Acts 1:1-11

Acts: To The End of The Earth  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  35:08
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Spirit-Empowered Witnesses

Introduction
When did this church begin?
It was established in 1900, but when did it actually start?
The reality is FBC Louise is just one part of the mission that God has called us to
This mission began over 2000 years ago when Jesus commissioned his followers to continue to spread his message of hope and salvation.
We are a part of that rich church history. Though we have existed for nearly 120 years our effectiveness and mission has existed long after those first few men and women went to meet Jesus.
And, Lord willing, will continue long after we are all gone too.
The richness of the Global Church’s History should move us to want to know how we play a part in this mission that God has set forth.
Our Study through the book of acts is going to show us the trajectory of the mission of God’s Church.
Let’s be honest even a cursory glance at church history will show us that as humans we have a tendency to mess everything up. Especially when we try and use God’s Word, God’s Power, and God’s Mandate as a tool to manipulate and control people.
We need to remember that God’s plans are bigger than our plans. God’s mission is bigger than our mission. God’s purposes are higher than our purposes.
So when we talk about what it means to be the church of Jesus Christ. We should know that it means that we are emulate and imitate the Church that Jesus Sets up in the the Book of Acts and continues to grow through the preaching of the Gospel.
Just a disclaimer as we study this book together.
We are going to witness a lot of signs, wonders, and miracles throughout this book. Things are going to happen that seem mind boggling and awe inspiring.
When we read scripture we need to understand that it is doing either one of two things. It is either describing something or it is prescribing something.
There are things that happen in Acts that are solely descriptive.
This means Luke through the HS is simply relaying the story and events that occured and these are one off events that will not be repeated.
This doesn’t meant that there are not any principles that can be derived by the description, but that this isn’t the normal way that things happen.
Example: Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)
Sold a piece of property. Said they were giving it all to the mission of the church. Lied. Struck down.
Descriptive: God doesn’t strike people down when they lie about what they are giving.
Principle: Don’t be a hypocrite. Live Generously. That’s how God wants us to live.
There are other things in Acts that are prescriptive.
Acts 2:42 ESV
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
This is what the church should be about when we gather together.
We should hear the word. Partake in fellowship. Live in community with one another.
With all that being Said, let’s dive into the first part of the book of Acts.

Acts 1:1–11 ESV
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Blank
V.1-3—Opening Prologue
We see here in the opening verses of the book that the author is identifying himself.
The author of this book is Luke. The author of the Gospel According to Luke.
His two books of the NT occupy about 30% of all the NT. This doesn’t include the writings he aided Paul with.
In Luke, he “dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.”
So this is his sequel to the first writing. His purpose is to tell the story of the church that Jesus established.
He’s already spoken about what Jesus has accomplished he is now focused on how Jesus’ mission is going to continue.
Jesus spends time the with disciples teaching them and appearing to them after his resurrection.
Why did he continue to appear to them?
So that they would know that what had happened was true. That he really did raise from the dead.
It is recorded that he appeared to more than 500 people after his resurrection.
This is too many people to deny the reality of his resurrection. Not mass hysteria. Not mass hallucination.
For forty days, Jesus continued to live, eat, and teach the disciples.
What did he teach them about?
The Kingdom of God. The Restoration of people into relationship with God.
That is why Jesus came. To make a people for himself. To save people from slavery to sin and self and draw them toward life and holiness.
We see at the end of Luke that one of the ways that Jesus does this is he teaches the disciples how to read the Old Testament “Christologically.” To read the OT through the lens of Christ.
Luke 24:44–45 ESV
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
The whole of the Bible revolves around the coming redemption through the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
This is the purpose of God. This is the will of God that people will enter into a relationship with him. That people will submit to him. That people will glorify, worship, and know him.
This accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
In the entirety of the book we will see time and time again the importance of the Holy Spirit empowering Christ Followers.
In Fact, Luke reminds us that all that Jesus accomplished while on earth was “through the Holy Spirit.”
All the miracles, all the healings, all the prayer, all that he accomplished and endured was through the Holy Spirit.
Luke continues in that with that same line of thought to record Jesus promising the Same Holy Spirit to his followers.
Acts 1:4–5 ESV
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is Promised by God the Father, in the Old Testament.
Isaiah 32:15,44:3-5
Ezekiel 11:19–20 ESV
And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

God’s Spirit would rest upon saints in the OT, but after a while the Spirit would depart from them.
God is making a promise to his followers that the Spirit will no longer depart from them, but will be with them forever.
John 14:16–17 ESV
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
God promised it in the OT. Jesus Reiterates and lives it in the NT. So what’s next?
Acts 1:6–8 ESV
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The Commission of God’s People

I find it interesting the concern of the disciples after Jesus makes his promise and does his teaching.
It’s a distinctly human thing to miss the point. To focus our attention on the here and now.
They were concerned with their kingdom. They were concerned with their comfort. They were concerned with the coming time of Israel’s Exaltation.
However, they were missing the point.
But before we get to down on them, let’s not forget that we do the same thing.
We can get so concerned with the return of Christ that we forget about the mission of Christ.
There are whole ministries created to try to find, predict, and explain the time that Christ Will return.
Friendships, pastorates, and families are broken over disagreements of non-essential doctrines.
I know good pastors that have lost jobs or been overlooked b/c they didn’t agree with the search teams/congregations out look on the end times.
We get so focused on being right, that we forget why we as the church exist.
Jesus is reminding them and us that we don’t need to focus on schedule of the Father, but we need to focus on the mission of the Father.
Rather than worry about when Jesus is coming back, we need to focus on preaching the gospel now.
Do you see how Jesus answers their question. He essentially says “Don’t Worry about that, there’s still work to do.”
Acts 1:8 ESV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Let’s talk about this verse for a minute.
This is the anchor verse for the entire book of Acts.
Power comes from the HS to the disciples. Why so that they can be witnesses.
So that they can proclaim the glory of the Lord. The Redemption of the Lord. That they may see others come to a saving relationship with the Lord.
The Same Power that Sustained Jesus is the power that is given to all believers.
The Power to endure, to persevere, to speak with boldness and abandon. This same power that raised Jesus from the dead comes to all believers.
Too often we are afraid to broach the conversation about the HS. We just don’t know what to do with Him.
When we hear about people’s experience with the HS often times it is related to some sort of overly charismatic or dramatic experience.
People handle snakes, Dance, holler, or run down the aisle. People speaking in tongues. People being “slain in the spirit”
I am not saying that these types of things can’t happen, but what does it really mean to be empowered by the HS.
John’s Gospel provides understanding.
John 16:7–15 ESV
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Commission of God’s People

The HS comes to convict people of their sin.
He comes to point people to Christ
He uses believers to communicate the message in Love and in truth.
He points to and glorifies Christ.
So if something is being done in the name of the HS that doesn’t accomplish these things, It is not the work of the HS.
And We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witness to all the World.
Acts 1:8 ESV
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Don’t forget that when this was written. When these Words were Spoken by Jesus:
We were the end of the earth. We were ones that needed to hear the Gospel message.
Don’t take that for granted. If you are a follower of Jesus it is because some one was faithful to their calling and conviction under the power of the Holy Spirit.
Many times we feel afraid or unprepared to share our faith with others.
But Brothers and Sisters if we are followers of Jesus then we are all called to be missionaries.
Let me put your mind at ease a little bit.
We are not called to convince, convert, or coerce anyone into believing the gospel message. We don’t have that much power.
We are called, however, to communicate the gospel message. We are called to proclaim the gospel message.
We are to tell everyone we can about the transformation that we have recieved from our amazing savior Jesus Christ.
And we can ask the HS to strengthen us to do so, and guess what? He will. Why because when Christ is proclaimed, Christ is Glorified. and that is the mission of the HS.
That is our commission as God’s people to make much of Jesus. To tell others about Jesus. To walk in the power of the Spirit and let others know about the life transforming power of our Amazing Savior.
Finally in this passage we see the

Hope that Sustains

Acts 1:9–11 ESV
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Hope that Sustains

Jesus’ ascension is the marker that we are really to get to work. The work that he came to do to provide redemption through sacrifice has been accomplished and we are to continue to spread his message to all people.
The Cloud that took him out of their sight would have reminded these believers of the “shekinah glory” of the Lord. This is seen in the Old Testament Scriptures when the presence of the Lord entered into the Tabernacle and Temple.
This is a similar type of cloud that we see at Jesus’ Transfiguration.
This cloud means that Jesus was taken up in Glory.
That he is now seated at the right hand of the Father because the work of providing a way for redemption has been completed.
Now that Jesus’ work has begun we are able to partake and participate in that work.
Waiting for the return of our Lord.
But While we wait, we work.
The two standing there with the disciples are to remind us of the angels at the tomb of Jesus.
Telling them to stop looking and start working. Start participating in the commission Jesus has commanded you to do.
As we wait for the return of our Lord we need to remember that we have been commissioned to do the work of telling others about the kingdom of God.
We aren’t to standby idly and wait for it to happen. We are participate in the power that we have recieved.
The church doesn’t exist for itself. The church exists to glorify God and tell others about the good news.
Conclusion
If you are here and have not ever responded to the true gospel or maybe you don’t even know what the gospel is let me take a moment and tell you.
You are broken and separated from God.
You need redemption.
Jesus provides that redemption.
Repent and believe.
If you are a follower of Jesus. There is no time to waste. We must tell others about the salvation found in our Lord.
We don’t know when he is coming back, but there is much work to do.
There are too many people who don’t know the gospel of Christ. We need to be telling them.
Pray.
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