1. I will eat more chocolate. Sorry, Dr. Atkins, It’s un-American to go on a diet that forbids M&M’s.
2. I will see more children’s movies, even though I don’t have kids at home anymore. Kids films rock!
3. I will not vote for another President for four years or refer to states by color.
4. I will enjoy myself more. - shouldn’t be difficult, I’ll be avoiding politics, eating more M&M’s, and watching cartoons.
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for you - how about one for the whole church to take on together.
Let’s immerse ourselves this first full year in our new church home in discovering and experimenting what it’s like to be an authentic Christian community. To love God and Bless people - nothing more, nothing less. To learn what stirs the heart of God and follow hard after it. To put aside anything less than the high calling of following Christ. Explore Ministry - Next Step. We started out our time at this mission center unpacking the Sermon on the Mount. Now it is time to look at the impact that lifestyle has on the world.
We will try to maintain a balance between rushing through Acts and going too slow.
Open your Bibles with me now to the Book of Acts - as we begin a journey that will change your life.
Acts - of what? - Apostles? - Holy Spirit? - the Church?
Who wrote it? Tradition tells us it was the physician Luke - some scholars cast doubt on bible authors
Same problems today - e-mails attributed to Paul Harvey, but not written by Paul Harvey, Why lie?
It sounds like something Paul would say, and it lends some credibility to say he wrote it.
Let me ask you - Does it make the content less true? - we are the ones with a furious need to know who wrote each book, even though it was not an issue to the early church.
Here are some things to consider:
1. Acts appeared while there were still eye witnesses living, - yet no serious rebuttals
2. Author wished to remain anonymous because it was all about God - not about him.
3. Tradition set Luke as author, more importantly, that tradition happily includes it in cannon.
So for me - it was written by Luke - and he took special care to get his facts straight. OK by me
Three Decades that Changed the World - by Michael Green
33 - 64 AD. -written ca. 60 - 90 AD Why wait 30 years or more to record the events in Acts?
Bridges
1. Roman Peace - Pax Romana
2. Greek Culture - especially language
3. The Jewish Faith - Romans didn’t know what to do with them, military, worship, Sabbath
Ditches
1. the message was crazy - Stumbling block to the Jew - Messiah hanged on a tree, you can eat pork! No need for circumcision,
What would a 1st century Jew hear?
Samaria! The World! Women in worship!
2. The message was crazy to the Gentiles (non-Jewish) public faith! Amazing fellowship, communion
Acts 1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
Theophilus - God lover Why weren’t more stories of the first 40 days recorded?
Convincing proofs that He was alive - touch my hand - eat fish - share bread and wine - teaching
1 Cor. 15:3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Acts 1:4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
Told to wait - if they had not, would a New Testament community spring up?
Isn’t every church at some time or another in the same boat.
What is the baptism of the HS?
Popeye spinach, steroids Barry Bonds, HS is to the church
God’s DNA- purpose is to engage in community, the dance
There are many ways for a Christian to be baptized in the spirit.
Oswald Chambers said, " The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting his way with us."
What God chooses, He cleanses. What God cleanses, He molds. What God molds, He fills. What God fills, He uses. - J. S. Baxter First Thursdays
Frank Lauback "My job is not to convince people to change their religious beliefs or win them over with theological debate, but to live wrapped up in God - to tremble to His thoughts, burning with His passion. You and I shall soon blow away from our bodies, money, praise, poverty, oppression, these make no difference, for they will all be forgotten in 1000 years. But this Spirit is timeless!
Acts 1:6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Ever want to ask Jesus a question?
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
When are you restoring the Kingdom? Wrong question, - none of your business - not even any of my business. But here is your business Receive Power to become witnesses!
The theme for Acts is 1:8 Receive power to be witnesses
First - Jerusalem - then Judea and Samaria and finally the ends of the earth
Why the priorities - the significance of the order
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
Luke’s gospel ends with the ascension, Acts begins with it - 2 men dressed as angels - same two from the tomb? Luke 24:4 - returning this same way (only 11 see it?)
Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Joined constantly in prayer. Who made up the 120 in the upper room?
Park your ship in the harbor - but then launch it into the deep.
Every church needs a time to wait and pray, and every church needs to move out in mission
Met continually in prayer then move! Waiting can be hard work - why? What’s the value
Jn 14:16-17 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you
Paraclete - counselor
John 16:5-11 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, `Where are you going?’ 6 Because I have said these things, you are filled with grief. 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Remember the reason to receive the HS - it is to become witnesses!
Many people would now be able testify first hand of the resurrection power of Jesus
In a court room, there’s a judge, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, a defendant, & witnesses. Who gives testimony in the court room? The witnesses do.
Do the witnesses prosecute the defendant? Do the witnesses convict the defendant? NO!
Witnesses (pause) witness… and they do their best to give honest & true testimony because they realize that the verdict may hinge on how well they witness. But their only job is testifying.
CONVICTING PEOPLE of their sins & of the need of righteousness & closeness of judgment is the Spirit’s job – NOT OURS.
What might happen if we commit ourselves to God HS and Jesus - as they did then?
Will we receive power too? Why?
For POP - Here - then Lake County and NE Ohio (church plant in the fall) then other places, cities - who knows
Next order of business - get the leadership set
Acts 1:15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a 120) 16 and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus-- 17 he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." 18 (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, " `May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, " `May another take his place of leadership.’ 21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." 23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Cast lots to choose a successor - ancient method - fate and God’s will blended
Requirements - death of a predecessor,
one to replace must have been with Jesus since the beginning,
but that was not a requirement for later apostles, for example Paul.
We never hear of Matthias again, and this method of determining God’s will passes away with the coming of the HS
