Acts: The Church Then & Now (3)

Divine Access

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

God has great things prepared for those who love Him

Love is the motivation force for obtaining the promise of God

John 14:15 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.

In the Old Testament Love ws demonstrated in clinging to the Lord , and walkingin obedience

Deuteronomy 30:19–20 NKJV

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Cling

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To Cleave, Cling

dabaq (דָּבַק, 1692), “to cling, cleave, keep close.” Used in modern Hebrew in the sense of “to stick to, adhere to,” dabaq yields the noun form for “glue” and also the more abstract ideas of “loyalty, devotion.”

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To Cleave, Cling

The figurative use of dabaq in the sense of “loyalty” and “affection” is based on the physical closeness of the persons involved, such as a husband’s closeness to his wife (

It is from this place of Loyal Love for God we get the promise

Jeremiah 33:3 NKJV

‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

God Desire you to know His Presence

Many think God is Far - But a major Part of the Covenant was presence:

Jacob saw the Ladder

Genesis 28:10–15 NKJV

Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.”

Jacob’s encounter causes His to Change the name of the Location from Luz to Bethel

Genesis 28:16–19 NKJV

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!” Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.

Bethel means “The House of God”- It is At the House of God where divine access is given

Jacob Sees What is known as Jacob’s Ladder

The Ladder symbolizes something that was previously unavailable: a tangible connection between the earthly realm and the Divine Realm

Because God is making His people - He gives access to his presence

The ladder depicts God reaching out and making a way for relationship, with the angels’ movement symbolizing the communion between God and His people

Jesus Says, “I am The True Bethel”

Jesus Came to remove anything that blocked peoploe from the presence of God

His very body being the access-

John 1:51 NKJV

And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Jesus is the true access to God

John 14:6 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus is the only Way to God

He is the exclusive way that is inclusive to all

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Jesus is the only access

John 10:9 NKJV

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Jesus send Heaven to Us

John 14:26 NKJV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

The Spirit is Our Access to the Divine

Jacob had a vision, Jesus Opened the Door

We Don’t have to travel to place for an encounter with the Lord - Jesus has given us divine access

Acts 2:1–4 NKJV

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

God Promise was Divine Access

Acts 2:15–16 ESV

For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

God had already spoke about divine access - His Presence with His People

Kingdom on Earth

Spiritually alive believers have been granted a great access

Divine Communication

Peter Goes on to Say Acts 2:17-18

Acts 2:17–18 NKJV

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Divine Anointing

1 Corinthians 1:26–31 ESV

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Divine Wisdom

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 ESV

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

“What No Eye has Seen, Nor ear as Heard”- When is the Last time you praise God for something that you could only imagine?

The Last Days-

This is the time of outpouring, and the times of Open Heaven

What Jacob saw, and What Jesus has opened, we now get to part-take in

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

With Divine Access comes Divine Comunication

Peter speaks of :

Prophesy

Visions

Dreams

These are forms of Divine Communication

Prophesy- To speaks under the influence of Divine insperation, with or without reference to future events

Prophecy is divine Speech- Speaking the mind and the counsel of God

1 Corinthians 14:3 NKJV

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

In the old Testament you had to go to a seer for a Word or for a Revelation

The Promise of God gave access to all who are the children of God to hear from the Lord

The Communion Table:

The Cross is Where Jesus also obtained victory over the powers of darkness for us.

Key texts:

Colossians 2:13–15 — disarming principalities

Hebrews 2:14–15 — destroying the power of death

John 12:31 — judgment of this world’s ruler

Colossians 2:15

“Having disarmed principalities and powers…”

At the Cross:

Satan’s legal claim was broken

Death lost its authority

Fear was stripped of power

Teaching Insight

Satan’s power depended upon:

Sin

Guilt

Accusation

Condemnation

When sin was judged: ➡️ Satan’s accusations lost authority.

Hebrews 2:14–15 NKJV

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus destroys:

The power of death

Bondage through fear

How did He accomplish this?

Romans 3:25–26 NKJV

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The Cross restores: ➡️ Relationship with God.

Jesus:

Took our sin

Bore our curse

Received our judgment

Lets us not make lite of the Cross- Because when we make lite of the cross we lose our worship

All of Heaven is worshipping a lamb that was slain -

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

What No Eye has Seen- “He has made us a Kingdom and priest to our God”

John 19:30 NKJV

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

He declared it is “Completed”- Redemptions work in done and Now we Join with Heaven and Praise Him “Worthy is the Lamb!”