Easter 2006 (Part Three)

Three marvelous statements concerning the Lord Jesus in Luke 24:44-49:

I. Everything written about the Lord Jesus Christ must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44).

	Everything written in the Law of Moses
	Everything written in the Prophets
	Everything written in the Psalms

Everything written about the Lord Jesus has not been yet fulfilled. Somehow, even our meeting here today, is a part of the fulfillment of the age of the church who waits for the return (the second coming) of the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. Everything written about the Lord Jesus Christ can be understood (Luke 24:45).

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all at work in this church today helping us to understand all that has been written about the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a special ministry called “illumination”.

III. Everything written about the Lord Jesus Christ can be summarized or boiled down to four statements (Luke 24:46-48).

Are you a condenser or an expander? This is an important question I ask couples when then go through pre-marriage counseling. Dr. H. Norman Wright says that there are two main types of communicators. They are expanders and condensers – do you get the picture?

EXPANDERS – those who use 250 words to say what could be said with 100 words.

CONDENSERS – those who use 50 words to say what should be said with 100 words.

(Is there such a thing as that perfect communicator? Are any of you married to such a one? I know my wife isn’t).

Luke 24:46-48 condenses and boils down the entire ministry of the NT church into 4 statements.

All the condensers say – Hallelujah!

To all the expanders, take heart. We will spend our entire Christian life reading the entire Word of God to see how these 4 statements will be accomplished.

All the expanders say – Amen!

1) The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.

	Matthew 16:13-28
	Matthew 17:22
	Matthew 20:17-19
	Matthew 26:1-5

	Luke 9:22
	Luke 9:43-45
	Luke 17:25
	Luke 18:31-34
	Luke 24:36

2) Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.

There are many misunderstandings of this message in our day. Some are tragic misunderstandings that may send souls to hell. Some are unfortunate misunderstandings that cause saved souls to live in great turmoil.

Repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name.

“If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

“The peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:8).

Romans road.

Romans 8:1 – “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That is our goal.

The tragic misunderstanding is that there is no need for repentance or forgiveness. This will send condemned souls to hell on the Day of Judgment. It manifests in what is called “universalism”. All are saved. There is no gospel of repentance and forgiveness. In my mind this would change the words of Jesus to something like: “The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, thus all are saved.”

The unfortunate misunderstanding is that as saved people we do not need to be concerned about our sin. This should bring conviction to the souls of God’s children. Repentance and forgiveness of sins is what began our relationship with the Lord. Repentance and forgiveness of sins keeps our walk fresh and close with the Lord.

I was talking with a friend who is a pastor. He told me about a time in his life when he decided that since he was saved he could do anything he wanted to. He has great regrets concerning those years of his life. He found his peace with God by repenting and being forgiven.

“Repent or die” is not our message on this side of the cross (I’m not so sure that it was on the OT side of the cross either). The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is “repent and live” (Phil 3:8 and 1:21).

Repentance and forgiveness of sins in Jesus Name will be preached to all the ethnos.

As a mission minded American, I immediately think of my responsibility to send this gospel message out to the whole world from the USA.

Truth is, the reason that we have the gospel here to be preached today is because it reached us – it did not originate with us. We are the grafted in wild olive branches – otherwise known as the Gentiles.

How interesting it is that we are used of God to be a part in preaching this gospel message to all the “ethnic groups” of this world.

Did you know that WBC is sending missionaries into the difficult to enter Far East ethnic groups? These missionaries are not white skinned, they are dark skinned. The Filipino churches are gathering nickels and dimes and sending their people as missionaries into the eastern ethnic groups to which they are closely related. We would maybe have no idea of that when we give to the sister-church ministry – but the Lord knows.

I have pictures in my mind of a Chinese man, Ru rang Zhang, whom I visited with for about 10 hours while flying over the Pacific Ocean. He is a professor of economics for doctoral students in Shang Hai, China. Some of his last words to me were, “When you get done in the Philippines, you must come with me to China.”

Impossible, I say! How can this be? How could a small church in northern Minnesota do such things?

Jesus said, “Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

3) You are witnesses of these things.

Martus (martus) – originally just meant to be a witness; came to mean one witness unto death.

4) The Promised Holy Spirit will come to give you the power to proclaim this gospel.

That’s it! The whole message of the NT church boiled down into four precise statements:

- The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.

- Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.

- You are witnesses of these things.

- The Promised Holy Spirit will come to give you the power to proclaim this gospel.