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Read (and listen!) through the amazing story of Luke and Acts!
Immerse: Luke and Acts is part of Immerse: The Reading Bible, which takes you on a new and unique journey through the books of Luke and Acts in the New Testament. This fresh arrangement of the books highlights the depth of the New Testament’s fourfold witness to Jesus the Messiah. The Son of God, who fulfills all the longings and promises of the collected Scriptures. The goal of Bible reading is to understand the sacred writings in depth so we can learn to live with them. Using the text of the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale Publishing, now you can experience Luke and Acts the same way the original readers did and be fully immersed in the most amazing story of all time!
Samantha: Welcome to Immerse
Luke and Acts, Day one, Week one
.
Uh, sacred saga.
The Bible is drama and six X.
The goal of Bible reading is to
understand the sacred writings in depth
so we can learn to live with them.
Well, There are several steps on
this journey to life-changing wisdom.
One is to recognize that the Bible
is a collection of many different
kinds of writings, stories, songs,
letters, prophecies works of wisdom,
apocalyptic visions, and more.
And since seeds writings are
complete, literary works.
They were best read as whole books.
Each with its own distinctive message.
Spiritual truths and literary character.
It's also important to remember that
these books were written to people
who lived in particular historical
situations in the ancient world.
So to understand them well, We need to
strive to understand each book and its
original historical and cultural setting.
Overall, the Bible has two
overarching goals to tell the
story of God's plan for his world.
And then to invite us into that story.
More than anything else.
The Bible is a saga.
The long dramatic history.
Of how God has been working with
humanity to achieve the thriving life
he's always wanted for this world.
So a major factor in reading
the Bible well is reading it.
As God's big story.
All of the books in the Bible come
together to narrate this story.
Past, present and future.
In concert, they take us
through numerous ups and downs.
Big moves forward for God's purpose.
Then devastating setbacks and losses.
But God's saving goal remains the
same throughout the redemption and
flourishing of his entire creation.
Reading the Bible as this story
requires that we recognize that it
is progressive in its revelation.
As the story advances, its light grows.
Greater redemption and deeper
fulfillment are revealed.
Act by act.
The full revelation of God's purposes
for humanity cannot be lifted
from any single page in the Bible.
The essence of stories
is that they move on.
To be specific.
The Bible's big story
is moving toward Jesus.
It is in the appearance and work of the
Messiah that we find the clearest and
most definitive revelation of who God
is and what he's doing in the world.
As the powerful opening of
the book of Hebrew says.
Long ago, God spoke many
times and in many ways, sorry,
ancestors through the prophets.
And now in these final days, he
has spoken to us through his son.
The sun radiates God's own glory and
expresses the very character of God.
God is summoning us all to
embrace the sacred words.
Learn his story and then enter into it.
The Bible saga unfolds as a
six act drama and its major
movements are outlined below.
Act one.
Worlds Genesis.
The Bible is drama opens with God
creating the heavens and the earth.
But at first they are
unformed and unfilled.
The first creation story reveals a God
who pushes back the power of anarchy and.
And disorder with his word.
God speaks and brings order by forming
the world into a well arranged structure.
Then he fills the space as he creates with
all the beauty and wonder of the universe.
At each step God has said to
observe that his world is good.
Then at the end, he observes
that it is all very good.
God creates one set of
creatures in his image.
Humans.
This means that we were made to
represent God's good life giving
rule to the rest of the world.
God built collaboration with us into
the story from the very beginning.
He is the creator, the most
powerful actor in the Bible stroma.
But he has decided to do things together
with humans as the story moves forward.
We are made to reign over the world, but
under God, The human race will determine
the shape and direction of things more
than any of God's other creatures.
What happens to the creation?
Depends on the role we play in the saga.
Then we learn another
crucial element in the drama.
On the seventh day, God had
finished his work of creation.
So he rested from all his work.
And the writings of the ancient world,
where deities were said to rest.
It meant that they had taken
up residence in their temple.
See Psalm 1 32.
This key moment at the world's
beginning, reveals to us that God
considered his world to be his home
and the place where he would live.
The entire biblical story will happen in
the place God has chosen for his temple.
Working with his image bearers
to achieve his purposes.
Heaven and earth were
always meant to be United.
Went home for God and his people together.
The Bible story is built on the
foundation of God's good creation.
Which includes full flourishing
life in God's world.
With all its members.
Properly related to their
creator and to each other.
Act two.
Humanities rebellion.
The image of well-watered creature,
like paradise is quickly shattered.
God, is there walking through the
garden in the cool of the day,
looking for the man and woman.
But they are hiding from him.
Fearful of the consequences of
their act of distrust and rebellion.
They have been misled and deceived by
God's enemy, the serpent and accuser.
Turning away from God to
become a law unto themselves.
Rather than following the wisdom
of the one who made the world.
The people have decided
to go their own way.
So Adam and Eve are thrust
from God's garden and blocked.
From returning, they will now face a land
and a life apart from God's blessing.
This is the first of many
exiles in the Bible's big story.
People forced from their homes
and away from God's presence.
And a real sense.
The Bible's entire story is about God's
work to bring humanity back to his garden,
his dwelling place, his temple home.
From this point on humanity's wrongdoing.
Is presented as a radical departure
from God's founding vision.
The story goes quickly downhill
with all the well-known failures
of human history on full display.
Jealousy hatred, vengeance, loneliness,
shame, and acts of violence.
All come to play their
destructive parts in the drama.
God's heart is broken.
And a major divine reset.
He even decides to wipe humanity
from the earth in a great flood
saving only Noah's family and a
pair of each of Earth's animals.
Humanity has fallen into disrepair.
They still rule the world, but very badly.
The creation is wounded
where abundant life in.
And with God was intended sin and
death now invade and infect everything.
God's efforts to overcome this
rebellion, create the primary
conflict in the Bibles ongoing drama.
Restoration and reconciliation
or what God will be striving for.
And always with humidity
as his intended partner.
But we're early in the saga.
And at this point it's more
about questions than answers.
We'll have God, in fact, be able
to quell the revolt can humanity be
healed and restored drawn back into
faithful relationship with the creator.
How could this possibly happen?
What will God's plan be?
What about everything else God made?
Does the rest of creation have
a future beyond this calamity?
Act three.
Israel's quest.
What happens in the Bible is a series
of ongoing steps by the creator.
To reestablish what he
intended from the outset.
God's story is big encompassing all
things, but it is also always personal.
God calls a man Abraham later
called Abraham from UR of the
N's and brings him to a new land.
A new future.
A new hope.
God starts by making promises.
You are small now, Abraham,
but I will make you great.
Your name, your family, and your
blessing, which will be for everyone.
The seed for humanities renewal
and the creations restoration
is planted with this one, man.
And the family and nation that will
come from him, the 12 tribes of Israel.
These promises from God.
At a regular pattern in the story.
Big moves forward happen when
God makes covenants or agreements
at key moments in the story.
These covenants start
with God making pledges.
But also include the expectation of
a faithful response by his people.
We see this next, when
Abraham's descendants.
Are in deep distress in Egypt.
They're outside of the land.
God promised them and have
become a nation of slaves.
So God comes down to act with
power to save his people.
Working with a new leader, Moses God
then makes a covenant with the entire
nation of Israel at Mount Sinai.
This decisive action for Israel
also creates another pattern
that will show up in the story.
Exodus.
The word means departure, but in the
Bible, it comes to represent all of the
elements of God's salvation for Israel.
Freedom from slavery and oppression.
A covenant relationship between
God, the father and his children.
The revelation of God's
instructions for living.
God coming down to live among his
people in the tabernacle or temple.
The provision of manna or
bread in the wilderness.
Offerings and sacrifices to atone for
sins and reconcile God and his people.
The gift of a promise new land
filled with God's blessings.
Israel is now to be a display
people, a nation of priests.
And a light to all nations
showing the world who God is
and what it means to follow him.
The land of Israel is meant to
be a recreation of God's garden
at the beginning of the Bible.
Working with one nation, God
sets out to recover his original
intentions for all creation.
Most of the first Testament is
commentary on Israel's faithfulness
or not to this vocation.
Sadly Israel regularly fails
breaking God's covenant by ignoring
his instructions for justice.
And right living.
And by worshiping other gods.
The people of Israel like Adam and Eve at
the beginning, often choose to do whatever
they think is right in their own eyes.
But God is patient and keeps
reaching out to his people.
Through his servants, the prophets,
he both invites and warned his
people to stay faithful to their
covenant relationship with him.
It makes another covenant with
Israel's great king David promising.
That his offspring will have an
enduring kingdom and will rule forever.
Israel's hope is tied to this Royal line.
The profits envision a future king
who will honor God teach God's
ways and defeat Israel's enemies.
Abraham's family has been raised up
to undo the downfall of Adam and Eve.
But Israel persist and idolatry
and injustice refusing to
repent and become the nation.
God called them to be.
In the anger and dismay.
God has compelled to force
Israel into exile in Babylon.
Away from his presence in the temple.
The nation is invaded.
Jerusalem is smashed and burned and
the people are once again, enslaved.
This is devastating for the Bible story.
Israel was meant to be God's answer.
The means by which blessing
comes back to all peoples.
But now God's plan seems in shambles.
Once again, the story is
filled with questions.
Can Israel be saved?
Can this entire drama be saved as
God's plan for redemption failed?
Can he find a way to bring his
favor healing, restoration and
life back to this broken world.
Act four Kings advent.
In the years before the birth of
Jesus of Nazareth, the empire of
Rome was already proclaiming its
own version of the good news.
The gods it said, had ordained that
the powerful and virtuous leader
Caesar Augustus should rule the world.
He is a savior for us and those
who come after us to make war to
cease, to create order everywhere.
The birthday.
Of the God.
Augustus was the beginning
for the world of the gospel.
Good news.
That has come to men through him.
From the pre-end calendar inscription
in Asia, minor circa nine BC.
The world is a place of competing stories.
And Rome story is the dominant one.
When Jesus enters our saga.
By the time Israel has been
suffering under foreign
domination for several centuries.
The people are wondering when
God will finally fulfill all
his ancient promises to them.
Different groups are offering
various visions of Israel feature.
The Pharisees and teachers of the
law urge people to get more serious
about following Israel's distinctive
way of life under God's law.
Zealots advocate, violent
rebellion against Rome.
The leaders running the rebuilt Jerusalem
temple, protect their power by making
compromises with the Roman overlords.
Into this tumultuous
world comes a new rabbi.
Uh, wandering teacher who makes
a single astonishing claim.
The reign of God is
returning to this world.
This means Israel's long exile is ending.
God is offering the nation
forgiveness and renewal.
Jesus demonstrates the truth of
this message with mighty signs.
Showing the God's spirit is with him.
Jesus heals, forgives raise the
dead and overpowers the dark forces
that have been harming God's people.
In both word and deed.
Jesus announces the
arrival of God's kingdom.
The leaders with other agendas, reject the
invitation and work to undermine Jesus.
So his words of welcome
turn to words of warning.
Uh, great catastrophe
will come upon the nation.
If this last and greatest
messenger from God has rejected.
The opposition persists.
And the conflict with Israel's
leaders comes to a head while
Jesus is in the city of Jerusalem.
In his final week.
Jesus' identity is revealed openly,
not just as a rabbi or prophet, but
as Israel's long awaited Messiah.
Jesus claims to be the son of David.
He had been baptized in the
Jordan river, symbolizing a
new beginning for the nation.
He had chosen 12 disciples as a sign that
the 12 tribes of Israel were being reborn.
Now he claims authority over the
temple and cleanses it by driving
out the merchant selling sacrifices.
There.
This happens during Israel's
annual celebration of the Exodus.
And Jesus shares a final
Passover meal with his disciples.
He means for this to show that
he is about to initiate a great
act of rescue and salvation.
A new Exodus.
Jesus tells his followers that his
death will launch the new covenant
with Israel promised by the prophets.
This is the decisive moment of
God's kingdom to come with power.
Finally Israel's leaders arrest Jesus and
hand him over to the Romans for execution.
He is nailed to a cross with a sign
that mocks him as the king of the Jews.
It certainly looks as though Jesus has
lost his bid to establish God's rule.
That he is no king after all.
But three days later, he has
vindicated rising from the dead
and appearing to the disciples.
It turns out that Jesus willingly
went to his death as a sacrifice
for the sins of the people.
Through the sacrifice.
He wins a surprising victory over
the spiritual powers of darkness.
Rome was never the real enemy.
Jesus had taken on sin and death directly.
Ironically through his own death.
Emptying them of their
power over humanity.
His resurrection confirms his triumph.
The unexpected story of Israel's
Messiah reveals God's longterm plan.
All the earlier covenants
were leading to this one.
The life and ministry of Jesus brings all
the narrative threads of the scripture
together into a single coherent story.
Through Jesus.
God has launched his new creation.
Act five communities calling.
Israel was chosen in order to
bring blessing to all peoples.
Israel's Messiah is the one through
whom this ancient promise comes true.
The life, death, resurrection,
and Ascension of Jesus to
the right hand of the father.
Now, with authority over all things.
This is the centerpiece and fulfillment
of the Bible's long and winding tale.
The work of Jesus sent by the father
and empowered by the spirit is where the
story finds the redemption and restoration
it's been leading toward all along.
But how will the world hear this
good news about the victory of Jesus?
When the risen, Jesus first
appeared to his disciples.
He said, Peace be with you.
As the father has sent me.
So I am sending you.
The followers of Jesus
have been given a mission.
To a world and slave by evil powers,
cut and wrongdoing and idolatry.
Now freedom and forgiveness
are to be announced.
To a world confused by
misplaced allegiances.
Jesus is to be proclaimed
as the Lord and king.
To a world divided by social,
ethnic and tribal differences.
A single new humanity in God's
family is to be disclosed.
Abraham's family renewed through
the Messiah is commissioned to
bring this message to all creation.
The mission of God expands.
Through the birth and growth of
new communities of Jesus followers.
Faith and loyalty to Jesus are now the
key marks of the renewed people of God.
These believers are God's new temple.
The place where he dwells.
God is worshiped in spirit and in truth.
God's justice is embraced.
His love is lived out.
By not only believing in Jesus.
But also following his teachings
and walking in his ways.
God's people are remade in his image.
They're called back to the original
human vocation of reflecting God's
gracious rule to the creation.
We are living in this act
of God's Bible drama today.
If we are true to our calling
and restoration in this
second, Adam, that is in Jesus.
We will follow his pattern of suffering
servant hood for the sake of others.
We are called to appropriately improvise
our own roles in God's saving story.
Based on what we have learned by
reading the scriptures in depth.
In community, we work out together.
What the way of Jesus looks
like in the new places.
And situations where God has placed us.
And we continued to pray and
long for the return of our king.
Act six.
God's homecoming.
The Bible story begins with God
pushing back the powers of chaos and
disorder to create a place of beauty.
And goodness.
But the powers returned bringing
wrongdoing and rebellion
into God's creation temple.
God's image bearers failed him.
The entire narrative since then has
been about God working, striving
and Eva fighting to cleanse.
And re-establish his intended home.
The decisive turn comes.
When the creator actually
becomes a creature himself.
Completely joining with his people.
To help and empower their
battle against evil.
The finale of this great
drama still lies ahead of us.
The servant king will
return to join his people.
Once again.
Jesus will appear as the world's rightful
judge and ruler setting all things right.
Evil will be destroyed
and creation renewed.
The world's bondage to sorrow and pain
and that slavery to violence, death
and decay will be overturned once.
And for all.
All things will be made new.
The glory of God will fill
the entire cosmos his temple.
The victory of the God
of life will be complete.
God's people will be raised
from the dead in fully human,
fully restored physical bodies.
They will.
Re-engage their first calling.
To be spirit-filled God worshiping
culture, making citizens.
Of God's new heavens and new earth.
People's from every tribe,
language and nation.
We'll walk by God's light.
And bring splendor and
glory into God's city.
The new Jerusalem.
God will come down and
make his home with us here.
In this re awakened creation.
Arizer Lord and enter your resting place.
Mayor loyal servants sing for joy.
From Psalm 1 32.
Oliver: This concludes today's
Immerse Reading Experience.
Thank you for joining us.