“Jesus II: The Sequel”
Acts 1:1-5 4.22.07
It seems fitting that, on the heels of a study of the church, as we’ve looked at its makeup, its marks, its mission, and the like, we take now a detailed look at the first church, at what was going on for the thirty-odd years following the resurrection and ascension of Christ. And thus we embark on a study that will take us well into the launch of Red Oak, a study through the book of Acts. Before we dig into the book, though, we will need to spend a few minutes delving into some
Preliminary Considerations
Consider with me a few pertinent facts prior to our study today; first,
• The Historicity of Christian Faith
What I mean by that is this: the reliability of the historical acts that are depicted in the Bible is absolutely critical to our faith; we have a historically-based faith. That might not seem remarkable to you, except for the fact that this is not true of many of the world’s faiths, chiefly those that are ethically-based. Hinduism, for instance, doesn’t concern itself too much with the origin of the world, or historical facts; Buddhism seeks to lead people to personal enlightenment, but history just doesn’t much matter. What I’m saying is that for many of the world’s faiths, you wouldn’t have an important text by the name of “Acts”, and yet for us, the actual historical facts of, for instance, creation, the exodus, the life of Christ, the early church, and the like matters very, very much.
Rick Wade, from Probe Ministries, had this to say:
Christianity is grounded in specific historical events, not abstract religious ideas. Pluralists, as it were, line up all the major, enduring religions in front of them and look for similarities such as those we have already noted: prayers, rituals, holy books, and so on. They abstract these characteristics and say, “Look. They’re all really the same because they do and have the same kinds of things.” But that won’t do for Christianity. It is not just some set of abstract “religious” beliefs and practices. It is grounded in specific historical events… The historicity of Christianity is critical to its truth or falsity.
Note secondly the importance of
• Reading Acts for what it is: History
We’re speaking of our approach to this book, how we interpret it as we read it, and so we need to classify its genre: Acts is history, in fact the only New Testament book that wears that classification, though others, notably the gospels, of course, contain history. Acts is the history of the early church; we could even, because of its relation to our situation, rightly say that Acts is the history of church planting in the early church, because that’s what was going on, particularly in the final two-thirds of the book: new churches were being planted! It’s important that we read history as we would read a history book, say; this differs from the way we read poetry or epistles. Gospels were written in order to give us the facts about Jesus Christ and His work, for the expressed purpose of bringing us to faith in Him (John 20:31) Doctrine is unfolded in the epistles of Paul; we read history in Acts.
Is there value in reading history? The historian says that those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat it; the skeptic says that history can only be observed, not learned from; the naturalist says that history is nothing more than the random stuff that has happened: the postmodernist replies that we can’t even be sure what history really is, because those who’ve written it have done so from a position of power, determined to interpret history in accord with their desire to maintain power. But for the Christ-follower, our understanding of history is shaped by our belief in the sovereignty of God, that it represents the outworking of His grand design, that it can be learned from, that it has value because it is God’s story! That said, we need a bit more help in
• Interpreting Acts: Descriptive or Prescriptive?
When we misunderstand the difference between these two words, we set ourselves up for trouble, and this is particularly true for Christ-followers as they consider the book of Acts. What do we mean by these words? “Descriptive” writing is that which describes what happened; history is largely descriptive. “Prescriptive” writing reminds us of the word “prescription”, which a doctor writes for us to help us get better from our ailments. The commands of Christ, for instance, or the admonitions that Paul gives to all of us, are prescriptive; we are told clearly what we are to do. We must take care in reading history, though, because we are dealing largely with descriptive writing.
Here’s a for-instance: Acts 5 records that Ananias and Sapphira are struck down dead on the spot as they intentionally lie to the apostles, the leaders of the church. Should we expect folks to be struck dead on the spot if they lie to a church leader today? I’m sure I’d have seen a few instant deaths were that the case! We read history; interpret as best we can its meaning; learn from its lessons. But we don’t automatically assume that it’ll happen exactly the way it did in another situation and time! We must be careful in our interpreting of Acts not to assume that because God worked in a just-so way in the early church, He will work in the same detailed way today. Speaking of
• The Details:
Let’s take a quick look at some of those:
o Author: Luke
Luke was a Gentile doctor. Luke was a longtime traveling companion of the apostle Paul, and was with Paul as he wrote his final letter, II Timothy, for Paul said, “Luke alone is with me” (II Timothy 4:11). For sheer volume of words, Luke wrote more than any other New Testament writer, including Paul! Though his knowledge of Christ and His ministry was secondhand, we can be sure that Luke did his research, gained insight from Paul and many of the apostles, and wrote an accurate account, particularly since he wrote inspired by the Spirit of God! In fact, if we read the introduction he gives to his gospel, the first four verses, he talks about the careful and thorough investigation he has undertaken, in order to give an accurate and orderly account, so that his readers might be certain of the truth of the things they’d heard.
o Recipient: Theophilus
o Date: ca. 64 A.D.
Acts is written, probably some time around A.D. 64, to Theophilus, about which we know effectively nothing, except that his name is a combination of the word “theo” (God) and “philus” (lover). In other words, Luke is writing to a man named “lover of God”, which has led some to speculate that perhaps he wasn’t writing so much to an individual as to any/all who could go by that name. Some have conjectured that “Theophilus” was a pseudonym, perhaps for a ranking Roman official whose name was best left unsaid; others suggest he might have been a Greek gentleman with a keen interest in Christian faith but needing a fuller explanation of things. At any rate, this book to Theophilus is a book for all those who are lovers of God!
The book of Acts was unnamed (as such) for over two centuries; understand that Luke wasn’t concerned that his book become a bestseller or a Hollywood screenplay; rather, it was a personal letter to a real person, written of course under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but not a “book” as we think of one written today to be sold at Barnes and Noble. Acts is the book in which we understand the mighty power of the unleashed Holy Spirit of God, active in and through the early church. A.T. Pierson had this to say:
This book we may, perhaps, venture to call the Acts of the Holy Spirit, for from first to last it is the record of his advent and activity. Here he is seen coming and working…(only) one true Actor and Agent is here recognized, all other so-called actors or workers being merely his instruments, an agent being one who acts, an instrument being that through which he acts.”
Further, Pierson adds:
The records of these acts of the Holy Ghost have never reached completeness. This is the one book which has no proper close, because it waits for new chapters to be added so fast and so far as the people of God shall reinstate the blessed Spirit in his holy seat of control.
And yet, with that important emphasis upon the essential work of the Spirit said, we must at the same time see the absolutely essential nature of the human actors as well. In fact, the same can be said to be true today: do we do the work of God, or does the Spirit do God’s work through us? Yes! Any dichotomy drawn between the two is a false one, for we cannot please God without the Spirit, but the Spirit uses us! One more item before we begin:
o Nature: A “Sequel” to Luke’s Gospel
Now, normally, the sequel to a movie isn’t as good as the original, right? I mean, they never can quite match the first time out of the gate. But I have one exception to that: you know, I loved the first movie, when Rocky Balboa came out of nowhere, took Apollo Creed all 15 rounds, but lost in the end? Ah, but the second one is better…Rocky wants a rematch, and Apollo grants it, but Adrian is dead-set against him fighting again, and he’s not really into the preparation. And then Adrian goes to the hospital, has a baby, and then goes into a coma, and Rocky is at her bedside day and night, reading to her, writing corny poetry, holding her hand, praying, until one night…well, you just have to watch this part for yourself: VIDEO
I love that part at the end, Mickey with “what are we waitin’ fer?” So what does this have to do with the book of Acts? Everything! Because the book of Acts is a sequel; this isn’t the first book that Luke has written; he wrote the gospel that bears his name, and he picks up right here; let’s read vv. 1-5 together!
Luke wrote his gospel to tell about the beginning of Jesus’ work—including, of course, His death on the cross and resurrection, the central events of His life and ministry. But this was not the end at all; Jesus continues to work in His church, even after His ascension to Heaven. We are His body; He works in and through the church, and thus what we come to understand the book of Acts as being is “Jesus II: The Sequel”. Yes, He is resurrected and ascended to Heaven; yes, He is seated at the right hand of the Father. But He is active and working today. He’s building His church. He’s gathering His elect to Himself. He’s working through His Spirit to accomplish His purposes. And here’s the really cool thing: we’re in on it. Acts tells the story of the Spirit’s work in the early church, the first sequel, if you will.
This is a “bridge passage” for Luke, as he reiterates what he has previously shown in the book that bears his name, and then picks up the story and takes it from there. Today, we look at
What Jesus Gave the Church
He did not leave His disciples to fend for themselves; as we’ll see, Jesus gave them, and us, some precious gifts:
I. Instructions
A. Through the Holy Spirit
• Third person of the Trinity
• Not an “it”, but “He”
• Working in perfect, uninterrupted conjunction with Christ
Look at the linkage between Christ and the Spirit in Romans 8:
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Luke makes it clear that just Christ was operating in conjunction with the Holy Spirit in giving instructions and teaching to the apostles, and in that sense, it is just the same today: the Spirit is at work, doing the work of Christ, pointing us to Christ.
B. About the Kingdom
This was the theme of Christ’s preaching: the kingdom of God. What did He tell them about the kingdom?
1. Expectation: Unfulfilled!
• It wouldn’t be what they expected, some earthly kingdom
• God had been seen as King from the earliest times in Israel (Ex. 15:18); His kingship is celebrated in the Psalms, for instance
• God’s kingship was seen in Old Testament times through His relationship with the nation of Israel; even with the rise of the monarchy in Israel, God was still looked upon as Israel’s rightful king, and its earthly kings as second-in-command. After the fall of Israel’s monarchy, and the coming of captivity for the people of God, there came an expectation of a kingdom yet future—and it was thought of in terms of the nation of Israel.
2. Definition: God’s Sovereign Reign
It is the sovereign rule and reign of God in human life and in the affairs of human history. God’s kingdom is the outworking of God’s will in the lives and hearts of individuals.
3. Fruition: In Christ
The fruition of the kingdom’s promise was inaugurated in space and time history by the coming of Christ (Mark 1:14-15 - 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”). The kingdom, further, is about Christ, Whose teaching focused on…Himself! Assumedly, He unfolded to them in more detail the linkage between the Old Testament predictions of a Messiah, and His own life.
4. Location: In Believers
It would be within them, within the hearts and lives of people born again by the Spirit of God. God rules and reigns in the lives of and through the actions of those who are indwelt by and filled with His Spirit. He lives in us, and He works through us, to build His kingdom!
5. Vocation: “Thy Kingdom Come…”
It is the very aim of the Christ-follower; we pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven”; Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount to “seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness.” This is the very beginning of the solution to the issues that plague us as individuals, and as a society, that we seek first His kingdom (not our own, or the establishment of the Republican or Democratic parties “kingdoms”).
6. Culmination: Eternity Future
One day, God’s moral will will align with His sovereign will in the sense that there will be no more sin, no more death, no more pain, no more curse. In Heaven, the Kingdom of God will be realized in its fullness, and we will join with Him in that realization.
So Jesus gave, through the Spirit, instruction to the church regarding the kingdom, but He said more:
C. “Wait!”
Not easy for them to hear, perhaps; certainly not easy for us in our rat race world…but it was important for them, and for us, to move in coordination with the Holy Spirit. Something I heard awhile back registered with me: “any success that we achieve apart from the Holy Spirit is another word for failure!” But He will deliver on His promise, made to them prior to His crucifixion, recorded in John 14-16: He will give them the Holy Spirit!
D. Power through Baptism with the Spirit
The wait will be worth it. John Baptist’s baptism had been one of repentance; those who underwent the baptism (with the exception of Christ, Who had nothing to repent of!) did so because they were convicted of their sin at John’s preaching, and anticipating God’s great next move, wanted to be ready for it by repentance. But a new baptism was coming, a greater one; the Holy Spirit will come upon them and fill them with power to carry out the mission of Christ (which He’ll give in verses to come, which we’ll consider next week). This baptism with the Spirit is something which is never commanded for Christ’s followers, in the sense that we are told to seek it, pray for it, try in some way to attain it; on the contrary, it is something which is true of all Christ-followers. But it is something which will yield the power to carry out the mission.
There are folks who in seeking a fuller experience of the kingdom of God, and of the Spirit of God, are seeking for some experience, whether that be the ecstatic utterances of speaking in tongues, or some emotional or physical sensations that they equate with the Spirit. For my dear, departed grandmother, the Spirit was moving when the preacher got to dancing down the aisle at the Bapticostal church hankie in hand, and there was a lot of crying and hollering and hooting. No…the Spirit moves in us as we yield ourselves to His control, not when we get goose bumps or fall out on the floor laughing like some others claim.
Jesus gave instructions through the Spirit regarding His kingdom and the coming of the Spirit in power; that’s not all He gave; briefly,
II. Chosen Leaders
The word used is eklegomai, which was the word Luke used in his gospel to detail Christ’s calling and choice of the twelve; interestingly, the Lord uses it in speaking to fearful Ananias of Paul, the former persecutor of Christians now commissioned and chosen to be the herald of Christ to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). All the apostles were chosen by God, not self-appointed, not even chosen by a church board or committee or congregation, but directly and personally by Christ (which we need to remember anytime anyone today wants to claim the title “apostle”—sorry, not qualified, Charlie!). These men would guide the early church, oversee its prolific spread, form the foundation of the church, of which Christ is the cornerstone. God chose all sorts of men with all sorts of personalities, backgrounds, hang-ups, and issues, to do His will—and He still does!
Last, He gave
III. Proof of His Resurrection
Again, we’re reminded of what I said earlier: the objective reality of the resurrection was and is central to our faith; only those who had witnessed the resurrected Christ were chosen by God to be apostles.
Around Easter, debate arose again on the importance of the literal, physical resurrection of Christ. John Dominic Crossan, for instance, a New Testament scholar, argues that the actual historicity of the resurrection doesn’t matter nearly so much as the meaning that the resurrection carried for the disciples. No, Mr. Crossan, if the resurrection didn’t happen as Scripture portrays it to have happened, then vast portions of the New Testament and of history simply make no sense. If I didn’t believe that Jesus’ once-dead body had been resurrected, I sure wouldn’t waste your time this morning. The historical accounts that the Bible portrays must either be true events or our entire faith comes crashing down.
Now think about it: Christ gave His church
• His explicit teaching, including the promise of power
• Leaders to guide the development of the church and propagation of the gospel
• Proof that He was alive—and that the Spirit would live in them
Effectively, then, Jesus said, “here’s what you need to do, and I’ll provide power to do it, leaders to guide you, evidence that it’s real and that I’m alive, and my Spirit will live in you.” What else really could the church need? And what else do we need?
So What?
• Do you find yourself as a “theophilus”, as one loved by God, and as a lover of God?
• We can all have a place in the work of God
o Luke wasn’t a preacher or an apostle!
o Blind farmer in China, cataracts removed, leading a procession of other blind people holding a rope, taking them to see the doctor who’d healed him
• What we do now as God’s agents fits into God’s unfolding story of redemption
• What we do, we must do by the same unleashed power of the Holy Spirit that infused the early church
o “Wait” until we have prayed and asked God for power
o Rely upon that power of God to do what you cannot
Table Talk
• How might a person make a big mistake in understanding Acts by treating the book as prescriptive rather than descriptive? How can we learn from a descriptive book?
• If someone asked you, “what does it mean to live in the power of the Holy Spirit?”, what would you tell him?
