Acts - Pt. One - Holy Spirit Promise
Luke/Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and happy New Year! Welcome to CHCC! As we begin the new year, we also begin a new book of the Bible. After completing Luke a couple of months ago, we now start Dr. Luke’s sequel. Yes, he wrote two books and they come together to tell a remarkable story. The book of Acts is unique is it documents the birth and growth of Christ’s church.
A main character throughout the pages of Acts is the Holy Spirit. So much so, in fact, that some have suggested titling the book, The Acts of the Holy Spirit or The Acts of the Holy Spirit Through the Apostles.
Acts serves as a counterweight of sorts to the Gospels as well. Where the Gospels reveal Christ offering His life, the book of Acts offers His power. In the Gospels, we see the seeds of the Church planted as Jesus disciples and teaches and trains and equips His followers. In Acts, we see the initial growth of those seeds as the Church begins to take shape and spread quickly over the face of the earth.
The Gospels reveal Christ as crucified and risen. Acts tells of Christ ascended and exalted. The Gospels show the Christian’s life modeled by the perfect Man in Jesus, while Acts reveals the Christian life lived out by imperfect men.
The book of Acts serves as a stimulant of sorts to our spiritual life—ultimately showing us how to make each of our lives count. John Lloyd Ogilvie once shared a conversation with a gentleman in his church. He said, “I have been a deacon in my church for years; built a church building, raised money, served on committees. But one thing my church never gave me was a relationship with Christ that would make my life exciting.”
How heartbreaking is that?? When I came back from Sabbatical a couple of years ago, God called for me to preach and teach from Luke and Acts. The reason for this was to get back to the basics. To answer questions like Who is Jesus? and What is our purpose as the Church? Who is Jesus, and what is our role as His followers?
And a secondary goal is to avoid what this gentleman realized in his own life. Because as we will come to see in the pages of Acts, when we are fully committed and bought in to God’s plans and purposes for our lives, they are anything but unexciting. My hope for each of you is that as we study through this book, our hearts would burn with fervor, excitement, and desire to obediently and confidently and courageously follow after Christ.
As R. Kent Hughes states:
In our day one of the nicer things said about the institutional church is that it is “irrelevant.” The book of Acts carries the remedy.
Whether you’ve heard similar statements or perhaps have thought something similar, I hope you will see how untrue that really is. The church is entirely relevant. But, perhaps, the modern culture of the church has strayed a little too far from its roots. Studying through Acts can help recalibrate our hearts and our vision. So let us begin our journey this morning. I cannot promise you a timeframe for our study. Luke took 2 years. This may be less, it may be longer. While Acts has more chapters, Luke is actually the longest book in the New Testament based on word count (roughly 1,000 words longer than Acts). So we shall see!
If you have your Bibles with you this morning, please turn with me to Acts 1.
PRAY
THE PROMISED HOLY SPIRIT
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Luke is the only author in Scripture to give us a timeframe of Jesus’ ministry post-resurrection. 40 days. And the language suggests that He wasn’t there 24/7 for forty days, but would appear here and there to His followers. And for what? To speak to them about the kingdom of God. Instruction was still the primary focus of Jesus as He prepared to establish the Church.
We have something similar that we looked at in our study of Luke’s gospel. Jesus met with two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
And it was this instruction that got their hearts pumping.
They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
And I’d imagine this is a little peak into what these 40 days were like for the believers. Pure excitement.
And during this time of forty days, at one point Jesus gives his followers a command.
And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
They were to stay in Jerusalem and wait. This is a call found throughout Scripture for those who put their faith in God. Waiting can be one of the hardest things in this life, can’t it. Especially in our day and age of immediate gratification. I remember my kids one time asking me to fast forward the commercials during a live football game.
I explained to them that when I was a kid we couldn’t just pick what show to watch when we wanted, we had to be there when it came on tv! If you weren’t home at that time, well you missed out.
But oftentimes God calls for us to wait on Him. The Psalms are filled with songs of waiting.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
Just a few; but every time we see the call to wait, it is a good thing! It is followed by blessing. And looking back on my life, I can recall moments in my life when I should have waited for God, and times when I did. And let me tell you, those times when I was patient on the Lord, I can confirm with the authors of Scripture that the Lord is good to those who wait for him.
There are times in life that God will call us to wait on Him. Perhaps we desire to see the end result ourselves and are tempted to push forward in our own strength and/or agenda. In a word—don’t. Wait, trust, and seek His Word.
I imagine here, had those followers not listened, they may have missed out on a supernatural blessing from God!
So our disciples here are called to wait for the promise of the Father. What promise is that exactly? Jesus’ words here pull from a foretelling of John the Baptist in Mark.
I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM?
So what is this promise? We will come to this event in chapter 2 at Pentecost and will discuss it in more detail there. But there are a couple of major stances on this matter. There is the Calvinist/Reformed stance that the likes of John MacArthur take, where the belief is that this is a one time event that takes place at a believers conversion and where all believers receive it.
Then there is the other stance, which is more of an Arminian belief that there is the initial indwelling at conversion and are subsequent moments of empowerment from the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals stand in this camp. And while I probably lean more reformed in most of my theology, but perhaps because of my upbringing in Calvary Chapel, in this particular regard I lean closer to the Arminian stance. Interestingly, John Piper stands in this camp even though he considers himself a reformed Calvinist. Because of this I’ve had one pastor say that I am “Calminiest.”
But I think the evidence is there as we will see instances in Acts of this where the text will tell us that the disciples are “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Acts 4 tells us that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” before speaking before the Sanhedrin.
In Acts 13 it tells us that Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” before dealing with a magician in Cyprus.
We know that the indwelling of the Spirit had already taken place before these moments and so I think the language is telling. There was a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit upon His people before they entered into spiritual warfare or into particular moments of ministry.
And there are compelling arguments to each side. This is just a very short introduction into this theological discussion. And there are wonderful pastors and theologians that stand on both sides of this debate and we likely have people in this church that stand on both sides of this debate. And that is okay! These are great discussions to have with one another.
And so during these 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection, He reminded His disciples of this promise. And then He brings them together for one final moment beginning in verse 6.
JESUS ASCENDS
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But 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.”
It should be noted that these are the final earthly words of Jesus. Someone once suggested that perhaps the silence of the past 2,000 years is intended to prevent anything from obscuring the words Jesus so that they continue reverberate in the church’s ear.
And I don’t think the instruction could be any clearer. First, we will not know the times or seasons of the Father. In other words, only the Father knows when the time will come to restore the kingdom. We have had all sorts of people in the past proclaiming certain dates; “solving” the puzzles in Scripture supposedly giving them an exact date. But the reality is, no one knows! We are simply to wait expectantly and with hopeful anticipation and be ready.
Second, notice that Jesus tells us that “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” Perhaps we need that reminder in today’s church; as believers we have the power of the Holy Spirit! As believers we have permanent indwelling of the Spirit, too. Where as prior to Pentecost (which again, we will get to in a couple of weeks), there were instances and temporary moments of empowerment.
We see in 1 Samuel 16 that the “Spirit of the Lord departed Saul…” and this was due to his continual disobedience. Then in that same chapter it tells us that the “Spirit came upon David” at his anointing.
There are several separate instances in Judges 14 where it tells us that the Spirit “rushed upon” Samson. And in Judges 16 it tells us the Spirit had let him.
Back in Luke 2 we come across a prophet named Simeon and it tells us that the “Spirit was upon him…”
Before the fulfilment of this promise, the Spirit would come upon people and provide God’s people with power—whether that was great strength, or wisdom—they had the power of the Holy Spirit to perform specific tasks/callings.
But again, as we get to Pentecost, there came a permanent indwelling.
Third, Jesus gives a sort of extension of the Great Commission that is recorded in Matthew 28. He says, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”
And this verse—Acts 1:8—is really the key to the rest of the book of Acts. Because the first seven chapters tell of the witness in Jerusalem. Chapters 8-11 then focus on the witness in Judea and Samaria. And finally, chapters 12-28 focus on the witness to “the ends of the earth.”
And in the midst of this mission is our responsibility. To be “witnesses.” The title of this sermon series is “Witness.” And I chose this because this is ultimately the heart of the early church and the heart of our call as Christians. We are to be “witnesses” for Christ.
And this is also the recurring message throughout the book of Acts.
This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,
for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
Maybe Marvin Gaye was a big fan of the book of Acts. “Can I get a witness?” Find any Christian and you find a witness! And the word “witness” in the Greek language is the word martys (mar-toos). Same exact word for “martyr.” So the word has a couple of meanings. To be a “witness” is to see something. We uses “witnesses” in a legal sense; in a court of law. They share what they saw or what they heard.
And we have the meaning to be that of someone who is willing to die for their faith—a martyr. Both of these would encapsulate the meaning of Christ’s call to be witnesses.
And we have to understand that this call was not a temporary call to only the disciples present at Jesus’ ascension. No! This call continues on today to everyone who is a part of Christ’s Church—to every believer.
And so what is our witness? Well, fortunately it is pretty straightforward. This is the witness: Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh; he died to pay for our sins; he was resurrected; now he is exalted in Heaven; he calls us to believe in him and so receive forgiveness of sins. This is good news. There is no membership fee; there are no hoops to jump through; no accumulation of points. Simply believe in faith and receive the gift of eternal life.
Now, however, although this witness is straightforward, it does not mean it is easy. There is also a costly commitment. Not only do we bring this gospel message on our lips; we must also bring this gospel message upon our hearts and our lives.
The great missionary, David Livingstone, once spent time in central Africa with a man named Sir Henry Stanley. After that time this is what Stanley said: “If I had been with him any longer, I would have been compelled to be a Christian, and he never spoke to me about it at all.” Livingstone’s witness went far beyond mere words.
Isn’t that amazing? Not once did Livingstone present theological arguments or evidence of the reality of Jesus Christ to Sir Henry Stanley. He never once spoke directly to him about his faith. But his life was such a witness that Sir Henry was compelled to be a Christian anyway.
The phrase that comes to mind is: “Actions speak louder than words.” That is what it means to be witnesses for Christ. We cannot expect to be effective witnesses by sitting the sidelines. It is a big responsibility, but as Christians we carry Christ with us. And people will determine who Christ is by the manner of our walk and our talk.
I still remember the words of my highschool basketball coach before one of our games. He told us that other teams we play, their fans, and others will judge us more strictly because of one word pressed upon the tops of our jersey—the word “Christian.” Seffner CHRISTIAN Academy.
With that proclamation they begin looking for more than just words. How do they act? How do they treat others? Is there something different about them? Our lives must display the inner reality of what we externally proclaim.
This is why the early church exploded onto the scene and grew like wildfire throughout the known world. The apostles not only talked the talk, but also walked the walk. They were living witnesses to the living reality of Christ.
Look at the words of Paul during one of his arrests.
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
In his arrest, Paul was able to reach the very guards overseeing his time in prison. Are we witnesses like that?
I think the greatest challenge to this kind of witness is openness. It requires open honesty because it can be really easy to deceive ourselves. Being an authentic witness demands an open, tender heart that is always growing in the experience it proclaims.
R. Kent Hughes mentions three things Christian witnesses must have. The first is logos—that is the Word of God. Second is ethos—the inner reality of what it is we proclaim. What we just discussed. Is what I proclaim to the world how I live my life?
The third is pathos—or simply, passion. If there is one thing that is vibrantly clear in the book of Acts it is the passion of the apostles for Christ. We will see this in Peter at Pentecost, Stephen when he is stoned, Paul standing before Felix. In each account they were passionately promoting Christ. And it was this zeal, this passion that would turn the world upside-down.
When George Whitefield was getting the people of Edinburgh out of their beds at five o’clock in the morning to hear his preaching, a man on his way to the church met David Hume, the Scottish philosopher and skeptic. Surprised at seeing him on his way to hear Whitefield, the man said, “I thought you did not believe in the gospel.” Hume replied, “I do not, but he does.”
When people look at our lives, is that what they say? I’m not saying you have to be George Whitefield. There is only one George Whitefield. But there is also only one “you.” And what does your life say? What does my life say? When they look at me do they say, “I may not believe in the gospel, but he does.”
Does the passion match the words? Because the reality of the gospel should stir in us a good dose of passion! The command to be Christ’s witness is true for all believers. There aren’t any loopholes; if you sit here this morning as a Christian, you cannot say, “Well this calling doesn’t apply to me.”
You and I are ambassadors. We serve as witnesses to Christ to the world. Which is where Jesus calls for the witness to spread.
“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
I think we’ve heard these words so often that we have grown numb to it. Or maybe we just don’t fully realize how shocking this may have been to the disciples at the time.
Go into Jerusalem—the very location where the arrested, beat, and crucified Jesus.
Judea—They rejected them.
Samaria—Jews and Samaritans weren’t on the best of terms; in fact, they were hated there.
The end of the earth—so also Gentiles? This is no simple call. The instruction is clear enough, but the work itself? It’s going to require supernatural strength and power. Thankfully, Jesus knew this, which is why the promise of the Holy Spirit.
And which is why we see this mandate carried out just as commanded. Jerusalem just 10 days later would hear the Spirit-filled preaching of Peter at Pentecost and 3,000 souls would come to be saved. Not long after that, Philip would break spiritual ground in Samaria.
And just a few decades later, even Caesar was hearing the gospel message!
All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
This is the outcome of hearts burning with the gospel. Followers should yearn for the gospel to reach the ears and hearts of all people to the ends of the earth. However, we cannot also forget the hearts of our own communities.
All people need to hear the gospel and it begins with our neighbors. It begins with our co-workers, our family members. As R. Kent Hughes says:
Too often we are overly concerned about personal comfort. If the Christian faith is worth believing at all, it is worth believing heroically!
We close every Sunday with the words of Jesus from Matthew 5:14
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
Then with the exhortation to “go be the light.” In other words, go be a witness. Go show the light of Christ to those around you. This is our call, our responsibility as believers—to be Christ’s witnesses.
THE ASCENSION
Let’s turn to verse 9 as we close our our section this week.
And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Other translations suggest that the cloud came down onto the mountain. That cloud may have been the Shekinah glory that we see throughout the Bible—a visible representation of God’s presence.
This was the same symbol that Moses had encountered on Sinai when God covered him with his hand so that Moses only saw the afterglow. It was the same cloud that traveled before Israel by day (a pillar of fire by night). It was the cloud that lay over the tabernacle and filled the temple. It was the cloud that Ezekiel saw depart over the east gate. It was the same presence that surrounded Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when his face shone forth like the sun.
And what the disciples saw was shocking. They were just staring up into the sky, gawking at what just took place. I mean, wouldn’t you? I sure would. But eventually they had to be snapped out of it. “Hey guys! Why are you still looking up into heaven? He’s coming back again.”
This is how I interpret it: “He’s coming back, but you’ve got work to do!”
This commission to the early church is the same commission to the modern day church: to be witnesses and there is work to be done. The enemy will attempt to distract, discourage, dissuade us to complete the work God has called for us to do.
But we must not let these things get in the way. There are opportunities abounding every day to be a witness. This doesn’t mean every day or every moment requires a five-part breakdown of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. But it can mean the way we live our life, the words we choose, the actions we take, the selflessness, kindness, genuine love we show can turn hearts to hear and receive Christ.
And there may also come times to verbally share the gospel message, too. But what an awesome opportunity! To truly be a key component in God’s plan to save souls!
So will you be a witness? Today? This week? This month? This year? This life? Regardless of the particular difficulties confronting us, we are called to be his witnesses. Commitment is the key to a sparkling, meaningful life.
PRAY
