Planting Kingdom Seeds

Zephyr United Methodist Church

Early First United Methodist Church

February 5, 2006

Rev. Eddie Smart

            ^{Ac 1:1} In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ² until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³ After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴ While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

                        ^{Ac 1:6} The Ascension of Jesus

            So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷ He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ⁹ When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰ While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹ They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

I was reading a sermon this week from a collection of Fred Craddock sermons preached in the Cherry Log Christian Church. Dr. Craddock began with a story about seeing “Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. His story reminded me of conversations around our home this past Christmas. All of our kids were home. They were in that group of young people who went to the theater to see the first three Star Wars Movies. Well actually they were the last three, but they were first.

Many of you know that the first Star Wars movie became number 4 in the sequence, followed by 5 and 6 which were shown 2^nd and 3^rd. It would take about 20 years for the rest of the story to make it to the big screen. Episodes 1, 2 and 3 became the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th movies to be shown.

As Fred Craddock’s grandsons pointed out to him, Episodes 1, 2, and 3 were prequels. After all, they were before the others.

With that Craddock reveals that he understands. He is familiar with that idea. You see the Bible is that way. “You know the end before the beginning.” The resurrection is ever present, hovering over all the stories even that of the birth of Jesus.

Today we begin at the beginning of the Acts of the Apostles. We find the risen Christ with the apostles and others telling them about the kingdom of God. He tells the Apostles that they must wait until the Holy Spirit comes to them before they leave Jerusalem and go about the Father’s business. He tells them that they will receive power from the Holy Spirit that will enable them to be witnesses to the whole world about Jesus.

Well the prequel to this book of Acts would be Luke’s other writing, the Gospel of Luke. It is in Luke’s gospel that we learn the story of Jesus. We learn of God’s plan and God’s grace. It is in the gospel that we hear the teaching and preaching of Jesus. The kingdom of God is central to Jesus’ preaching and teaching. The same kingdom that Luke tells us Jesus shares in that 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension.

These first verses of Acts tell of a pivotal time. The Messiah, Jesus himself, has risen from the grave defeating death for all time. Standing at this threshold and looking back we find those gospel stories. Jesus is with his Apostles healing, performing miracles, sharing the hope that is ours to this day. The hope of eternal life. Jesus is preparing the Apostles for the task that lays before them, their task on the other side of this pivotal moment. From then on, Jesus will not be with these men and the other followers of “The Way.” Jesus leaves and the Holy Spirit comes to them bringing them the power to be witnesses. They will be witnesses to the Jesus found in Luke’s gospel.

Jesus says to them. “You will be my witnesses.” “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In other words, it will be their job to spread the kingdom of God to EVERYONE. They will begin planting kingdom seeds.

These men become faithful to their call to be witnesses. They begin planting kingdom seeds in Jerusalem. Most of the first half of the Acts of the Apostles tells of Peter and others being witnesses in Jerusalem.

Before Luke is finished with this sequel to resurrection, the Apostles have planted kingdom seeds not only in Jerusalem, but also in Samaria, Lydda, Joppa, Antioch, Cyprus, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Macedonia, Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Caesarea, Troas, and Rome. The Christian church is rapidly spreading throughout the Mediterranean world.

So what is the sequel to this story of kingdom seed planting found through the rest of Acts. The sequel you know well. The Christian church continues to grow, reaching out to others. The kingdom seed planting continues.

This planting continues in the local churches of the Central Texas Annual Conference. The existing churches continue planting in their communities. There are also needed new congregations in areas of high population growth. Bishop Chamness has set a goal of 20 new church starts between 2000 and 2008. This is an ambitious vison.

The continuous growth in membership with our annual conference can be attributed to the Church Growth and Development program which brings direction and financing for new church starts. Currently there are several churches being supported by Church Growth and Development.

The Light of the World church in Hudson Oaks is being pastored by one of my seminary classmates and colleague in the Weatherford District in our first years of ministry. The Journey of Faith church and the Good News church are both in the Temple District. I was able to watch the early excitement and growth in this congregations while in Moody. The Life Point church in Keller began with innovative programs in the backyard of the parsonage. The Bluff Dale church has been around for sometime, but finds itself in the middle of a booming population. This church between Stephenville and Granbury is pastored by Paul Porter. Paul and I meet about once a month to discuss the exciting things happening at Bluff Dale. There are two hispanic congregations and one Vietnamese beginning in the Fort Worth-Arlington area.

These new congregations get financial help through the commitment of members like us. The Early church is currently helping at a level of $107 per year. The Zephyr church at $150 per year. The goal for all the churches of our conference is one $60 share for every 15 members. That would come to 5 shares or $300 for Zephyr and 20 shares or $1200 for Early.

You see a part of being witnesses for Jesus Christ is helping to spread the gospel through needed, new congregations.

The Apostles after hearing Jesus call to be his witness did two things. They went back to their upper room where they were staying and devoted themselves to constant prayer. They also waited for the Holy Spirit to empower them.

I ask you this day, to devote yourself to constant prayer. Pray for God’s will in your life. Pray for God’s direction in completing the commitment card you received in your newsletter.

Consider for a moment the Jordan River. It is formed by four streams between the countries of Israel and Syria. From there, the river tumbles into the northern end of the Seas of Galilee where the water is sweet and transparent, abounding in fish.

The Jordan splashes on through the Sea of Galilee and continues until it empties into the Dead Sea. What a contrast this body of water is to the Sea of Galilee! No fish swim in its salty brine. No trees grow on its banks. What makes the difference? Surely, the Jordan carries the same water into each sea.

The difference lies in the way each uses the water it receives. The sea of Galilee welcomes the river, making it a part of itself and then passing it on. The Dead Sea, with no outlet, greedily holds all of the water that comes into it. Through years of evaporation, the minerals of the river have accumulated, making its water useless.

The love of Jesus Christ flows freely into each of us. What will I do with it? What will you? Will we receive it, make it a part of ourselves and then pass it on to others? Or will we hold it, provide no outlet for it, and become spiritually useless? We have a choice. Daily Guideposts 1986, 278