A Mission That Changes Everything Series

Intro

Imagine someone invited you over today to sit back and watch a football game… or perhaps if

you’re more attune to cooking… a cooking show… or a concert. That may sound nice.

Now imagine that you get a different call… you get a call from the coach of that football team

telling you that you are going to be playing… or the cooking show that you will be hosting… or

the concert, that you will be singing.

You would be in a very different state of mind.

When you are actually going to participate… when you are actually in the game… you feel the

significance about really being prepared… we awaken out of the theoretical world of ideas to

what is going to really matter right in front of us. There is a rush of challenge and fear as well

as energy and excitement.

It is the transforming nature of that call that we are engage today.

Today we are going to begin a series entitled ROOTS - Rediscovering Our Foundations

… a series based on the Biblical Book if Acts.

~ If you sense that you’ve lost some of the vitality of that calling… I believe these

next ten weeks will help restore some vital connections.

~ If you’ve more recently begun a relationship with Jesus…I believe this series will

help guide that experience towards all that Jesus intended.

~ If you are newer to the Westside Vineyard, I believe this series will help you

better understand the calling that we seek to follow.

If you are newer to the Scriptures, the Book of Acts is a unique book in the Bible. It lies

after the four Gospel accounts… and before the letters written to various churches. It provides

an accounting of the dramatic spread of the followers of Christ. eyewitness account of the birth

and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection

of Jesus Christ.

It was written by Luke… who wrote the Gospel of Luke… whom is known to have been a

doctor… who had access to all the apostles…and was providing a verified testimony and

account.

Because he continued to be amongst the first leaders … it is not surprising that he then

continued with this book testifying to the early acts after the raising of Christ. [1b]

The Book of Acts is the living testimony of our foundations… our family story as the

church.

Today we begin with the very first words of how it all began. I will read and then we can ask

God to speak through it.

Luke begins…

Acts 1:1-11 (NIV)

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the

day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles

he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing

proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the

kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this

command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have

heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized

with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time

going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or

dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit

comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to

the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud

hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when

suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do

you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into

heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Prayer: May we hear what lies in this moment that reaches to us… becomes our moment.

Luke begins by noting his former book (what we now call the Gospel of Luke) in which he

explains that he wrote about all that Jesus BEGAN to do and to teach. He’s referring to his

Gospel account of Jesus ministry before the resurrection.

What Jesus did and taught in those days on earth are the foundation of understanding who