Christ's Continued Work

Context

Good morning Church!!! I want to say how excited I am to get into the Word of God today and I hope that you are excited as well. We are going to be setting out on a new journey today within the Word of God. We are going to begin a journey through the book of Acts.

The book of Acts is so important, because it gives us a glimpse into the first century Church. We get to see how they started it, how they organized it, how they grew it, how they maintained it, what their motivation was, what their road blocks were, and how it all relates to us here in the 21st century.

I don’t know about you, but that is exciting to me. I hear so many times how that people struggle with relating to the Bible because of it being outdated and they talk about how it doesn’t apply to us here and now. If you will stay with me through this journey, I think we will all see by the end that the Bible is very relevant to where we are in life, and the first century church’s struggles were not all that much different than the ones we face today.

With that being said, I want to jump right in at verse 1:

Acts 1:1–8 CSB

1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We have been talking over the past couple of weeks about sharing our faith with others. It is so important that we get that, because people need Jesus. Your neighbor needs Jesus. Your family needs Jesus. Your co-worker needs Jesus. Everyone needs Jesus.

Now notice what He has given them. It is almost like a mission impossible. This group of men was made up of fisherman, tax collectors, and such the like. They were unlettered, most do not have an education, no seminary degrees, no finances, no prestige, and no political pull. They are commanded to go into all of the world and tell the message of a Galilean peasant who died on a cross, crucified by the Roman government. It’s mission impossible.

Think of what they had, and then think of what they were up against. There was the imperial might of the iron legions of Rome. There was the intellectual sophistication of the Greek astrologers. There was the religious bigotry of the Jewish leaders. Then there is this group of men, hand picked by Jesus, who is commanded to go up against all of that and change the world. This is the story of the triumphant first century Church!!!

When I read this, I think of Dowelltown. I think of DeKalb County, of Tennessee, and of the USA. God has been so good to us, but to whom much is given, much is required. I see how the first century Church did so much with so little, and then I see how our generation has done so little with so much. We need to repeat what the early church did so many years ago. We need to get back to the basics of sharing our faith without fear. As Adrian Rogers said, “If we are going to do something new, we are going to have to find something old”. We have got to get back to the basics.

A church is not some sort of glorified country club with stained glass windows and a steeple on top. We have been given a commission. We have been given a responsibility. As we journey through the book of Acts, I want us to think together about living supernaturally, not superficially. We are going to get back to the basics.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Introduction)

There’s a story about the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi. And it is said that one day his team had played miserably, and he brought them all in for a meeting. And the legendary coach wanted to get the boys back to the fundamentals, back to the basics of the game. And he reached in a bag and pulled out a football, and said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Now, these are professional football players, but he’s saying, I’m going to go back to the rudiments, back to the basics, “Gentlemen, this is a football,” and to go from there. I think that’s what the church of the Lord Jesus Christ needs to do today, is to go back to the very basic, fundamental, rudimentary elements of our faith. So I want to tell you, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Bible.” This is a Bible. It is the Word of God. We need to go back and find out what God wants us to do.

As we look at these verses today, there are 3 things that I think we can learn from the first century church:

Content

His Presence Within Us (vs. 1-3)

Acts 1:1 (CSB)

1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

There are many who do not realize who Acts was written by, but it was actually Luke. Luke was a doctor and a very educated man. This seems fitting seeing that Theophilus is a Greek name. Luke was writing to the philosophically educated Greek minds of his day and even references Theophilus in the opening of his Gospel letter as well. This is why the Gospel of Luke is the longest of the four gospels and seems to go into greater detail on things than the other gospels. Luke is explaining the truths of Christ to intellectual men who would require details.

Luke now writes another letter to Theophilus but with different details. As stated here in the first verse, Luke says that his first letter contained “all that Jesus began to do and teach” up until the point of his ascension into heaven. I want us to notice something here that is easily missed if not pointed out. He says that he wrote his first letter to Theophilus concerning the things that Jesus “began to do and teach”.

The Bible I have up here says in the heading, “The Acts of the Apostles”, but that is not in the text at all. This book is not about the acts of the Apostles, but rather of the acts of God through the apostles. Jesus began the work and God’s Word tells us that He finishes what He starts. The mighty works of the first century Church were performed by God through faithful men. We must get that up front.

In the Gospels, you find our what Jesus did in His human body, the body of His flesh. In the Book of Acts, you find our what Jesus is doing in His mystical body, which is the Church. You see, Jesus is still alive and active on Earth today, and He still has a body. In the Gospels, it was His material, physical body, but here in Acts it is His new body, the church.

In Colossians 1:27, the Bible calls this “Christ in You.” You see, we are not here just imitating the Lord Jesus. I love the idea of asking “What would Jesus do?”, but that implies that He is not here. What would Jesus do IF He were here right now? Jesus is here right now. The answer is not to ask “What would He do?”, but rather get to a point spiritually to where we simply allow Him to do what He has already promised He would do in the first place. The church IS the body of Christ. We are Him. He is us. The church is the visible part of the invisible God. What a difference it would make if we could ever let that thought get into our hearts: Christ is in us. He began His work in the Gospels, but His work continues today in a different body, which is the Church!!!

We need to stop doing things for Jesus, and we need to start letting Him do something through us. Did you know that there is only one person who has ever lived the Christian life? Who was that you say? It was Jesus. No one else has ever lived the Christian life, only Him. If someone is living a Christian lifestyle, it is Jesus living it in and through them.

“You are just plating on words.” No I am not. Listen to what Paul said:

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

When someone performs “good works”, that is superficial, but when Christ performs works through you, it is supernatural.

Listen, the Christian life is not difficult, it is impossible. There is no way for a man to live a life that is pleasing unto God. That is why we need Jesus to do it through us. That is why we must walk by faith. God is the God of the impossible!!!

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. We Need to Recognize His Presence in Us

Stuart Briscoe, a great preacher, said, “When I first got saved, gave my heart to Jesus, I went out to live for Him.” He said, “This is wonderful.” But then, he said, “After I stumbled and fell several times, boy, this is difficult.” He said, “I rededicated my life and started again,” but then, he said, “I stumbled and fell again. And I stopped saying this is wonderful, or this is difficult. I began to say this is impossible.” Then he said, “I discovered that it was Jesus Christ in me who was going to do it through me.” And then, he said, “This is wonderful—this is wonderful.” We need to stop trying, and start trusting, and let Jesus Christ live His life in us.

Imagine if you will for a moment another person that you wish you could be like. Maybe it is a sports figure, someone with a certain profession, someone that looks a certain way or acts a certain way. Now imagine if you could take that persons talents, looks, knowledge, or whatever it is that intrigues you about them, and put into a pill so that you could take it.

Now imagine you take the pill and then go do what they did, and then someone asks you, “Man, what happened to you? You couldn’t do that yesterday.” If we were honest, we would have to say, “Well, it really isn’t me, but this other person in me.”

Just wanting to be like someone else is not enough. Even trying to be like someone else is not enough, because you can never truly be them. Just wanting to be like Jesus is not enough. Trying to be like Jesus is not enough either. We must come to the point of surrender and acknowledge that He is in us and only He can be like Him.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (I. We Need to Recognize His Presence in Us)

Living the Christian life is a miracle. There are three miracles in the Christian life. There’s the first miracle, which is the new birth. That’s a wonderful miracle. There’s the concluding miracle, the last miracle, which is our translation, when we are made to be like the Lord Jesus. But in between that first miracle and that last miracle there’s a middle miracle, and that is the life that we live. Our life is to be a supernatural life. Now, I want you to remember this: that the Christian life is not your responsibility. It is your response to His ability. And so, that’s the first thing we need to do. We need to recognize His presence in us

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. We Need to Recognize His Presence in Us

Now, with that, the Bible says—look if you will in this passage of Scripture, look in verse three: “To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking to them of things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Back up to verse two. He gave commandments unto the apostles.

Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive I. We Need to Recognize His Presence in Us

Now, why did He give them this mission impossible? Well, He gave them this mission impossible because He knew that in Him they could do it. But He also knew, without Him they could not do it. What were the commandments that He gave? We don’t have to guess; we know.

It is the Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19–20 CSB

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We Are To Make Disciples

We Are To Mark Disciples

We Are To Mature Disciples

His Promise Unto Us (vs. 4-5)

Acts 1:4–5 CSB

4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”

One day there were two cows grazing in a field and a milk truck passed by. On the side of the truck it said, “Our milk is Grade A, sanitized, vitamin-enriched, homogenized, pasteurized mile from contented cows.” One of the cows turned to the other after reading the truck and said, “Well that kinda just makes you feel inadequate doesn’t it?”

Listen, we simply do not have what it takes in and of ourselves. Jesus told His disciples, “Do not go out until you are empowered of the Holy Spirit.” Don’t just run out into the world, start knocking things over, and then call it Godly. Stay in until the Day of Pentecost.

Now we don’t have to wait any longer for the Day of Pentecost, for that has done come and gone. We don’t have to keep asking God to send the Holy Spirit, for He already has. I do want you to notice what happened after they received the Holy Spirit: They became witnesses.

Do you know what a witness is? It is someone who gives an account of what they have seen or heard. That’s it. A witness is not a lawyer. A lawyer has to be educated on how things operate inside the courtroom and all of the nuances that go along with it, but a witness simply comes in and gives an account of what they know. Nothing more. You do not have to be some super intellectual person to be a witness for God. The best thing that you can learn to say is this: “I don’t know.” Practice it right now.

You don’t have to know everything, or pretend that you do. Do you want to know how to get people listen to you? Stop talking about things that you know nothing about. When you only speak on the topics that you actually know something about, people will learn that you are not wasting their time with useless information.

Do you remember when they quized the blind man who Jesus healed?

I think about the man who went into a large sports store to get some fishing lures. He walks up to the counter and asks the man if he knows what type of lure is best for bass fishing. Another man on the aisle hears the question and begins to describe all of the best lures. The man finally picks a lure and then heads for the register, to which the other man follows, continually talking about fishing lures. He follows the poor guy all the way out into the parking lot, still talking about fishing lures, fishing spots, fishing boats, and everything else fishing.

If you were to ask that same individual to be a witness for Christ, his response would most likely be, “Well I don’t think I can do that.” What is the difference? He can talk everything fishing because he is excited about fishing and has experience in that area of life, but not about Christ. We must remember His promise unto us. We must remember that Christ is in us.

His Program For Us (vs. 8)

Acts 1:8 CSB

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Do your neighbors know Jesus? Do your neighbors know that you know Jesus? Do your co-workers know Jesus? Do any of them know that you have anything more than just a superficial cultural Christianity?

They really don’t care how much you know about prophecy. They want to know if you have answers for the problems they are going through in life.

The disciples asked Jesus concerning the kingdom:

Acts 1:6–7 CSB

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

They were worried about prophecy, but Jesus was more concerned with proclamation. They were asking about the end, and Jesus brings them back to the here and now.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “I had rather lead one soul to Jesus than to unpack all the mysteries in the divine Word.” He understood that it was about reaching people through Christ.

Notice the progression that Jesus gives. Jerusalem was their hometown. Judea was the equivalent of our County. Samaria was the equivalent to our country. Then we reach the world. We cannot skip over those who are right underneath our noses to reach those who are across the world. We are to serve right here in our community, reach those right here in our community, and help those right here in our community. Then our county. Then our state. Then the world. This is not a pass of not reaching everyone, but the progression that Christ gives as to how to reach others. We start right here.

Are we reaching those here in Dowelltown, Liberty, and Smithville? What are we doing to reach them, and what more can we do to reach them? How do we reach them?

We must remember His Presence Within Us, His Promise Unto Us, and then His Program Through Us.

Remember, we are not trying to witness for Dowelltown’s sake. We are not trying to witness for Baptist’ sake. We are to witness in the name Christ. We are not trying to grow the Baptist denomination, and we are not trying to grow Dowelltown Baptist Church. We must be willing to serve God for the sake of the Kingdom of God. If the other two are blessed because of it, so be it. We are all children of God and members of the same body.

Commitment

If you have failed to recognize the presence of Christ within you, you should be the first on the altar. We must allow Christ to live through us. We cannot be faithful in and of ourselves.

If you have forgotten His promise unto you, I invite you to come and restore that trust and devotion unto God that you once had within your heart.

If you have never understood His program for your life, I beg you to come and get your marching orders for the days to come. Ask God to help you understand your role within the kingdom of God.

If you have simply lost your drive, your motivation, and your excitement for serving God, then I hope today would be the day that you reignite that flame. I pray today would be the day that you seek that which you have lost, and find it once again.

If you here today and you want a relationship with God, I want you to know that it is as easy as admitting that you are a sinner, ask God to forgive you of those sins, and believe that He can and will do so. Anyone who believes with their heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and confesses with their mouths shall be saved.

Would you come.