-We Are Acts.
Luke 24:44-53
The first four books of the New Testament are commonly called the gospels. The fifth book, The Acts of the apostles, is tied to Luke by common authorship. So Luke wrote the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts. That is important, because Luke gives us two accounts of Jesus’ accession. One in Luke, the other in Acts.
Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village. They walked by an old man sitting beside a fence, and one of them asked, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies”
The gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts, are connected primarily because of their Savior! Jesus. P.H
Luke 24:44-52, we will divide theses verses for more clarity. The accession of Jesus is reported twice from the apostle Luke. One in Luke 24, again with a more detailed account in, Acts 1.
Luke 24:44NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Luke 24:44, this echoes Luke 24, verse 27, And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
This is important because this claim points to Jesus as the one in whom all promises are fulfilled, including the redemption of not only his people, but the Gentiles as well.
This is pretty exciting news, Acts 3:19-21 even reveals the final restoration of all things.
Peter cries out, Acts 3:19-21NIV Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.
In Isaiah 35, The time of restoration of all things is described by Isaiah: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy....Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert”
In Revelation 21:5, John recorded Jesus saying, “I am making everything new!”
Going back to the text, Luke 24:45-49NIV Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
These 5 verses allude to the entire OT, rather than only individual verses, and this points to Jesus as the climax of God’s redemptive plan.
Isaiah 44:3NIV For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.
Again, Luke 24:47MSG and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem!
Hear this word, The prediction of Jesus’ death and resurrection is not separated from the acts of repentance that it demands.
Acts 26:20NLT I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
This response will in turn lead to the forgiveness of sins...
Therefore here’s an important note, Jesus’ death and resurrection connect to essentially the outline of the book of Acts.
This mission is grounded in the OT, and the risen Lords commission in, Acts 1:8NKJV But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This is a mission to all nations to go... Go, Set, Ready. So, Acts 1:8, You are a witnesses of these things.
And this witness fulfills the prophetic call to God’s people to be His witnesses. -Receive power!
Isaiah 43:10NKJV “You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me,?And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.
Isaiah 44:8NKJV Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ”
The mission is grounded in the OT. The command for Jesus’ disciples to tarry for power from on high!
Isaiah 32:15NLT until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops.
Back to the text, Luke 24:50-51NIV When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.
Here’s the ascension of Jesus, Luke concludes his Gospel with the theme of adoration in response to Jesus’ blessing them.
Listen, Luke 24:52-53NIV Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Jesus radically reversed the sadness His disciples felt when they thought He was still dead.
Think about this fact, Luke chapter 1, begins with Luke experiencing God’s grace in the temple, and Luke 24, ends with the disciples returning to the temple praising God.
In the OT, praising God is a way to recount God’s mighty deeds. Jesus’ disciples would continue to praise God by proclaiming the salvation that He has accomplished through Jesus.
Therefore, the readers of this Gospel are likewise called to extend this act of worship.
Hear as Moses recounts God’s goodness in, Exodus 15:1-13NLT Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him—my father’s God, and I will exalt him! 3 The Lord is a warrior; Yahweh is his name! 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has hurled into the sea. The finest of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The deep waters gushed over them; they sank to the bottom like a stone. 6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power. Your right hand, O Lord, smashes the enemy. 7 In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow those who rise against you. You unleash your blazing fury; it consumes them like straw. 8 At the blast of your breath, the waters piled up! The surging waters stood straight like a wall; in the heart of the sea the deep waters became hard. 9 “The enemy boasted, ‘I will chase them and catch up with them. I will plunder them and consume them. I will flash my sword; my powerful hand will destroy them.’ 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders? 12 You raised your right hand, and the earth swallowed our enemies. 13 “With your unfailing love you lead the people you have redeemed. In your might, you guide them to your sacred home.
When you stop what you are doing, and begin to praise God, you in return, recount the blessings, plus you get to praise God by proclaiming His salvation He has accomplished for you! P.H
So let’s look verse by verse at, Acts 1:1-11:
Acts 1:1-2TPT To Theophilus, the lover of God. I write to you again, my dear friend, to give you further details about the life of our Lord Jesus and all the things that he did and taught. 2 Just before he ascended into heaven, Jesus left instructions through the Holy Spirit for the apostles he had chosen.
This is around the same time, Matthew 28 was written.
Matthew 28:18-20TPT Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. 19 Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 20 And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
And Luke goes onto write, Acts 1:3TPT After the sufferings of his cross, Jesus appeared alive many times to these same apostles over a forty-day period, proving to them with many convincing signs that he had been resurrected. During these encounters, he taught them the truths of God’s kingdom.
So during these 40 days Jesus continued to prove Himself with convincing signs that He had been resurrected!
During these 40 days Jesus convinced His disciples that He was resurrected, and during this time Jesus taught them truths about the Kingdom. -Three important points:
We work from victory, not for it!
God does not remove suffering, he redeems it!
3. God is not angry; He's full of grace and truth.
In, Matthew 6:10, Jesus reminds us to pray “May your Kingdom come. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
As followers of Jesus, we remember these three truths and continue to be an ambassador of Heaven here on earth, sharing with others how much God loves them, and that his grace flows from Heaven.
Acts 1:4-5TPT Jesus instructed them, “Don’t leave Jerusalem, but wait here until you receive the gift I told you about, the gift the Father has promised. 5 For John baptized you in water, but in a few days from now you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit!”
This baptism is the one proclaimed throughout the OT.
Joel 2:28-29NKJV “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams,?Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants?I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
The Holy Spirit has one qualification, love and serve Jesus!
Acts 1:6-7TPT Every time they were gathered together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is it now the time for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He answered, “The Father is the one who sets the fixed dates and the times of their fulfillment. You are not permitted to know the timing of all that he has prepared by his own authority.
All my biblical research points to this one fact, “The restoration of Israel will coincide with the return of Jesus Christ, the Deliverer.”
Acts 1:8TPT But I promise you this—the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and you will be seized with power. You will be my messengers to Jerusalem, throughout Judea, the distant provinces —even to the remotest places on earth!”
The Holy Spirit is the game changer! -I want to give you 7 roles of the Holy Spirit:
1 – Re-generator — giver of new life.
2 – Empowered — The timid, to the powerful.
3 – Our Guide — He’s my GPS.
4 – Uniter —He brings fellowship.
5 – Intercessor — He creates groaning.
6 – Comforter — He feeds you.
7 – Refiner — He gives you a need for purification.
Acts 1:9-11TPT Right after Jesus spoke those words, the disciples saw him being lifted into the sky, and disappearing into a cloud! 10 As they stared into the sky, watching Jesus ascend, two men in white robes suddenly appeared beside them. 11 They told the startled disciples, “Galileans, why are you staring up into the sky? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but he will come back in the same way that you saw him ascend.”
Again Luke 24:52, And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God with great joy!
Here’s the breakthrough! Acts 2:1-4AMP 1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place, 2and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit]. 4And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].
There are at least 4 admonitions I leave you with!
They gathered.
They waited.
They received.
They gave.
The book of Acts, is a book of action; moreover, this book is not fulfilled until the Lord restores all things! -We are Acts!
When the Communists overran China in 1949 there were several hundred thousand Christians. Then the Red Guard went on a rampage. They closed churches; and everywhere they found a cross, they tore it down. They put as many Christians as they could find in prison, and the rest were driven to the countryside. Today, there are multiple millions of Christians in China. Before the communists took over, people were free to do as they please. Missionaries had been working for centuries in China, winning hundreds of thousands of converts to Christ. Then the communists entered the picture and did in half a century what Christian missionaries couldn’t do in several centuries. Communist persecution caused Christians to multiply and suddenly there are multiple millions! The greater the heat, the greater the expansion. (Phil Lineberger, “Great People Do for Others,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 62; www.PreachingToday.com)
Benediction. Don’t forget to give. Again, We are Acts.
