Acts of the Spirit
As we continue to examine the New Testament books to have a basic idea what each one is about we come to the book of Acts. Most of the New Testament books were written to address specific problems and so we approach them expecting a logical flow of an argument that works towards a conclusion. Each book is not just a set of pithy sayings and aphorisms. If something seems a little unrelated to the main theme of the book, you have to do a little bit more work to see why it is there.
The book of Acts is a little bit different, though. It still has a theme to it, but since it is written as a narrative, since it is written more in a story format, it is a little bit easier to read. It is more properly called, The Acts of the Apostles and is pretty straightforward and a little easier to grasp. It is one of the three historical accounts in the New Testament about the church. The first historical account is about the foundation of the church and it is found in the four Gospels as a whole. The second historical account is about the function of the church and that is found in the book of Acts. The third historical account is about the future of the church and that is found in The Revelation. Now, you might be saying to yourself, "I thought the Revelation was about the end of the world, I thought the Revelation is about the future, how can it be about history?" Keep in mind that was is future to us is history to God. Because He is timeless, it's all history to Him. The Revelation is about history that just hasn't happened yet, but, from our perspective, it is so sure to happen that it is as good as having happened already.
Because Acts is about the function of the church and it is in story format, there are all kinds of ways we could organize our understanding of the book. In time past, I have done a series of messages on winners and losers in the book of Acts studying how each character was either spiritually successful or unsuccessful...sometimes in moments of their lives, at other times with eternal consequences. Another time I did a series of messages on successful church ministry by studying the challenges that the early church had to overcome. Another way to examine the book of Acts is to see it through the eyes of a missionary as the churches spread out into the world. These are wonderful ways to try to understand what the book of Acts is about.
1. The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit was given to the church.
To try to understand the theme of the book of Acts, I think I would like to narrow it down to something that might not be so out in front, though. Although the name of the book is the Acts of the Apostles, I have heard it more appropriately called the Acts of the Holy Spirit. In the Gospels, we see Jesus as the empowering presence in the foundation of the church. In the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit is the empowering presence in the operation of the church.
John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Jesus had promised another Comforter, which suggests that He, Himself, was the first comforter.
Before the Holy Spirit came on the apostles to empower them to preach the Gospel to the Jews gathered from all over the world at the feast of Pentecost, Jesus gave them the Holy Ghost so they could be sent out to carry out their mission.
John 20:21-22 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
The book of Acts opens up with the work of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:1 Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, refers to his former treatise, the Gospel according to Luke, which he says was about what Jesus taught, and then in verse 2 he refers to how that, after Christ was taken up, Jesus gave commandments to the apostles through the Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:1-2 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
2. Everything about the work of the church is a manifestation of the power of the Holy and so forth Spirit.
Jesus declared that they were going to do things in the power of the Holy Spirit.
You can be sure that because Jesus said so, everything that follows in the book of Acts is done in the power of the Spirit, but there were many explicit statements that this is what happened.
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:6-8 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Acts 2:16-18 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Acts 4:7-10 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Acts 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
Acts 7:54-55 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
Acts 9:13-17 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 13:9-10 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,
10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Acts 13:51-52 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
There are those who claim that the filling of the Spirit is evidenced by speaking in gibberish. Although they call it speaking in tongues as the apostles did when they were empowered at Pentecost, it resembles nothing like what actually happened at Pentecost. It would be another subject to explain what did happen at Pentecost, but what we can point out was that there were only three times in the book of Acts where they spoke in tongues coincidentally when they were filled. Of all the instances when they were filled there was one common element...they preached with power.
The world is consumed with obtaining power.
Those who do not wish to kill any one, wish they had the power.
— Juvenal
All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power.
— Ashleigh Brilliant
Power is my mistress. I have worked too hard at her conquest to allow anyone to take her away from me.
— Napoleon Bonaparte
The release of atom power has changed everything except our way of thinking...the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.
— Albert Einstein
We are not just given power willy-nilly as if we are some comic book super hero summoning up some power within. God empowers us at His will to make His Gospel known.
He is most powerful who has power over himself
— Seneca
To that we say, "He is most powerful who is brought under the power of the Holy Spirit."
3. The best part of the work of the Holy Spirit begins in chapter 29.
The best part of the work of the Holy Spirit begins in chapter 29. This chapter is so important so please turn to Acts 29.
Every once in a while, a preacher will get his Bible reference wrong which leaves people scratching their head as they scramble to figure out where he is reading from. Other times, a preacher puts down the wrong reference, which some of those times turns out to be a blessing from God as we are surprised how well the "mistake" fits into the message. Now you might be wondering which problem this is since there are only 28 chapters in the book of Acts. Actually, there is no mistake here. I actually meant it when I said that the best work of the Holy Spirit begins in chapter 29. Let me explain.
When reading the book of Acts, you get the account of one event after another, but the book does not end with a resolution of some problem or some kind of conclusion. If you were reading a history book, you might expect to read something like how the end of dynasty came about, or how the stage was set for the next period of history to be covered in another book. If you were reading a biography, you might expect to hear how someone died and then a summation of the impact of their life. When you read the book of Acts, it contains both historical and biographical elements, but the book just sort of ends abruptly, kind of leaving you hanging. It's like you expect to hear what happened to Paul next, or perhaps something like, "meanwhile, back in Jerusalem..." but there is nothing. There is no setting the stage for the next movement in Christian history because that doesn't happen until you get to the book of the Revelation, which is all yet to come to pass. We are living out the continuation of the work of the Holy Spirit. Of course, there is no writing out any new chapters for the Bible, but if there were, we would be up to chapter 2013 or something.
The work of the Holy Spirit displayed in the book of Acts continues on through this day. What we are doing is just more of the same since Jesus was resurrected. More of the same miracles, more of the same empowered preaching, more of the same walking in the Spirit, but it is not some hum-drum existence we lead. Every time some new soul is saved, they throw a party in heaven. Every time someone gets victory over sin and temptation there is a party.
Luke 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
We ought to be wooping it up all the time! As a preacher, I am saddened every time I see someone fail to take the opportunity to get saved, or when someone fails to grasp the enlightenment that God is offering them. I am saddened when I see someone letting their self-interest, which is really not in their best interest, get in the way of God's blessing. By comparison, when someone gets the aha! experience, it is magnified to me because of this and I want to party. I don't want to scare anyone off by getting all excited in front of them, but there are many times I come home gushing to Nancy about people and how they either prayed to get saved or how they are growing spiritually.
The Holy Spirit is still here to empower us.
Paul told the Ephesians:
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Instead of getting charged with a DUI, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, we are commanded to be LUI, Living Under the Influence of the Holy Spirit.
Our joy and peace will abound in hope through the Holy Spirit.
Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Our courage and a sound mind will strengthen through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2Tim 1:7-14 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
1. The empowering presence of the Holy Spirit was given to the church. John 14:16-17, John 20:21-22, Acts 1:1-2,
2. Everything about the work of the church is a manifestation of the power of the Holy and so forth Spirit.
3. The best part of the work of the Holy Spirit begins in chapter 29. Luke 15:7, Eph 5:18, Rom 15:13, 2 Tim 1:7-14
