Acts 1:1-11
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In looking into acts we have to understand that Acts was written to Theophilus as an extension of the gospel of Luke.
For our purposes today Luke will show us the intention of this book and summarize the ending of Luke.
Now that the Apostles great leader Jesus had departed from them the question remained what the future was going to look like for them.
Jesus had thankfully left his example for them to follow
An example of a messiah and the continuation of his work through his apostles is what we are going to be looking at through this book.
This continuation is still very much relevant to us today.
Though we aren’t the direct apostles who had heard the very words of Christ himself, we are still his disciples and it is now our obligation to determine how we need to act in this matter.
Lets now see how the apostles reacted to the change of their messiah’s Ascension first by looking at the call he had placed on them.
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Luke begins his writing here by describing to the reader the purpose of this book
In verse 1 Luke says
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
I believe that Luke's purpose in opening his letter in this matter was to express that this writing is intended to speak of the ongoing or continued ministry of Christ.
I believe Luke felt as though many would fail to acknowledge what Jesus had done and continue to follow his commands without him presently and physically here to express what they were to do.
In a short break down Luke was expressing to his readers that the ministry of Christ through is actual life was only the beginning
For us believers we are disciples of Christ whom have a responsibility to act in a certain matter
Most importantly we have a responsibility to be committed to the great commission (more on that later).
Really Acts can be used by as much as an example as it was once used to others
In jumping down to verse 4 Luke is speaking about Jesus here and he says
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Luke quotes Jesus himself here
Jesus is presenting to his followers the promise of the coming Holy spirit.
He is explaining to them that the means in which is baptized will be changed as now the spirit is present with them
The purpose behind these verses is to express that the believers would be bound together by the Holy Spirit.
The truth is that when we say things such as “Jesus is still king”
We are in essence describing his continued rule from the throne room of Heaven.
Therefor the more we re digging into this scripture the more we can begin to realize that Luke is seeking to show his reader that Christ has left us in order to rule from heaven.
What he is trying to show is that Christs physical absence doesn’t somehow renounce his once great works nor does it inhibit him from spiritually reigning over his kingdom”
Christ truly is still the king and he has given us the Holy-spirit to convict, lead and to join us as one through him.
Luke continues on in verse 6-8
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The apostles immediate question was simply “when are you coming back to establish your kingdom”
They had concern over what was to come next
Jesus replied to them in a matter that is still relevant for us today
Jesus says (paraphrasing “It isn’t for you to know, but you will receive power through the Holy Spirit and you will be a witness for me to the ends of the earth”
Christ here gives his apostles an expectation that they and we are to follow.
A expectation we refer to as the Great Commission
This is an expectation that Christs apostles, disciples and each of his followers are going to speak of the wonderful power of his life, death, resurrection and assension.
Jesus's response to a worried apostle group was not one that would answer the many questions they certainly had but rather it was a time to show that it wasn't for them to know and the work they had was much more important than the knowledge of their situation.
In our reading of the first 9 verses of Acts we can recognize that the coming ascension of Jesus was not a time in which he was truly leaving the disciples.
Certainly, his physical presence would no longer be with them.
They no longer could look directly to the messiah for all the answers
In turn Christ gave them something that he stated in Matthew 28 as being “even more vital then himself”
He had given them the holy spirit which would convict hearts, give power to the disciples, guide them through their lives and lead them to Christ.
He had also given them a command to go unto the very ends of the earth and to preach the truth of what he had just done, a message that we still have an obligation to teach.
These same two lessons fall to us today
The Holy Spirit is stil very much present with us.
it would be a wise and beneficial action of ours to rely on it
It is vital we use it while carrying out the command of the Great commission that christ has given.
So I want to ask you a couple of questions
1. Are you great commission minded. Are you working to see the gospel reach the ends of the earth.
2. Are we reliant on the Holy Spirit, are we listening to its movement and call
Certainly if Christ beleived it to be of such importance we should to
So lastly i ask you to listen to the spirit and follow the direciton it is following,