Acts 1-2: Holy Spirit Empowers

Bookends of this journey: last week of September to 1st week of November; 90 degrees and the leaves are just starting to turn to potentially (snow) and bare branches… great time to recommit to a more regular rhythm of attending as we move towards the end of 2024

Acts Overview

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Acts Overview

Author: Luke, a physician and traveling companion of Paul

Part 2 of 2 (Gospel of Luke/Acts of the Apostles): secondhand to firsthand

Written to “most excellent Theophilus” so that he would “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1)

Theophilus: educated/high-ranking, new(er) to faith, didn’t grow up in church

“I know this might sound crazy—but this is what really happened.”

Gives us, the church, our “crazy” (but true!) origin story

That’s Not Normal

So, over the course of this series, we’ll be working through the entire book. But this weekend, we’ll be talking about the first (2) chapters.

In fact, turn there with me. Let’s find Acts together. (Explain how to find Acts.)

And the first (2) chapters end with this crazy story. So, skip with me to the last few verses of chapter 2. We’ll be starting to read in chapter 2, verse 42.

Listen to this:

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Acts 2:42–47 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

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Ok. So…

That’s not “normal.”

Normal people don’t operate that way.

Even good people. Christian people. Church-going people.

They don’t live like that.

Look at that list. 4 things:

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The earliest Christians were daily devoted to 4 practices:

Teaching (listening to someone teach what Jesus taught)

Fellowship (building close relationships and meeting one another’s needs)

Eating together (Communion and normal meals)

Prayer

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Daily devoted.

Daily.

Every. Day.

That’s. Not. Normal.

If you’re taking notes, go ahead and just write this down:

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_____________—>_____________—>Uncommon Daily Devotion

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Uncommon daily devotion. That’s what they were living out.

Together. Listening to teaching.

Together. Praying.

Together. Knowing one another well enough to serve one another well.

Together. Sharing the Lord’s Supper (and some normal suppers).

Daily.

Now… I don’t know what you think about that. I don’t know how you feel about that. And I don’t want to assume.

Because I don’t think it’s safe to assume.

I don’t think it’s safe to assume that we all want a life like that—a life of uncommon daily devotion.

Now:

I think it’s a lot safer to assume that we all want a happier life.

A life that gives me more flexibility.

A life with more freedom.

More time off.

A better work/life balance.

Better salary. Better house. Better car. Better vacations.

More opportunities for advancement. Less of what I’m not passionate about; more things that play to my strengths.

I think those are all safe(r) assumptions. And those are all fine things. Shoot… I want most of those things, too.

But a life of uncommon devotion?

Listening to sermons… every day?

Selling my stuff?

Having other people all up in my business eating my food?

Can we just stop to admit something here—and perhaps even be confronted by something:

That the most updated version of the American dream and what it continues to evolve into looks less and less like the church?

Just consider this for a second—consider whether or not this is true of you:

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Consider this:

Many of us chase after happiness—and try to fit our spiritual lives into that.

But the more we chase after “happy,” the less room there seems to be for “spiritual.”

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Church. Fellowship. Prayer. Teaching. Giving.

These things increasingly feel like they’re “add-ons,” or another thing to do in what actually is already a pretty full life.

In fact, they can even feel like they compete with or threaten the life that we are pursuing.

And while some of us are carrying this latent guilt about “I should really go to church more” or “I should really start giving” or “I wish I read my Bible more,” more of us are resolving that guilt by moving away from all of that and more toward life on my own terms.

And maybe we’re even convincing ourselves that that’s ok. Because following Jesus isn’t about “the rules.” It’s not about “going to church.” It’s not even about reading the Bible and praying. It’s about a “personal relationship” and “what I believe.”

But listen to me:

The very first Christians would’ve looked at us like we were nuts for saying that.

They wouldn’t have looked at us with judgment or condemnation.

But with confusion.

Because our personal relationship with Jesus and the corresponding life we’re living

Looks nothing like their personal relationship with Jesus and the life they lived as a result.

Which should cause us to ask this very discomforting but very important question:

What happened to them that hasn’t or isn’t happening to us?

Not “who’s right” or “who’s wrong.”

Not “who’s more spiritual/less spiritual.”

No:

What happened?

Why is it that their relationship with Jesus looks more like a life of uncommon devotion to Jesus while my relationship with Jesus looks like church attendance when I feel like it (but honestly, I just haven’t felt like it in awhile)?

What happened to them that hasn’t or isn’t happening to us?

The Holy Spirit Happened

Well… Luke is actually really clear about what happened—and even foreshadows it in the first few verses of Acts. Take a look at chapter 1, verse 1:

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Acts 1:1–8 “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them 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. 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. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”

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In the first 2 chapters of Acts, we’re going to see several stories of what happened—only it’s not a “what;” it’s a “who:”

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_____________—>Holy Spirit Happens—>Uncommon Daily Devotion

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That’s “who” happens.

The Holy Spirit came and moved in these Christians hearts.

He moved them to crave more of Jesus’ teaching.

He moved them to rearrange their schedules and gather together.

He moved them to want to know one another more deeply.

He moved them to want to sell their stuff so that everyone of their brothers and sisters had enough.

He moved them to pray.

Consider this:

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Many of us try and “fix” our spiritual lives by our own efforts, recommitments, or acts of penance.

But if you feel like you’re spinning,

It might be because you’re trying to do something

Only the Holy Spirit can do for you.

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(Do you feel like you’re spinning… trying to make yourself… fix yourself… change your desires…)

Let’s get back to Acts for a second here. Because in chapter 1, we get these 11 apostles of Jesus (there were 12, but Judas Iscariot after betraying Jesus took his own life). And so they find a replacement for him.

And then look with me beginning in Chapter 2, verse 1:

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Acts 2:1–4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Now, if you grew up in a church tradition that followed a lectionary of some kind—you know, prescribed readings and worship elements for each week, corresponding with the Christian calendar—you probably remember that you celebrated “Pentecost” sometime in early June… and maybe you even remember that Pentecost commemorated the giving of the Holy Spirit.

But it’s actually a lot deeper than that.

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Pentecost

Originally a Jewish holiday called “The Festival of Weeks”

Commemorated God’s provision as the wheat harvest began

Occurred 50 days after the Passover (7 weeks + 1 day)

Rabbinic tradition also associated this holiday with God’s provision of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai; his way of life

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In fact, in Acts 2, right after we get the story of the Spirit coming down on these 12 apostles, we see this in verse 5:

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Acts 2:5 “Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.”

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Why? Because they were all there to celebrate the Festival of Weeks; Pentecost, 50 days after they celebrated the Passover.

They were there to remember God’s provision—not only of life-giving crops, but his way of life.

They were there to rededicate themselves. To redouble their efforts and their commitment to their God. To once again turn their face toward him as they had inevitably turned away or gotten off course.

And on this day,

When God-fearing Jews from all over the world descended on Jerusalem to recommit themselves to living according to God’s law,

That God decides “today is the day:”

Today is the day that you no longer just try your best.

Today is the day that you stop your striving.

Today is the day that you hop off the hamster wheel of spinning and trying to fix and failing and rededicating and all of it over and over and over again.

From this point forward, you will have my Spirit in you, and he will move you in all the ways that you could not move yourself.

He will change you in all the ways that you could not change yourself.

And he will bring about the uncommon devotion that you, even at your very best, could never attain—much less sustain.

And in one day, what the prophet Ezekiel foretold was fulfilled—which we might now have a much better understanding of:

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Ezekiel 36:24–31 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you.

I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices.”

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(Note the “I will’s” as opposed to the “you ought’s”)

So, here’s what we’ve seen:

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_____________—>Holy Spirit Happens—>Uncommon Daily Devotion

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The earliest Christians had this uncommon daily devotion. But it wasn’t because they were just somehow “better Christians” or “more disciplined” or whatever. They were not the cause of their uncommon devotion; the Holy Spirit was. God moved in them through the giving of the Holy Spirit, and he inspired this uncommon devotion in them. The Spirit happened to them. And unless the Spirit happens, good luck chasing after that uncommon devotion.

But we still have this one remaining unanswered question:

How does the Spirit happen to us?

Take a look at how he happened to 3,000 people that day:

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Acts 2:22–24 ““Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Acts 2:36–39 ““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

Repent

Call to action: repent.

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