Launching The Gospel

I have hiked multiple mountains, several fourteeners, and one of my favorite things to do at certain points is to pause the step after step of hiking, take a breather, and look back. Looking back at the beauty of where you have been going, seeing the progress, remembering the trail past invigorates me to keep going to the top, where once again I will take time to look and reflect.

This morning I want us to take time to reflect where we have come in our studies of Luke and Acts. As we do I hope you are invigorated to press ahead in our studies and have a renewed passion for the Gospel!

Who Is Luke?

This is a man worth knowing and looking into...

We first of all know that he was a brother in Christ

We also know that he was a physician and a gentile

He was a gifted writer, well educated, scholars have often raved about his incredible use of Greek

Greek is the language the NT was written in

There are 7957 verses in the NT

Luke and Acts comprise 2158 of those verses! (Acts has 28 chapters)

Luke wrote over 1/4 of the new testament!

We know he partnered with Paul on his missionary journeys

Luke had a passion for the Gospel… He began this way in Luke 1:1-4 and he continues this writing in Acts 1:1

Luke 1:1–4 NASB95

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.

Acts 1:1 NASB95

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,

Jesus Is Active!

The work of salvation is finished… BUT GOD… is alive and well and working in and through His Church (you and Me)!!!

As Luke lays out for us the work of Christ we will see in our studies that Luke pauses to summarize and reflect on the work Jesus is doing in building His church Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18 NASB95

“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

As we look over the first two chapters of Acts we see Luke give a description of the launch of the Gospel, the infant steps of this living breathing bride of Christ called the church!

In Acts 1:8 he records the words Jesus spoke before returning to Heaven, where He lays out the course of the gospel spread...

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Leave it to God to have a plan on that scale!

Unity and Power

Have you ever been taught a valuable lesson in life and humbled by it from a child?

Home depot, rude guy, to the cashier, his workers and well i was grumbling to myself about him

Joseph, about 6 yrs old says yeah he is bad, we should tell him about Jesus

We find in the opening chapters of Acts a young church

Only the Old Testament scriptures

The discussion of Calvary is last months news

No formal structure or strategy

And we see a unity like no other! Acts 1:14; 2:1; 46

Acts 1:14 NASB95

These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 2:1 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

Acts 2:46 NASB95

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

We see FELLOWSHIP, we observe PRAYER, we experience UNITY (one mind)

I feel we have become too busy for our own good...

“We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.” R.A. Torrey

This young church is demonstrating for us the power that comes from Unity in fellowship and prayer.

We see God do an amazing work through them because of it too… BUT GOD helps Acts 2:4

Acts 2:4 NASB95

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Do you know why unity is so crucial in the church today? Because the same Holy Spirit indwells you and me!

And wow! What power! The very Spirit of God indwells you and I as believers. 1 John 4:4

1 John 4:4 NASB95

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

If God has called you and I to follow Him and to fulfill His commands… Guess what He also has empowered us to do so!

THE WORLD? Yeah, and Jesus was just getting started!

The World Vision

Peter’s first sermon… (there are Ten powerful sermons in Acts) kicks off this plan of God’s...

In Acts 2:14 Peter addresses the first two zones of verse 8

Acts 2:14 NASB95

But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.

Luke shares with us in Acts 2:5 how God had already orchestrated His message to go forth...

Acts 2:5 NASB95

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

In Acts 2:8-11 we see a key list of peoples and languages who hear the gospel in their own native tongue!

Church God still has a heart for people to hear the Gospel...

Share it straight from God’s Word

Acts 2:37 shows us the power of His Word

Acts 2:37 NASB95

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”

Jesus Has Just Started

At the end of chapter 2 Luke pauses… Acts 2:46-47

Acts 2:46–47 NASB95

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

He allows his readers to reflect on what Jesus has done

We see the beauty of the beginnings of the early church

Unity, fellowship, gladness of heart!

Praising God… Luke loved to record this of the early church

Favor with all the people… what an amazing testimony

And the Lord was adding day by day… salvation has been, is and always will be a work of Jesus Christ.

Church of Parachute 2019 how are we doing? God is working! My prayer is that we will be invigorated from this pause and begin to take the steps forward again in the progression of the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!