TAG TEAM: The Work is not Finished

Introduction

Good morning, we’re “tag-teaming” the message today! And we’re going to cover the entire book of Acts in one sermon!

What fun!

Book Overview

<We began our study in Acts in September of 2023. WOW have we covered a lot! One topic we talked about is the NAME of the book: “The Acts of the Apostles” or “Acts”. It is a book of action. Bu we mentioned it could have other names:

The Acts of the Holy Spirit

The Continuing Acts of Jesus

The Acts of the Church

Because all of these are themes that run through the book. I suppose in that sense, one of the THEMES of the book of Acts might be the Activity of the Trinity in and through the Church to spread the good news of salvation and forgiveness to the whole world.

Theme

I guess it makes sense to look at the way that overarching theme is portrayed in the book. One way is through the structure of the book. Luke did this by using bookends. He clues us in to his theme with his opening and closing sentences: ⭐

Acts 1:1–3 CSB

1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

AND ⭐

Acts 28:30–31 CSB

30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

ask: What connections do you see in those passages? ⭐

When Jesus met with the apostles after his resurrection he instructing them regarding “the kingdom”. At the end, Paul is in house arrest in Rome proclaiming “the kingdom of God”.

This book is about God’s kingdom:

what it is

who is it for

how members of the kingdom should live

how kingdom people might expect to be treated

the priorities of kingdom people - which is helping others become a part of the kingdom family through faith in Jesus.

There are many sections in the narrative of Acts. Each of them has a role to play in the advancing of the kingdom.>

Let’s take a really high-level overview look at the book of Acts, through some of the book’s key verses, themes, and events from beginning to end. We’ve already spent the time of going through each chapter, verse by verse, story by story and trying to cover it as thoroughly as is reasonable. So, today we get to piece together just quick little bits and clips of the story to try to still capture the essence of its entirety.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ Ascension

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, cf. Luke 24:49)"He was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." (Acts 1:9, cf. Psalm 68:18, Ephesians 4:8)

The book begins by reaching back to the end of Luke’s gospel narrative, reminding us of where we last left off with the story of Jesus, before transitioning to telling the story of what happened after he left. He left them with a promise.

Luke 24:49 LSB

49 “And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:8–9 LSB

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 end of the earth.” 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.

In Ephesians 4:8, Paul quotes from Psalm 68:18, connecting the ascension of Jesus to the message of this prophetic poem, and elaborating on the gifts God has bestowed on us through Christ, that God may dwell even among the rebellious. (Hallelujah!)

<Jesus also told them WHY they would receive the Spirit. One of the RESULTS of receiving the Holy Spirit is that the disciples will be Jesus’s “witnesses” to the world. That goes back to the advancement of the Kingdom >

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." (Acts 2:17, quoting Joel 2:28-32)

Acts 2:1–4 LSB

1 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues like fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

This drew attention, of course, and so they soon had the opportunity to explain what happened to multitudes of people, each hearing the truth in their own language. Eventually, Peter addresses the crowd, primarily his fellow Jews, and connects what happened to them with the prophet Joel, quoting him in Acts 2:17

Acts 2:17 LSB

17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams;

Essentially, claiming this event as a milestone in the progression of God’s kingdom, and in the pattern of the day of the Lord. This marks the beginning of a new era, what we call “the church,” or, God’s new, living, decentralized temple on Earth, in whom and through whom God’s Holy Spirit is living, active, and personally present among believers to this day.

<The giving of the Holy Spirit was a sign in each place where the gospel was shared. Proof that salvation belonged to that group of people:

APOSTLES & DISCIPLES (Jews): Acts 2, Acts 4

SAMARITANS: Acts 8

GENTILES: Acts 10, Acts 19

The purpose of the giving of the Spirit was to empower God’s people to help grow God’s kingdom. We had a quote back in October of 2023:

“The ordinary people of God, equipped with the Word of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, dedicated to the Son of God, can accomplish the mission of God.”‌

And the proof of that is in the next thing we notice as a theme in Acts.>

The Early Church’s Growth

"And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47, cf. Isaiah 60:22)

This good news was received very well at first, and they enjoyed immediate, expansive growth, as we read:

Acts 2:41 LSB

41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:46–47 LSB

46 And daily devoting themselves with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved.

<The growth of God’s church continued into each region the gospel was taken. Jews heard that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for, fulfilling the words of the Prophets and the Law. The Gentiles were hearing a message of being welcomed into God’s family as opposed to being outsiders. The result was that many chose to follow Jesus and God’s church grew. ⭐

Acts 4:4 “4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.”

Acts 5:14 “14 Believers were added to the Lord in increasing numbers—multitudes of both men and women.”

Acts 6:7 “7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Acts 9:31 “31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.”

Acts 11:24 “24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And large numbers of people were added to the Lord.”

Acts 11:26 “26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”

Acts 14:1 “1 In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue, as usual, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.”

Acts 16:5 “5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.”

Acts 17:4 “4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.”

Acts 17:12 “12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men.”

There is no doubt that it is the desire of God for his kingdom to expand and his church to grow! It is STILL his desire for that today - which is why disciples of Jesus in every generation have taken up the call to share the good news with their families, neighbors, friend, co-workers and even strangers. >

Signs, Wonders, and the Boldness of the Apostles

"The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people." (Acts 5:12, cf. John 14:12)"The righteous are bold as a lion." (Proverbs 28:1, cf. Acts 4:29)

********************** NOT SURE IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THIS IN ** I DELETED THE OTHER STUFF **************

Acts 2:14-41: Peter preaches a powerful sermon on Pentecost, resulting in thousands of conversions. Acts 3:12-26: Peter and John heal a lame man and boldly proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, despite being “ordinary men,” a fact in itself considered miraculous! Acts 4:13-20: Peter and John are arrested for preaching about Jesus but refuse to stop. Acts 5:29-32: Peter and the other apostles defy the religious leaders and continue to preach about Jesus. Acts 14:3-7: Paul and Barnabas preach boldly in Iconium, even after being stoned.

*************************

They even continued to perform miracles by the spirit, as Jesus did, particularly to heal people, and boldly continued to preach the message wherever and whenever they could.

<Signs and wonders first appeared in Acts on the day of Pentecost with the speaking in tongues to the large crowd in Jerusalem. Not long after that Peter & John heal a lame man. In chapter 4 we read that Stephen was performing signs and wonders. By chapter 5, Luke kinda summarizes things with this verse:

Acts 5:12 LSB

12 Now at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were happening among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Portico.

These signs and wonders continue throughout the book as a way to point people back to Jesus and to validate the messengers as ones sent from Jesus. >

To see these miracles happening through the hands of these apostles is a direct fulfilment of what Jesus promised them, as we read in John:

John 14:12 LSB

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father.

They are emboldened, as are the righteous, “secure as a lion,” in Proverbs 28:1, in their conviction, in what they had seen, but also in the immediate consequences of those convictions, and the immediate efficacy of their ministry was no doubt a needed bolstering to prepare them for the persecution that would come. Righteousness begets boldness; as a lion’s strength is fundamental to his security, so is righteousness a key component in the armor of God which secures us as Christians. Ephesians 6:13-17

Another way to put it would be “Being right pays in dividends of confidence.” As long as we are getting our definition of right and wrong from the right place, then we know our confidence is not misplaced, and that’s a great place to be! While righteousness is also met with persecution, it’s very rewarding to experience when righteousness succeeds, and bearing witness to such gives us hope to cling to during dark times.

Persecution and the Spread of the Gospel

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10, cf. Acts 5:41)"Those who were scattered went about preaching the word." (Acts 8:4, cf. Isaiah 52:7)

Not that Jesus hadn’t already prepared them plenty for the idea of facing suffering, his own body having been put on display as an example of what lengths people will go to when trying to resist, or destroy the gospel. And he talked about not only the reality of suffering, but that the kingdom of God belongs to those who suffer for righteousness’s sake. As Jesus suffered in his righteousness, so do many still suffer for no fault of their own. Though all of us has sinned, not all our suffering is a direct consequence of our own doing. What Christ offers regardless of our circumstances is a hope to cling to, that will last for eternity, and causes our present trials to pale in comparison to the glory that awaits.

Acts 14:27 LSB

27 And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

<One of the quotes that we heard from the videos we watched in the Acts Bible study was, “Doors of opportunity swing on the hinges of opposition”. While not all opportunity will be accompanied by opposition, I appreciated the reminder that sometimes, doing things for God will come with opposition. I have heard many prayers asking God to open a door - and when there is any resistance people often assume God must be closing the door. Sometimes the door we walk through does not easily open - sometimes there is resistance. In Acts that opposition came from both inside and outside the church family and reminds us that faithful service to God and sharing the gospel does not mean the eradication of opposition or persecution.>

The Conversion of Saul (Paul)

"He said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’" (Acts 22:21, cf. Isaiah 49:6)

In chapter 8 we are introduced to the character who takes the leading role for the rest of the book. We get the story of Paul, from time leading up to his conversion, on through the extent of his missionary journeys.

In Chapter 9, Paul meets Jesus, and his life is changed forever.

The story of Jesus is the manifestation of the extent to which God will go in his passionate love for humanity, to save them, as well as the extent to which humans will go to reject God, for whatever reasons they have, and unite together to do so.

In the story of Paul we see almost the inverse of these same principles. We see first the extent to which a human can go astray, even murderously so, in his individual zeal for God, and yet still the extent to which God will go to bring such a wandering soul back to the flock, as Jesus posthumously gives Paul a rather shocking wake-up call on the road to Damascus.

In Acts 22:21, Paul makes the very rousing claim in Jerusalem that God explicitly sent him to the gentiles, and dons the mantle of “The Apostle to the Gentiles.”

Acts 22:21 LSB

21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

<Paul is a story of a man of great conviction and passion, that was missing the truth. He *thought* he was doing the right thing for God by killing off the Jesus-followers, until he met Jesus. What a tremendous example of the grace of God! He can turn a murderer into a messenger! Paul’s story is such a vivid reminder that God can use every one of us regardless of our past!>

The Inclusion of the Gentiles

"The Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel." (Ephesians 3:6, cf. Acts 10:34-35)

Paul’s calling to preach to the Gentiles was not only a crucial marker of his career, and the trajectory for the rest of his life and travels, but it reinforced what Peter was also confessing in Jerusalem, which was that anyone, from anywhere, could become a follower of Jesus. A member of the church.

Acts 10:34–36 LSB

34 And opening his mouth, Peter said: “I most truly comprehend now that God is not one to show partiality, 35 but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him. 36 “As for the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—

<This is one of the big themes of the book. We see this played out by 2 people: Peter and Paul. Peter first - probably since he was one of the disciples who spent time with Jesus while he was on the earth. Peter had his Gentile experience with Cornelius in Acts 10. Then, Paul will be known as the “Apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11:13).

This theme is developed geographically in Acts as the gospel goes from Jerusalem to Judea (Jews) to Samaria (a mixed race of Jew/Gentile) and then Africa, Antioch, Asia Minor and Europe (Gentile).>

What a blessing to live on this side of such a wonderful revelation! Of such a secret, Paul says in Ephesians,

Ephesians 3:5–7 LSB

5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit: 6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.

<Why does this matter to you and me? I do not know what your heritage is, but I would be considered a Gentile. The good news applies to me! We all have the same invitation to be members of God’s household. We all have access to the same Spirit.>

Galatians 3:28 CSB

28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.

<Acts demonstrates that a person’s lineage, occupation, gender, education, ethnicity, history, or facial hair 😏 do not matter to God. What matters is what we do with Jesus. We all have the same invitation. That was NEWS back when Acts was written, and it is great reminder today that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.>

Paul’s Missionary Journeys

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:15, cf. Acts 13:47)

And so the remainder of the book follows Paul and his companions (he didn’t travel alone) throughout their missionary journeys in their efforts to spread this good word, as they say in Acts 13:

Acts 13:46–48 LSB

46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

That pretty much sums up the rest of the story, I think! A mix of people rejecting and accepting the gospel, resulting in a mix of painful challenges and glorious rejoicing, and God using people and situations often in unexpected ways, to restore life and bring glory to His name.

Trials Produce Endurance

"Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22, cf. 2 Timothy 3:12)

<This theme is one I think we often struggle with. Some preach that when you follow God everything will be good. Others might seem to look for trouble and invite problems into their lives creating a false sense of persecution and piety.

We should not go looking for trouble. But we should not be caught off guard when it finds us. Peter was imprisoned. Paul was stoned, shipwrecked, beaten and imprisoned. Stephen was pummeled to death with rocks. Christians were imprisoned, later burned at the stake. Paul said this:>

Acts 14:22 LSB

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Paul knew he would face many challenges, and we read about some of the most harrowing experiences I can imagine, and yet his faith in Christ remained unbroken, and all the more strengthened, through everything he experienced.

2 Corinthians 4:7–10 LSB

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 in every way afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

The Hope of the Resurrection

"Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" (Acts 26:8, cf. Daniel 12:2)

Even when Paul was put on trial, he remained bold and steadfast in his testimony. And he even doubled-down on the one claim which caused the most controversy, but upon which the hope of the gospel rests: the hope of the resurrection. Jesus is the fulfilment of that hope, and the holy spirit is the seal of his promise to us that we, too, will partake in that hope.

Ephesians 1:11–14 LSB

11 In Him, we also have been made an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 to the end that we who first have hoped in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 13 In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Is that good news to you?

<For me, it is a reminder of at least 2 things: 1) no matter what our current circumstances, they will not last forever and are not the final word. Truly the dependents of Abraham understood that! And, 2) that there is much more to live for than what we see and experience on this earth. We live for the Kingdom of God which is a kingdom that is not of this world. >

The Unstoppable Gospel

"The word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." (Acts 19:20, cf. Isaiah 55:11)"This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations." (Matthew 24:14, cf. Acts 28:31)

Despite continuing to face persecution, the church nonetheless continued to grow, and the book ends on a rather triumphant note:

Acts 28:31 LSB

31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, unhindered.

This continues on the pattern set forth earlier in the book, echoing what was said in chapter 19:

Acts 19:20 LSB

20 So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

And bringing to fruition what Jesus declared in Matthew 24:14

Matthew 24:14 LSB

14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

This is the work of the church during this age, until the Lord returns.

Conclusion

<We have a saying that hindsight is 20/20, right? Meaning we don’t always see all of what is happening until it has happened and we look back at it. Luke was doing that as he wrote this volume, and it shows us what has been done and what remains to be done: ⭐

Acts 1:8 CSB

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

There is the promise of the Holy Spirit. That is one of the main themes of the book.

We also have the spreading of the kingdom of God to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. That forms a bit of an outline of what takes place: ⭐

Acts 6:7 (CSB)

7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

That was our first stop. ⭐

Acts 9:31 (CSB)

31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

That is our second and third stop. What about the ends of the earth? We do know that an Ethiopian was converted and took the gospel with him. Paul & company went to Asia Minor and parts of Europe, including Rome. However, there is still work to be done.

The ends of the earth is still continuing today! THIS is also part of the big picture of Acts, which is that it is a work that is not done until Jesus returns to establish his eternal reign on earth.

The gospel account, according to Luke, was just the beginning of what Jesus was going to accomplish. The books of Acts is then a continuation of that work. However, it is NOT the completion of all that Jesus came to do and teach - THAT will not be realized until Jesus establishes his kingdom on earth. In the time between Acts 28 and Revelation 22 we have this time period referred to as “The Church Age”. That is where we live in this story. WE are Acts chapter 29 and continuing… to accomplish the advancement of God’s kingdom by inviting people to be reconciled to God the Father by placing their faith in Jesus.>

Benediction

Lord God, may you who called us to your glorious purpose fill us each and all with your Spirit, empowering us to proclaim the goodness of Christ with boldness. May the grace of Jesus sustain us, the love of our Creator strengthen us, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit guide us. As we go forth, may we be Your witnesses in our homes, our communities, and to the ends of the earth, so that Your kingdom would come and Your will be done, to you be all glory forever. Amen.