Church on Mission, New Heavens and New Earth
When Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised to send an “advocate”—the Holy Spirit—to teach them and remind them of what Jesus has done. In Acts, we see the establishment of the Church and the coming of this promised Holy Spirit. As this good news spreads, more people are converted and the Church grows, despite persecution. When one of the leading persecutors of Christians, Saul, encounters God, he is converted, renamed (Paul), and sent on mission, specifically to the Gentiles with the gospel. The books Romans through Jude are mostly epistles (letters) to churches or believers at that time. Paul is the author of many of these letters and works to minister to, encourage, and correct the early Church. Finally, this story of Scripture is wrapped up in Revelation with promises of Jesus’ return, judgment, and establishment of a new Heaven and a new Earth.
- What part of the Bible are we covering?
- Acts - Revelation
- Scripture to read this week:
- Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 2; Revelation 1:1-8
The Establishment of the Church
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus gave his disciples specific instructions, a blueprint by which Christ’s disciples were to make more disciples and spread the good news of the gospel to all nations. The book of Acts is where we see the early Church form as the message of Christianity spreads in the ancient world. Acts can be split into two main parts: the Church Era (Acts 1–12) and the Missions Era (Acts 13–28).
Read Acts 2:42–47. What are some things that characterize believers in the early Church and how they lived?
Peter, Stephen, and others’ teaching did not deny Old Testament promises and covenants but rather claimed that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of them.
The early Church faced much opposition and persecution. Read the following passages and describe the characters below: Acts 6:8–13, Acts 7:54–60, Acts 8:1–3, Acts 9:1–19
- Stephen:
- Saul (Paul):
The Church spread through persecution and dispersion of believers. It also spread through missionary journeys and establishment of local churches in various regions.
The Pauline epistles are letters he wrote to communicate with those churches to encourage them, correct sin, and explain theology.
The General epistles are written more to a general audience, rather than to specific churches or individuals. They have different authors, including Peter, James, John, and Jude. Similar to the Pauline epistles, these were written to encourage and instruct the early Church.
According to 30 Days to Understanding the Bible¹, there are four major themes in Revelation regarding future things: return, judgment, universe, and eternity.
- Return: Jesus will return to earth again.
- Judgment: God will confirm the eternal destiny of all individuals.
- New Heavens and Earth: The old universe will be destroyed and replaced with a new one.
- Eternity: Christians will live with God forever.
Read Revelation 19 and 21. Jot down key observations about what God will do in the final judgment of the world related to both salvation and condemnation.
- Condemnation:
- Salvation:
Big Picture:
- In the book of Acts, we see the Church established and begin to grow.
- Paul’s missionary journeys and letters to the churches help believers grow in their faith and encourage them in the face of persecution.
- God’s future promises include Jesus’ return, judgment, and the establishment of a new kingdom.
Questions
- The early Church started in a very small part of the world with a very small group of people, yet the gospel has spread over time and you are hearing about it now, in the 21st century, on a completely different continent. Spend some time praying and thanking God for his grace and kindness to allow this message to get to you.
- Think about what we’ve seen in Acts and the New Testament letters. How does God use his people to spread his message? How might he want to use you to continue spreading the gospel? Who needs to hear it in your life?
- As believers, how are we experiencing the current realities and blessings of God’s Redemption Plan? What are some elements of his Redemption Plan that have not yet occurred?