I Am Making All Things New

Michael Goheen Redeemer University College Ancaster, Canada

Theme
I am making all things new

If we are to understand this word from God we must hear them in three contexts:
The The The

context o the whole !i!lical story

context o the whole !ook o Revelation context o o"r mission today

Structure of Talk
I I I

Am Making All Things #ew$ The Climax o the %i!lical &tory Am Making All Things #ew$ The Climax o the !ook o Revelation Am Making All Things #ew$ The Climax o o"r Mission Today

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of the i!lical Stor"

It

is im'ortant to see the %i!le as one "n olding story

(The way we "nderstand h"man li e de'ends on what conce'tion we have o the h"man story) *hat is the real story o which my li e story is a 'art+ ,Lesslie Newbigin-)

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of the i!lical Stor"

It It

is im'ortant to see the %i!le as one "n olding story 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.and anyway 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 "niversal history, the history o the whole o creation and the history o the h"man race) And there ore 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 missionary calling, it m"st recover the %i!le as one tr"e story$ I do not !elieve that we can s'eak e ectively o the Gos'el as a word addressed to o"r c"lt"re "nless we recover a sense o the &cri't"res as a canonical whole, as the story which 'rovides the tr"e context or o"r "nderstanding o the meaning o o"r lives.!oth 'ersonal and '"!lic) I the story o the %i!le is ragmented into !its ,historical1 critical, devotional, systematic1theological, moral-, it can easily !e a!sor!ed into the reigning story o c"lt"re) - Bartholomew and Goheen, Story and Biblical Theology, p.152

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of the i!lical Stor"

It It It

is im'ortant to see the %i!le as one "n olding story is im'ortant to see the %i!le as the tr"e story o "niversal history 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 "s the story o Gods mission thro"gh Gods 'eo'le in their engagement with Gods world or the sake o the whole o Gods creation) The %i!le is the drama o this God o '"r'ose engaged in the mission o achieving that '"r'ose "niversally, em!racing 'ast, 'resent and "t"re, Israel and the nations, li e, the "niverse and everything) Mission is not 2"st one o a list o things that the %i!le ha''ens to talk a!o"t, only a !it more "rgently than some) Mission is, in that m"ch1a!"sed 'hrase, what its all a!o"t) - hris !right, "ission as a "atri#, p.1$%-1$&

#rama of Scri$ture
ACT ACT ACT

ONE: God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$ Creation TWO: Re!ellion in the 5ingdom$ 6all 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

#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 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

#rama of Scri$ture
ACT ACT ACT ACT ACT

ONE: God 3sta!lishes 4is 5ingdom$ Creation TWO: Re!ellion in the 5ingdom$ 6all THREE: The 5ing Chooses Israel$ Redem'tion Initiated FOUR: The Coming o the 5ing$ Redem'tion Accom'lished 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 kingdom to make disci'les o all nations, to eed the h"ngry, to 'roclaim the ass"rance that in the name o Christ there is orgiveness o sin and new li e or all who re'ent an !elieve7 To 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 News of the 'ing

Central

to this 'eriod o redem'tive history Tasting and making known the kingdom %eing a light to the world$ Contin"ing Israels mission %earing witness to the kingdom$ Contin"ing 9es"s mission %earing witness to 9es"s$ Contin"ing the early ch"rchs mission To the ends o the earth

#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 ACT FOUR: The Coming o the 5ing$ Redem'tion Accom'lished ACT FIVE: &'reading the #ews o the 5ing$ The Mission o the Ch"rch ACT SIX: The Ret"rn o the 5ing$ Redem'tion Com'leted

Mission as Central to i!lical Stor"

Gods

Mission$ To renew the whole creation ,I am making all things new Israels Mission$ Attractive showcase o Gods renewal 9es"s Mission$ Reveal and accom'lish Gods renewing work Ch"rchs Mission$ Make known Gods renewing work in li e, word, and deed

Gods Mission and (urs

) ) ) I do want to arg"e or the theological 'riority o Gods mission) 6"ndamentally, o"r mission ,i it is !i!lically in ormed and validated- is o"r committed 'artici'ation, at Gods invitation and command, in Gods own mission in the world thro"gh history) - !right, "ission as "atri#, p.1$&

Climax of i!lical Stor"

I

am making all things new) Ch"rchs mission$ 3m!ody and anno"nce that coming renewal "ntil God com'letes his work I anyone is in Christ, he is 'art o a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come/ ,< Cor)=$>? @i ering circ"mstances, di erent models o mission

The ook of )e&elation

The

inal cha'ter o the %i!lical drama Ane 'artic"lar kind o missional aith "lness

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of )e&elation

&etting$

Con lict 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!el7 8ersec"tion or those who didnt
Re "sal to !e a 'rivate c"lt Re "sal to 'artici'ate in idolatry

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of )e&elation

&etting$

Con lict with the Roman em'ire Message$ An Alternative Cision These visions constr"ct a co"nter1narrative dis'"ting the im'erial one, o'ening "' a di erent way o seeing the world)
- 'ichard Ba(c)ham, Bible and "ission, p.1$&

Revelation 'rovides the vision o an Dalternative worldE in order to enco"rage the Christians and to enhance their staying 'ower in the ace o 'ersec"tion and 'ossi!le exec"tion)
- *ohannes Nissen, New Testament and "ission, p.1&+

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of )e&elation

&etting$

Con lict with the Roman em'ire Message$ An Alternative Cision

7 :ike < 5ings F$G1<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

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of )e&elation

&etting$

Con lict with the Roman em'ire Message$ An Alternative Cision Mission$ Resist Accommodation
The demand laid on the Christians addressed in the !ook is an "nconditional loyalty to the one side in the vast, "nseen str"ggle !etween the cosmic 'owers that is occ"rring or is imminent) There is no room or com'romise.no !enign acce'tance o meat in an "n!elievers home, no "nde iling commerce.or a Dl"kewarmE res'onse) It is a time or DwitnessingE, which can lead to death ,as or Anti'as, <$>H-)
- *ohannes Nissen, New Testament and "ission, p.1&,

)esisting Accommodation to )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 to com'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"re a''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 !elie s o those who will not name 4im :ord) ) ) ) The Ch"rch was engaged in a li e1and1 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"rchs '"!lic witness to Christ wo"ld have no signi icance i its inner li e were already occ"'ied !y other gods)
- /.T. Niles, 0s Seeing the 1n2isible, p.13, 21

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of Mission Toda"

@i

erent settings$ *hat are the idolatro"s c"lt"ral orces that we need to resist+

#iffering Circumstances* #ifferent Models of Mission

9es"s has not le t "s with a rigid model or action; rather he ins'ired his disci'les to 'rolong the logic o his own action in a creative way amid the new and di erent historical circ"mstances in which the comm"nity wo"ld have to 'roclaim the gos'el) 1 %osch

I Am Making All Things New: The Climax of Mission Toda"

@i

erent 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 greatest

challenge that the Christian mission aces ,Rene 8adilla-) 7 R) %a"ckham, %i!le and Mission, GH1>><)

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 the new im'erialism ) ) ) I')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 'ro it1motive and the c"lt"re o cons"m'tion with a 'ower "l a irmation 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) I')J?L

It may well !e that, only i Christianity in the west !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 wests economic and c"lt"ral o''ression o other c"lt"res and 'eo'les) I')J?1JGL

The +itness of )esistance

Can

the !i!lical narrative resist, in a way that is tr"e to the !i!lical Gods r"le, the narratives o glo!al 'ower that dominate o"r world today+ I')>M<L
7 Anly i we hold to the %i!le as a metanarrative that is

not 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 Gods kingdom$ Ane element in an answer to this is the act that the !i!lical metanarrative itsel took sha'e 'artly in o''osition to the glo!aliBing 'owers o its day) I') >M<L 7 I o''osition and resistance takes the orm o non1 coersive and s" ering witness

,ow can such a witness !e 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 '"ri ying 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/ 4allel"2ah/ Come, :ord 9es"s) ICT, =GL