THE CONTINUING STORY
Acts 1:1-5
INTRODUCTION:
A. How many of you read the Left Behind series as they were being published?
1. Millions of people did. (Show books)
2. The publishers had a smash hit and almost guaranteed its continuance by leaving the story at a crossroads one book after another: 12 volumes, plus a pre-sequel published between 1995 and 2005
3. People were continually talking about and asking, “When is the next book coming out?”
4. When the publishing date was set, millions of copies were sold before it was ever printed!
B. Maybe your not a reader, so how many of you watched the Lord of the Rings series as it hit the big screen?
1. Again, the first movie was a smash hit and anticipation was built for the next installments
2. So big was the anticipation that when each of the next two movies hit the big screen, they were guaranteed hits!
C. You see folks when the beginning is good people can’t wait to see what comes next!
1. This morning we are going to begin a journey through the book of Acts
2. It too is a continuing story - a continuation to Luke’s account of the gospel of Jesus.
D. But even greater, it is the trailer to the continuing story of today
1. The book ends with these words: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, [31] Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. Acts 28:30-31
2. Note it does not end with Paul’s death; it does not end with the word being snuffed out; it does not have a formal closing as with the letters of Paul.
3. This is because we are the continuing story of Acts. YOU are the continuing story.
E. I pray that this study of Acts will reignite a passion for God and His church
1. This morning we will look at
a. A Brief Introduction
b. A Beautiful Foundation
c. A Biddable Spirit
2. May God stir us to greater dependence on Him and may we see His glory manifested in our midst for all the world to see! May we be the Continuing Story! And be a smash hit for Our Lord!
PRAYER
Let me open our journey through the Book of Acts with
I. A BRIEF INTRODUCTION: Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus,
A. J. B. Phillips writes in the preface to The Young Church in Action, that one cannot spend several months in close study of this book, “without being profoundly stirred and, to be honest, disturbed. The reader is stirred,” he says, “because he is seeing Christianity, the real thing, in action for the first time in human history…Here we are seeing the Church in its first youth, valiant and unspoiled…a body of ordinary men and women joined in an unconquerable fellowship never before seen on earth.” But the reader is also disturbed, “for surely,” he adds, this “is the Church as it was meant to be. It is vigorous and flexible, for these are the days before it ever became fat and short of breath through prosperity, or muscle-bound by over organization. These men did not make acts of faith, they believed; they did not say their prayers, they prayed. They did not hold conferences on psychosomatic medicine, they simply healed the sick. By modern standards they may have been naïve, but perhaps because of their very simplicity, perhaps because of their readiness simply to believe, to obey, to give, to suffer, and, if necessary, to die, the Spirit of God found that he could work in them and through them, and so they turned the world upside down!
B. I continue on with a portion found in Roy Laurin’s The Acts of the Apostles, The disciples of the early church whose acts are recorded in this book of action were not merely men of words and ideas; they were men of action. There is bold and dramatic movement from Jerusalem and its upper rooms to Rome and its prisons. We see a growing group of men and women, filled with the dynamic power of new life. Here are heroic deeds done for Christ. In the account which describes these things there are few descriptive adjectives. It is filled with nouns and verbs that tell of exploit and adventure. All of this stems from Pentecost and the Book of Acts becomes the story of the Holy Spirit in the church in terms of faith and life, doctrine and action!
C. It is the stuff great stories are made of, with one exception – its real!
D. And it is with excitement that Luke writes of what was happening within and without the church
1. He writes to an individual named Theophilus, a name, by the way we have read before.
2. Turn to Luke 1.
a. Luke 1:1-3 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, [2] Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; [3] It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,
b. The good doctor Luke wrote both the Gospel which bears his name and the book of Acts.
c. The Gospel of Luke was probably written about 60 AD with the Book of Acts to follow between 63 & 70 AD
3. We find that Luke had been present with the Lord, a companion of Paul and an eyewitness to much of what he was writing about.
4. His gospel is the most comprehensive of the four
D. But maybe most importantly, Luke gives us the only account of what took place in the early church.
1. It is because of this record that we see the growth of the church
2. It is because of this record we see faith in the face of overwhelming adversity
3. It is because of this record we can see what WE CAN BE!
a. The church Triumphant
b. The church Glorious
c. The church of Jesus Christ!
4. What possibilities!
But as with anything God does it must be done His way thus we see the first words of this book give us
II. A BEAUTIFUL FOUNDATION, Acts 1:1-3 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: [3] To whom also he shewed 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:
A. What Jesus began both to do and teach!
1. Here Luke refers back to the gospel account
2. He has given an account of
a. Christ’s perfect wisdom in the wilderness temptations, Luke 4
b. Jesus’ great miracles
1) Leprosy cleansed
2) Paralyzed healed – both found in Luke 5
3) Dead raised – Luke 7
c. And the Lord’s insightful teachings – the parables, Luke 8
3. However, throughout the entire gospel account there is the main story of the Lord Jesus Christ’s death, burial and Resurrection – the Gospel!
4. And it is of this gospel that Paul wrote, For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3:11 - This is the Beautiful Foundation!
5. This is all capped off with Jesus’ ascension back to the Father where He now makes intercession for the church!
6. Exciting, isn’t it? Yes – No?
B. Before you can ever be excited for the church and its work, you must be a part of it! So how does one become a part of the church?
1. First we must understand that we are sinners - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
a. From the moment Adam and Eve took of the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden all people have been sinners, this is why
b. Paul wrote in Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
2. Secondly, though inferred by Rom 5:12, Rom 6:23 makes it very clear that because we are sinners we will die: For the wages of sin is death;
3. Thirdly we must know that God loved us enough to provide a way out of our sin and remove the death penalty from our lives
a. Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
b. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
4. Fourthly, we must repent of our sinfulness and turn to Jesus Christ -
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:19
5. Finally, we must believe, not merely with intellectual consent, but with the heart that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again and confess it to be so!
a. This is put succinctly for us in Romans 10:9-10 & 13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
b. It is a belief, or faith, that changes our view of the world and even God himself!
6. Your first act as a believer is to be baptized and then to learn about Jesus in a fuller manner.
7. This makes you a part of the Church.
C. Someone once said that “One has little care for that which they have little invested.”
1. The church of the first century was a powerful church, as we will see, and it is because they gave their all!
2. They died to self that they might live for Christ as his church!
3. And when they gave their all God did great and marvelous things in their sight!
But note one last thing, they had a
III. BIDDABLE SPIRIT, Acts 1:4-5 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.
A. They were commanded…
1. Upon His ascension, Jesus had commanded that they go back to Jerusalem
a. A hard place to go since those who killed Jesus would most likely try to find them – in Jerusalem
b. A hard thing to do since they really did not know what to expect
2. Upon His ascension, Jesus had commanded that they go back and wait
a. A hard thing to do for any of us, especially in uncertain times!
b. They were to wait for the promise – the Holy Spirit
B. And they OBEYED!
1. They were willing to obey Jesus Christ, because of their faith in Him and His word!
2. Were they scared, fearful, confused, and not quite sure of things? YES, but they obeyed anyway!
3. Why? Because they believed Jesus and knew that something bigger was just around the corner.
4. They were going to be The Continuing Story!
CONCLUSION: In closing
A. John records these words of Jesus for us in the 14th chapter and 12th verse of his gospel, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
1. Folks, the mighty works of God have not been exhausted, they are simply waiting for a few godly folks, who are willing to lay down their all for Christ!
2. This is why Matthew wrote, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matt 5:16
B. Folks, we do not have to be an average, status quo church!
1. God has given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 2 Pet 1:3
2. We can be the church glorious!
C. For indeed we are THE CONTINUING STORY!
