The Unfinished Work of Jesus
ACTS 1:1-8
How do you launch a worldwide enterprise? In the
last century, Coca-Cola did it. You can go just about anywhere in the world today and buy a Coke. They are the world’s largest multi-national corporation. Right behind them is Microsoft.
The church is Jesus Christ’s worldwide “enterprise.” He prophesied that He would build His church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18). The Book of Acts tells us how His church began in Jerusalem and spread to the ends of
the earth. It provides a vital link between the gospels and the New Testament epistles.
How did the Christian faith that began with a
few followers of Jesus in Israel spread to Rome and points beyond? How did an ardent Jew who was not even a believer become the apostle to the Gentiles? How did the early church, which was exclusively
Jewish, begin to reach out to and incorporate the Gentiles?
Without Acts, we would be hard pressed to answer these questions.
Luke wrote the book of Acts with the primary purpose to provide an account of the beginnings of the Christian church in order to strengthen his readers’ faith and to give assurance that its foundation is firm. Perhaps a skeptic had tried to convince Theophilus that his faith was based on myths or legends. Luke
wants to show through his gospel and Acts that the accounts were based on eyewitness testimony given by credible men who were not promoting it for personal gain. In fact, they proclaimed the message in the face of strong opposition and even death.
Luke also intended to explain how the church spread from Jerusalem to Rome, encompassing both Jews and Gentiles, in accord with God’s purpose.
One key to understanding Acts is to see that it is a
transitional book, showing how the worship of God moved from the Jewish temple, to the hesitant acceptance of Gentiles into the Jewish church, and finally to the Christian worship of predominately Gentile churches all over the Roman empire. Acts shows us how God went from working primarily with the Jews as a nation to working with the church, comprised of Jews and Gentiles on equal footing.
I think if I just dive right in, you’ll see why this book is so relevant for us today. It is book about the unfinished work of Jesus.
So let’s focus tonight only on the first several verses.
I. The Incredible Person
The key word for understanding the relevance of the book of Acts is the word "began." In the first book—in the gospel—Luke dealt with all that Jesus BEGAN both to do and to teach until he was taken up into heaven. The gospel of Luke ends with the Ascension of Jesus into heaven. And Luke says that the story he told, ending with the ascension of Jesus into heaven, was the BEGINNING of the ministry of Jesus Christ.
A. The Ministry of Jesus Christ
"The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach." The word “began” implies that Christ’s work on earth was not finished, yet in His high-priestly prayer to His Father, Jesus said, "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do" (John 17:4). When He died on the cross He said, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
Is the work of Christ finished or not?
Christ’s redemptive work on the cross is done, but His work is still going on. This is absolutely crucial for understanding the purpose of the book of Acts and who we are as a church and what this age is all about. Because the clear implication is that NOW—now that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father—He is NOT finished. He is not done with His work and with His teaching. He is carrying on His work though the believer.
The incarnation of the Son of God into human flesh, the once-for-all sacrifice of himself for sin on the cross, the mighty resurrection and Ascension to the Father’s right hand is just the BEGINNING of what Jesus came to do and to teach. The rest of what He came to do, He does NOW through the believer.
That is the point of the book of Acts and that is
why we exist as a church and that is what this age is all about. The book of Acts is not just the acts of the apostles; it is the acts of the risen, living, enthroned Jesus.
WHETHER IN THE GOSPELS OR IN ACTS, INCARNATION IS SECRET STRATEGY BY WHICH GOD CHANGES THE WORLD. The book of Acts is the work of Christ through the Holy Spirit as He works in and through the church. The book of Luke records what Jesus “began both to do and teach” in His human body; the book of Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do and teach through His spiritual body the church. See Mark 16:20.
Luke wrote his gospel to tell of "all that Jesus
began both to do and teach.”
The word “do” appears before the word “teach.” You need to live Biblical principles before you can teach them. If you want to carry on Jesus’ work, you need to be living out what you teach.
God is at work in history through His church. Jesus began the work; His church continues it. That’s why He saved us and why He leaves us here on earth.
If you are a Christian, serving the Lord in His cause through His church is not optional.
B. The Mandate of Jesus Christ
Jesus did almost all the gospel teaching up to the time of His death and resurrection. The disciples hadn’t done much teaching, but before Christ ascended, He gave to the disciples the responsibility of evangelizing the world.
Before Jesus was taken up into heaven, He gave orders to His apostles. This can refer to all that He commanded them over the course of the three years that He taught them. But specifically it focuses on the final command, the Great Commission, to take the good news to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem
From a human standpoint, they weren’t highly qualified individuals. But Christ is about to equip them so that they would be able to carry out His work.
II. The Infallible Proof
“To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”
You can’t be an authentic instrument in the hands of a living Christ, if you are not fully convinced that He is alive. Until the apostles were profoundly persuaded that Jesus had broken the power of death, and that he was alive with indestructible life. He was not defeated, and His cause was unstoppable—until then, the apostles were ready to go back to fishing for a living. But for 40 days Jesus appeared to them again and again.
For 40 days of they had appearances and conversations and meals with Him. The apostles were fully convinced thqt He was alive. They had many infallible proofs.
It was important for the apostles to know that Jesus was a risen Lord. Who wants to go around propagating the gospel of a dead leader? Christ showed Himself to the apostles so they would know He had conquered death.
One of the greatest proofs of the resurrection is the early church’s boldness and commitment in preaching about Christ. The apostles were confident because they had seen Christ in His resurrection glory. Had that not happened, they would have gone back to the routine of life and quit advocating Christianity. But Christ appeared to the apostles repeatedly over a period of forty days to confirm He was indeed a risen, glorified Messiah.
The resurrection of Jesus gives us a solid foundation for
our work. Luke emphasizes the factuality of the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection that He gave to His disciples over the 40-day period between His resurrection and ascension. This is the only verse that tells us how long this period was. Jesus gave the disciples “many infallible proofs.” He appeared repeatedly to them. If it had only been one occasion, we could perhaps conclude that it was a vision or mass hallucination. But there were multiple appearances, some to individuals,
some to the whole group, and not on one day only, but
over 40 days. The five-hundred witness listed in I Corinthians 15 would make an extremely strong case in any court of law.
Notice, they not only saw Him , but they heard him speak as well. Visibly and audibly He proved Himself.
Without the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ the Christian faith would have been stillborn, for a living faith cannot survive a dead Savior.
A. Showed Himself alive visually
B. Showed Himself alive vocally
As HE showed Himself alive in a physical way, so we should show ourselves alive spiritually.
III. The Invincible Power
Acts 1:4–8
Even though the disciples had been taught by Christ and knew He had risen from the dead, they still weren’t ready to go out and win people for the Lord. Christ had told them to go out and teach all nations (Matt. 28:20), but in Acts 1:4 He added that they shouldn’t yet depart from Jerusalem. He said, "Wait for the promise of the Father, which ... ye have heard from me." Jesus said the same thing in Luke 24:49, "Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
WAITING! This is often the hardest thing to do. The excitement of the post-resurrection visits must have filled the Lord’s disciples with excitement
and fired them with enthusiasm. They must have felt that, with marching orders from a Man who had conquered death, there was nothing they would
not dare, no crowd they could not sway, no country they could not conquer, no confrontation where they could not succeed.
However, such enthusiasm would not last. It was noble perhaps, it was sincere, but it had no staying power, and certainly it had no saving power. It
was born of the flesh. They needed more than that-they needed the Holy Spirit. Their task was an impossible task.
Even with the Great Commission in their hands they would need more than willingness if the world was to be won. They needed "the promise of the Father."
What was the "promise of the Father" that He had told them about? It was the gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the apostles they would receive the Holy Spirit after He left them (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7; 20:22). Acts 2:33 confirms that the Father sent the Holy Spirit once Christ was at His right hand in heaven.
The apostles needed the Holy Spirit.
A. They needed the Holy Spirit to enlighten them.
1. Their memories
The many truths Jesus had taught them would have to be recalled. They would need the Holy Spirit for that.
2. Their message
They were not to preach words of man’s wisdom but words supplied by the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament would have to be seen in a new light and preached with a new relevance. The
significance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection would have to be understood and proclaimed. They would need the Holy Spirit for that.
3. Their movements
Where to go! Who should go! When to go! They would need the Holy Spirit for that.
B. They needed the Holy Spirit to energize them.
1. So they could labor with power
No man, however enlightened,
zealous, and willing, has what it takes to convict and convert souls. They could no more convert a soul than they could create a star. They needed a power outside themselves to make the Lord Jesus real to lost men and women blinded by Satan and enslaved by sin.
Prior to receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles were powerless to carry out Christ’s unfinished work. The Greek word translated "power" (dunamis) is where we get the English word dynamite. They would need the Holy Spirit for that power.
Since the apostles had to wait to receive the Holy Spirit before they could do the Lord’s work, that shows us it’s impossible to carry on His work in our own power. You can make elaborate plans for ministry and give eloquent sermons, but without the Spirit’s power, your work will be fruitless.
2. So they could live the life
They did not have what it takes to live the Christ life. As He had given His life for them, so now He must give His life to them. They would need the Holy Spirit for that.
C. They needed the Holy Spirit to encourage them.
They were full of enthusiasm now, but what about when they were alone, when they were in prison, when they were scourged and threatened with
a cruel death? They would need the Holy Spirit for that.
So they disciples were told to wait.
John 14:17 says that the Holy Spirit was already with the disciples, but that later on He would be in them. Prior to the sending of the Spirit in Acts 2, people weren’t indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Instead, God sent the Spirit on specific occasions to do a special work through someone. For example, the Holy Spirit descended on King Saul (1 Sam. 11:6) and departed from him (1 Sam. 16:14).
"Ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come upon you."
The church is not a program but a power....the power of the Holy Sprit of God.
The early disciples were a group of relatively ignorant men who shaped their world because the power of the Holy Spirit was released in their lives. This is an essential. You can’t be an effective Christian if you aren’t operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Now, the eleven disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They were thinking in terms of timetables, schedules, and programs. The church throughout its history has often made this same mistake. But the Lord Jesus said, "It is not for you to know.” Times, schedules, and programming are all in the Father’s authority.
Studying prophecy is not the church’s major purpose, what is it ?
Hey, here’s an easy question: are you ready for this? Anyone can get this. Notice verse 8. There’s the church’s major purpose. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me. That’s our primary purpose, church. That’s our primary mission. The church must be first about Acts 1:8. That’s number one. Everything else is number two, three, and so forth. Jesus tells us we must first be about the business of being a witness for Him.
Conclusion:
I. The Main Person of the Church (1-3)
II. The Mighty Power of the Church (4-5)
The main person of the church is the Savior; the mighty power of the church is the Spirit.
III. The Major Purpose of the Church (6-8)
Well, if the main person of the church is the Savior, the mighty power of the church is the Spirit, then the major purpose of the church is souls.
