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three foundations for gospel ministry
Acts 1:1-5 (JDV)
Acts 1:1 I constructed the first guidebook, Theophilus, to all that Jesus began to do and teach
Acts 1:2 up to the day he was picked up, after he had given instructions through the Sacred Breath to the missionaries he had selected.
Acts 1:3 After he had endured his crucifixion, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing validating evidences, appearing to them over a period of forty days and telling the things about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:4 While he was sharing salt with them, he directed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard about from me;
Acts 1:5 because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Sacred Breath in a few days.”
three foundations for gospel ministry
There are three foundations for gospel ministry, and these three foundations correspond to the three members of the divine trinity.
First, there is the Father’s promise (4). The reason the Father promised that the Holy Spirit would come to the church on Pentecost is that he had a plan, and his plan required that his people share the message about his Son with the power of his Holy Spirit.
Secondly, there is the Son’s incomplete work. Note that Luke says his first book was about all that Jesus began to do and teach (1). The Gospel of Luke records the completion of some of Jesus’ work. He completed the work of dying on the cross as our substitute and Savior. He completed the work of proving that his resurrection was genuine. He completed the work of teaching all we need to know about the kingdom of God — present and future. We have those teachings in the Gospels.
Thirdly, there is one work that Jesus left undone. He intentionally left that work for us — his church. That is the work of making disciples of all nations. It is the work of being testifiers for him (1:8).
That is why there is a third foundation for gospel ministry. That foundation is the empowerment that came to us when the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost. Jesus instructed his church to wait for the Holy Spirit to come.
He did not come to reconcile us to the Father. God had already reconciled us by his grace.
He did not come to sacrifice his life for our sins. Jesus had done that by his death on the cross.
The Holy Spirit came to turn Christ’s church into gospel evangelists!
Holy Spirit, we invite you to do a work in our lives that enables us to proclaim the gospel of Christ, and lead our community to him.
