The Series is Over?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Well… today is the end of an era.
Today… is our 65th and final week in the book of Acts.
I have loved taking our time through this book — watching the gospel spread, the church grow, and the Holy Spirit move.
But let’s be real a lot of you weren’t even here when we started.
Some of you showed up halfway through and thought, “Man, this church is serious about Acts.”
Others of you came in like… last month, and you’re just now realizing we’ve been here for over a year.
And yes — 65 weeks is a long time.
The other day someone told me they found a TV series on Acts — and it’s only five episodes.
Five!
Meanwhile, I’ve been up here for 65 weeks… so either they missed something, or I really, really like this book.
But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Every single week, I’ve loved digging deep, taking it slow, and seeing how this story changes us.
And honestly… I’m kind of sad it’s over. Though I can see some of you thinking, “Finally.”
Last week we talked about sharks, lasers, and a one bedroom apartment.
The whole point of the message was that sometimes following Jesus doesn't make sense. but God will bring people along side of you to encourage you and to walk with you.
Who is walking with you? That’s a question we all need to answer.
We need godly voices in our lives. All of us. myself included. You need people you cant hide from.
But I want to speak some truth to you this morning.
Not ever voice that sounds godly is. not every thing that sounds spiritual is.
Many christians fall into the trap that if it sounds good and makes me feel good then it’s God.
That’s not how it works.
We don’t determine truth based on how it makes us feel. Truth is determined by the word of God.
If it’s contrary to the God’s word. Then it’s not truth.
Here is why I bring this up.
Friday a song was released by a popular worship band/church called Jesus Culture. They released a song called “Send the Fire”
The lyrics at first seem great:
“In our hearts, fan the flame, Stir up our faith In our lives, here today Lord, do it again, We need revival, We need revival Send the fire, send the fire, We need a move of Heaven, The glory of Your presence In this city, in this nation, We need a move of Heaven The glory of Your presence”
So far I’m in. Like this is great right?
Then comes the bridge….This is where it all falls apart.
“Spirit of the living God Rushing wind, come breathe on us A mighty move that never stops We need another Pentecost…”
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem.
This is a clear misunderstanding of Scripture. Pentecost was a once-for-all event.
If you’re not familiar with what Pentecost is, let me give you some context.
In John 16, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His departure and warning them about the persecution they will face.
But in verse 7, here’s what He says:
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Jesus is telling the disciples that He is sending them what we know to be the Holy Spirit the third Person of the Trinity.
Now understand this: there is only one God, but He exists co-eternally in three Persons. Let me help you understand this deep doctrinal truth with something simple… an apple.
Think about an apple.
It has three parts — the skin, the flesh, and the seeds.
Each part is distinct, but together they make up one apple.
The skin is like God the Father — the covering, the protector.
The flesh is like God the Son — the part we “taste and see,” the one who became tangible and visible to us in Jesus.
The seeds are like God the Holy Spirit — bringing new life, planting truth, and causing growth.
Now here’s the thing — if you peel the skin off, it’s still an apple.
If you remove the seeds, it’s still an apple.
If you remove the seeds, it is still an apple.
But if you only have the skin, or only the seeds, you do not have the whole apple, even though they are all still part of the same apple.
In the same way, God is one being in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Now hear me. The apple is just an analogy. It is not the full picture.
Nothing on earth can fully capture the Trinity. It is simply meant to point us toward the distinct roles of the Godhead.
The Father is fully God. The Son is fully God. The Spirit is fully God.
Not parts of God. Not pieces of God. But one God in three Persons.
They are distinct, yet inseparable in nature and essence.
Take one Person out of your life and you no longer have the full experience of who God is.
But God Himself is always one, complete, and eternal.
And here’s where this connects with John 16:7 — Jesus (the “flesh,” the Son) is telling His disciples that it’s to their advantage that He goes away, because then the “seeds” — the Holy Spirit — will come.
It’s not that God was leaving them; it’s that another Person of the Trinity was coming to dwell in them in a new and powerful way.
Jesus wasn’t handing them over to a stranger — He was sending the Spirit, the same God they had already known in Him, to be with them forever.
Here’s why I’m explaining this…
In the Old Testament, God gave Israel a festival called Passover.
It celebrated the night God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. when the blood of a spotless lamb was placed on their doorposts and the angel of death “passed over” them.
Passover pointed forward to Jesus, our perfect Lamb, whose blood was shed to deliver us from sin and death — that’s what we celebrate at Easter.
Fifty days after Passover came the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost — a harvest festival where Israel brought the first fruits of their crops to God in gratitude.
And it’s on that exact day, in Acts 2, that God pours out the Holy Spirit — the first fruits of His new covenant people — fulfilling the promise Jesus made in John 16:7.
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Here, “tongues” means known human languages that the speakers had never learned.
It was a supernatural sign from God so that people from many nations in Jerusalem could hear the gospel in their own language.
This is different from what some refer to as a “prayer language” — that’s a separate topic we’ll address another day.
The most important thing to note here is this: this is the Holy Spirit, and this is the moment He arrives.
And notice how God chose to do it on Pentecost. The Feast of Weeks was about the harvest. Pentecost in Acts 2 is about a greater harvest — not of grain, but of souls.
Just as Israel brought their first fruits to God, here the Spirit is poured out as the first fruits of the church. Three thousand people are saved that very day.
This moment fulfilled the Festival of Weeks in the same way Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled Passover.
The Holy Spirit is not the “weird part” of God.
He is fully God, possessing all the honor, all the glory, and all the power of God.
So let’s go back to that lyric I showed you: “We need another Pentecost.”
If the Holy Spirit fulfilled the purpose of the Feast of Weeks with His arrival at Pentecost… but now we say we need “another Pentecost”…
The question we have to ask is: Where did the Holy Spirit go?
This is why it’s important to have the right voices in your life. because the wrong ones will have you seeking something you don’t need.
You don’t need another Pentecost — you need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit you already have.
That was my pre-message message for the week!
Lets finish The Book of Acts this morning.
Stop cheering….I can hear your thoughts.
Paul is living by himself now, but is still under watch by a Roman guard. So he’s still arrested. This morning I want to do something a little bit different.
I want to read the last few verses first.
Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
I’ve titled my message this morning: “The Series is Over?”
Pray
where are my readers at?
And I’m not talking about the kind of reading where you scroll Facebook for two hours and call it “catching up on the news.”
I mean actual books — pages, paper, maybe even a coffee stain or two.
And before anybody raises their hand… audiobooks don’t count.
Yeah, I said it. You know who you are.
That’s not reading, that’s listening. If audiobooks counted as reading, then I’ve been “working out” every time I’ve watched a workout video on facebook.
Now, I love reading. I’ll go through five or six books a month. The next time you’re at Alyssa and I’s house take a look at my desk….take a look at our coffee table. Guarantee you will find piles of books.
If you ever borrow a book from me, you’ll find highlights, underlines, little notes in the margin
Sometimes I even write in things I disagree with — because it’s my book, and I’m allowed to argue with it.
I don’t read a lot of fiction. Honestly, there’s already enough fiction in our culture for me.
I like Bible-based books, theology, leadership… the kind of stuff you underline so much that every page looks like it’s been attacked by a highlighter.
But here’s the thing — we live in an age of information overload.
If you want to know something, you don’t have to read… you can just Google it. Or now, you ask AI.
And look, I’m not anti-technology. I use AI sometimes. But Artificial Intelligence can only ever produce artificial results.
If you rely on AI for your spiritual growth, you’re going to end up with artificial spiritual growth.
It might look good on the outside, but it’s not alive, and it’s not going to bear fruit.
There’s no substitute for opening the Bible yourself and letting God speak directly to you.
And there’s no substitute for learning from the godly wisdom of others.
Ephesians 4 says God gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints.
Reading solid, biblical books is like sitting down with someone who’s been walking with Jesus for decades and letting them sharpen you, encourage you, and correct you.
And before you think, “Well, I just need my Bible and nothing else,” remember — even in the early church, God used the writings of others to shape believers.
Paul himself quoted Luke’s Gospel word-for-word in 1 Timothy.
That means Paul was reading Luke’s account and using it to teach.
And in Colossians 4, Paul told the church to make sure they not only read his letter but also a letter from another church.
The apostles read each other’s writings. They shared them. They learned from them.
If the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit and wrote a third of the New Testament was still reading and referencing what others wrote, how much more should we be humble enough to learn from godly teachers today?
Paul didn’t have AI, Google, or a Kindle full of commentaries. But he did have the Scriptures, the Spirit, and a mission that burned in his heart.
And in Acts 28, even chained to a guard, he’s still proclaiming Jesus, bold, unhindered, and unstoppable.
This morning I want to look at three things that happen when we seek spiritual growth and maturity
So let’s start in verse 17.
17 After three days he called together the local leaders of the Jews, and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. 18 When they had examined me, they wished to set me at liberty, because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case. 19 But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20 For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain.” 21 And they said to him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or spoken any evil about you. 22 But we desire to hear from you what your views are, for with regard to this sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.”
Here’s what jumps out right away; Paul doesn’t wait for the people who oppose him to call for him. He calls for them.
He takes the first step. That’s bold.
But take note of how Paul addresses them: there’s no anger, no harsh words, no bitterness. Just grace and truth. He tells the story as it is, and he keeps the focus onJesus.
When we seek spiritual Maturity, we stay clear when it gets complicated.
Too often, when there’s tension between us and someone else, frustration and anger cloud our judgment.
And sometimes, the reason there’s still animosity is because we’re so focused on truth that we forget grace.
The biblical definition of grace is getting what we don’t deserve.
It’s unearned favor. God gives us His love, forgiveness, and blessing — not because we’ve earned it, but because He is good.
In our relationships, grace means showing kindness and patience to someone who hasn’t earned it.
It’s giving respect to someone who hasn’t treated you respectfully.
It’s opening the door to conversation with someone who’s been against you.
And let’s be clear: grace is not the same thing as saying, “I’m sorry.”
You don’t get to just toss out an apology and think that’s grace.
“I’m sorry” can be sincere, but it can also be nothing more than a way to shut down the conversation or avoid dealing with the deeper issues.
Grace doesn’t mean you ignore the truth or pretend the problem doesn’t exist.
Truth doesn’t come at the expense of grace — and grace doesn’t come at the expense of truth.
Paul models both here. He doesn’t change the facts to keep the peace, but neither does he use the facts as a weapon to humiliate or retaliate. He speaks plainly, with respect, and keeps the focus on Jesus.
Here’s why this matters — and I’m going to be real blunt:
A lot of people don’t follow Jesus because we don’t talk and act like we’re following Jesus.
We might have the right doctrine, but if our delivery doesn’t look like Jesus, we’re not helping His cause.
Now…I’m not telling you that you have to be a pacifist.
Jesus was confrontational. He flipped tables. He called out hypocrisy.
But even in His confrontation, He embodied both truth and grace.
Truth without grace can harden hearts.
Grace without truth can mislead hearts.
And you can win an argument… and still lose the person.
The Gospel is already offensive — don’t add to that offense with your attitude.
Paul’s goal wasn’t to prove his opponents wrong; it was to win them to the truth.
You can’t bully someone into salvation, but you can love them into it.
lets keep going verse 23:
23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.
24 And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.
25 And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:
26 “ ‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
27 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
This is where spiritual maturity shows up.
Paul sets up what’s basically an all-day Bible study. He’s walking them through Moses, the Prophets — the whole story pointing to Jesus.
And the result? Verse 24: “Some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.”
Paul doesn’t take it personally.
He doesn’t quit because not everyone responds. He doesn’t water down the message to try to get better numbers.
He keeps going because his confidence is in the Spirit, not in the statistics.
When We Seek Spiritual Maturity, We Aren’t Controlled by Results
When you’re immature spiritually, results can control you
If people agree with you, you feel like you’re winning.
If they reject you, you feel like you’re failing.
But when you’re growing spiritually, you realize:
Obedience is your responsibility — the results are God’s.
You can plant, you can water, but only God gives the growth.
Paul even quotes Isaiah to show that sometimes rejection isn’t about you — it’s a heart problem in the listener. Their eyes are shut, their ears are closed, and their hearts are hard.
No amount of clever phrasing can fix that. Only the Spirit can open blind eyes and soften hard hearts.
When we seek spiritual maturity, we’re freed from being driven by numbers, responses, or immediate results.
We stay faithful, we keep speaking the truth, and we trust God to work in His timing.
Now lets go back to the ending….where we started this morning
28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,
31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
65 weeks ago we started this journey through Acts.
some of us have been here for every single one, some of us this is only just a few weeks in.
But whether you were here for one week or all 65, this is the moment where we bring it all together.
For those of you that were there….Do you remember how we started this series?
In Acts 1, we said the question isn’t, “How can I have that power?” but “How can I bear that fruit?”
Here is where the series comes full circle…..
When we seek spiritual Maturity, we bear fruit over demanding power.
, here we are in Acts 28. Paul’s not in a palace. He’s not holding a position of power. He’s in a rented home, chained to a guard, living at his own expense.
…But he’s welcoming all who come to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God, and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
That’s fruit.
He’s producing disciples. He’s proclaiming the Gospel. He’s strengthening the church.
Paul understood that spiritual maturity isn’t about control, influence, or comfort. It’s about bearing fruit that will last.
The temptation is to chase spiritual power the titles, platforms, recognition.
But power can be taken away in a moment. Fruit, however, is eternal.
I say this with full conviction and seriousness. The doors of our church could shut tomorrow and I will rejoice because I look in this room I see the fruit of what God has done through this church.
When we seek spiritual maturity, we stop asking, “How do I get more power?” and start asking, “How do I bear more fruit?”
Because in the end, God isn’t going to measure our lives by how much we controlled but by how much fruit we produced for His kingdom.
Ladies and gentlemen — chapter 28 may be over.
The Acts series may be over.
But let me tell you… this was never just a series.
This was never just a study of a book.
From day one, this was about something far bigger.
This was about becoming the kind of church that refuses to sit quietly while people march toward hell.
This was about being the church that takes the Gospel to our neighbors, our coworkers, our families, our city — no matter the cost.
Paul’s story didn’t end in Acts 28.
And ours doesn’t end here either.
The Holy Spirit is still moving.
The Gospel is still advancing.
The mission is still urgent.
We don’t get to close this book and go back to “normal life.”
We carry this fire into Monday.
We carry it into our homes.
We carry it into every conversation, every workplace, every street corner.
Because the goal was never just to learn Acts; it was to live Acts.
It was to be bold.
It was to be unhindered.
It was to bear fruit that lasts.
It’s time to stop just talking about the early church… and time to be the church.
Let’s be the people who will do whatever it takes to keep people out of hell and bring them into the kingdom of God.
