All That Jesus Began To Do Series

All that Jesus Began to Do

Acts 1:1-11

Read Acts 1:1-11

In verse 1 Luke speaks of the first book he wrote to Theophilus, this was the Gospel of Luke. In that book he wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Notice the word began. Now in the book of Acts Luke writes, about all that Jesus continued to do through His Church and His people." That's what the whole Book of Acts is all about...Completing the mission of Christ. That is what we want to talk about 1st.

1. Completing the Mission

Do not get this mixed up with the finished work of Christ, on the cross. He said it is finished when He died on the cross for the sins of the whole world. He finished the work of redemption. There is nothing to be added to it! Salvation is a finished work, but the mission of Christ to save the world is still going on!

The church and all the believers in it were commissioned by Jesus to complete his mission, in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … NIV.

Jesus made it very clear what His mission was in Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." NIV and that is the mission that He has passed on to the church and to all believers!

Many Christians today don’t understand their mission or the mission of the church. They don’t know what we are called to do and it hurts the church.

ILL. A reporter was interviewing people who were helping to build St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The architect was Sir Christopher Wren, a very famous architect. The London Times reporter was going along asking the various workmen what they were doing. He asked one man, "What are you doing?" And he says, "I'm putting this rock in this slot; isn't it obvious?" He came to a second man doing the very same thing, and he said, "What are you doing, sir?" He said, "I'm earning a day's wage." He came to a third man doing identically the same thing, and he said, "What are you doing, sir?" He said, "I'm helping Sir Christopher Wren build St. Paul's Cathedral." Which worker do you think was more excited, more motivated, and More faithful about what he was doing?

If someone asked you, “What you are doing with your life?” or “What is the purpose of your life?”, what would be your answer? Would you say I am trying to make a living, or I am trying to take care of my family, or I am trying to make enough money to retire, or I am trying to enjoy my retirement.

Or would your answer be, “I am helping the Lord Jesus Christ to finish the work that He began”. Wow! That is a purpose worth living for!

In Acts 20:24, we see that Paul understood his mission and the importance of that mission. He said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.” NIV

Paul is says, "There is only one thing I'm concerned about. My life doesn't matter. All that mater is finishing my part of the mission of Christ," I'm not making great investments in my own welfare.

Completing the mission of Christ is what the church and every believer in it is to be focused on.

T. S. Now in order for us to Complete the mission of Christ, we must have Christ’s Power.

2. Power for the Mission

Read 1:1-8

In verse 8... Jesus says, “you will receive what? “Power when the Holy Spirit comes on you". Every believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation.

In Romans 8:9, “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” NIV

It’s a sobering thought to know that we have the responsibility to finish the work that Jesus began.

ILL. What if you lived in the day of Michelangelo and he had said to you, I have finished everything on this sculpture but the face. I want you to finish it." Would you be afraid you would mess it up? Wouldn’t it over whelming to try to finish what he had started?

Isn’t it even more overwhelming to think of finishing the mission of Christ! But Christ has not left you alone he has put His Spirit, the Holy Spirit inside of you, and He'll do it through you" if you'll yield to him.

He will give you the power to complete His Mission, the power to bring people to Christ, and the wisdom and guidance to build His church, if you will yield to the Spirit.