    50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

    “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
    55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”
    56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

    58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

    How do we share the Gospel now?

    Since Moses, after Abraham, in the Kingdom of David and for centuries witness of the Lord seemed local. It still is, for our neighbors see Christ in our daily lives better than anyone. (Or at least, they should.)

    Israel and the nations were built on the foundations of family, grown in the love of communities. Yet empires fall by the dividing hand of evil and conquered in disobedience to the Lord. I will repay, says the Lord, the God of Israel.

    Sharing good news was easy and local, just tell your family and friends who are so much like you. Now that the world is connected, yet disjointed, our families are broken. Our values are lost in a world of competing idolatries and waring followers of false prophets. These listen and look for light and hope, which is distant yet connected through social media.

  • Go into all the world (and SHARE the Gospel) – 1

    Go into all the world (and SHARE the Gospel) – 1

    God came into the world as a man in the flesh to save sinners, yet so many do not know Jesus or turn away from the incarnate and risen Lord. 

    He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. – John 1:10”

    If you believe, what did the Lord command his servants (that is, you and me)?

    Go into all the world

    The Gospel of Mark, which closes with Christ’s Great Commission to “Go into all the world..” opens with his summary overview:  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,”

    son of God

    Term used preeminently of Jesus Christ, as enjoying the supreme love of God, united to him in affectionate intimacy, privy to his saving councils, obedient to the Father’s will in all his acts.

    used to describe Adam (Lk. 3:38)
    used to describe those who are born again (Lk. 20:36) and of angels and of Jesus Christ
    of those whom God esteems as sons, whom he loves, protects and benefits above others
    in the OT used of the Jews
    in the NT of Christians
    those whose character God, as a loving father, shapes by chastisements Heb. 12:5-8)

    Mark 1:

    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight..’”

    4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

    9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

    …

    14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying,

    [ctt title=”“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” tweet=”Jesus Christ, Son of Man proclaims in the Gospel of Mark 1:15″ coverup=”z5edx”]

    The Lord Rules the World

    He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
    to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
    For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
    and on them he has set the world. – 1 Samuel 2:8

    Let all the earth fear the LORD;
    let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! – Psalm 33:8

    I will punish the world for its evil,
    and the wicked for their iniquity;
    I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant,
    and lay low the pompous pride of the ruthless. – Isaiah 13:11

    [ctt title=”The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one..” tweet=”The words of Jesus, Gospel of Matthew 13:38” coverup=”bP8Uh”]

    Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – Gospel of John 14:27

    I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” – John 16:28

    I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

    The Mission

    Some may recognize the theme of our post here as the beginning of the Great Commission.  Praise the Lord God, Creator of the heavens and earth, all that is seen and unseen. Believe  from the scriptures that God has so loved the world that he sacrificed his only Son, Christ Jesus, for our sins. We are adopted into the loving eternal family of the Lord. Receive the Holy Spirit of the triune God to guide your heart and refine your flesh.

    If you believe, are you listening to the Lord?

    Here the words of Jesus, risen Son of Man:

    John 5:25-29 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

    For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

    Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

    Resurrection of the body, commission to save souls

    Mark 16:

    15 [ctt title=”And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” tweet=”https://ctt.ec/_0d4q+ NEW Christian Social Witness mission via facebook” coverup=”_0d4q”]

    To be continued…

    Please SHARE our NEW facebook Page focused on world missions: Christian Social Witness

  • Ordinary Men -2

    Ordinary Men -2

    Acts 4:5-7

    On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”

    Synopsis

    Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander sit here esteemed high above ordinary men, even the highest of aristocrats sitting in the Sanhedrin.

    Annas and Caiaphas and John and Alexander sit here esteemed high above ordinary men, even the highest of aristocrats sitting in the Sanhedrin. We have examined an incident of healing a lame man [Acts 3] in the Temple the previous day. We have also examined the high calling of some of the Temple court officials mentioned above. These not-so-ordinary men mentioned here will examine Peter and John, But first let’s take a look at one additional more common official of the Sanhedrin.

    Jewish Stratification (continued from Ordinary Men – part 1)

    The chief sects among the Jews were the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the Essenes, who may be described respectively as the Formalists, the Freethinkers and the Puritans.

    Pharisees

    The fundamental principle all of the of the Pharisees, common to them with all orthodox modern Jews, is that by the side of the written law regarded as a summary of the principles and general laws of the Hebrew people there was on oral law to complete and to explain the written law, given to Moses on Mount Sinai and transmitted by him by word of mouth.

    The Pharisees at an early day secured the popular favor and thereby acquired considerable political influence. This influence was greatly increased by the extension of the Pharisees over the whole land and the majority which they obtained in the Sanhedrin. Their number reached more than six thousand under the Herods.

    Josephus compared the Pharisees to the sect of the Stoics. He says that they lived frugally, in no respect giving in to luxury. We are not to suppose that there were not many individuals among them who were upright and pure, for there were such men as Nicodemus, Gamaliel, Joseph of Arimathea and Paul.

    The Defense

    Acts 4:6-12

    Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

    How should the high court respond?

    You might think by their defense in naming Jesus that Peter is claiming personal innocence in the manor of the man’s healing. After all, why were they arrested; what is their crime? No charge of the supreme court of the Temple (Sanhedrin) was made against them for preaching in the courtyard at church. “By what power or by what name did you do this?”  (referring to the miraculous healing witnessed by many) was their only question to Peter.

    No charges here and the evidence to be presented witnesses a miracle. These Levitical Priests, aristocratic scribes and sadducees, and politically powerful Pharisees sit in judgment of a miracle. ‘How did the Lord use men like these and not a Priest or Temple official to do this?’ they must have thought. The witness of their preaching the previous day had quoted scripture referring to the prophets, the Messiah, Moses, Samuel and Abraham. What could the court say of this a day after the miracle in the courtyard of the Temple?

    [ctt title=”But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. – Acts 4:4″ tweet=”Arrested because the Lord performed a miracle and their preaching is true.” coverup=”cTU1O”]

    Who can preach like this?

    Acts 4:13

    Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

    14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it…

    21 And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.

    Witness, Our Only Choice

    [ctt title=”“I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”” tweet=”Acts 3:6 Peter’s witness before one of many arrests.” coverup=”V5egz”]

    But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:19-20

    29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

    31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.