B-SETTING the STAGE for the SPIRIT-IV—Acts 1:4-8
Luke recorded for Theophilus an account of those acts which preceded the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' physical absence.
How is the stage set for the acts of the Holy Spirit?
11 acts setting the stage for the Spirit of God are...
1. FRIENDSHIP(:1)
2. INITIATION(:1)
3. EXPLANATION(:2)
4. SENDING(:2)
5. CHOOSING/CHOICE(:2)
6. RESURRECTION(:3)
7. SUFFERING(:3)
8. MINISTRY(:3)
9. COOPERATION(:4)
10. ANTICIPATION / EXPECTATION(:4-5)
11. BAPTISM(:5)
12—Setting the stage for the Spirit are
Acts of RESTORATION(:6)
Explanation:(:6) Questioning / Inquiry
:6—“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?””
“Restore”—apokaqisthmi—To restore to a former state; To be in its former state.
Isa. 49:6—“Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’””
—Surely since He had been resurrected, this miraculous event would signal the ushering in of the kingdom. They did not yet recognize the global work which the Spirit of God was compelled to do in His people & in the world.
—Desire for the restoration of the kingdom to Israel is a limitation to nationalistic representations to ‘the ‘glory days of David & Solomon.’....
1Kgs. 4:21—“So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. They brought tribute & served Solomon all the days of his life.”
....Miniscule in comparison to the new kingdom’s global presence & impact.
—‘An earthly & national kingdom was recast...as the spiritual kingdom of God, to be entered thru repentance & faith in Christ.’—FF Bruce
— ‘The restoration of the kingdom involves a worldwide mission.’—John Polhill
—Dare we forget the rest of the world by focusing upon what God is going to do locally?
—The apostles recognized that the restoration of Israel was dependent upon Jesus.
Thus what He determined should be heeded!
Argumentation:
Lk. 2:25-32—“And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, & this man was just & devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, & the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms & blessed God & said: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.””
Consolation involves restoration of Israel to Kingdom status! .... BUT kingdom status requires spiritual kingdom status!
Illustration:
McDonald’s/Ruined/Burnt to ground/Restored with power in vastly different way/ACTS OF RESTORATION
Return to Church’s glory days/‘Glory Days’ existed because people were repentant & serious about walking with Jesus/Those Glory Days could be quadrupled today!ACTS OF RESTORATION
Model ‘T’ Hot Rod/No way that an original model ‘T’could have performed like a model ‘T’ hot rod/ACTS OF RESTORATION
Application:
?The Stage been Set thru your ACTS OF RESTORATION?
?You Set the Stage for the Holy Spirit?
13—Setting the stage for the Spirit are
Acts of ACCOMMODATION(:7)
Explanation:(:7) Acceptance
:7—“And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”
“Know”—ginwskw—To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of, perceive, feel. A knowledge grounded on personal experience.
“Times or seasons”—The actual calendar setting of God’s plan is irrelevant to the faithful. The act of Restoration itself, as it involves the faithful, however, is vital!
“Seasons”—kairoV—Due measure; A measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time—A definitely limited portion of time with the added notion of suitableness.
“Authority”—exousia—Power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases.; Physical or mental power; Power of authority(influence) & right(privilege). Primarily liberty of action; then authority -- either as delegated power, or as unrestrained, arbitrary power.
:8—“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth.””
*“But”—A key word in facing uncertainty & lack of clarity in God’s refusal.
—Rather than into restored kingdom in the sense of a politically & geographically limiting restoration of the kingdom, they will instead “receive” something of greater importance as far as concerns them 7 their role in that kingdom.
Argumentation:
Jn. 14:11-14—““Believe Me that I am in the Father & the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; & greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
Isa. 55:8-9—““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Deut. 29:29—“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us & to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
Ex. 15:26—“...If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God & do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments & keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.””
OPPORTUNITY Awaits!...
Rev. 3:7-8—“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens & no one shuts, & shuts & no one opens”: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, & no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, & have not denied My name.”
Illustration:
AWANA challenge for Penia BC/Unsure of expertise needed—Unsure of cost needed—Unsure of personnel needed—A lot of uncertainties!/ACTS OF ACCOMMODATION
Following a guide in unfamiliar lake/Know there are fish there/But do not know the nuts & bolts of catching them/ Must surrender your lack of knowledge to that of another/Must admit & be comfortable with the fact that they know what you don’tACTS OF ACCOMMODATION
Following someone thru unfamiliar town/
Application:
?The Stage been Set thru your ACTS OF ACCOMMODATION?
?You Set the Stage for the Holy Spirit?
14—Setting the stage for the Spirit are
Acts of POWERLESSNESS(:8a)
Explanation:(:8a)
““But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth.””
“Receive”—lambanw—To take; To receive, gain, get, obtain, to get back.
“Power”—dunamiV—Strength, power, ability—Power, natural ability, general & inherent.
*—Without the Holy Spirit in control, we possess the opposite of “power,” strength or ability!
—We have an utter inability to render a solution or rescue a situation.
RATHER....Power is promised! Therefore there is NO POWER IN THE HUMAN CONDITION!
Argumentation:
Eph. 2:8-12—“For by grace you have been saved through faith, & that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel & strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope & without God in the world.”
Mk. 14:38—““Watch & pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””
Acts 5:27-32—“And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, & intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” But Peter & the other apostles answered & said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince & Savior, to give repentance to Israel & forgiveness of sins. “And we are His witnesses to these things, & so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.””
Jn 15:4-5—““Abide in Me, & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, & I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
Illustration:
Carolina Rubber Hose/Roll Fabrication Dept./2 men Building a roll/Calendered rubber sheet/Stainless steel roller pressing rubber onto the core of the roll/2 men handle the sheet guiding it evenly as the roll slowly winds/My hand got too close & passed between the rollers under pressure/I had no ability to extricate my arm/POWERLESS to stop it.
Application:
?The Stage been Set thru your ACTS OF POWERLESSNESS?
?You Set the Stage for the Holy Spirit?
—CONCLUSION—
Setting the stage for the Spirit are Acts of....
RESTORATION(questioning / inquiry)(:6)
ACCOMMODATION(:7)
POWERLESSNESS(:8)
FRIENDSHIP(:1)
INITIIATION(:1)
EXPLANATION(:2)
SENDING(:2)
RESURRECTION(:3)
SUFFERING(:3)
MINISTRY(:3)
COOPERATION(:4)
ANTICIPATION / EXPECTATION(:4-5)
BAPTISM(:5)
Presented 05/01/05am to:
Richland Baptist Church
40510 Stewart Rd.
Wesley Chapel, FL 33540
