The Advance of the Kingdom The following notes were taken from power point slides, which were used for a series of ten sermons delivered by Pastor Dave Hayton, at Martin Baptist Church. They give a brief overview of the basic message of the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation. I trust that they will be as helpful for many of you as they were for me, when I first heard them.

The Advance of the Kingdom Seeing the Sequence and Significance of the Biblical Story

by Dave Hayton “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to

generation.” Daniel 4:3b

INTRODUCTION

What? I. The “Sequence” of the Kingdom of God Our goal in these sermons is to better understand the Bible:

• That it is a Unified story • That it is a unified story of the eternal Kingdom of God • That this eternal kingdom advances through the work of Salvation • That the central Person of this unified story is Jesus our King and Savior • That the story of Jesus our King and Savior is revealed in the Bible through a series of

Covenants • That this unified story has everything to do with Us

Why? II. The “Significance” of the Kingdom of God We must acknowledge that this study is very relevant and practical for us:

• Matthew 6:33 - “But seek first the Kingdom of God...” • Psalm 119:162 - “I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.” • 2 Corinthians 3:18 - “...beholding the glory of the Lord, [we] are being transformed into

the same image from one degree of glory to another...”

THE KINGDOM AND THE COVENANTS

• The Story of God's Kingdom is revealed in the Bible through a series of “covenants” • The Bible really is a covenant-book • There are basically two major covenants that make up history: The Covenant of Creation

and the Covenant of Salvation • The Covenant of Salvation is progressively revealed in six stages – Adam, Noah,

Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus Christ

Definition of “Covenant”

Basically: “a life-and-death relationship”

• Child dedication • Marriage: “...till death do us part...”

Biblically: “a divinely-established, life-and-death relationship”

• God's covenant is sovereign • God's covenant is gracious • God's covenant requires faith and obedience

The Biblical Story is a Covenant Story

• Genesis 17:7 -- “...I will establish My covenant...for an everlasting covenant...” • Exodus 24:7 -- “...the book of the covenant” • Numbers 10:33 -- “...the ark of the covenant” • Psalm 136 -- “...for His steadfast love endures forever” • Isaiah 55:3 -- “I will make an everlasting covenant with you...” • Luke 22:2 -- “the new covenant in My blood...” • Hebrews 13:20 -- “...the blood of the eternal covenant...”

The Progression of God's Covenant

• The Covenant of Creation [pre-Fall] • The Covenant of Salvation [post-Fall]

1. Adam [installation]...............................the seed 2. Noah [preservation]..............................the greenhouse 3. Abraham [inauguration].........................the sprout 4. Moses [intensification]...........................the stalk 5. David [coronation]................................the leaves 6. Christ [consummation]..........................the blossom

The Heart of the Covenant: Worship

• Genesis 17:7-8 -- “I will establish my covenant...to be God to you and to your descendants after you...and I will be their God.”

• Jeremiah 31:33 -- “...this is the covenant which I will make...I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

• Ezekiel 11:20 -- “...Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.” • Matthew 1:23 -- “...call His name 'Immanuel,' which translated means, 'God with us.'” • Revelation 21:3 -- “...Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell

with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself will be their God,'”

So What?

• You were made for this... • Sin destroyed and perverted this... • Christ purchased and restored this...

“Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” -- 1 Peter 3:18

THE COVENANT OF CREATION

Creation as a “Covenant” Biblical support for understanding Creation as a “covenant” of God:

• Jeremiah 33:25-26, with nature itself • Hosea 6:7, with Adam especially/uniquely

* Genesis 2:16-17 records this covenant

1. a life-and-death relationship 2. a bond divinely established

The Covenant of Creation ...Sovereign “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” -- Acts 17:24-25 ...Gracious “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his: we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter he gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; less his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love [= covenant love] endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” -- Psalm 100 Required faith/obedience “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”-- Genesis 2:16-17

What Happened?

• Adam and Eve sinned against God and broke the covenant... [cf. Genesis 3; Hosea 6:7; Romans 5:12-21]

• Therefore they brought upon themselves [and their posterity] the curses of the covenant... • We are not told why God permitted the existence of evil – only that He did:

1. God is holy: He is against all evil [I Peter 1:16] 2. God is sovereign: He has a purpose for all evil [Ephesians 1:11]

• This could have been the end of the story – that day, or 10,000 years from then...

Conclusion: Creation and Christ What Do We Learn About Christ from Creation?

• He is the Word of God; He is God [cf. John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2] • He foreshadows His work of Salvation [cf. 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 5:17;

Ephesians 2:10] • He is Majestic beyond description [cf. Psalm 19:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Revelation 4:11]

THE COVENANT OF ADAM

The Covenant of Salvation: Adam

God's covenant promise to Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15 makes up the first scene in the unveiling of God's Salvation Plan – the first stage in the advance of His Kingdom. This = the installation, the Seed of God's great Redeeming Work.

What's Going On Here?

The Kernel of the Covenant – Genesis 3:15

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise you head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

• This is such a sovereign and gracious thing! • Though seed-form, this covenant contains all the “ingredients” for the fullness of

salvation: God graciously intervening to save His people through the bruising of One of the offspring of the woman [the crucifixion of Jesus Christ], that would utterly destroy the enemy [Satan].

Biblical Writers Understood This

• Joshua 10:22-25, “...for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom you fight.”

• Psalm 91:13, “You will tread upon the lion and cobra, the young lion and the serpent you will trample down.”

• Psalm 110:6, The Lord will triumphantly “...smash the head” of His enemies. • Colossians 2:14-15, Though suffering on the cross the wound of Satan, Christ

“...despoiled the principalities and powers” and “...made a show of them openly” • Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

Adam and Eve Understood This

• Genesis 3:21 – They were “clothed” by God through blood sacrifice [picture of Christ] • Genesis 4:1 – In the very next passage, Eve gives birth and joyfully exclaims “I have

gotten a man with the help of the Lord!” • Genesis 4:25 – When Seth is born to them, Eve again declares “God has appointed [=

Seth] for me another offspring instead...”

Conclusion: Seeing Christ in Adam's Day

The Purpose of all the Bible is to Show Christ:

• Luke 24:27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.”

• 2 Timothy 3:15, “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the scriptures [O.T.], which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

In Adam's Day:

• Jesus is seen in the life of Abel [a “type” of Christ] • Jesus is seen in the name of Seth [“appointed one”] • Jesus is seen [especially] in the sacrificial system

THE COVENANT OF NOAH

Creation and Salvation

Covenant of Creation

• Dealt with man in his innocent condition • Obedience is required of man in the Garden • Man broke the covenant by rebelling against God

Covenant of Salvation

• Deals with man in his fallen condition • Christ provides the obedience man is lacking • Christ is the covenant-keeper, forever

The Covenant of Salvation: Noah

God's covenant relationship with Noah [in Genesis 6:17-22 and 8:20-9:17] serves to highlight the enormity of His grace against the backdrop of the certainty of His judgment. The focus = merciful preservation, the Greenhouse of God's great Redeeming Work.

The Certainty of God's Judgment

• The Flood Demonstrates God's Judgment Against Sinners

Genesis 6:5-7, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, 'I will blot out man..'”

• The Flood Illustrates the Ultimate Day of Judgment to Come

Luke 17:26-27, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” [cf. Peter 3:3-7]

The Enormity of God's Grace

• Oh, the grace of God, in saving Noah!

1. Genesis 6:8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

2. ? Genesis 7:1, “...for I have seen that you are righteous before me” 3. Hebrews 11:7, “... [Noah]... became an heir of the righteousness that comes by

faith.”

• Oh, the grace of God, in preserving the world!

1. Genesis 9:11-13, “I establish my covenant with you, that...never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth...this is the sign of the covenant...I have set my bow in the cloud...”

2. Romans 3:25, “...in His...forbearance he passed over former sins.” 3. 2 Peter 3:7-9, “...The Lord...is patient...not wishing that any should perish, but

that all should reach repentance.”

Conclusion: Seeing Christ is Noah's Day

• See the Covenant Promise [Genesis 6:18; 3:15] • See the Sacrificial System [Genesis 8:20; 4:4] • See Jesus' righteousness [Genesis 7:1; 3:21] • See the Ark as a Picture of Jesus!

THE COVENANT OF ABRAHAM

The Covenant of Salvation: Abraham

God's covenant-promise to Abraham introduces the next stage in the Advance of the Kingdom. Here the Covenant of Salvation emerges gloriously in its “inauguration.” The seed has sprouted and now the reality of the flower is better observed than ever before.

What did God promise Abraham?

• “Land” -- The Eternal Place of Restored Fellowship with God

1. The Shadow: O.T. Palestine [Genesis 12:1; 1 Kings 4:20-21] 2. The Substance: Heaven [Genesis 17:8; Hebrews 11:10, 16]

• “Seed” -- The Eternal People in Restored Fellowship with God

1. The Shadow: Nation of Israel [Genesis 12:2; 17:10-11] 2. The Substance: The Church [Genesis 17:5-7; Romans 2:28-29]

• “Blessing” -- The Eternal Pleasure of Restored Fellowship with God

1. The Source: Christ Alone [Genesis 12:3; 22:18; Galatians 3:16] 2. The Scope: All Peoples [Genesis 12:3; Revelation 5:9]

Did Abraham Believe the Promise?

• He was promised eternal fellowship with God through Christ...did he believe the promise? “Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.” [Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3]

• Was Abraham's faith genuine...did it issue forth in a life of Spirit-energized obedience? “You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected.” [James 2:22]

Where do we fit in to all of this?

• Faith links us to the Promise made to Abraham! [cf. Galatians 3:29; Romans 4:11; Galatians 3:26...]

• This Faith involves being “called out” of the world of sinful, fleeting pleasures and being “called unto the World of holy, everlasting joy!” [cf. Genesis 15:1; John 17:3; Hebrews 11:16, 25-26...]

• Therefore, just like Abraham, we can have genuine Faith that looks to Jesus as Savior, Lord, and Treasure! [cf. Acts 4:12; Pilippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 11:6...]

Seeing Christ in Abraham's Day

• Abraham knew about and rejoiced in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ [John 8:56] • Think about it...just a few things:

1. The promise of Genesis 3:15 carried on 2. The continual testimony of sacrificial worship 3. Seeing the Ark-Message every time it rained 4. Melchizedek as type of Christ [cf. Hebrews 7] 5. Isaac's miraculous birth foreshadows Jesus' 6. Abraham offering his only son = The Cross!

THE COVENANT OF MOSES

The Covenant of Salvation: Moses

With Moses, God's Covenant of Salvation undergoes extreme intensification. In this era, God intensifies both the nature of the Gospel-promise and the need for the Gospel-promise. In this way God advances the Kingdom with great power and glory and causes it to flourish to a degree yet unknown to generations before. The tender sprout has grown into a mighty stalk!

The Nature of the Promise: Types

• God greatly intensified the nature of the Gospel through types • Kinds of Types in Moses' day [at least]:

1. Persons [Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Samson, etc.] 2. Objects [Burning Bush, The Rock, Cloud/Fire, Tabernacle, etc.] 3. Actions [sacrifices, worship/cleansing rituals, etc.] 4. Angel of the LORD [appearing to Moses, Joshua, Gideon, etc.] 5. Historical Events [the Exodus-event, Canaan conquest, etc.]

“and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which

followed them; and the rock was Christ.” -- 1 Corinthians 10:4

The Nature of the Promise: Prophecies

God also intensified the nature of the Gospel through prophecies

• Balaam [Numbers 24:7, 15-19] • Moses [Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Acts 3:22, 7:37]

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him...”

• Samuel and all the rest of the prophets [Acts 3:24]

“And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, form Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days.” [see Luke 24:27]

• “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” [Revelation 19:10b]

The Need for the Promise: The Law

• The Law intensifies the Gospel-Promise

1. The Law is not the promise, but was added to the promise for a set time in order to intensify people's awareness of their need for it. [Galatians 3:17-19a; Romans 5:20-21; 7:13]

2. The Law displays the holiness of God and establishes the fact [remember Adam] that God's righteous demands must be met in order for eternal life to be given. [Romans 1:18; 3:19-20]

3. Therefore, from the beginning, the Law was intended to lead to faith in Christ – Who fulfills it on our behalf, by enduring its curses and earning its blessings. [Romans 10:4, ff.; 2 Corinthians 5:21]

“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.” --

Galatians 3:24

So What Do We Do With The Law?

Understand Three Things:

1. We are free from the Law! [Colossians 2:13-17; Galatians 5:1]

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

2. Yet, we do live out it's essence. [Galatians 5:22-23]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

3. As Scripture we use it to see Christ and build up our faith in Him. [2 Cor. 3:16; Rom. 15:4]

“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

A Christian View of the Ten Commandments [Edited and Adapted from John M. Frame, “Preaching Christ form the Decalogue”] 1. Worship Jesus as only Lord and Savior and mediator [Acts 4:12] 2. See Jesus as the one and only perfect image of God [Hebrews 1:3] 3. Revere Jesus' Name as the holy Name of God [Philippians 2:10-11] 4. Come and delight in Jesus as your real Sabbath Rest [Hebrews 4:9] 5. Honor your parents, so as to honor the real Parent [Hebrews 2:10] 6. Respect life, and thereby respect the Prince of Life [Acts 3:15] 7. Be pure, so as to please your true Bridegroom [Ephesians 5:27] 8. Refrain from theft, since Christ is your provision [Philippians 4:19] 9. Be honest, and thereby exalt Jesus as the Truth [John 14:6] 10. Be content, in order to show Jesus as the Treasure [Philippians 1:21]

Seeing Christ in Moses' Day

The Symbolism of the Exodus [partial list]:

• Slavery in Egypt = Slavery to sin • Moses = Christ • Pharaoh = Satan • Blood of Passover Lamb = Blood of Christ • Red Sea = Blood of Christ that Delivers and Destroys • Wilderness Journey = Christian Walk • Promise Land = Heaven • Crossing the Jordan River = Dying for the Believer

THE COVENANT OF DAVID

The Covenant of Salvation: David

God's relationship with David marks the final and greatest era of the Covenant of Salvation in the Old Testament. God establishes King David's throne forever, ordaining that Christ Himself would reign upon it as its ultimate Heir. God the Father foreordains His Son as the Savior-King of His people – through the promise made to David. The key word = coronation. The majestic leaves are showing that something spectacular is about to take place!

God's Promise to David

• David is promised a Person Who Will Reign Forever

1. 2 Samuel 7:12-16 [shadow = David's son, Solomon] 2. Matthew 1:1; Acts 2:22-36 [reality = David's Son, Christ]

• David is promised a Place for the Eternal Throne

1. 2 Samuel 7:10; 2 Kings 21:4 [shadow = Old Jerusalem] 2. Revelation 21:2 [reality = New Jerusalem/The Church]

David is promised that Jesus would reign forever upon his throne – in the eternal, new Jerusalem!

[This promise is understood as the covenant of salvation being established with David – cf. 2 Samuel 23:5; Psalm 89:3-4, etc.]

How is this the “greatest” era of the Covenant of Salvation in the OT?

• Greater Types

1. David [Ezekiel 37:23-24; Luke 1:32; Revelation 22:16] 2. Solomon [2 Samuel 7:12-15; The Song of Solomon] 3. Jerusalem [Psalm 137:6; Isaiah 2:3; Galatians 4:26]

• Greater Prophecies

1. The Inspired Psalms [!]...e.g., Psalm 2, 16, 22, 110 2. The Inspired Prophets [!]...e.g., Isaiah!!!

Where do we fit into this?

• Jesus, the Son of David, is our Savior-King! [Romans 1:1-6; Revelation 5:5, ff.] • The “New Jerusalem” is our City! [Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:9-11] • The Heart of the Covenant = Worship! [Ezekiel 37:27; Psalm 73:25-26]

Seeing Christ in David's Day [In addition to everything else]...The Temple!

John 2:19-22: “Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?'” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised

from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scriptures and the word that Jesus had spoken.”

• the Place where God meets man • the Place where the Sacrifice was made

Revelation 21:22-23: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light and its lamp is the Lamb.”

THE COVENANT OF CHRIST

The Covenant of Salvation: Christ In Christ, God brings His grand covenant scheme to consummation. Through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, God establishes the certainty and the eternality of His Great Kingdom. The OT promises are now fulfilled! The mere shadows give way to the Substance, the reflections surrender to the Reality. Wow! Wow! Wow! The blossom of this glorious gospel-flower has now erupted in unspeakable splendor. Christ's Work as a Covenant Work

Jeremiah 31:31-34:

“'Behold, the days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...'" Luke 22:20: “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, 'This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.'” Hebrews 9:15: “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

Old Covenant vs. New Covenant The “Old” Covenant is:

• A Term used for the Law of Moses [e.g., 2 Corinthians 3:14] • Remember: With the Law, God was intensifying the gospel-promise by showing Israel

her need for it. • Therefore, the Law was not merely demands; in it were also many types/promises of the

Christ [Deuteronomy 18:18; 30:6, etc.]

The “New” Covenant is “new” in that:

• It fulfills the demands/promises of the Old [2 Corinthians 1:20]

1. Jesus endured the curses of the Law on our behalf [Galatians 3:13] 2. Jesus earned the blessings of the Law on our behalf [Philippians 3:9]

• It replaces the shadows with the Substance [Colossians 2:17]

1. Jesus is the High Priest, Sacrifice, Tabernacle, Sabbath, etc.

The First Adam vs. The Last Adam

Covenant of Creation

• Dealt with man in his innocent condition • Obedience is required of man in the Garden • Adam broke the covenant by rebelling against God

Covenant of Salvation

• Deals with man in his fallen condition • Christ provides the obedience man is lacking • Christ is the covenant-keeper, forever

“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” -- 1 Corinthians 15:22

The Glory of the Covenant of Salvation

• This Salvation has been purchased once and for all! Hebrews 9:12: “and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.”

• This Salvation is intended for sinners of all races! Revelation 5:9: “...You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood persons from every tribe and people and nation.”

• This Salvation means fellowshipping with God! John 17:3: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God...”

• This Salvation is secure forever through Christ! Romans 8:39: “...nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

How do we get “connected” to this?

By Faith Alone in Christ!

• Romans 4:4-5: “Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”

• Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

• Genuine Faith is: The Mind Affirming Christ and The Heart Adoring Christ

“For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” -- Romans 10:13

CONCLUSION

Conclusion: What Now?

Three fold Division of World-History

1. The Anticipation of Christ's Work 2. The Accomplishment of Christ's Work 3. The Application of Christ's Work

The Application of Christ's Work

• What has already been accomplished “once for all” is now being applied progressively by the Holy Spirit

1. “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do.” John 17:4 [cf. John 19:30; Hebrews 10:14]

2. “The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.” Psalm 110:1 [cf. Acts 2:34]

• The “End Days” started with Christ and the Apostles

1. “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11 [cf. Romans13:11; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3, etc.]

• The Ultimate End will arrive once God's people from all nations have been gathered [“harvested”]

1. “...for You were slain, and by your blood You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...” Revelation 5:9

2. “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14

History of the End Times

• The Early Church [AD 30-300]

1. Chief Satanic Opposition = Persecution 2. Chief Gospel-Victory = Rapid Church Growth

• The Emerging Church [AD 300-600]

1. Chief Satanic Opposition = Doctrinal Confusion 2. Chief Gospel-Victory = Doctrinal Formulation

• The Medieval Church [AD 600-1600]

1. Chief Satanic Opposition = Corruption 2. Chief Gospel-Victory = Reformation

• The Modern Church [AD 1600-????]

1. Chief Satanic Opposition = Division 2. Chief Gospel-Victory = All Nations United in Worship

History = The Advance of the Kingdom

• History is not a series of blind-chance events! • Take just a glimpse at Providence in the Past:

1. Rome's Road-Network & The Initial Church Growth! 2. State-Church System & The Timely Church Councils! 3. The Advent of the Printing Press & The Reformation! 4. Exploration of the World & The Increase of Missions!

• Now, think about the present and future:

1. Modern Travel and Communication Technology... 2. Globalization and an emerging multi-lingual world...

• “...The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” -- Revelation 11:15

Finishing the Great Commission

• A Task Destined to be Finished • The Task that Defines our Existence • The Task = To Proclaim and Portray the Gospel to All • A Challenging Task – 6,000 + Unreached People Groups [of 18,000?] • An Encouraging Task – 12,000 Unreached People Groups in 1970! • A Very Radical Task

Matthew 28:18-20 "...'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, as you go, disciple all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age.'" Matthew 10:37-39 "The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn't worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn't worthy of me. The one who doesn't take up his cross and follow me isn't worthy of me. The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it."

One Word... “Worship!”

• Missions = The “Overflow” of Worship • Worship = The Fuel and The Goal • Worship = The Heart and the Covenant

***Get Excited About the Gospel!***

Revelation 21:3

“I heard a loud voice from the throne say, 'See, the tabernacle of God is among humans! He will make his home with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.” Revelation 7:9-10 “After these things I looked, and there was a large crowd that no one was able to count! They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing in front of the throne and the lamb and were wearing white robes, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the lamb!'" Revelation 19:6 “Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a large crowd, like the sound of raging waters, and like the sound of powerful thunderclaps, saying, 'Hallelujah! The Lord our God, the Almighty, is reigning.'”