i am making all things new

8/12/2019 I Am Making All Things New

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‘‘I Am Making All Things New’I Am Making All Things New’

Michael Goheen

Redeemer University College

Ancaster, Canada



ThemeTheme

‘I am making all things new’



If we are to understand thisIf we are to understand this

word from God we must hearword from God we must hear

them in three contexts:them in three contexts:

The context o the whole !i!lical story

The context o the whole !ook o

Revelation

The context o o"r mission today



Structure of TalkStructure of Talk

‘I Am Making All Things #ew’$ The

Climax o the %i!lical &tory


Climax o the !ook o Revelation


Climax o o"r Mission Today



‘‘I Am Making All Things New’:I Am Making All Things New’:

The Climax of the i!lical Stor"The Climax of the i!lical Stor"

It is im'ortant to see the %i!le as one

"nolding story

(The way we "nderstand h"man lie

de'ends on what conce'tion we have o theh"man story) *hat is the real story o

which my lie story is a 'art+’ Lesslie

Newbigin-)






"nolding story

It is im'ortant to see the %i!le as the

tr"e story o "niversal history



I can(t "nderstand why yo" missionaries

'resent the %i!le to "s in India as a !ook o

religion) It is not a !ook o religion.andanyway we have 'lenty o !ooks o religion in

India) *e don(t need any more/ I ind in yo"r

%i!le a "ni0"e inter'retation o "niversalhistory, the history o the whole o creation and

the history o the h"man race) And thereore a

"ni0"e inter'retation o the h"man 'erson as a

res'onsi!le actor in history) That is "ni0"e)

There is nothing else in the whole religio"s

literat"re o the world to '"t alongside it)

-



I the ch"rch is to !e aith"l to its missionarycalling, it m"st recover the %i!le as one tr"e story$

‘I do not !elieve that we can s'eak eectively othe Gos'el as a word addressed to o"r c"lt"re"nless we recover a sense o the &cri't"res as acanonical whole, as the story which 'rovides the

tr"e context or o"r "nderstanding o the meaningo o"r lives.!oth 'ersonal and '"!lic)’ I the storyo the %i!le is ragmented into !its historical1critical, devotional, systematic1theological, moral-,

it can easily !e a!sor!ed into the reigning story oc"lt"re)

- Bartholomew and Goheen, Story and Biblical Theology, p.152






"nolding story

It is im'ortant to see the %i!le as the

tr"e story o "niversal history

It is im'ortant to see mission as central

to the %i!lical story



) ) ) the whole %i!le itsel is a ‘missional’ 'henomenon) The writings that now com'rise o"r

%i!le are themselves the 'rod"ct o, and witness to,the "ltimate mission o God) The %i!le renders to "sthe story o God’s mission thro"gh God’s 'eo'le intheir engagement with God’s world or the sake o thewhole o God’s creation) The %i!le is the drama othis God o '"r'ose engaged in the mission oachieving that '"r'ose "niversally, em!racing 'ast,

'resent and "t"re, Israel and the nations, ‘lie, the"niverse and everything)’ Mission is not 2"st one o alist o things that the %i!le ha''ens to talk a!o"t, onlya !it more "rgently than some) Mission is, in thatm"ch1a!"sed 'hrase, ‘what it’s all a!o"t)’

- hris !right, "ission as a "atri#, p.1$%-1$&



#rama of Scri$ture#rama of Scri$ture

ACT ONE: God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$Creation

ACT TWO: Re!ellion in the 5ingdom$ 6all

ACT THREE: The 5ing Chooses Israel$Redem'tion Initiated

7 Gen. 12:1-3: %lessed to !e a !lessing

7 Ex. 19:3-6: &howcase or the nations

7 Israel ails in their mission

7 8ro'hets




ACT ONE: God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$Creation


ACT THREE:The 5ing Chooses Israel$Redem'tion Initiated

ACT FOUR: The Coming o the 5ing$

Redem'tion Accom'lished

7 Takes "' mission o Israel

7 Accom'lishes redem'tion

7 Gathers renewed Israel$ Commissions them to

contin"e his mission




ACT ONE: God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$

Creation


ACT THREE: The 5ing Chooses Israel$Redem'tion Initiated

ACT FOUR: The Coming o the 5ing$


ACT FIVE: &'reading the #ews o the 5ing$

The Mission o the Ch"rch



6ollowing the a'ostles, the ch"rch is sent7&ent with the gos'el o the kingdomto make disci'les o all nations,

to eed the h"ngry,to 'roclaim the ass"rance that in the name o Christthere is orgiveness o sin and new lieor all who re'ent an !elieve7To tell the news that o"r world !elongs to God)

In a world estranged rom God,where millions ace con"sing choices,this mission is central to our being,or we anno"nce the one name that saves)

The r"le o 9es"s Christ covers the whole world)To ollow this :ord is to serve him everywhere,witho"t itting in,as lights in the darkness,as salt in a s'oiling world) T, &&, &5-



Act %i&e: S$reading the Act %i&e: S$reading the

News of the 'ingNews of the 'ing

Central to this 'eriod o redem'tive historyTasting and making known the kingdom

%eing a light to the world$ Contin"ing Israel’s

mission%earing witness to the kingdom$ Contin"ing

9es"s’ mission

%earing witness to 9es"s$ Contin"ing the early

ch"rch’s mission

To the ends o the earth



#rama of Scri$ture#rama of Scri$tureACT ONE:

God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$CreationACT TWO: Re!ellion in the 5ingdom$ 6allACT THREE: The 5ing Chooses Israel$

Redem'tion InitiatedACT FOUR: The Coming o the 5ing$


ACT FIVE: &'reading the #ews o the 5ing$The Mission o the Ch"rch

ACT SIX: The Ret"rn o the 5ing$ Redem'tionCom'leted



Mission as Central to i!lical Stor"Mission as Central to i!lical Stor"

God’s Mission$ To renew the whole

creation ‘I am making all things new’-

Israel’s Mission$ Attractive showcase o

God’s renewal

9es"s’ Mission$ Reveal and accom'lish

God’s renewing work

Ch"rch’s Mission$ Make known God’s

renewing work in lie, word, and deed



God’s Mission and (ursGod’s Mission and (urs

) ) ) I do want to arg"e or the theological

'riority o God’s mission) 6"ndamentally,

o"r mission i it is !i!lically inormed andvalidated- is o"r committed 'artici'ation, at

God’s invitation and command, in God’s

own mission in the world thro"gh history) - !right, "ission as "atri#, p.1$&



Climax of i!lical Stor"Climax of i!lical Stor"

‘I am making all things new)’

Ch"rch’s mission$ 3m!ody and anno"nce

that coming renewal "ntil God com'leteshis work

‘I anyone is in Christ, he is 'art o a new

creation; the old has gone, the new hascome/’ < Cor)=$>?-

@iering circ"mstances, dierent models omission



The ook of )e&elationThe ook of )e&elation

The inal cha'ter o the %i!lical drama

ne 'artic"lar kind o missionalaith"lness




The Climax of )e&elationThe Climax of )e&elation

&etting$ Conlict with the Roman em'ire

7 *ritten to ch"rch in Asia Minor

7 Threat o im'erial c"lt$ 3dict o @omitian

7 Administered !y Asian city co"ncils

7 8ress"re on Christians to accommodate

7 &ome did #icolaitans, %alaamites, 9eBe!el-

7 8ersec"tion or those who didn’tRe"sal to !e a 'rivate c"lt

Re"sal to 'artici'ate in idolatry






Message$ An Alternative ision

‘These visions constr"ct a co"nter1narrativedis'"ting the im'erial one, o'ening "' a dierentway o seeing the world)’

- 'ichard Ba(c)ham, Bible and "ission, p.1$&

Revelation 'rovides ‘the vision o an DalternativeworldE in order to enco"rage the Christians and toenhance their staying 'ower in the ace o

'ersec"tion and 'ossi!le exec"tion)’

- *ohannes Nissen, New Testament and "ission, p.1&+







7 :ike < 5ings F$1<H 7 A'ocaly'tic literat"re

7 The story o Revelation

7 5ingdom o God centred in cosmic Christ

7 5ingdom o God involved in a cosmic !attle

7 5ingdom o God ass"red o cosmic victory







Mission$ Resist Accommodation

‘The demand laid on the Christians addressed in the !ookis an "nconditional loyalty to the one side in the vast,"nseen str"ggle !etween the cosmic 'owers that isocc"rring or is imminent) There is no room or

com'romise.no !enign acce'tance o meat in an"n!eliever’s home, no "ndeiling commerce.or aDl"kewarmE res'onse) It is a time or DwitnessingE, whichcan lead to death as or Anti'as, <$>H-)’

- *ohannes Nissen, New Testament and "ission, p.1&



)esisting Accommodation to)esisting Accommodation to

)oman Idolatr")oman Idolatr"‘The Christians are to 'roclaim the good

news o "niversal salvation to the world,

and their '"l'it is a heroic re"sal tocom'romise with a system they see as

aligned with the orces o sin and death)’

- The Biblical o(ndations or "ission,

Senior and St(hlm(eller, p. %$5



‘ ) ) ) it !ehooves the Ch"rch to s"er with ho'e and

'atience whether the attem't !e to destroy it or to

domesticate it) 8ersec"tion was, and always is, 'ress"rea''lied to make the Ch"rch serve s"!ordinate ends in

the time o 9ohn11the "nity o the Roman em'ire and its

'eo'les- or ad2"st its witness to Christ to the !elies o

those who will not name 4im :ord) ) ) )

‘The Ch"rch was engaged in a lie1and1 death str"ggle

with the world, the lesh, and the @evil; and there co"ld

!e no com'romise with any o the three) The Ch"rch’s '"!lic witness to Christ wo"ld have no signiicance i

its inner lie were already occ"'ied !y other gods)’

- /.T. Niles, 0s Seeing the nisible, p.13, 21




The Climax of Mission Toda"The Climax of Mission Toda"@ierent settings$ *hat are the

idolatro"s c"lt"ral orces that we

need to resist+



#iffering Circumstances*#iffering Circumstances*

#ifferent Models of Mission#ifferent Models of Mission9es"s has not let "s with a rigid model

or action; rather he ins'ired his disci'lesto 'rolong the logic o his own action in a

creative way amid the new and dierent

historical circ"mstances in which the

comm"nity wo"ld have to 'roclaim the

gos'el)

1 %osch




The Climax of Mission Toda"The Climax of Mission Toda"@ierent settings$ *hat are the

idolatro"s c"lt"ral orces that we

need to resist+

Glo!al, cons"mer ca'italism

7 3conomic glo!aliBation is the ‘greatestchallenge that the Christian mission aces’

Rene 8adilla-)

7 R) %a"ckham, %i!le and Mission, H1>><)



‘The reality o o"r world is not the end o grand

narratives, !"t the increasing dominance o the

narrative o economic glo!aliBation) ) ) ) This is thenew im'erialism ) ) ) ')JKL

‘*hat do we really need in order to recogniBe and

to resist this new metanarrative o glo!aliBation+&"rely a story that co"nters the glo!al dominance

o the 'roit1motive and the c"lt"re o cons"m'tion

with a 'ower"l airmation o "niversal val"es+%"t the Christian metanarrative can ado't this role

only i it resists !ecoming a tool o the orces o

domination)’ ')J?L



‘It may well !e that, only i Christianity in thewest !ecomes a movement o resistance to s"ch

evils as cons"merism, excessive individ"alism

and the ex'loitation o the glo!al 'eri'hery, can

Christianity in many other 'arts o the world !e

credi!ly disting"ished rom the west’s economic

and c"lt"ral o''ression o other c"lt"res and

'eo'les)’ ')J?1JL



The +itness of )esistanceThe +itness of )esistance

‘Can the !i!lical narrative resist, in a way that is tr"eto the !i!lical God’s r"le, the narratives o glo!al

'ower that dominate o"r world today+’ ')><L

7 nly i we hold to the %i!le as a metanarrative that isnot co1o'ted into another more "ltimate story

7 I we see that some o the %i!le itsel was ormed in

o''osition to glo!al 'owers in o''osition to God’s

kingdom$ ‘ne element in an answer to this is the actthat the !i!lical metanarrative itsel took sha'e 'artly in

o''osition to the glo!aliBing 'owers o its day)’ ') ><L

7 I o''osition and resistance takes the orm o non1

coersive and s"ering witness



,ow can such a witness !e,ow can such a witness !e

sustained-sustained-*ith a resh "nderstanding o the

cosmic Christ

*ith a resh "nderstanding o history

as the cosmic str"ggle !etween the

kingdom o God and kingdom o

darkness

*ith a resh "nderstanding o the

cosmic victory o the gos'el



*ith the whole creation

we wait or the '"riying ire o 2"dgment)

6or then we will see the :ord ace to ace)

4e will heal o"r h"rts,end o"r wars,

and make the crooked straight)

Then we will 2oin in the new song

to the :am! witho"t !lemish

who made "s a kingdom and 'riests)

God will !e all in all,

righteo"sness and 'eace will lo"rish,everything will !e made new,

and every eye will see at last

that o"r world !elongs to God/

4 ll l 2 h/ C : d 9 CT =L

i am making all things new

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