Propagating the Resurrected, Ascended, And All-Inclusive Christ As the Development of The Kingdom of God
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Message One
Propagating the Resurrected Christ as the Firstborn Son according to the Promise Made to the Fathers
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
And we announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, “You are My Son; this day have I begotten You.”– Acts 13:32-33
Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers–Romans 8:29
Word of Appetizer
In Acts 13:32-33 Paul says, “We announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers,” what is the promise?
In verses 32 and 33 we see that Christ as the Firstborn of God was promised to the fathers, and God fulfilled this promise by raising up Jesus. Through resurrection Christ became the firstborn Son of God as the life-dispenser for the propagation of life.
Spiritual Burden
In Acts 13:38 and 39 Paul twice spoke of “this One”: This is the One who has been resurrected to be God’s firstborn Son, our Savior, and the many holy and faithful things. Through the One who is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and the holy and faithful things, forgiveness of sins has been announced to us, and through this One we are justified.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
“From this man’s seed, God, according to promise, brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus…And we announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers”
“God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son, this day have I begotten You’”
The Experience of Life
“As to His having raised Him up from the dead…He spoke in this way, ‘I will give you the holy things of David, the faithful things’
The resurrected Christ is the holy and faithful things of David; All the holy and faithful things are Christ Himself as mercies to us. Christ is all the holy and faithful things given to us by God as an all-inclusive gift.
Practice and Application
Acts.13:38-39 to you; and from all the things from which you were not able to be justified by the law of Moses, in this One everyone who believes is justified.
Paul, in his gospel message, not only preached Christ from the Old Testament, but also preached the resurrected Christ as the holy and faithful things. Like Paul, we need to preach Christ in a rich and uplifted way.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
From this man’s seed, God, according to promise, brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus…And we announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers, –Acts 13:23；32
……I will raise up your seed after you, which will come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. — 2 Samuel 7:12
I will be his Father, and he will be My son… — 2 Samuel 7:14
I this man’s seed, the promise made to the fathers
- The seed of David mentioned in 2 Samuel 7:12 is actually Christ as God’s firstborn Son (v. 14; Heb. 1:5-6), who has both divinity and humanity and is typified by Solomon.
- The word concerning “your seed” in 2 Samuel 7:12 and “My son” in verse 14 implies that the seed of David would become the Son of God; that is, a human seed would become a divine Son:
- These verses clearly reveal that a seed of man, that is, a son of man, can become the son of God.
Key Verses (2)
And we announce to you the gospel of the promise made to the fathers. That God has fully fulfilled this promise to us their children in raising up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.”— Acts 13:32-33
Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers—Romans 8:29
II Resurrection; the Firstborn of God; propagation
- In verses 32 and 33 we see that Christ as the Firstborn of God was promised to the fathers, and God fulfilled this promise by raising up Jesus.
- Resurrection was a birth to the man Jesus: Paul was able to see the Lord’s resurrection in Psalm 2:7: “You are My Son; / Today I have begotten You”:
- Through incarnation God’s only begotten Son put on humanity and became the God-man.
- Through His resurrection Christ was born to be the firstborn Son, and at the same time all His believers were born to be the many sons of God.
- In Acts 13 Paul was not preaching Christ as the only begotten Son, as the Gospel of John does (1:18; 3:16); rather, in Acts 13 Paul was preaching Christ as the firstborn Son of God, for propagation:
Key Verses (3)
And as to His having raised Him up from the dead……He spoke in this way, “I will give you the holy things of David, the faithful things.” —Acts 13:34
…that through this One forgiveness of sins is announced to you; And from all the things from which you were not able to be justified by the law of Moses, in this One everyone who believes is justified. —Acts 13:38-39
III the holy things of David, the faithful things
IV through this One forgiveness of sins is announced to you; in this One everyone who believes is justified.
- The resurrected Christ is the holy and faithful things of David. The phrase the holy things of David, the faithful things is actually a divine title, a title of Christ.
- These holy and faithful things are all the aspects of what Christ is, such as life, light, grace, righteousness, holiness…
- All the holy and faithful things are Christ Himself as mercies to us. We need to see that the resurrected Christ is all the holy and faithful things given to us by God as an all-inclusive gift; this was the Christ preached by Paul in Acts 13.
- To be forgiven of sins is on the negative side and is for our release from condemnation. To be justified is on the positive side and is for our reconciliation to God and our being accepted by Him
- In Acts 13:38 and 39 Paul twice spoke of “this One”: Through the One who is the firstborn Son, the Savior, and the holy and faithful things, forgiveness of sins has been announced to us, and through this One we are justified.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 ‘You are My Son; this day have I begotten You’ ”（Acts 13:33）
(Please illustrate that in verses 32 and 33 we see that Christ as the Firstborn of God was promised to the fathers)
T2 The Lord’s resurrection was His birth. (Psalm 2:7; Rom.8:29)
(Please illustrate that He was begotten by God in His resurrection to be the firstborn Son of God among many brothers.)
D2
T1 The Lord Jesus had two births. (Matt.1:21;Heb.1:5)
(Please illustrate the difference between these two births.)
T2 Christ is the only begotten Son of God and also the firstborn Son of God. (John 1:18; Rom.8:29)
(Please illustrate the difference between the only begotten Son of God and the firstborn Son of God.)
D3
T1 As the firstborn Son of God, Christ has many brothers.(Rom.8:29)
(Please illustrate that through resurrection Christ became the firstborn Son of God for the propagation of life. )
T2 We are being conformed to the image of God’s firstborn Son (Rom.8:29)
(Please illustrate that now we are the many sons of God being conformed to the image, not of God’s only begotten Son but of His firstborn Son.)
D4
T1 Our first response may be to say that the only begotten Son had no brothers, but the firstborn Son has many brothers. (Rom.8:29)
(Please illustrate that in Acts 13 Paul was preaching Christ as the firstborn Son of God for propagation. )
T2 “I will give you the holy things of David, the faithful things.”(Acts 13:34)
(Please illustrate that the holy things of David, the faithful things refers to the resurrected Christ.)
D5
T1 These holy and faithful things are all the aspects of what Christ is.(Acts 13:34)
(Please illustrate that by example that how much Christ is to us as the holy and faithful things!)
T2 In the Old Testament the holy and faithful things are regarded as mercies.( Isa. 55:3-4)
(Please illustrate that mercy implies both love and grace, but it reaches further than love. Where love and grace cannot reach, mercy can reach.)
D6
T1 In Acts 13:38 and 39 Paul twice spoke of “this One”(Acts 13:38-39)
(Please illustrate that who is this One)
T2 Like Paul, we need to preach Christ in a rich and uplifted way.(Acts 13:38-39)
(Please illustrate that what kind of Christ preached by Paul in Acts 13.)
