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Gospel. Mission. Power Acts 1:1-11 Gospel. Mission. Power Acts 1:1-11 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Good to see you church. Jesus isn't lounging in heaven. He is building his church. Today we start the book of Acts. So invite you, to take your Bibles, and go to Acts, right after the Gospel of John. Why Acts? Acts is about one thing: Making much of Jesus. That's the whole Bible! Acts is the story of the church being built, this is our history. And I love that we are starting Acts right now, because last week we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus and after 40 days of Jesus hanging with the disciples he ascends back into heaven and the church starts blooming. I love the transition here. Acts is an adventure. If you have never really studied Acts, get ready—it is just awesome! You'll be jaw dropped sometimes, I know you will. It's incredible! The Book of Acts is a great weapon against boring Christianity. No one wants a hot flat Diet Pepsi. No one! But a lot of Christians are ok living a diet Pepsi Christianity—no way. Let's attack that together. That is nowhere in the book of Acts. Acts is the church at work in a pluralistic, hedonistic, pagan cultural--just like ours. We see that the culture was very much anti-Christ and yet the Christians were bold and stood on the words of Jesus and remained as witnesses to his resurrection. As the tides change, we are going to look more like the book of Acts—we'll need to look more like the book of Acts. In a day when Christians are obsessed with ministry models, charts, graphs, fog machines, pastors zip lining to the stage—but what we see in Acts is the power of the Holy Spirit propelling the church forward. That's what we need. In Acts we see a radical commitment to the spread of the gospel. Three words to summarize this book: Gospel (truth of Jesus's death & resurrection to forgive us of our sins), Mission (spread this news), & Power (the ability for the mission—for all of life.) v. 1 "In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach." Luke is author of Acts, and he also wrote the gospel of Luke, to the same guy, Theophilus (means, friend of God, or lover of God). “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 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, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1–4 ESV) So in Luke's mind, The Gospel of Luke is volume 1 & the book of Acts is volume 2. We are meant to read Acts in light of the gospel of Luke. Let's consider Luke, I want to you get to know him a little. His name is only mentioned three times in the New Testament. We will see him in the book of Acts, but his name will be spelled "We." He'll write about what Paul is doing and say, "we" did. He's with Paul. Luke was a doctor. No special seminary training, but a doctor with a passion. I wonder what passion's God is giving some of us to do for his glory. He may have been led to believe in Jesus by Paul, on one of his missionary journeys. Paul and Luke spent a lot of time together. “Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas.” (Colossians 4:14 ESV) "Beloved physician". Paul loved Luke. I bet Luke served as the doctor for the apostles and all of the journeys and beatings they took. Paul got 39 lashes on his back from the Jews 5 times. Imagine what his back looked like. Luke was there for him. Last letter from Paul, he writes to Timothy, from prison––2 Timothy 4:11 "Luke alone is with me." That's a friendship. Theophilos - real guy, "excellent" (in Luke) a Roman Official, social higher up, respected and wealthy---likely funded Luke's research of this two volume work. God gives resources to get ministry done. Some of us are Peters and Pauls. Some of us are Lukes and some are Theophilous—some of you God has blessed financially, in ways that many of us couldn't fathom—and God did it for the spread of the Gospel. "All that Jesus began to do." — This is big. The first volume, Luke, was about all that Jesus began to do and teach…therefore, this second volume is all about what Jesus is still doing and teaching. The gospel of Luke was just the beginning of Jesus's doing and teaching. Birth, Ministry, Teaching, Miracles, Cross, Resurrection = BEGINNING. Wow! That's exciting. That gets me fired up. Right now, we are living in ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus is Building His Church Acts is called historically the Acts of the Apostles. A better title Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus -- He is building the church, he is operating from Heaven. The Main Character of Acts isn't the church, Peter, or Paul -- but Jesus. Jesus is building his church. And he is going to use ordinary people. People who are going about not with confidence in grand degrees or education or experience, but in the power of the Spirit to testify of the Risen Lord Jesus. He is at work in the world for the fame of his name---he is at work here, among us. Consider that. He is "doing" & "teaching". That's why you go to church—Jesus is at work. v. 2 − 3 Luke reiterates about the many proofs of Jesus really being alive. Remember, Luke was a doctor. So, the Resurrection wasn't beyond science to him. It wasn't a cute, fanciful, myth to Dr. Luke. Luke understands death--and he understands resurrection. You don't have to throw your intelligence to hell to get to heaven. Maybe you need to believe that Jesus is alive and can save you from your sins. Luke researched the proofs. Jesus Ate. Walked. They could touch Jesus. He was alive. God in his grace gave them proof. They needed proof! "After his suffering" — KJV, "after his passion." After the events of the cross—they saw it! They saw their friend, all red and lifeless, a dead hunk of a man—dying on the cross for our sins to forgive us. 40 Days Jesus was with them. It wasn't a trance or a vision. It was real. They needed this proof—hard to lay your life down for a deadbeat. But to have seen Jesus on the cross and then to be eating fish with him on the beach a few days later. Everything changes! Helps explain how Peter went from hiding in an alley on Friday night and preaching to thousands in Acts 2. Now, we are tempted to think, "Yeah, if I saw what they saw." Wrong. Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. (John 20:29 ESV) We have no disadvantage. The same power of the Spirit that came upon them is ours too. Look at what Jesus was teaching them—which is a mega-theme of Acts. "The Kingdom of God" I love this; Jesus spent 40 days talking about the Kingdom of God and look at verse 6-7. They don't' get it! Familiar? Isn't so cool that they still ask Jesus questions. Normal to ask questions. Fire away. The second we stop asking Jesus questions, something’s wrong with us. Look at the last two verses of the book of Acts, 28:30-31. The Kingdom of God bookends Acts. And the kingdom of God is the sovereign and supernatural reign of God, it is here, it is for His glory and our good—and anyone can be a part of it, repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ. This is the gospel of the Kingdom. We belong to a King and kingdom. Jesus for president—that's so silly, shortsighted. Jesus has no interest in being the president of the united states, that's girl scouts to him. Jesus is the Cosmic King! v. 4-5 "He ordered them", notice verse 3, "he had given commands." - This is military language. We are at war with the dark forces, the satanic powers; we don't war with flesh and blood. The progress of the church isn't a cruise ship; it's a battle ship. Let's remember too, who is in charge of this thing--Jesus! Jesus is always in charge. Even while he was dying on the cross, Jesus was in charge. Now, you can imagine the Apostles getting all excited and ready to take the world over for Jesus. But Jesus tells them to wait. That seems odd, doesn't it!? Wait for what? The promise of the Father, being baptized with the Spirit. Before they could go on this grand mission—they needed the power of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is a complete immersion, covered. It seems like Jesus is saying, "Before you go out and spread the news of the Kingdom, you need to be overwhelmed, overtaken, and soaked in the Holy Spirit." Without the Holy Spirit, I know Peter would have chickened out at Pentecost.
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