King's entry, Church's rise
Notes
Transcript
Church, today we begin a brand-new journey together through the Book of Acts.
But let me say this clearly from the start—
Acts is not just a history book… it is a continuation of the story.
It is the continuation of what Jesus began.
The first chapter begins with
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
The word began is important because it means everything the gospels tell us about Jesus
—His miracles…
—His teachings…
—His death…
—His resurrection…
Was just the beginning.
And, today, on Palm Sunday, we stand at the doorway of that beginning.
Because Palm Sunday reminds us:
The King has come.
And next week—Easter reminds us:
The King has conquered.
And Acts will show us:
The King is still at work.
Palm Sunday is a powerful moment.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem.
Crowds gathered.
Palm branches were waved.
And Voices cried out:
“Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”
They thought they were welcoming a king who would take over Rome.
But — Jesus didn’t come riding on a war horse did he?
Rather, He came riding a donkey.
Why?
Because He didn’t come to conquer a nation—
He came to conquer sin.
Let me put it in real terms:
The people wanted political freedom.
But, Jesus came to bring spiritual freedom.
They wanted a king who would fix their situation.
But, Jesus came to fix their condition.
And here’s where it gets personal:
Even today, people still want Jesus to fix their circumstances.
But Jesus is far more concerned with fixing your heart.
AMEN
Illustration
Illustration
It’s like someone going to the doctor with chest pain and saying:
“Just give me something for the headache.”
The doctor says,
“No, the headache is a symptom — the real issue is deeper.”
Church— Sin is the issue.
And Jesus didn’t come to decorate our lives.
He came to redeem them.
Palm Sunday is not just celebration—
It is preparation for sacrifice.
Why is that?
Because the same crowd that cried “Hosanna”
A few days later would cry
“Crucify Him!”
By the time we reach Good Friday, everything looks like it’s falling apart.
Jesus is betrayed.
Arrested.
Mocked.
Beaten.
Crucified.
To the disciples, and anyone else reading up to this point, it looked like defeat.
But Acts tells us something powerful:
23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;
This was not an accident.
This was not a tragedy.
What happened was the plan of God.
Let me say it plainly:
Jesus was not killed because He was weak.
He was crucified because He was willing.
Illustration
Illustration
If you’ve ever watched a movie where the hero sacrifices himself,
you know the moment…
The tension builds…
Everything looks lost…
Then suddenly—you realize: It was intentional all along.
That’s the cross.
Jesus said:
18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Church, the cross was not Rome’s victory.
It was God’s strategy.
Now here’s where Easter steps in.
Because if the story ended at the cross.
—There would be no Acts.
—There would be no church.
—There would be no hope.
But Acts 1:3 says
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Alive.
—Not symbolic.
—Not metaphorical.
—Not spiritual only.
But Alive.
And this changes everything.
Because:
The cross proves God’s love for us, thats true
But the resurrection proves God’s power, and power even over death
The resurrection is God saying:
“Sin debt Paid in full—and proven.”
It was Jesus who in
25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
That means:
Your sin was paid for at the cross
Your righteousness was secured at the resurrection
Church—this is why Easter/, or resurrection day is foundational to the Christian faith
Now as we transition into the book of Acts, we’ll see that
Jesus is alive.
He appears to His disciples.
He teaches them for 40 days.
And in the opening of the first chapter they ask Him something very telling:
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
In other words…
“Is this the time where You are going to take over and rule as king?”
But Jesus redirects them.
He says in the next verse
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
But then He gives them something greater:
Church—don’t miss this point.
They were focused on when God would act.
So Jesus had to shift them to how God would work through them.
Some people are always asking:
“When is God going to fix this?”
“When is God going to change things?”
But God is saying, “I want to work through you while you are in the middle of it.”
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
That is the key verse of the entire book:
Let’s break this down:
1. he said, “You shall receive power”
—This is not human strength he’s talking about, or your personality, nor is he talking about your talent.
This is Holy Spirit power He’s talking about
Next, You shall be witnesses
—Not just talkers.
—Not just church attenders.
—But Witnesses.
You will be People who say:
“I’ve seen what Jesus has done in my life.”
Next, this is not just localized power, it Everywhere power
Jerusalem (home) to the disciples
Judea was their (region)
Samaria ugh that also meant some uncomfortable places,
What some of you might consider east St. Louis or the Ghetto.
And watch this, — Even to the ends of the earth meaning a global mission
Church—Where many of us today get it wrong, is this point right here.
None of this is optional.
This is the assignment.
It’s like being handed a torch in a dark world.
You don’t hide it.
You carry it.
You spread it.
And here’s the truth:
But don’t worry, be of good cheer,
The same Spirit that empowered the early church in those days
Is the same Spirit Alive and available today.
Amen
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Jesus ascended into heaven and the disciples stood there staring.
Then two angels say
10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
In other words:
“Don’t just stand there… get moving.”
Church, Jesus didn’t abandon us when He left
Rather, He ascended to position Himself as King and send His Spirit.
The problem is,
Too many Christians are standing still there,
looking up and waiting
When God is saying to everyone:
“Go!”
Palm Sunday: The King arrives.
Good Friday: The King is crucified.
Easter/Resurrection Day: The King rises.
Acts: The King continues His work through His people.
Let me say it like this:
The Gospels show us what Jesus did
Acts shows us what Jesus is still doing
Now church, they have just watched Jesus ascend.
The disciples have seen the resurrected Christ.
They’ve heard the mission.
They’ve been given the promise of power.
But the Holy Spirit had not yet come.
So now what?
What did they do?
Better yet, what do you do when
The promise has been given
But the power has not yet arrived?
Let’s see what the disciples did in
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
They went back.
Not scattered—Not discouraged.
They went back in obedience.
Church listen,
There is a right way to wait on God.
Waiting is not:
—Sitting idle
—Losing focus
—Drifting spiritually
Waiting is a form of active obedience.
Illustration
Illustration
It’s like a soldier who has received orders but is waiting for deployment.
He doesn’t go home and forget his training.
He stays ready.
He stays sharp.
Church, some of you are in a waiting season right now.
—You’ve prayed
—You’ve believed
—You’re expecting God to move
And nothing has happened yet.
But don’t waste your waiting.
God prepares you in the waiting for what He promised in the future.
13 And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
They were all there with one accord.
That means:
Same heart
Same focus
Same mission
Church, unity is powerful in a church body.
But unity in prayer, — That’s explosive.
They didn’t:
—Start a strategy meeting,
—Build a program
They prayed.
Before the church moved in power
The church moved in prayer.
Let me say something strong here:
If we want to see what they saw in Acts
We must do what they did in Acts.
Too many churches today:
Are busy… but not powerful
Organized… but not anointed, we’ve seen plenty of this
Active… but not effective
Why?
Because we’ve replaced prayer with planning.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,
Now we come to an interesting moment.
Peter stood up.
Yes—Peter.
The same Peter who:
—Denied Jesus three times
—Fell under pressure
—Failed publicly
And now he’s leading.
You see.Peter began to speak with authority, clarity, and boldness.
Church—don’t miss this:
Failure did not disqualify Peter, but rather it prepared him.
Some of you think:
—“I’ve messed up too much.”
—“I’ve failed too many times.”
—“God can’t use me.”
Peter is proof, that God doesn’t use perfect people.
Get this, — He uses surrendered people.
Peter also began to explain something deeper.
He talked about Judas.
He said
16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus; 17 for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”
“This Scripture had to be fulfilled…”
Even Judas’ betrayal…
Was not outside of God’s knowledge.
Let me be careful here:
Judas was responsible for his actions, but God was not surprised by them.
Church, hear this:
Nothing catches God off guard.
—Not betrayal,
—Not loss.
—Not confusion.
—Not hardship.
What looks like chaos to you, is still under God’s sovereign control
Illustration
Illustration
It’s like watching a master chess player.
You see a piece fall…
You think the game is over…
But the master already saw ten moves ahead.
Church—God is not reacting,
God is orchestrating the moves.
18 (Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out. 19 And it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem; so that field is called in their own language, Akel Dama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms: ‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’; and, ‘Let another take his office.’
Next, we come to the replacement of Judas.
They needed twelve.
Because twelve represents completeness—the foundation of Israel.
So they choose two men:
—Joseph called Barsabas
—Matthias
21 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen 25 to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” 26 And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Church—notice this:
They didn’t just vote.
They didn’t just pick who looked best.
They sought God’s choice, they prayed.
Before making decisions, we should always Seek God.
Before stepping forward,— Ask God.
Before choosing direction,— submit to God.
So the question today is not just:
Do you believe we should remember Palm Sunday?
Or, do you believe in Easter/or the resurrection?
The real question is:
Are you going to be counted as part Acts?
Are you:
Filled with His Spirit?
Living as His witness?
Walking in His power?
Because the story doesn’t stop at the end of the Book of Acts.
Actually, it continues to this day.
Imagine reading a book…
And suddenly realizing:
You’re not just reading it… you’re in it.
That is the Book of Acts.
Its not just history.
Its our God given assignment.
—Invitation—
Maybe you’re here today, and you’ve been like the crowd on Palm Sunday.
You’ve celebrated Jesus but you’ve never surrendered to Him.
Or maybe you believe in the resurrection
But you’re not walking in His power.
Today is the day to respond.
Because the same Jesus who rode into Jerusalem is
The same Jesus who walked out of that grave
And He Is calling you today.
Church—get ready.
Because next week we celebrate the resurrection.
And then we will continue this journey through Acts
Where we will see:
A church empowered
A gospel spreading
Lives transformed
But today we begin here:
—The King has come.
—The King has risen.
—And the King is still working.
