Acts: the Gospel Forms a Community on Mission

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Acts: The Gospel Forms A Community on Mission | Acts 1:1-11 - “Jesus is King” INTRO - Good morning, my name is Josh - Pastor of preaching/vision - Our church is a part of the Soma family of churches & this past week we got to go to our annual retreat in San Diego. Our Elders along with Tyler & Brooke Daniel had an amazing time of rest, prayer, worship, teaching, and hearing from Jesus together. We loved our time away but we are also really excited to come back and begin walking with Jesus together. Even more conﬁdent that this is a year of learning to slow down and be with Jesus for the sake of loving others.

Just about 5 years ago Redeemer began as a group of 15 people meeting in our living room. We shared a meal and we began working through the book of Acts. It was really a formative time for us as a church as we very simply asked the question what does it look like to live as the body of Christ in our day. Much of our dna and values as a church was formed from reading through the book of Acts. And as we enter our 5th year of being a church, I want us to slow down to be in Acts and allow it to encourage us, shape us, and strengthen us as a church. In some ways this is a continuation of our theme this year, slowing down to be with Jesus for the sake of loving others. We have grown since then, no doubt we are not immune from drifting from who God has called us to be as his people. I am praying for the Spirit to use Acts to reshape us where needed, and open to whatever He leads. We want to enter our study of God’s word with open hands, and allow Him to shape us and lead us by the Holy Spirit. Pray….. & READ Acts 1:1-11

Have you ever felt the frustration and pressure of trying to be the savior of the people around you? Trying to make sure they are always ok, happy, cared for. I want to confess honestly that I can slip into feeling this way with being a pastor. That my sermons must be up to a certain level for our church to be ok, for you to be ok. This often comes out in weeks that I don’t have a regular prep schedule like this past week. As we are kicking off a new series today in Acts, I had much less time than I wanted to prepare a message. Maybe with your kids you put the pressure of parenting on your shoulders so heavy that you ﬁnd yourself always worried your messing them up. Maybe those who are single are so worried about impressing potential spouses that you can’t even be yourself. Maybe at your work you often believe the lie “If I don’t get this done or get it right” it won’t happen and things will be very bad. Maybe when your trying to talk about Jesus with others you feel the pressure to say everything just write, to not blow it or else their eternal destiny rides on you.

I can almost feel the pressure when my heart has believed that my good and the good of others is riding on me and my performance. Very quickly we can forget that we are merely human beings, limited, imperfect, unable to carry our future or that of others on our shoulders. We are bent to drift towards placing ourself in the role of savior and King. As long as we try to sit in that seat in our life, or in the life of others we will shrivel, grow frustrated, bitter, and angry that our will is not done.

Acts begins with good news for us. It reminds us of something that is of critical importance for anyone who seeks to follow Jesus. Jesus is King, so we can step off our thrones.

Acts 1:1-2 - Right away we see that the book of Acts is a continuation of another book. Acts is the second volume written by Luke. Luke-Acts was meant to be read together. In Luke’s Gospel, he is writing an orderly account of Jesus life story for Theophilus so that Theophilus might be certain of the things he had been taught about Jesus. Luke is a orderly account of all Jesus accomplished up until the day he was taken up. It is written so that Theophilus might be certain what he has been taught that Jesus continued to do and teach. Acts records the story of Jesus working through his church by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is still at work in the world but it’s through his Spirit ﬁlled church.

The Good News Story - Acts 1:3 - Luke and Acts overlap on a very crucial part of the story of Jesus. Both in Luke and Acts it is recorded that Jesus resurrected from the dead, spent time teaching his disciples about the Kingdom of God (40 days), and gave proof that he was resurrected from the dead. Imagine being Theophilus, Jesus good teacher giving out lots of wisdom, and he was cruﬁcied….those things are not too far fetched….but the Gospel doesn’t end with Jesus dying, it ends with Jesus resurrected to a new physical body. He ate and drank, was touched. It is important for us to realize that Acts is not the story of how people kept the myth of Jesus alive or even just teachings about Jesus alive. Jesus is alive, he has a new creation body, and he continues to personally work in the world in real history. Sometimes we can conﬁne Jesus to an idea or an abstract thought that we check yes to on a belief form. I have been there. Jesus isn’t a living reality to us. This is why so often we live our lives as we please with no regard for Jesus. But what Luke & Acts are saying is that Jesus is alive and Jesus is King over all. He is not some nice little southern tradition that we can mold into our neat little lives as we please, but he is a living King worthy of all worship.

3 Things I want to point out 1. Jesus is presently ruling as King over all - Acts 1:9-11 - Where is Jesus right now?He was lifted up and taken out of their sight by a cloud. Jesus is no longer limited to an earthly location, he is seated in heaven, God’s control center of sorts. He has been given ALL authority in heaven and on earth. 2. Our role in the present is to be witness to His rule - Acts 1:4-8 - Jesus is giving his disciples final orders before he will leave them. He tells them to go and wait in Jerusalem. They will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them to empower them to fulfill the mission he gives them. They will be his “witnesses” in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” They mistakenly think that Jesus is about to setup an earthly Kingdom. Jesus, are you now going to take the crown! But Jesus has already been crowned, he is already King yet he has not yet brought the world under his rule. Later we see Jesus promise his return. The disciples and ourselves would live between what Jesus had already accomplished and what he was yet to complete. 1. The word witness here is similar to the word martyer. It essentially means one who testifies to a person or a cause through their death. Certainly, many throughout history have testified through their physical death and this includes that. But it also extends to when we are living we give testimony by dying to ourself, our agenda, in order to give testimony to Jesus. That is to say with our deeds and our words that Jesus is the risen Lord. He is is really alive and his message is good news not just for Israel, but for the world. 3. Every kind of person is invited to receive his forgiveness and come under his rule - Jesus is presently the King of all, but his rule has not been recognized by all. Bad news is that all of us have rebelled against his rule. Good news is that he offers forgivness, peace with God not through our works but through his own blood shed. He will give us new life by His Spirit coming to dwell within us, teaching us to live under his rule. He will not force you to submit to his rule, but we must proclaim the message of his rule to all nations. People who reject it will be judged, will face his wrath and destruction. To recognize Jesus as the risen King is to receive his forgiveness, to draw near to his love, and to take your hands off the controls of your life.

Mysteriously Jesus continues to work in the world through us. It is not by our strength, but the Spirit (more on this next week). Jesus himself, leading us by the Holy Spirit (consistent with the words of scripture).

I want to trust Jesus……….but let me be the ﬁrst to say that its hard to let go of our agenda, and open our hands to his. I want to be a guaranteed success and have people like me in this world, but he calls me to die to that. He calls my life to be living testimony that he rules.

We are about to open our home to foster kids. 18 months ago I wouldn’t have even considered it. Not something I would plan. But we are his. Our family is slowly trying to open our hands to all we have, saying Jesus your king of it all…..do with it what you want. We find our hearts are most satisfied when we die to our selfish agenda and use our lives to testify to His grace. When he leads us into something we can be confident because we know he will supply what we need, because it is him at work through us. ——————

What is it this morning that the Spirit is right now putting on your heart to submit to King Jesus? Worry about the future? Your job? Where you live? How you use your money? What kind of school you put your kids in? How you treat your neighbor? Who he wants you to serve?

——CLOSING STATEMENT——— Like Theophilus, we need to be sure of what we have been taught. We need to be challenged, reshaped in light of all Jesus has done on earth, and through his Spirit in His church. As we journey through acts we will consistently see that the Gospel has formed a Community on Mission. As we dive into the story of Acts, we will ﬁnd that we are not just looking at the story from a far, but we ourselves are invited to join into the story. To be a people who are led by God’s Spirit and empowered to be the body of Jesus here on earth, here in our city. We are learners like Theophilus, needing to see a fresh what it looks like for Jesus to continue to work through us by His Spirit.

PRAYER - Jesus, help us and lead us to die to our way….and to live as a witness to yours……….As a church, we want to open our hands to You King Jesus and have nothing that we don’t submit to your leading. Guide us by your word, lead us by your Spirit.

COMMUNION INSTRUCTIONS - Go and share the Lord’s supper together - for those who are followers of Jesus — If not would you consider the resurrected Jesus this morning? Would love to pray with you if you want to trust in Jesus. —- Take and Pray, share with others around you if God has placed something on your heart, we can’t do it alone. Acts 1:1–11 (ESV) 1 In the ﬁrst book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 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. 4 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has ﬁxed by his own authority. 8 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.” 9 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. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”

Luke 1:1–4 (ESV) 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. As you consider Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-2, what is the overall purpose of Luke writing this two volume story (Luke-Acts)? 2. What where some of the key things that stuck out to you in this passage? Anything surprising or challenging? 3. What do you learn about God in this passage? How does it clarify our view of who God is and what He does? 4. What is your role as a follower of Jesus? How is it challenging to submit your life to Jesus as King? 5. What would it look like for this missional community to be a witness to the risen King Jesus in the place God has us right now (both with our words and our deeds)?