Fasten Your Seat Belt, Pilgrim, You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet
Series: Acts
Chuck Sligh
February 2, 2014
TEXT: Our text will be Acts 1:1-11, so please turn in your Bibles to Acts 1.
INTRODUCTION
This morning I’m beginning a new preaching series through the book of Acts.
Let’s begin by reading verses 1-2: “The former treatise have I made [the former treatise Luke is referring to the Gospel of Luke], 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.”
[OPEN IN PRAYER]
Look at the title of this book in your Bible: it probably says, “The Acts of the Apostles.” The titles of the books of the Bible are not inspired and were added later. This one, first used by the early church father Irenaeus late in the 2nd century, has stuck over the centuries.
“Acts of the Apostles” is an accurate description of the book up to a point, but I had always thought a better title might be “The Acts of the Holy Spirit” since it records the workings of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the leaders of the early church. But in preparation for this series, it occurred to me that an even better title would be “The Continuing Acts of Jesus Christ on Planet Earth.” Clearly Jesus is the star of this story, and He’s the main actor of every scene. So it’s fitting that He’s mentioned here in the very FIRST verse of Acts as well as the very LAST verse in the book—like bookends—and on every page in between.
But as we look at the first few chapters of this book, I think maybe Luke might have titled it, “You Read My First Book, but Fasten Your Seat Belt, Pilgrim; You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet!” (a title suggested by Robert Girard and Larry Richards in their book, The Book of Acts). Okay, it’s an unreasonably long title, but I call it that because in today’s text right here at the very beginning of this book, we’re going see that Jesus is alive and well and ready for action!
In verses 1-11 there are three things about Jesus’s activities that have tremendous implications for the entire history of the church—and consequently for you and me today.
Let’s look at them:
I. FIRST, WE SEE THAT THAT JESUS IS LIVING – Acts 1:3 – “To whom [speaking of the apostles mentioned in verse 2] also he showed 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.”
This book begins not with a dead teacher, but a with a risen Redeemer; a living Lord! And this fact explains everything else we will read about in the book of Acts. The fact that we see Jesus alive in this passage has enormous ramifications for the rest of this book and, in fact, the entire history of Christianity and indeed the world! Let me share just two of those ramifications:
1) First of all, when Jesus rose from the dead, He proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that HE WAS WHO HE SAID HE WAS.
Repeatedly Jesus made the claim that He was the Son of God—that He was, in fact, God Himself come in the flesh.
For instance, in John 10:30 He said “I and my Father are one.”
Furthermore, not only did Jesus claim to be God, He also declared that He is the only way to God the Father and to heaven.
He said in John 14:6 – “…I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life: NO MAN cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Now, anybody can claim to be from God, or even that he IS God or that he is the only way to heaven. But only Jesus Christ PROVED these claims by rising from the dead! Jesus is the only one we can credibly believe because He’s the only one who did what no other created being can do—He raised HIMSELF from the dead!
Illus. – This reminds me of the three lunatics in an insane asylum: The 1st said to the 2nd, “Did you know that I’m Napoleon Bonaparte?”
Indignantly, the 2nd lunatic replied, “Why you IMPOSTER! I’ll have you know that I’M Napoleon Bonaparte!”
The 1st one said, “Oh yeah! Who says you’re Napoleon Bonaparte?”
The 2nd responded, “GOD told me so.”
That aroused the 3rd lunatic who said, “I most certainly DID NOT!”
Now you know as well as I do that no one would take seriously these three men’s claims about who they were—especially the third one. Why?—Because none of them had proofs to back up their claims. But Jesus DID—because of the resurrection!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ validates the Christian faith. It proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
• MOHAMMED declared that he was the true prophet of God—but Mohammed is dead and gone and in the grave this very moment.
• BUDDHA claimed to have true enlightenment—but Buddha is dead and his corpse lies in a grave somewhere even as we speak.
• CONFUCIUS asserted that he knew the answers to the problems of mankind—but again, he is long gone and in the grave.
But Jesus made ALL THREE CLAIMS for Himself—
• He claimed to be THE TRUE PROPHET OF GOD…
• He claimed to be THE TRUE LIGHT to enlighten every person…
• and He claimed to have the answers to the vexing problems of life…
Then, after giving His life on Calvary to die for our sins, He rose from the dead to PROVE His claims!
I like the way an article in Christian Victory Magazine said it:
The pyramids of Egypt are famous because they contain the mummified bodies of ancient Egyptian kings. Westminster Abbey in London is renowned, because in it rest the bodies of English nobles and notables. Mohammed's tomb is noted for the stone coffin and the bones which it contains. Arlington Cemetery in Washington, D.C. is revered, for it is the honored resting place of many outstanding Americans.
There is, however, all the difference in the world between the tomb of Christ and these places which we have just mentioned. They are famous and draw visitors from afar because of what they contain; while the Garden Tomb is famous because it is empty.
Folks, Jesus is ALIVE, which means He is the God-Man as He claimed to be!
2) The second great ramification of the fact that Jesus is alive is that it means that HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS HAS MEANING.
Paul expressed it this way in 1 Cor. 15:17 – “If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.”
If Jesus had died on the cross, but not risen from the dead, it would mean He was just another sinful man, and He wouldn’t be able to pay the penalty for our sin. But because Christ’s resurrection proved His deity, it also gave meaning to His sacrifice on Calvary, for then He truly was the perfect Lamb of God!
You see, Jesus did not go to Calvary just to show us how to die a noble death. Nor was His death simply a senseless act of violence against an innocent man. And His life was not unwillingly taken from Him. No, Jesus went to the cross ON purpose and FOR a purpose.
That purpose was to die as a substitute for your sin and mine. He literally paid your penalty for sin. God poured out all the wrath on Jesus that we deserve because of our sin. He suffered and died—He willingly shed His precious blood—so that you and I can have eternal life.
And if He had never risen from the dead, then Paul is right—our faith would be empty and vain, and we would be still in our sin and there would be no hope of eternal life with a perfectly holy and just God. But praise God, what a wonderful truth!—Jesus is LIVING! So if you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, your faith is real and meaningful, and you can have the assurance that your sins ARE paid for through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for your sins.
So in Acts 1 we see first that Jesus is ALIVE.
II. SECOND, WE SEE THAT HE IS PREPARING – Acts 1:4-8 – “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 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.”
Jesus is in the middle of this discussion on the coming Holy Spirit, and the disciples get sidetracked and ask, “Lord, are you going to restore again the kingdom of Israel.” And Jesus gently gets them back on subject by saying, “How all this is going to work out is not your concern; you need to stay on point here boys, because you need to get ready for a ride you never dreamed of!”
And then He got right back to important teachings to prepare them for something unprecedented in human history—the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Heretofore the Holy Spirit “came upon” people or only indwelt them briefly. He didn’t PERMANENTLY INDWELL believers in the Old Testament. But on the day of Pentecost (which we’ll examine in Acts 2) Jesus was going to give the gift of the Holy Spirit to His followers, and from that day forward, new believers would have the Holy Spirit living inside them.
The Holy Spirit is very important in the life of the believer…
• It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to live the Christian life.
• It’s the Holy Spirit who changes us from sinners to saints.
• It’s the Holy Spirit who comforts and encourages and blesses.
• It’s the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to witness, as verse 8 tells us.
The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is found over and over again in Acts: In chapter 1 we see a fearful group of cowering disciples. But then in chapter 2 and afterward we see a TRANSFORMED group of people who boldly preach the resurrected Lord.
What happened between chapters 1 and 2 that changed them so dramatically? What happened is that Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit! Over the next few weeks, we’re going to look more closely at the Holy Spirit, so we’ll save further observations on that subject for them.
So, in Acts 1, we see that Jesus is LIVING, and we see that Jesus is PREPARING.
III. LASTLY, ACTS 1 TEACHES US THAT JESUS IS RETURNING – Acts 1:9-11 – “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
As Jesus ascended up into heaven, no doubt the disciples began to wonder: “What will happen now? Is Jesus gone for good? Will we ever see Him again?”
Two angels answered at the end of verse 11: “…this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Praise God, Jesus is coming again!
These angels were referring to one of the most blessed truths in all the Bible—the promise that Jesus will come again for us in what is commonly referred to as the “Rapture.”
Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians 4 where Paul describes in detail this glorious event.
• Paul says in verse 15 – “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [which means “go before”] them which are asleep [speaking of those saints who have already died].”
• Verse 16: “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven....”
Notice the words, “the Lord himself.” The Lord is not sending an angel, but the Lord HIMSELF is coming for us!
• How will He come? Verse 16 goes on to say, “with a shout, with the voice of the archangel....” (verse 16b).
An archangel was often used in the Bible for the proclamation of some special announcement or joyous event. He shouts from heaven and all the redeemed hear his shout. If you’re saved—oh, what a joyous sound that will be!
• Paul goes on to say in verse 16, “...and with the trump of God....”
A trump was used for two things in the Old Testament: as a call to BATTLE and to call the assembly of God’s people together for WORSHIP. When that trumpet sounds at the Rapture, it will be to call all believers from the four corners of the earth to come and WORSHIP the King in heaven!
• Paul concludes verse 16 with: “...and the dead in Christ shall rise first....”
Believers who have already died will go up first because they are already dead and under the ground and have about 6 extra feet to go. As they all rise, they will be given a glorified body that will unite with their soul and spirit—one that can never sin or be sick or experience pain or die.
• Paul goes on in verse 17: “...then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds....”
In other words, when that trumpet sounds, those who belong to Christ and still living will instantly go up to meet Jesus in the air and as they do, they too will receive a glorified body. As one preacher put it, “The angel’s gonna toot, and we’re gonna scoot.”
The repercussions of this event on the world left behind are astonishing:
> Planes piloted by Christian pilots will crash to the ground.
> Cars driven by believers will suddenly be without drivers.
> Saved workers in fast food restaurants will be taking orders, and in a split second, customers will find themselves talking to thin air.
> Christian teachers will be speaking to their pupils, and in mid-sentence, they will be gone, along with any of their saved pupils.
> Unsaved husbands will be talking with their Christian wives, and suddenly their precious spouses will vanish before their eyes.
> Unbelieving wives will be preparing a meal while talking to saved husbands and they’ll turn away for a moment to stir the beans and turn back around to an empty room—and perhaps even an empty household, if their children are under the age of accountability.
> Young people who spurned the Gospel their parents cherished, will find themselves deserted, without their parents and perhaps no family at all.
> While a godly minister is preaching, the preacher and all the saved will disappear, leaving only a handful of horror stricken people who were PROFESSORS of Christ, but not true POSSESSORS of Christ suddenly realize that they may have fooled PEOPLE into thinking they were believers, but they never fooled GOD!
• But if you are a born-again believer, you have every hope because verse 17 continues “...to meet the Lord in the air....”
THEN will be fulfilled what those two angels promised in our text in Acts 1. Jesus went UP IN THE AIR, and He will COME DOWN from heaven to meet us IN THE AIR to take us to heaven and avoid the Great Tribulation.
• Then Paul says in verse 17, “…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Now there’s a wonderful promise! We will be with the Lord FOREVERMORE!
• No wonder Paul concludes verse 18 by saying, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
These verses are a wonderful comfort if you know the risen Lord, but I daresay they’re terrifying if you don’t know Jesus. I pray that if you have never come to faith in Christ, that you’ll do so today!
CONCLUSION
Do you see why the longer, more colorful title might be more appropriate?
• Here we see that Jesus is LIVING, which means He IS God and He CAN save us from sin because of who He is and what He did.
• We see Jesus is preparing the disciples for one of the greatest events in history.
The Lord’s got a plan and He’s not going to be sidetracked with his silly pupils. He’s going to baptize believers in the Holy Spirit just a few days hence.
• Finally, this passage also teaches that Jesus is RETURNING
Are you ready for Him? Have you come to Jesus and placed your faith in Him to save you? If not, if the Lord were to return today, you would be left behind to face a time of unparalleled horror as God pours out His judgment upon the earth for seven years. You do not want to be here then because one of it’s main characteristics will be a massive satanic deception that will envelop the world, a deception so pervasive, there is doubt you would ever see through it and turn to Christ. While it’s not too late, I plead with you to turn to Christ TODAY!
Christian, let me speak to you for a moment. The truth of the Rapture ought to motivate you to examine your life and make sure that you are living a life that is pleasing the Lord.
The Apostle John said in 1 John 2:28 – “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”
Would you be ashamed if Jesus came today?
• Would He find you participating in a wrong thought or activity?
• Would He find you disobedient in some area of your life?
• Would He find you backslidden and cold-hearted to the things of God?
• Would He find you prayerless, or without much fruit to show in your life?
• Would He find you bitter, or covetous, or envious or selfish or proud?
• Would He find you gossiping or lusting or speaking unlovingly?
Oh Christian, Jesus is coming again! Be ready for Him so that you will not be ashamed at His coming!
