Sermons are rarely thorough enough nor do they address every issue in full detail.  Sometimes it’s hard to discern what is most important to present and what should stay in the warehouse.  My sermons start the process on Monday, a rough draft by Thursday, and editing continues  until 9:30 on Sunday morning.  This past Sunday I covered most of Acts 3.  What I didn’t address but surely could have were the issues of dispensational vs covenant theology. I edited it out because of the practical reality of time, context, and larger points of the text.  Here is some of the retracted study that didn’t make the sermon cut but might be of interest to some of you.   I do believe Acts 3:20-21 speaks strongly for a covenantal view.

Christ must remain in heaven “until the times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21a). The word “until” shows Christ will remain in heaven, where he is since being “received” there at his ascension. The force of “until” makes the times of restitution simultaneous with Christ’s mediatorial session in heaven. When he returns he will complete, rather than initiate, the times of restitution.

This “restoration of all things” has already begun, having been instituted during the ministry of Christ. In fact, Peter informs his auditors of the events begun in their time: “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days” (Acts 3:24). This is also clear from Matthew 17:11, where John the Baptist functions as an Elijah introducing the restoration of all things.

The restoration is a reformation that supplants the old order (Heb. 9:10). It is a process leading to “the regeneration” of the fallen world as a system (John 1:29; 3:17; 4:42), where Christ’s will shall be done in earth (Matt. 6:10), as His kingdom grows and spreads (Matt. 13:31-33; 1 Cor. 15:20-27). It is the fulfillment of all things “which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21), as in Isaiah 2:2-4; 9:1-7; 11:1ff. Acts 3:24-25 demonstrates that “these men of Israel who stood listening to Peter were ‘sons of the prophets’ — not in the OT sense of the words which denoted the professional prophetic guild, but in the sense that they were heirs of the promises made by God through the prophets — promises which had found their fulfillment before their very eyes. So, too, they were ‘sons of the covenant’ made by God with Abraham, and that in a special sense, for they had lived to see the day when that covenant came true in Christ: ‘In thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed’” (Bruce, Acts, p. 93).

This fulfillment progressively grows during “the times” of the “restitution of all things.” “The gospel blessings that were to flow from His death and resurrection must spread abroad throughout the world, and then He would return from the right hand of power” (Bruce, Acts, p. 91). Even rebellious Israel will be re-incorporated into the kingdom (Acts 1:6; Rom. 11). Christ will not return in His Second Advent until this reformation / restoration/ regeneration/ redemption has overwhelmed the earth.

The Davidic hope is not put on hold until the future millennium, as per “revised” dispensationalism. Neither is it but partially here, only to be fully established in the future millennium, as per “progressive” dispensationalism. The Davidic promise as found in Acts 3:20-21 provides hope for the future, to be sure. But it is a growing developing hope in the present; a hope that results in a glorious time in earth’s history that is continuous with the present.

Why does this matter?  Because when IK speaks of her mission as not only to be redeemed by the Gospel but to proclaim the Gospel of Christ for the redemption of all things, we are not wringing our hands and waiting for this life and world to end so we can get to the party. We believe that indeed the party has already started, so let the good times roll!

And for the record I do use Bock’s (Dispensational) and Bruce’s (Covenant) commentaries as references on Acts. For further reading on some of these issues (hermeneutics regarding the new heavens and the new earth) I recommend Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright.

Life lived out of control…

Good read on small churches and orphan care…

I don’t have an IPad, I would like one very much, just to be able to use it with velcro like this…

College football, begins this week, and all God’s people said, “AMEN! and Go Jackets!”

Quote of the Week comes from an article you should read if you read nothing else this week: It’s taken us a long time to get here, in this plummet from Francis Schaeffer to Glenn Beck.  In order to be this gullible, American Christians have had to endure years of vacuous talk about undefined “revival” and “turning America back to God” that was less about anything uniquely Christian than about, at best, a generically theistic civil religion and, at worst, some partisan political movement- Russ Moore.

I have sat down many times to write out my thoughts and reflections on the past year of life.  I’m about to turn 34, but my thirty-third year was pretty amazing (all clichés fall short).  I sought repentance from an idol, lost 60 pounds (see idol), ended up in Haiti three weeks before the quake and went back three days after the quake, saw the church of Isaac’s Keep move from a building to house and grow in so many ways, and I’m about to have my third child, my first son, due by the end of September.  Each of these incidents could easily be their own short stories and some would warrant a trilogy.  So reflecting and looking ahead has been difficult to say the least.  I write and write then review and it just doesn’t capture it all or it over or under emphasizes one thing or another.  In many ways I sense I’ve learned so much more about life and ministry, but then again perhaps I’m just more confident in where I am and what God is doing with this redeemed wreck. It isn’t the billboard fakebook status update kind of thing, but more about coming to terms with a lot of stuff.   It’s seeing my wife and kids in totally different ways that have increased my love and enjoyment of these wonderful gifts.  It’s seeing the church and believers for what they are, redeemed sinners; messy, often ugly, hypocritical, but also beautiful, kind, and generous. It’s being content with who I am and not trying to be the check in everybody’s box.  Being ok with being judged wrongly or rightly.  Understanding more about the risk of leadership, getting knocked down and being put back up to do it all over again.  It’s the idealistic “save the world” with the realistic “one person, one relationship at a time.” And finding joy, amazing joy in all of it.

This served as the push (June 2009):

As a father of two daughters, this article nails it in regards to understanding their emotions.

In a cultural context whose idol is “Father Time”, Carl Trueman shows us the virtue of wasted time.

The church of Isaac’s Keep is pursing a relationship with Four Corners Church in Newnan. We visited with them this past Saturday, who knew Newnan had such a perfect little downtown area?

This is pretty fun with/for the kids.

One of the few podcast I listen to about music.

I will be spending my birthday, Sept 10th at Chastain Park rocking my head off to the Avett Brothers, your welcome to join the wife and I (lawn tickets).  These guys are big time now, they have long defined for me good southern music.

Follow the discussion on The Future of Evangelicalism

On what “Engaging Culture” should really mean…

In that same vein,  an article on Monday Night Brewery, these guys inspire…

How Do I know God exists? Thank you D.A. Carson for this:

A useful online converter

Are you getting ripped off by your service provider? Nice free way to test your internet connection.

A soon to be book on The American Ruling class and how to combat it, beyond politics.

Interesting op-ed from NY Times on pressures put on pastors.

I’m interested in entertainment for a host of reasons and though I’m not a professional critic, if I were, I like the looks of this

Tips for using Google

And now for music:

Glad these guys are back at it, missed you.

Awesomeness, Beck rules.

Great music by Jon Black and IK’s Greg Sykes had a hand in the groovy art.

When I listen to Arcade Fire, I go between “epic” and “immature” and I’m not sure why. What do you think?

Quote of the Week:

“Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” -John Wooden