GOSPEL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Our Christ, our responsibility
9-1-02
Acts 1:1-15
Join me today in the Book of Acts.
Luke started this book … for at least two reasons:
· First, as an extension of the Gospel of Luke … that presented Jesus as the Christ … and told of his life and teachings… and
· Second, as a history of the Church.
Luke was one of the world’s most renowned historians.
And as a history … this has become and unending story.
His story stopped just short of the execution of Paul … and Peter. But the story continues.
The Church is still growing.
People are hearing and responding to the Gospel wherever it is proclaimed accurately and clearly.
Each of us will add to today’s chapter… as we live our lives … and witness for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Some refer to the Book of Acts as the gospel of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s take a look:
Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, (This refers back 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:
3 To whom 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:
Luke wanted to be sure that many, many people witnessed the resurrected Jesus.
Matthews tells us that the Jewish leadership put out a story that disciples had stolen the body.
However, the testimony of the round-the-clock palace guards was not mentioned.
Luke attempts to remove all doubts by reminding us that Jesus appeared many times and many places to many people under differing circumstances.
Actually, many more than 500 saw … spoke to … and listened to Jesus between his resurrection and his ascension.
The law only requires 2 or more witnesses to establish a FACT.
4 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
As a history ... it starts with the birth of the Church—at Pentecost—and continues upward ... and onward ... through the epistles.
It’s a timeline... upon which we can hang each epistle ... like the branches of a tree ... each one at the right place ... at the right time ... for the right reason.
THE KEY VERSE: 1:8 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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The book breaks along the divisions of verse 8:
· Chapters 1-7, work of the HS in Jerusalem
· Chapter 8-12, work of the HS in Judea and Samaria …
· The remainder, Work of the HS unto the uttermost part of the earth.
That includes the church at Alligator Point ... and everywhere we, as believers, find ourselves.
Jesus still holds his churches in his hand ...
He still walks among the candlesticks ...
He still has messages for his churches ...
The Holy Spirit is still active giving power to believers ... and glory to the Son.
This is a story, which will not end until the RAPTURE!
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 Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
We SHALL receive POWER ... when the HOLY GHOST is come upon us... and WE SHALL BE WITNESSES.
If there is no SHALL in your life … you better start praying.
You may have a loose connection … either
· In your salvation circuit … or
· In your Lordship circuit.
If you are NOT witnessing…
If you don’t feel the Power of the Holy Spirit…
If there is no hunger or thirst for the knowledge of God,
If you are not compelled to share your experience in Jesus Christ…something is loose somewhere.
Just don’t leave it dangling until the last call at the Rapture.
You just might miss out … and be counted among the Left Behind!
* * *
One day...as a woman crossed the street at London station, an old man stopped her.
"Excuse me, Ma’am," he said, "but I want to thank you."
"Thank me?" she exclaimed ... not recognizing the man at all.
"Yes’m, I used to be a ticket collector, and whenever you went by, you always gave me a cheerful smile and a good morning. I knew that smile must come from inside somewhere. Then one morning I saw a little Bible in your hand. So I bought one too, and I found Jesus."
It takes so little effort to be a WITNESS!
It’s a matter of how you live!
People will notice!
One other example …
* * *
At an international youth gathering ... young people from all over the world were talking abut spreading the word.
They asked one black girl from central Africa ... "How do you spread the gospel in your country?"
"We don’t have missions and missionaries," she said, " we just send a couple Christian families into a village. When the people see how they live ... they all want to know how to be a Christian."
* * *
It’s our fault!
We have structured evangelism into an organized effort.
We hire staff.
It’s their responsibility!
We seem to forget the FACT: When the Holy Spirit is come ... you will have power .. .and SHALL be WITNESSES ... where you live ... in the area around where you live ... and on and on until you have covered the whole world.
In the GREEK… Witness means martus or martyr … or loyalty at all costs!
9 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 steadfastly 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.
THIS truly is an amazing book!
It’s a bridge between the Gospels and Epistles.
ACTS picks up all the loose ends of the GOSPELS and weaves them into the fabric of the CHURCH.
GENESIS records the beginning of the physical universe!
ACTS gives us the beginning of the spiritual body -- The NEW LIFE ... life directly from God… not through Adam… with all the constraints… and demands… of the flesh.
In these first 11 verses ... Luke lays a firm foundation for the church:
Vs 3 Jesus is alive! He lived 40 days among numerous witnesses.
Vs 5 Promise of the Holy Spirit ... and a spiritual baptism.
Vs 6 Assurance ... this is not an extension of ISRAEL. It’s new… of God… For God!
Vs 7 Only the Father knows when.
Vs 8 Power comes with the baptism ... witnessing is a natural product of the indwelling Spirit
.
But, first... there was a time of waiting!
As commanded by the angels at the ascension…
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
One Hundred and twenty believers were present when Jesus sent the promised Holy Spirit to give birth and power to the Church.
The only hierarchy in the Church… is the one appointed by the Holy Spirit.
We are a priesthood of believers.
We each have open access to God the father through the completed work of Christ the Son.
We ARE the church!
Will it grow?
It’s up to us!
Will new souls be added to the book of life?
It’s up to us!
Will the church bring peace and comfort?
It’s up to us!
Will we be one big happy family…sharing our faith…loving one another… as Christ loves us?
It’s up to us!
Jesus has saved us!
God has empowered us!
The Holy Spirit has equipped us!
What we do with it… is up to us!
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