“Theophilus; the beloved of God”
We began our study last week on the Book of Acts and we saw that the “Acts of the Apostles” or rather the “Acts of the Holy Spirit” through the apostles was founded on their belief. The apostles and the first church believed that Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit could and would continue to do all that He said and taught in the gospels.
I cannot express how important it is to believe that Christ can do all he said and taught. Our faith in Christ began with a belief in His death, burial, and resurrection and if we are going to continue in faith we must believe that Christ can continue to do all He ever said or taught through the church.
1 The first account I composed Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,
It is reference to Luke’s gospel. In Luke 1:1-4 he says; 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word have handed them down to us, 3 it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; 4 so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. NASB
So we know this is Luke’s second book or letter to Theophilus concerning the works and teachings of Christ. When we compare the first verse of Acts with the first verses of Luke we see a difference. In Luke gospel it is most excellent Theophilus and in Acts, most excellent has been dropped and it is now just Theophilus.
There are three thoughts that I want to give concerning this man:
a. Theophilus was a man of love.
His name means “the beloved of God or the friend of God.
We closed last week with the meaning of the name “Theophilus”. To believe that we are the beloved of God is the first step in walking and living in the power and presence of God. We must believe that God loves us and we are His friends. If we have an honest, true, and confident belief in his love then we can move forward and see God do great things in us and through us.
But let me ask a question: If we believe that we are God’s beloved and we are friends of God then how will that love be expressed in our day to day lives?
Matt 22:34-40; 34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." NASB
Love is verb and therefore demands action. If we believe we are God’s beloved and we have been befriended by Him then that love will be expressed in an outward manifestation of love from us toward Him and toward others. As we read through the book of Acts it is this acting out of love we find over and over again among believers.
The first believers loved God because He first loved them. They loved each other and they loved the lost including those who persecuted them. These believers understood what Jesus meant when He said, “greater love has no man than to lay down his life for a friend.” It’s no wonder that the first century church did so much for the kingdom of God. Above everything else they believed they were loved by God and because of that love they were able to love others.
We can believe in all the right doctrines; the resurrection Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of God, the Second Coming of Christ, evangelistic preaching, we can believe in discipleship, fellowship, and worship, we can even believe in prayer. We can believe all the right things but if we don’t believe in God’s unconditional love for us then we are useless in God’s kingdom work.
1 Cor 13:1-3; 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. NASB
Theophilus was a man unconditionally loved by God. God’s love for you and me is unconditional. We are His beloved and we are His friends. If we honestly, truly, and confidently believe this then loving him with our heart, mind, and soul; and loving others will never be a problem.
To walk and live in the presence and power of God begins with believing that God loves you and His love is expressed through us as we love Him back, as we love each other, as we love the lost, and yes as we love even those who do not love us and persecute us.
b. Theophilus was a man of humility.
The words most excellent have been dropped from his name. Theophilus in all likely hood was a Roman official and as such had a title given to him and it was probably expected and respected that he be called by his title. He may have come to Christ sometime between Luke’s first account {his gospel} and Luke’s second account {Acts}.
As a Christian he claimed no title. As believers, We are the same at the foot of the cross. Theophilus earned his right to be called by his title but he thought his title nothing among other believers. There is no place for titles within the body of Christ. We all came the same way, we were all helpless and hopeless sinners in need of a Savior. In every church we find people from all walks of life and all different levels of education and serving in many different levels of society but if it weren’t for Christ we would all be lost and without hope. In Christ, we are all one body, no part more important than the next.
1 Peter 5:5-8; 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. NASB
I included vs.8 because pride, the opposite of humility, is precisely what got Lucifer, the devil, thrown out of heaven {Isaiah 14:12-15}. It is precisely what keeps men out of heaven today and what keeps some Christians and churches from ever seeing the great acts of God working in them and through them.
Phil 2:3-6; 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, NASB
Humility is the absence of pride. Before Christ, Theophilus may have been very proud of his position and power but now in Christ he realizes his position and power means little.
Maybe, as Theophilus read Luke’s gospel account of the work and teachings of Christ he realized that Christ was the Son of God, Christ was the Messiah, Christ was the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords; yet He humbled himself even to the point of the cross. This Christ who left the realms of the glory, left the right hand of God, left the glories of heaven, and humbled Himself that He might die for all men.
As believers, We should be no different. Christ is our Head, our King, our Lord, Our Savior; and He is the only one that deserves any title or recognition, any honor, or any praise.
He saw Christ for who He was and what He did and because of it Theophilus became a very humble person.
c. Theophilous was a man of wisdom.
Luke wrote both his gospel and the book of Acts to this man. Theophilus was a man who sought the truth. To seek truth is to be wise. He desired and sought the truth. Theophilus being a man of wisdom may have studied many of the religions and cults of his day and in the end he found that Christianity was the only real truth out there.
Prov 1:2-7; 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity; 4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in
learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. NASB
Theophilus desired and sought wisdom and in the end he found it in Christ alone.
To be wise means to have understanding, insight, and intelligence. It means that a person has the ability to apply basic biblical principals to everyday life. But how do we do that?
There are two ways: we must study the Word of God and pray for wisdom. Is that not what James says; “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given him. But he must ask in faith {or believing} without any doubting…” {James 1:5-6a}
A great number of people today are living deceived lives and much of what the church does today is superficial and formal without any of the power and presence of God because there is little wisdom, knowledge, or intelligence when it comes to God’s Word and prayer.
Remember, we discussed the meaning of Theophilus name. Some commentaries say that Luke used the name to describe all believers for we are all the beloved of God and we are all friends of God.
I don’t know if that is the case but the application can be made. And now as we have looked at it this morning it is certainly true that as believers we are to be a people of love, a people of humility, and a people of wisdom.
These three attributes should describe all believers everywhere. I think it would be wise for us to pray to that end. Lord, I pray, that we would be known as the beloved of God by the way we love you and love others. May we be known as a people of great humility in that our concern first and foremost is always for each other. And may we be known as a wise people who have read and studied and know your Word.
2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.
In our last message we took a look at this man Theophilus and some thoughts concerning him. He may have been a man of great love, humility, and wisdom; three attributes that should exemplify all believers in our daily walk.
Today, I want to look at vs.2 and take some thoughts concerning our Lord Jesus. As He lived out His life on earth so should we try to live out our lives.
a. Jesus never quit.
“until the day when He was taken up to heaven…”
Luke says he is writing of all that Jesus began to do and teach until he ascended up into heaven. Our Lord brought life to a dying world, peace to a world at war, hope to hopeless world. He was faithful to the end using all He had until He had accomplished or completed all that God had for Him to do. In other words, Jesus never quit.
If our Lord never quit then neither should we. Until that day when our Lord comes and takes us up to heaven we should use our gifts and talents to serve Him and to see that the His gospel goes to the ends of the earth. There is no retirement plan for the Christian. There is no retiring from service to our Lord. There is no retiring from seeking to reach a world sinking hopelessly in sin and shame.
As we study the life of Jesus on earth we read of all His miracles and all the great and wonderful things He began to do and teach. But, we also see all the persecutions He went through. The Pharisees hated him, the Romans wanted to kill Him, and His disciples, in the end, deserted Him.
There had to be those times when our Lord became tired and frustrated spiritually, physically, and emotionally. There had to be those times when our Lord thought “what’s the use.” There had to be those times when our Lord just wanted to quit and go home. But He could not and He would not because He knew the very souls of men, your soul and my soul, were at stake.
I don’t know about you but there are times when I want to quit and go home. There are times when I want to just throw in the towel. There are those times when I feel persecuted, times when I feel nobody notices, times when I fell no one cares, times when I think “what’s the use” but I can’t quit. There are times when I grow tired and weary, times when I become frustrated and I want to just quit, but I cannot and will not for I know there is a work to not only be done but to finish.
When I sat down with my pastor and talked with him concerning my call to ministry he said, “Ralph, If you can retire from ministry then God never called you.” I want to say the same thing to the believer, “If you can retire from serving the Lord then God may have never called you.” Each of us and all of us in Christ all called to service and our retirement will only be found in heaven.
I’ve always said that can’t and won’t are two four letter words that ought to be not be in our vocabulary. I want to add to that the word quit. It’s a four letter word that no Christian should ever use.
I know Christians that for one reason or another have quit serving the Lord. Men and women who once led the cause for Christ, both in the pulpit and the pew, and now because someone said or did something they didn’t like have quit serving the Lord.
I know men and women who have retired from their secular vocations and at the same time seem to have retired from Christian service. What a shame. We’ve all heard this, “I’ve done my time”. It may be in reference to teaching children or youth or keeping the nursery at church or serving as a deacon or even a pastor. I want to say you haven’t done your time until He takes you to heaven. Our service on earth is not done until our life on earth is done.
When the Pharisees tried to entrap our Lord what would’ve happened if He had said “you know, it’s just not worth it”. When the disciples deserted our Lord in the garden of Gethsamane what would’ve happened if I Lord had said, “why even try”. When the Jews arrested him and the Romans were about to crucify Him what would’ve happened if I Lord said, “I’m not doing this, I QUIT”. I tell what would’ve happened, there would have been no good news, there would have been no price paid for your sin and mine, there would have no hope, help, or salvation for any man; there would have only been an eternal hell waiting for all men. Thank God that Jesus never quit.
“Do you not say, there are yet four months, and then comes the harvest? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are already white unto harvest” {John 4:35}
We must all look around us and see the day we live in and know and understand that the harvest has never been whiter than it is today. None of us can quit, there is to much at stake, the cost of quitting is to high.
Jesus said, “I must do the work of Him who sent me, while it is day: the night comes, when no man can work” {John 9:4},
The night is fast approaching, we are living in the last of the last days and soon enough no man can work. We must have a no quit attitude and be determined to never give up until we go up.
Think about this. You were created by God, saved through Jesus, and indwelt with His Holy Spirit to carry out a work that only you can do. It may in a pulpit or a Sunday school class, it may be with children or youth or seniors, it may be in a choir or some other ministry, it may simply be the gift of helps. Whatever it is God has called you to serve Him to the end of your days. If you quit the work He called only you to do may never get done. The price of quitting costs to much. Jesus never quit and neither should we.
b. Jesus depended upon the Holy Spirit.
“after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders…”
Christ worked and taught "through the Holy Spirit." While He was on earth in the flesh, Christ was totally dependent upon the Holy Spirit. He had to surrender Himself and to make Himself available to the Spirit.
Think about it. If Christ was so dependent upon the Spirit of God, how much more are we! How much more do we need to make ourselves available to Him, available for His gifts and power!
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
In a few weeks we will deal with whole doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It concerns me greatly that as Baptists we have diminished or altogether thrown out the doctrine and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. If Jesus was dependant upon the Holy Spirit while He was here on earth, how do we think we will accomplish anything without Him in our lives. Oh, how I pray for a Pentecost in the Baptist church today.
c. Jesus left a legacy.
“given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.”
Jesus had preached and taught thousands of people at once but it was only a few {the apostles} that He entrusted His mission to. It was going to be up to them to carry out His mission and message, it was up to them to carry out the Lord’s purpose and plan. He concentrated all of His teaching on them. He drilled them over and over with His commandments until His mission and His plan was birthed into their heart and it became their mission and plan. He had left them a legacy of eternal hope, eternal life, and eternal love and it was up to them to see that that legacy carried over to the next generation.
For over two thousand years His legacy of hope, life, and love have been transferred from generation to generation through His church. One generation passing it to the next and them to the next and on through the ages until that day when the trumpet of God sounds and the Lord returns to get His people.
Let me ask you, what kind of spiritual legacy, Christian legacy are we leaving a young generation. In 1st Corinthians 13:13 Paul says, “now these three, faith, hope, and love; and the greatest of these is love.” This is the legacy that we should be striving to leave a young generation. It’s the legacy our Lord left the apostles, the legacy the apostles left the next generation of Christians. It’s the legacy the generation before us left us and we need to make sure we the same legacy for the next generation.
My heart of late has become more focused on legacy. It’s why a write more than I use to. My writings may mean nothing to many but my daughter and her children and their children, hopefully they will be able to read them and know my heart and passion for the Lord and all He began to do and teach. I want to leave my faith, my hope, and my love behind for generations after me.
My heart of late has become zeroed in on a few men called to ministry. I want to influence them with my faith, my hope, and my love for the Lord and all that He began to do and teach.
My heart of late has become narrowed in on a young generation. I fear we are losing this generation. I fear this generation doesn’t care for the “church” so much today. They have become disillusioned by hearing what the says to believe and seeing what the church does. It’s not a condemnation on the church at all but we do live in a day when much of the church is apathetic and in some case apostate.
And though some may be that way, I don’t want that to be my legacy and I don’t want it to be the legacy of this church. We do a lot of things and we do a lot of things well but the legacy we leave with for next generation should not be buildings or committees or programs. Our legacy should not even ours. The legacy we live the next generation should be the one our Lord left the apostles and the first church, a legacy of faith, hope, and love.
Now, with these thoughts; our Lord never quit, our Lord depended on the Holy Spirit, and our Lord left a legacy of faith, hope, and love; I want to ask: What about us? I can answer and say I believe we, Eastanalle, are doing a good job but there is always room for improvement.
And I want to make this challenge to you. I want this church to come with a plan to reach the young generation of our city. I want us to form a plan to make sure that everything Jesus ever began to do and teach passes to the next generation. I want us to prepare to leave a legacy that far outlives us. I want us to purposefully seek to reach this young generation with the gospel. I want us to decide that no costs, no time, no service; is to high to not do it.
I want us to decide this morning that we will leave this next generation a legacy of faith, hope, and love; and we will not quit until it happens.
