The Book of Acts: For You

You are going to love this book. This book is for you if…

• • If you are not a Jew:  Luke and Acts are our only writings from a Gentile (a non-Jew, just like you and me) in the whole Bible.
    • It is the story of how Christianity spread beyond the Jews to the entire world. To people from every nation, tribe and tongue.  Without the events in this book, you and I wouldn’t be sitting here today.
  • If you love to travel: Acts covers more land, visits more cities, nations, and explores more cultures than any other book of the Bible. 
    • It reaches the Holy City (Jerusalem), the City of Philosophers (Athens), the City of Magic (Ephesus), and the Central Empire (Rome)
      • 48 distinct cities are mentioned in the book.
  • If you love Change: Acts records a new stage in Christian history. Up until this point everything has been hinging upon the Old Covenant.  (Law, Works, Human failure, Endless sin, Constant struggle). 
    • Before this, God was moving slowly, mysteriously, often confusingly.  But now, the mystery of Christ’s death has been revealed, and God is moving out in the open.  This is the story of the New Covenant, and how through Christ’s death, God changed the world. 
  • If you love unique books:  This is the only document scripturally or otherwise that recounts the birth of the church age. Most of the content in Acts cannot be found in any other document on the planet
    • Acts recounts non repeatable events that establish the community of faith. For example, Pentecost is an unrepeatable event. The reestablishment of the twelve apostles is exclusive to the period of Acts. The fate of Ananias and Sapphira is not likely to be seen as the immediate termination for liars in the church today.
  • If you love the Holy Spirit: Acts talks about the Spirit of God more than all the other books of the Bible combined.
    • five separate and dramatic instances of its outpouring on believers
    • With out the book of Acts we would have a much more difficult time understanding who the third member of the trinity is, and what He does.
  • If you find examples helpful: Acts is a model, a prototype, an exemplar for the renewal of the church. There is no doubt that here in America in the 21st century, the church is struggling.  It feels like we are losing ground.  Churches are in decline, and we are quickly becoming a post-Christian nation.  I believe that there is a reason for this.  I believe it is because we have gotten too far away from what God’s Word says the church is to be and to do.  
    • In an effort to appeal to non-Christians, we have created a church experience for people who don’t really want a church.  We have created a salvation that requires no sacrifice.  A Faith that requires no following.  A Religion that requires no redemption.  We have cheapened grace, and lost our way.
      • Acts is a message that must not be locked in the past. Its accomplishments must not be relegated to a bygone era. Its miracles can’t be separated to another age. The same Spirit is still active. The same Christ still rules. The same God still sustains his church.
      • I believe that the church today can see God move in Powerful, and Wonderful ways again, but it is going to require that we return to the Biblical example He gave us.  Church, if you find examples helpful, Acts is the book for you.

• This book is for you to read:

• • Luke – Part 2  (28 Chapters, 1007 Verses, 18450 words, Luke and Acts combined make up 27.5% of the New Testament, The only other author who wrote more words of divine inspiration than Luke was Moses)
  • We will probably be studying the book of Acts for the next 2 years.  Read 1 chapter a day – You can read through the book of Acts 26 times by the time we are done. (at a minimum, I would encourage you to read ahead of each sermon, question the text, Study this book)
• This is a book for you to Feed:  
  • Brandon is not a magical well of information.  These sermons take hours and hours to prepare. I frequently wake up in the night thinking about how to better explain a verse, or the best illustration. A lot of work is being put into sermon prep for you to enjoy a hearty meal.  This book is FOR YOU.
  • Don’t fall into the trap of going through the motions on Sunday morning. I strongly recommend that you bring your Bibles AND a notebook to write in as you follow along. 
    • If you haven’t noticed already, we go pretty fast and we cover a lot of ground. You will not be able to retain nearly as much just by listening.
    • This will also help keep your mind on task and off the score of the football game

Acts 1:1-5

Context/Story

• • Who is Luke?  
    • Smart
      • Historian, Physician/Doctor, Researcher, formally educated – His Greek is impeccable (only about 10% of people were formally educated in that time)
    • Humble
      • never puts his name on a book.  Only mentioned 3 times in the entire Bible.  All by Paul in his letters.
        • If it were me…
    • Faithful
      • At the end of 2nd Timothy, Luke is mentioned as being the only one left by Paul’s side at the end of his life. Everyone else has abandoned Paul, but Luke remains.

• Who is Luke Writing To?

Theophilus – He is a wealthy donor who is bankrolling Luke to go and investigate the claims of Christianity.  He was likely the one who was paying for Luke’s salary, travel, and expenses.  And Luke mentioning him here is a sign of respect for his support.   

• Two thousand years later, had it not been for Theophilus’s generosity, we would be lacking the largest contribution to the entire New Testament.
  • Theophilus was a man who gave generously thereby enabling Luke to do his ministry. Money, and giving come up a lot in this book, by the way.  
    • There are more than 2300 verses on money, wealth and possessions in the Bible. Jesus spoke about money roughly 15% of his preaching and 11 out of 39 parables
  • NOTE:  Rich people can love Jesus, and they’re supposed to give generously; and poor people can love Jesus, and they’re supposed to give generously. It’s not about how much you make; it’s about what you do with it.
    • Your tax bracket does not make you exempt from generous living and giving.

Works and Words (Vs 1)

• Vs 1 – In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach
• All that He did and Taught
  • Who was Jesus? (some would say he was just a teacher, a good person)  
    • But His works tell us something different.  
      • Jesus was someone who turned water into wine, He fed the 5000, He taught fishermen how to fish!  He healed sickness, He caused the blind to see, he caused the lame to walk, He raised people from the dead, He cast out demons, His word could calm a storm or wither a fig tree, he reattached body parts to people, He predicted the future, This is no ordinary good person, no ordinary teacher
        • The Book of John calls Jesus’ miracles “signs” which should help remind us that Jesus, wasn’t trying to just entertain the crowd like a magician.  He was showing them that he was more than just a man, He was God.  He was verifying His claims of Divinity.  
          • Who was Jesus?  Jesus was God.
    • And That is exactly what He claimed!  He was the divine son of the living God.  He preached a message of Repentance, Relationship, and Rule
      • Repentance – Jesus is sinless but we are not, He called on people who were far from God to return. To put their sins away and to set a new direction in life.  
      • Relationship – And he didn’t do this from far away!  He ate with sinners and tax collectors, He lived among the dregs of society and made his followers do the same.  He sought out relationships with people who were in desperate need of a loving savior.  No sin was too great, no person too far gone.  
      • Rule – Jesus was setting up a new kingdom.  Filled with new followers.  The way it was before was not going to cut it anymore.  Jesus is on the throne and now every believer is his subject! 
  • Some Christians like the works of Jesus but don’t really like his words
    • Give me miracles but don’t give me instruction.  I want to be a part of the 5000 that Jesus feeds, but I don’t want to leave my comfortable life. I want to see cool stuff, but just don’t tell me what to do.  People like this can say that they were there! But not when it mattered.  Don’t be like that, Let’s be there for both the awesome stuff Jesus does, and the tough stuff he says.  

Proof of The Resurrection (vs 2-3)

• Read Vs 2-3
  • There are a great many proofs of Jesus’ resurrection. WE are going to look at 5

1. The empty tomb

• All the enemies of Christianity had to do to completely silence the new religion was to show the body.  

• the angel’s testimony

• • • The women who first went to the tomb didn’t just make an assumption that Jesus had resurrected.  (Their assumption was that someone had taken the body too!)  But they were told by divine authority what had happened.  

• the appearances to hundreds of people over the course of 40 days

• • • He appeared to relatives, strangers, and enemies. 
    • He ate breakfast with Peter
      • Sure maybe the body was stolen, but please explain to me how they got him to eat breakfast!
    • Doubting Thomas
      • Fear, Doors locked, then Jesus just shows up! No knocking, no doors, like he walked through the wall, or teleported, He beamed himself on in.
        • Feel my hands and feet.
    • Saul → Road to Damascus (blinded)
      • Converted to Paul – Goes on to be beaten, lashed, stoned, shipwrecked, falsely accused, imprisoned, and was beheaded for believing in what He experienced on that road to Damascus.
    • Jesus own Brother James
      • Before his resurrection, Jesus’ family was highly resistant to his claims of divinity.  But not so after.  Jesus converted his Brothers!  James wrote an entire book of the Bible, and went on to be martyred for his faith.
  • The prophecies and predictions. 
    • The old Testament Prophecies
      • Isaiah 53 – He will die, yet God will prolong his days
      • Psalm 16 – God will not abandon him in death
      • Genesis 22 – Abraham sacrificing Isaac
      • Jonah 2 – 3 days in the belly of the fish 
      • 2nd Samuel 7 – The eternal king who would always rule.
    • Jesus himself predicted he would die and rise 7 different times in the gospels.  
      • He was subtle about it even more, referring to “3 days” – 21 different times in the new testament accounts.

• The Transformation of the apostles from cowards to courageous 

• • Every disciple but John was murdered for their faith.  They all stood firm.  They really believed it.  The evidence is overwhelming.  

• Your faith should not be blind.
  • It is ridiculous how Christianity is so often cast aside as a religion for the naïve.  Christianity has been the primary driver of intelligent thought throughout history.  Christianity drove science, engineering, and education for 2000 years.  
    • Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Princeton, Rutgers, Oxford, all Christian universities.

Wait, Something Better is Coming (Vs 4-5)

Read Vs 4-5

• DON’T GO TO ALL NATIONS.  DON’T SHARE. DON’T START THE CHURCH. WAIT.  YOU CAN’T DO IT YET.
  • Jesus knew that without the power of God working in and through the disciples, nothing would get done. 
    • Proverbs 21:31 – The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.
      • Unless the Lord should build the house, in vain its builders strive. (Psalm 127)
  • But with the power of God, they would be unstoppable.  AND THEY WERE!  Within the space of thirty years, the gospel changes the Trajectory of the entire world
• Prove
  • John 16:7-8 – 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. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.
• Apply
  • The Holy Spirit – We are going to learn a lot about the holy spirit in the next few months.  He is going to be in almost every chapter for the first half of the book.  
    • But the primary thing we should know today, is that our actions, deeds and works, are useless to God until we allow the spirit of God to work in and through us.  
      • If you don’t have the spirit of God, you are not yet on the team. 
        • GOSPEL – Come to CHRIST
  • Some of us are in a season of waiting. In fact, I would argue that we are all waiting for something. It might be a spouse or a baby. It might be a Doctor, or a Diagnosis, or Healing or a home. Regardless of what we’re waiting for, it’s easy to feel discontent when things aren’t going as planned and our dreams are delayed.  especially when questions of “Why?” and “How long?” remain unanswered.
  • God uses seasons of waiting to teach us patience and make us more like himself. But sanctification is not the only purpose God has in mind. When we wait faithfully with unmet longings, we become a powerful picture of the bride of Christ waiting for the day when he returns and God’s kingdom reigns.

Conclusion

Just 5 verses this week, but Church we have a lot to look forward to, and I hope you are as excited about ACTS as I am.  We are going to step forward together and learn about how we get to be a part of God’s ever advancing Kingdom.