Sermon Tone Analysis

Regarding his doings, we said that his actions were kingly.

Regarding his doings, we said that his actions were kingly.

As the perfect Adam, He took up the creation mandate to rule and subdue the earth.

And the gospels record his triumph and authority over all kinds of forces that rule life on earth.

The weather rules the world — he ruled the weather

Sickness rules the world — he ruled sickness

Money ruled the world — he ruled money

Sex rules the world — he ruled sex

Satan rules the world — he ruled satan

Earthly authorities rule the world — he displayed authority over the authorities

says

And then last week we examined Jesus’ teachings and saw that they are overwhelmingly about the kingdom and even more specifically about who is in the kingdom and who is out.

That’s all a setting of the table for a single word in — “began”

All that Jesus began to do and teach.

The book of Acts records Jesus’ ongoing doings and teachings in the world.

And what we find in the book of Acts is gloriously more of the same.

Jesus’ kingly actions continue.

He continues to rule and subdue.

People continue to be healed.

Demons continue to be cast out.

Earthly authorities are put in their place.

And the who’s in and who’s out teaching continues.

That teaching usually takes shape in the declaration of the gospel.

The Gentiles are brought in

Women are

The whole world is invited

37 verses into the book of Acts Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Asians, Phyrgians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, Arabians — are invited into the kingdom of God.

37 verses into the book of Acts Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Cappadocians, Asians, Phyrgians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Cretans, Arabians — are invited into the kingdom of God.

The King’s Command

Everything Jesus did in the gospels is not only continued in the book of Acts, it is exponentalized.

Jesus is the king of kings and his reign continues through the book of Acts where his rule and reign goes global.

And last week we hinted at the revolutionary strategy at work.

Jesus’ kingdom will expand by saving one sinner at a time.

Jesus’ fruitful multiplication is the key to his practical ruling and subduing.

“Perhaps the best way to discern what the book of Acts is essentially about is to compare the composition of the Christian community at the beginning of Acts and at the end.

At the beginning, the community is comprised primarily of Jews.

At the end, it includes persons from a wide range of ethnicities.”

— Carson, C. R. (2011).

Acts and History.

In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.),

The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible.

Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

The sociologist Rodney Stark has researched the historical data, and he surmised the following growth statistics: We know, and we’re pretty sure this is accurate, by AD 40 there were approximately 1,000 Christians in the Roman Empire.

By AD 100 that number has risen to about 7,500 Christians in the Roman Empire.

By AD 150 there are about 40,000 Christians in the Roman Empire.

By the time we get to AD 300 there were approximately 1.2 million Christians in the Roman Empire, representing roughly 2 percent of the entire population.

By AD 350 there were as many as 34 million Christians in the Roman Empire—more than half of the entire population.

How?

(ESV)

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

Jesus continues to do more of the same

Let’s focus in on that word commands.

We know, don’t we — what those commands were.

His disciples

This kind of growth is not the rule of the kingdom.

It doesn’t usually expand by 33 million people in 50 years.

But growth itself is the rule.

The kingdom comes through the conversion of one sinner at a time.

We’ve hijacked Jesus into a self-help system rather than a kingdom.

We’ve twisted the gospel of the kingdom into a self-help system.

We’ve hoarded the benefits of the gospel.

Turned them inward for us and ours.

Basically, we’ve grown to believe that the declaration of the gospel to the world is optional.

Perhaps the best way to discern what the book of Acts is essentially about is to compare the composition of the Christian community at the beginning of Acts and at the end.

At the beginning, the community is comprised primarily of Jews.

At the end, it includes persons from a wide range of ethnicities.

Carson, C. R. (2011).

Acts and History.

In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.),

The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible.

Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Verse 2 of says, “until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”

We will focus in on the phrase, “after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles”

Before he ascended

We know what the commands are

This is through the Holy Spirit

Why the holy spirit here?

to provide continuity between Jesus and the Holy Spirit

to explain what the Holy Spirit has to say to believers

here’s what the holy spirit has to say to believers — go into all the world

It defeats any notion that the apostles carried the bulk of the load.

Carson, C. R. (2011).

Acts and History.

In G. D. Fee & R. L. Hubbard Jr. (Eds.),

The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible.

Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Three basic changes:

His ascension

The institution

The Spirit

And last week we hinted at the revolutionary strategy at work.

Jesus’ kingdom will expand by saving one sinner at a time.

Jesus’ fruitful multiplication is the key to his practical ruling and subduing.

We know what the commands were...

(ESV)

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

48 You are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you.

But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”