Sermon Cloud

Renewal. Revelation 21:1-5; 22:1-5. At the end of the account of Genesis 3 when the creation is shattered by the intrusion of sin, God makes a promise that one day the seed of the woman will crush all evil and opposition to God and his Kingdom. We know from the rest of the story that this promise is fulfilled in Christ. He is the promised one that enters the creation to takes the sin and brokenness of the world on himself and He bears the curse of it so that it is possible for the world and all people in it to be healed restored to God. He rises from the dead in victory over sin and death promising that one day everything that stands against the rule and reign of God will be overthrown. This world we live in dominated by evil, injustice, pain, suffering, and death will be restored and made new. The picture we have in Revelation captures the hopes of all of us. God with his people wiping away every tear; the end of pain, suffering, death. All things new; what was fallen will be restored; what was broken will be healed. The story of this world is full of tragedy but it has a happy ending – an ending so happy that it is served and enriched by the tragic. “The end of the world will be somehow even richer than if there had been no bravery, no sacrificial love, no cross, no salvation.” The ending will be even happier for once having been so sad. But we are not just sitting around waiting for that day; Christ tells us to pray for his Kingdom to come daily into our personal experience. Through him we can experience increasing intimacy with God healing us, our relationships, and even this broken world.

Implications: We are called to make future expectation present experience; seek to experience in increasing measure what the Kingdom will bring in fullness. Your kingdom come…
Community. We are the gathered people of God, who live under the rule and reign of Christ. In Christ we are forgiven and declared right with the Father and indwelt by the Holy Spirit who is transforming and renewing us. He is restoring us personally to be the people God intends us to be so that together we serve as a showcase of what God intended for human life. He is ridding our lives of everything that is not in step with the Kingdom. In our ethics and in our character and in our relationships we are a showcase of the coming justice and righteousness.  This is the picture of the early church – a foretaste of what life will be like under the full and complete reign of Jesus Christ. This is how the whole world will be one day when Jesus returns.  If the coming Kingdom is the Masterpiece, the church is the rough sketch. We are a preview of the coming kingdom. Illus: Huge mobile phones in early 90s compared to now.

Calling. We have a mission in this world and it is to be representative of the King and His Kingdom. This calling includes action and announcement. Gospel Announcement. When the KofG comes in fullness it will establish the knowledge of God and Christ (Habakkuk 2:14; Philippians 2:11). We are called to announce that the Kingdom of God is here in Jesus, that we can be made whole under his saving reign (restored to God, to others, new heavens/earth). Gospel Action (mercy and justice). God cares about the entire person. Coming Kingdom will wipe away tears and demolish poverty, disease, suffering, hunger, injustice, prejudice. God will eradicate these things when the Kingdom comes in purifying power upon the earth because he is radically against these things. To live with the end in mind and seek first the kingdom means seeking to eradicate in measure… Embody Gospel action through mercy and justice (Restore, mentoring/tutoring Vanguard and HFNY).  Action and Announcement go together: can’t be separated. Announcement is acted out; our actions are tangible signs of the gospel we are announcing demonstrating how the Gospel heals and restores. Announcing activity: word and deed.

Creation. Creation is good, fallen but good. God will not destroy it; he will renew it. The curse will be lifted. Creation is awaiting this (Romans 8) so that at this great renewal the Psalmist envision trees singing and dancing. Creation will be healed  and God’s commitment to it is a statement about its goodness. So we must embrace the goodness of creation (from planets to plants) including everything in creation that God has established and ordained (the creative impulse in us, work, marriage, family) – all of it is good. These things are tainted by sin and the fall and abused by us as sinners (planets and stars are worshiped and feared as fate determining powers, the vine is over-indulged in, marriages are a struggle and often times temporary, work is avoided or abused, children are ignored or obsessed over) but all these things are good things. Christ-followers are called to respond to God with regard to creation to seek to renew it through proper treatment and enjoyment of the creation. Work – bring about the flourishing of human community; choose careers that do not damage the earth or oppress or bring about injustice or despair or sorrow or addiction to the human community. Food/Drink/Music/Art – show the world how to treat the gifts of God in a way that lead to greater enjoyment of God and not treat them as powers or idols that enslave us. Recycle – take care of creation. Create – Absolute Beauty is coming and we create a sense of beauty even now and anticipate its final arrival. So we write, sculpt, design, paint to bring renewal to this creation by beautifying it in part as He will beautify it in whole when He brings the fullness of the Kingdom.

Church is called to be a people among the people of the earth who live in anticipation of the coming Kingdom. We live with the end in mind and seek to bring our expectations into our experience. Are you living with the end in mind? Are you resisting the sin and rebellion and opposition in your own heart, in our community, in the earth? Are you embracing the people of God and living out our calling to be a foretaste in our ethics and interactions? Are you becoming more intentional to become a person of mercy and justice who opposes all that stands against the kingdom, embracing gospel action and announcement? Are you embracing all the good of creation in a redemptive way – showing the world how to enjoy it for the glory of God without making it your god? This is what it means for us at Apostles to be Community committed to Renewal – in our lives and in our city and in the earth.