LET’S ROLL – ACTS 1:1-8
One of the heroic stories to come out of the 9/11 tragedy is the story of Todd Beamer. He along with several passengers on flight __ have become hero’s to us because of their bravery. In all likelyhood, their actions, in the face of death, saved hundreds of life, possibly the White House or Capital. The phrase he used as they decided to storm the cockpit was ‘Let’s Roll.’
In many ways, this is the theme of Acts - let’s get going. Let’s go out and share – but first, they had to get their bearings - listen to one last message from the Lord and gain focus.
Acts 1:1 The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 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. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Afraid the church wants to roll over & go back to sleep. We aren’t interested in - risk - sacrifice. We want safety, security.
✒ No time for business as usual.
✒ There’s more to Xn life than most are experiencing. Victory is possible. Church can make a difference.
Church today consumed w/ entertaining - feeding - serving the saints - and we’re losing the world.
Lloyd Ogilvie talking to Sr. Adult man - in church all his life, served on committees and said, ‘the one thing my church never gave me was a relationship w/ Christ that would make my life exciting. All I’m asked to do is usher, fold envelopes and go on outings with other equally unfulfilled people.’
Ray Steadman - “...whatever happens in the world happens as a result of something that is, or is not, happening in the church.’
Books detailing great events of the 20th century – where’s the church? We’ve been relegated to the back page - Church is old news & it’s our fault. CHURCH LACKS POWER.
Our standpoint – early ch. had NOTHING going for it.
✒ No buildings – no budget.
✒ No TV ministry/ no cassettes/ ‘How To’ books.
✒ No famous celebrity/ athlete testimony.
✒ No technology - denominational literature.
✒ faced the loss of their leader – opposition from religious establishment - threat of Roman govt.
✒ BUT GOSPEL SPREAD JER. TO ROME IN 1 GENERATION.
I. ACKNOWLEDGE WHO’S IN CHARGE.
What Jesus started on earth - he continues in heaven.
1:1 ‘all that Jesus began to do & teach’ -- didn’t end when he died. Still continuing. APPEARED to disciples 40 days ‘convincing proofs’ ASCENDED 10 days before Pentecost.
✖ Given specific orders – wait
✖ GATHERED before they SCATTER.
✖ Established how His kingdom was going to work.
I’ve read the church growth books - strategies - many are nothing more than baptized pagan systems of growing an organization.
JESUS NEVER CONSULTED THE MIGHTY ROMAN EMPIRE FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO BUILD HIS KINGDOM.
God’s ways are not man’s ways. He works in a different realm, with a different power, by different means.
“I will build MY church” - He’s in charge/ sets agenda/ determines methods. Lord of the Harvest. He’s in charge through Spirit.
1ST 14 vs. of Acts - STRATEGY of the Savior. SECRET of power.
2.RESPOND TO GOD’S CALL.
‘the apostles he had chosen’ - never chosen most of those folks - not ‘leaders’ didn’t have the qualifications.
Greatest mistake we make in kingdom business is to think we can do it in our flesh - personality - strengths.
✖ Your strengths are no help to God. God wants willingness & availability.
God touches - calls - equips – each in a unique way. Gifts us differently. Builds a team and every member has a purpose/ function/ responsibility. Each gift compliments the others.
When God has a message to get across, he doesn’t take out an ad in the paper – he puts it in flesh and blood. He takes a life and manifests His life through it. We’ve been chosen to be the manifestation of Christ in this world.
III. EMBRACE THE TRUTH. vs.3
‘many convincing proofs’ – CH. IS NOT A RELIGIOUS OPINION SOCIETY - taking polls - checking which way the wind blows. Church is people absolutely convinced Jesus is the only way to God.
‘proofs’ – convincing – infallible/ decisive. 3 proofs:
A. He appeared to them for 40 days. Word from which we get our word ophthalmia - the eye, literally eyeball. The disciples eyeballed him for 40 days. Checked him out. Saw him over and over - different times - different places.
RESURRECTION IS PROOF OF DEITY.
B. He spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. didn’t make up the message –was given to us. specific subject matter. He IS the Truth – what He SAYS is true. Two characteristics of this kingdom:
1. It is spiritual - a work of the Holy Spirit
2. It is powerful –vs. 8 -dynamis - explosive power.
3 keys to the message of the kingdom:
1. Our King has destroyed death. 1 Cor. 15:24-26
2. Our King has destroyed the devil. Heb. 2:14,15; 1 Jn.4:4
3. Our King has destroyed sin. Rom. 6:6
C. He ate with them. ‘gathering them together’ - literally means eating. No dream, GHOST, hallucination - they Watched him swallow food.
No hope apart from the resurrection. “If Christ is not raised, our hope is in vain...”
In 2000 years – not one attempt to disprove the resurrection has been successful. See in Acts 2 -those who heard Peter Just weeks after it happened did not – could not – refute it.
4.WALK IN STEP W/ THE SPIRIT. vs.4
‘wait for what the Father promised...’
1ST thing I’d have done is taken off - set up a crusade tent - gone to Kinko’s and run off copies of Gospel of John and hit the pavement.
Go – but not yet - 1st – wait.
‘Wait’ – ‘stick around’ if you don’t, you’ll mess it all up.
NOT EQUIPPED UNTIL YOU ARE EMPOWERED.
Had information – experiences – they needed power.
YOU CAN’T BUILD GOD’S KINGDOM ON EVENTS/ EXPERIENCES – IT IS BUILT BY HIS SPIRIT. Not methods - enthusiasm – but POWER!
Effectiveness is in direct proportion to His power flowing through us.
3FOLD CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS PROMISED POWER:
A. IT WASN’T RELIGION, BUT REALITY. John baptized w/ water - ritual, shadow, picture. But the reality is the baptism of the Spirit.
Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, ... so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
O.T. – pictures/ shadows of the Spirit:
➥ Aaron’s rod that budded
➥ The candlestick in the Tabernacle illuminating
➥ The oil widow poured out which never ran out
➥ Ezekiel’s river flowing out from under the throne.
➥ Joel 2:28-31 God promised the coming of the Spirit
In N.T. – the last shadow - the baptism of John - last prophet.
In John’s gospel – Jesus gives us specific details in Chap. 14 & 16 about PERSON the Spirit and the MINISTRY of the Spirit.
NOW we see the promise becoming a reality. MOMENT A PERSON BELIEVES, SPIRIT COMES INSIDE - not about signs, shadows, symbols, feelings. His presence will empower us.
B. IT WASN’T A PROGRAM, BUT POWER. they were trying to figure out God’s timetable/ agenda/ flow chart – how’s all this going to work out? What? When? How?
‘restore’ - expect political ‘Israel’ – a national kingdom. What’s your game plan God?
Jesus said, that’s none of your business – that’s not up to you. Your job is to make sure you’re a walking manifestation of His power.
Tempted: 1- Distort sovereignty reject our responsibility.
2 - try to do the Lords work in our strength.
YOU WALK IN POWER & GOD WILL PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER.
One of the great mistakes of the church – we’ve programmed God out of the picture. So organized, structured, we put our programs together and then we ask God to bless our plans.
What kind of power? Holy Spirit power. Resurrection power. The same power that raised Christ from the dead.
✖ No machinery but a mandate.
✖ Not a program but a person.
✖ Not an experience but an equipping.
A POWER TO CHANGE LIVES - STORM HELL - DEFEAT THE DEVIL - SAVE THE LOST - BRING GLORY TO GOD.
God’s power doesn’t need aids - props - outside help - cup of coffee to get going.
IT IS LIFE CHANGING POWER – INSIDE OUT.
Some today emphasize feelings - signs - wonders - healings - miracles - but that’s not what Jesus emphasized.
Jesus said the result of the baptism of the Spirit was witnessing w/ power.
14X find phrase ‘filled w/ the Spirit’ – every situation, the result was bearing witness of Christ. power for witnessing.
We aren’t salesmen selling a product
We aren’t recruiters trying to get people to join.
We are witnesses - of His life.
Early church didn’t promote preachers, they talked about Lord – didn’t put people on pedestals - did @ Corinth & Paul called them carnal.
Today’s parading of Xn celebrities and exalting of preachers/ teachers is carnality. Difference between honoring man of God and exalting him.
We’ve got more religion than every before – and we have no power.
C. IT WASN’T LIMITED BUT EVER EXPANDING.
‘Jerusalem Judea Samaria uttermost parts....’
HOME WORK COMMUNITY WORLD.
Chp.1-7 Chps. 8-12 Chps. 13-28
All places - ages - times - people - races - sexes.
God established the church to be multi-generational & multi-cultural. No limits. No man made, sociological, ethnic limits.
FOR THIS TO HAPPEN - THEY NEEDED TO WAIT. A transformation was about to take place. God had been WITH them but now the Spirit was going to reside IN them.
‘Better for you that I go away, so the Spirit can come’ – in other words, if I don’t go away, you’re never going to get any better.
Gospels – Spirit of God residing in Christ
Acts – Spirit of God resides in us to be resurrection power in us and through us.
✒ NEVER MET XN WHO DID NOT HAVE H.S. BUT MET XNS WHO DON’T KNOW THE H.S. HAS THEM.
✒ never a Xn who wasn’t born of the Spirit of God but there are Xns who live as if they’ve never been born of the Spirit – trying to gut it out - flesh it out - try harder - do better. Living failures who should be walking in victory.
Power of Spirit is not given to give you a feeling – or even a blessing – but to be witnesses. We’re so self centered, we think the Spirit is to be hoarded – He came to be shared.
Baptism of Spirit was for a very specific reason: to be witnesses - Gk. - martyrs - to communicate, w/ no thought of self, the grace & hope of Christ.
Witnessing is not memorizing an outline - it is caring for people God died to save.
Church lacks power because we want to USE the Spirit instead of letting the SPIRIT USE US.
People who want a private little experience w/ God that makes them somehow ‘better’ than others or makes them feel better. Spirit came to empower you to see what God sees, love like God loves, do what God says.
Early church did something we say we can’t do and they impacted the world. They rolled through the streets of Jerusalem and unto the utter most parts of the earth like a mighty army.
Tertullian, 200 A.D. ‘We are but of yesterday, and we have filled every place among you - cities, islands, fortresses, towns, market places, the very camp, tribes, companies, palace, senate, forum - we have left nothing to you but the temples of your gods.’
THEY WAITED – then at right time – went to work.
5. GOD’S PEOPLE GO IN LIGHT OF HIS COMING.
Acts 1:9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, " Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven."
He’s coming back – go do what He said - get ready for what He’s going to do.
✒ The end is determined by God
✒ The end must be the concern of the church.
✒ The end is our motivation to missions & evangelism.
One day - He’ll be back. Live in light of it. Be prepared for it.
Tell others that either by death or by His coming there will be a time when the last person will be saved and Jesus will come back for His bride.
THERE’S WORK TO DO – WE NEED TO GET AFTER IT!
