Preparing sermons demands that a large number of decisions be made. Any text - particularly a historical text - has a number of directions it can take you. Our text for Sunday provided three distinct directions I could have headed. I could have emphasized verses 4 and 5, and talked about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Another direction we could have headed was from verse 8 and the whole issue of the great commission.
This of course would have been further broken down to understanding the power of the Holy Spirit as it relates to our witnessing, what being his witnesses entails, and an understanding of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
I chose to look at the impact of the kingdom because it provided an opportunity for me to give an overview of Acts, and also fit well with our discussions of the past three weeks where we also spoke of the kingdom. SMJ
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Kingdom to Israel
I was struck by the term restore the kingdom "to" Israel as opposed to restore the kingdom "of" Israel. Clearly geopoitical Israel is a secular structure but there is a divinely instituted "Kingdom" that includes both the natural and miraculous chlldren of Abraham. What are the implications of this latter kingdom's restoration to the world. Is this not what we pray for in the Lord's prayer? "Thy Kingdom come" Indeed, the institution of Jesus as "King"and the extension of His kingdom throughout the world, not just to Israel comes to mind. Thought of in another way, it is just another way of discribing Jesus's return and final judgement.
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