Text: Acts 1:1-5, Title: Prep for Explosion I, Date/Place: NRBC, 4/15/07, AM
A. Opening illustration: When we were building our house in Maine it was in a new development, so there was a lot of things that had to get done before we could begin putting up walls and windows.
B. Background to passage: Dr. Luke begins his second volume in a two volume theological history of the Christian faith. Writing to a Roman named Theophilus; Luke states his purpose to under gird the faith or inquiry of this man with the facts. It was probably written during the first Roman imprisonment immediately following the Caesarean imprisonment during which he wrote Luke. Most commentators say that this book should be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit because the core of its content always relates back to the moving of the Spirit to launch, sustain, protect, and grow the early church. Before the Holy Spirit makes His official grand entrance in Acts 2, we see several things coming together to form a basis and a situation for the origin of the Christian Church. It is hugely important to our faith that we consider how it began.
C. Main thought: In our text we will see four things that begin to lay the groundwork for the explosion of the church upon the pages of the NT
A. A Trustworthy Record (v. 1-2)
1. The first foundation to the church exploding on the scene was a record of the facts of the gospel that was accurate and trustworthy. Luke reminds Theophilus of the former account, which was the gospel of Luke, which contained “all that Jesus began to both do and teach” until the ascension. And in Luke’s prologue, he tells Theophilus that he has investigated everything, speaking with eyewitnesses (remember Luke was not there during Luke or the first part of Acts), and writing an orderly and accurate account. So he is reminding Theophilus of the truthfulness of this book. As a physician, Luke takes great pains to be precise in his wording of this account.
2. Luke 1:1-4, Tit 1:2, 2 Pet 1:21, 2 Tim 3:16, Ps 18:30, 111:2, Eccl 1:13, Pro 2:2-4, 4:7, James 1:22,
3. Illustration: one seasoned veteran of disputes spoke up. “Preacher, this appears to be bothering you a lot. But I’ve known all those boys since they were born and they’re good boys. If they said they didn’t know, I believe them. Let’s just take some money out of the repair and maintenance fund, fix the walls, and let it go at that.” Responding to a survey that showed that Alabamans had the most bible knowledge, but being dismayed at the general lack thereof, Cecil R. Taylor, dean of the School of Christian Studies at the Southern Baptist-affiliated University of Mobile, said it upsets him to know “how biblically illiterate even students who come from Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches are." “The fact that so few of the insiders understand the meaning of these terms also suggests that the Christian church in this country would be wise to invest in training people about the basic principles and concepts of the Christian faith.” –Barna after survey about basic definitions of Christian terms, "If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity ignore its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity." - Robert E. Lee, Hus’s last words were, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”
4. You can trust the bible. Cast away your doubts. Put it to the test. Most of the time express doubts about scripture are nothing more than a smokescreen to you witness. Although there are some with real doubts. But most simply are ignorant. One reason that the church has very little power today is that people do not know the account. Our level of biblical knowledge even in the Bible belt is pathetic. And gaining bible knowledge is hard work, but we have ample resources to aid you in your quest. But the bottom line is that you must labor for the fruit of knowledge. But worse the increasing tendency for people to have some biblical knowledge, but not to appropriate it in their lives. All the great Baptist Bible scholars and teachers have taught, not only the inerrancy and necessity of the Bible, but its authority. Never before have I heard so many say, “I know what the bible says, but…” We must regain a sense of authority of the Bible over our lives, over our thoughts, wishes, actions, words, goals, plans, decisions, bodies, churches…
B. A Steadfast Belief in the Resurrection (v. 3)
1. Luke mentions here that Jesus appeared to the disciples, the eyewitnesses on a number of occasions after the resurrection and showed the many infallible or convincing proofs that He was alive. One of the great mysteries to the Jews then, and to skeptics today is why these disciples were willing to give their lives for a resurrection that is not true. Of course, we know that it is true. But these disciples would be forced to give up their lives for this truth.
2. Illustration: J. D. N. Anderson writes: “Think if the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated disciples cowering in an upper room one day, and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence,” sometimes we are faced with situations that make us ask, “Do you really believe?” Like when the Crabtree’s were stuck on the side of a Zambian road with no money, no transportation, no cell phone, no police, no lawyer, no doctor, etc. Most of us live lives where our beliefs are never really tested. Luther telling the church tribunal to show it to him in the bible and he’ll recant.
3. We need the same kind of radical commitment and confidence toward the resurrection and toward the other truths of scripture. Are you willing to give your life for this truth? How about your job or your hobbies or your possessions if need be? There may be times of doubt and wavering, but we must deal with them, put them to rest, and walk with confidence, truly believing. The impact of Christ on your life should be transforming all parts of your existence.
C. A Willing and Obedience Heart (v. 4)
1. Luke then relates the command that Jesus gave during the time after His resurrection to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. Now remember that his would have been really difficult to remain in Jerusalem with all the religious zealots being there from the feast, seeing Jesus be crucified, hearing all the rhetoric from the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin. Easiest thing to do would be to go back to the house in Galilee and think for a while. And of all things he could have told them to do, He said go wait!
2. 1 Sam 3:10, Acts 9:6,
3. Illustration: At that point, a man behind him said, "I’m waiting for my wife, too, but I never thought of bringing a lunch and an overnight bag with me." Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given. - G. Campbell Morgan, Warren Wiersbe makes the observation, “The ability to calm your soul and wait before God is one of the most difficult things in the Christian life. Our old nature is restless...the world around us is frantically in a hurry. But a restless heart usually leads to a reckless life.”
4. Has God ever asked you to do some really difficult thing? Do you respond like young Samuel or Isaiah or Jonah? We must realize that God calls us to do some things in the Word that are completely unnatural, anti-American, and socially outdated, and politically incorrect. And some of these things are going to bring pain instead of comfort. But just like the disciples, we must be willing to do as He asks because He is our Lord, and Lord of all. What line do you draw in your life that if God asked you to do it, you would not? This reveals the depth of our faith, our trust, and our commitment to Christ.
D. A Baptism of Fire (v. 5)
1. Then Jesus reminds them of the promise—a baptism by fire of the Holy Spirit. In this study on Acts we will delve into what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit in great depth as it is a recurring theme. But for today, just suffice it to say that Jesus was speaking here of the filling of the Spirit, even though the terminology is baptism. The baptism of the Holy Spirit unites us with Christ and His church. The filling of the Spirit empowers us for service. But because of the special significance and of the visual manifestations that would take place at Pentecost, the term baptism is appropriate. I believe the bible makes a good case that the disciples were already saved prior to Pentecost. And Jesus tells them to wait, not for salvation, but for power. Our thought today is foundations, and Jesus knew that for effective ministry in the world, the power of the Spirit was an absolute necessity. He says, “Don’t leave, but wait for the Spirit.”
2. Luke 3:16,
3. Illustration: John Maxwell thinking about Philip and the eunuch states, “It’s amazing what can happen to and through an ordinary man when God pours a little hardship and the power of the Holy Spirit into the mix…“…that went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this.…Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would then set apart a day for private fasting and prayer…after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life.” –testimony of Charles Finney
4. The Holy Spirit regenerates us, baptizes us, empowers us, teaches us, helps us remember things, leads us in truth, helps us to exalt Christ and magnify the worth of the Lord. You are not a member of Christ’s church if you are not baptized by the Spirit. And you cannot minister in power and genuine effectiveness without the continual filling of the Holy Spirit in your life. And if you do, you tend to work ministry in your own strength and cunning. And eventually you will dry out, burn out, or fizzle out, and probably see very little lasting spiritual fruit because of it. Some of you here who are doing ministry need to back up and wait on the empowerment of the Spirit in your life, so that ministry, or occupation, or family doesn’t seem as though it were a burden.
A. Closing illustration: a recipe that makes something awesome
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
