The Preparation for the Promise

Acts Summary

I wonder how many of you have been taught through the book of Acts. Many have characterized this book as a historical book, because it chronicles the life of the early church and the leadership that developed in those early days.

Some people have described it as the Acts of the Apostles. After all, the book is divided up into the various events and stories that happen to the lives or actions of the Apostles as they began to expand and reach out with this new life in Christ.

When researching what to preach, I began to look over books that haven’t been preached through in the recent years here at this church and I landed on the book of Acts. As Elders we discussed this option and many of us felt that this would be a good book to go through as we enter this new year. The old year has brought many challenges and these past two years have been anything but smooth for us as a church and there is many similarities found in the book and what we have experienced.

As I began to look over the text and how to approach this marvelous book, I began to realize that this is not just a history book.

It’s not just about the Apostles and the leadership development of the local church.

It is not just a book about the early church and its various issues it went through in developing as a movement to a church.

It is a book about a movement, the movement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people like you and me.

You see, Luke, the physician, sat down to detail the second part of the story that involves the whole scriptures.

Luke in his first volume, Part 1, was to outline the actions of the Messiah, the Christ and his role here on this earth.

Luke’s second volume, Part 2 was the book of acts and it’s focus changed from the action of the Messiah to the movement of the Spirit that pointed to the work of the Messiah.

The Messiah sent by God to bring about salvation to us through his life, death and Resurrection. This was God’s plan from the beginning of Creation to establish a deep and intimate relationship with His creation.

Christ’s work on the cross, brought about a reconciliation to God for each one of us who give our lives to him.

Acts then is Part 2 of Luke’s story. The Beginning of a Movement.

The Movement is that of the Holy Spirit, the 3rd part of the trinity coming to this world as a promise.

This movement of God outlined in the book of Acts shows us the movement from with us to God in us.

A promise from God the Father, re-affirmed from the Son and soon to be delivered to the followers of this Movement which we now call the church.

The central theological focus of Acts is the fulfillment of Jesus' declaration to his disciples: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8). As Luke narrates the resulting growth of the NT church, several key themes come to light as we look at this movement:

First,

1. Acts highlights the preaching of Christ's death and resurrection, alternating between the ministry of the word of God and its effects on the church:

• 6:7: The word of God spread, and the number of disciples multiplied.

• 9:31: The church was being built up and thriving.

• 12:24: The word of God was growing and multiplying.

• 16:5: The church was growing stronger in its faith and adding members every day.

• 19:20: The word of the Lord was growing and expanding mightily.

Secondly

2. Acts emphasizes the movement of the Holy Spirit. who is divine, in the salvation of sinners (another Acts emphasis) and the rise of the church, in fulfillment of OT promises. From the instruction of the apostles and their empowerment for ministry (1:2, 5, 8), to the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (ch. 2), to Paul's application to his listeners of what the Holy Spirit spoke through Isaiah (28:25), Acts recounts how God by his Spirit impacts a needy world and in so doing rescues many from spiritual blindness and destruction.

Thirdly,

3. Acts makes clear that the disciple of Jesus can expect suffering­ not every disciple, and not every day, but many disciples much of the time. In Jerusalem apostles are arrested and beaten (5:40). Stephen is martyred (ch,. 7). At his conversion Paul is told how he will suffer for Jesus' name (9:16). Paul applies this to the church in general (14:22). He realizes that being faithful to Jesus may bring prison and death, but he is ready (21:13). Acts explains how and why this readiness arose-and still exists today among believers who preserve intact the full force of gospel proclamation.

Fourthly,

Christian Identity is about being Sent

4. Acts reminds us that the core of Christian identity, from the beginning, has been mission (a Latin-based word meaning "sending").

In the contemporary West, Acts has drawn attention from scholars as an important historical source. Pentecostal movements have viewed portions of it as a blueprint for their own Christian experience.

Contemporary interests should not be allowed to obscure the call in Acts for all believers to be engaged in both living the gospel and spreading its benefits "to the end of the earth" (1:8), starting with the. saving, transforming message of Christ crucified, risen, and reigning by his Spirit and word..

Finally,

It’s about the movement of the Trinity

5. Yet there is danger in overlooking that the language in Acts is not primarily about the church, people (not even God's people), or what they should do, in mission or otherwise. It is about "God," "Lord," "Jesus," and "Spirit" (together over 400 occurrences; the word "Paul" occurs just 128 times). A faithful theology of Acts will be first of all a· theology centering on the triune God.

So over the next few weeks leading up to the Easter Season we are going to be looking into the first few Chapters of the Book of Acts and discover the Beginning of the movement we now call the church.

Introduction

Before we begin, I would like to speak about the difference between what is described as a movement and that of the church.

Doctrine on the church is defined this way

The doctrine of the church can deliver us from individualism, from the idea that Christianity can all somehow be reduced or concentrated to fit into my experience, my personal relationship with God. As important as that relationship is, God has something much larger in mind. All of God’s ways move towards the end of establishing the people of God, who he has called out from the world to be set aside as his.

Folks the church is not the building. We are sometimes defined as a meeting place, but we must realize that the building is not the church, the Called out ones are the church.

The people who have put their trust in the saving work of the Cross for their lives and have given themselves over to Christ.

Maybe you come week after week to this gathering and yet not embraced this truth. You come to the gathering of the church in this building, but the church as we discover this movement is defined as those who have given their life over to Christ.

The Church is often refereed to in these terms.

Called out,

set aside,

His bride

the Chosen.

In the broader sense, it is all those who are believers form the Church, this gathering of people who call this gathering home are a part of a larger group called the church.

Although at times I scratch my head at what other gatherings of believers do, what they are willing to hold onto and live out their faith in Christ, I know it will amaze me who Christ calls His bride in the end.

We split ourselves over doctrinal issues, but in the end

Christ will decide His Church.

The Church is called out from Christ

The Church is sustained through the Holy Spirit.

The Church is reconciled to God the Father.

I want you to keep this in mind as we walk through the book of Acts and see how this Church starts with a movement and comes to be the Church as we know it today.

So to begin,

Let’s open our Bible to Acts chapter one

Before we read, let’s pray

let’s begin reading

Acts 1:1–5 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. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The Promise

Luke begins this book with a short executive summary of his entire Gospel writing found in the book of Luke.

Can you image the disciples at this point in history.

Jesus was with them for the better part of 3 years.

Walking, talking, teaching, mentoring, training.

An in-depth study of what it meant to be a disciple of Christ.

A study on the Kingdom of God.

look at verse 4

Acts 1:4 ESV

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;

Can you image the look on the disciples faces.

Wait,

We have done all this, learnt all this, sacrificed all this and you are leaving?

A promise?

What Promise?

When I was younger, my parents put me in the scouts program.

For those of you who would remember this, there was a promise that we would have to recite as part of the program.

Promise

Or when we think of a promise, do we quickly say,

“I promise” without thinking through the ramifications.

Jesus tells them that He is about to leave and the promise is coming.

Stay and wait,

Wait for the promise.

In fact, this wait was an order.

The Greek word use here describe much more than a request to stay in Jerusalem it is a command with authority.

I wonder if Jesus stated the command to wait to the disciples in this way.

Just wait, if you thought the last three years was something else,

I want you to stay here, the best is yet to come.

The movement is just about to begin.

A Promise is coming.

A promise I have been telling you about all these years.

It’s now coming, but you will have to wait a bit longer.

In fact, I will have to leave in order for you to receive the promise.

The Promise is coming.

Luke then describes Christ’s departure from this world.

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The Departure

Look at those passages,

Jesus was hinting, in fact, more than hinting that the promise was coming a movement was coming, all that they had been learning was about to change and once again the disciples asked a simple question.

Are you doing it now.

Are you about to usher in the kingdom?

One writer puts it this way,

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 28: Acts (Chapter Two: The Purpose of the Power of Pentecost)

Jesus’ continued teaching of the kingdom and His return in the power of the Holy Spirit brings a strange reaction, a non conclusion with what has been promised. Actually, it exposed the disciples’ inner agenda. They were looking back hoping for the reestablishment of a previous glory, while Jesus was looking forward to an even more glorious future. When the disciples blurted out their long suppressed question, it exposed where they were: “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Before you become too critical of the disciples, soon to be apostles,

isn’t that the type of response we expect from God?

Are you going to do it now?

I have been faithful in my life with you God, are you going to give me the promise of a great life.

Lord I have been faithfully praying for this burden prayer all these years, are you about to answer that prayer?

Jesus Just before he left his people and returned to Heaven, He reminded them what this movement was all about.

He reminds us today, what our lives as believers is all about.

It’s about Him

It’s not about us.

You will receive power to be sent, called out, witnesses.

One person wrote:

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (B. The Mandate to Witness (1:6–8))

This commission lays an obligation on all Christians and comes to us as a gift with a promise. It concerns a person, a power, and a program—the person of Jesus, on whose authority the church acts and who is the object of its witness; the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the focus of the mission; and a program that begins at Jerusalem, moves out to “all Judea and Samaria,” and extends “to the ends of the earth.” The Christian church, according to Acts, is a missionary church that responds obediently to Jesus’ commission, acts on Jesus’ behalf in the extension of his ministry, focuses its proclamation of the kingdom of God in its witness to Jesus, is guided and empowered by the self-same Spirit that directed and supported Jesus’ ministry, and follows a program whose guidelines for outreach have been set by Jesus himself.

The Beginning of this movement comes not with our own desires.

It doesn’t come with the training to be excellent in all that we do.

It doesn’t come when we are mentally prepared.

This movement started when the promise was delivered.

The promise was that of the Holy Spirit.

Power like they have never seen before.

You see in order for the promise to come, Christ had to leave.

His place now was to be at the father’s side taking our place interceding for us.

Christ left so that the witnesses of this coming movement could be far greater than Christ Alone.

Christ gave the greatest pep talk to his disciples and then left right in front of their very eyes.

The greatest challenge and pep talk then He’s Gone.

It is no wonder why Luke would describe

Acts 1:10 (ESV)

10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went

I wonder how many of them felt, now what?

Wait we were just told what was about to happen, but I wonder if we need to keep here and wait to see if Jesus is coming back.

God knew what they needed.

Send down the angels once again to His beloved as they need a little help.

Acts 1:11 ESV

11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The Movement was about to start, the men were ready to leave and just need a reminder that this movement has a purpose.

Christ will one day come back in the very way in which He came.

Let’s continue reading

Acts 1:12–14 ESV

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The Replacement

They had followed the commands of Jesus and began to wait.

Waiting for a promise can be hard.

Have you ever had to wait for something.

A job, a response from a friend, a response from God.

How do you handle waiting?

How did they handle waiting?

Folks,

I hope that when we begin to look at the story of the movement that later became the church, what we have today, we will notice something.

Did you catch it in the verses.

Acts 1:14 “14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

With one accord… devoted to prayer.

THIS is the very reason why God sent the promise to them.

This is why God sent the Promise to us.

One accord doesn’t happen on our own.

When people come together, are drawn together, without the promise, there will be pain and discomfort.

Church without the promise working in our midst, there will be discord. Strife, rivalry. lack of trust.

The Promise brings one accord, unity, trust.

If you are having difficulties with someone. Begin to pray for them.

Then begin to pray with them.

This movement which we are going to study these next few weeks are marks of what the early church went through as the Promise entered into their lives.

There was drama, there were struggles, there was some good decisions and bad decisions. but when the promise, the dwelling of the Spirit of God was ever present, growth happened.

The Replacement

What happens next in these verses in the very first part of the beginning of the movement are very interesting.

Let’s read,

Acts 1:15 ESV

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,

Peter,

I love this disciple. The leader, the bold, Jesus called him the Rock in which I will build my church.

Peter stand up and begins to direct the masses, 120 stated by Luke on what the next steps should be.

He even had a sound Biblical argument for the rationale of what was coming next.

Stay with me for a moment, I’m going to let you look at scripture for a moment, maybe like you have never heard before.

I heard this once before by a Elder/preacher, that I highly respect to this day and what he brought to my attention has always stuck with me.

And said.

The choice to pick a new apostle was not required at this time by God, but choice made by men.

Can I give you the paraphrase according to Pastor Paris

Folks, we need to find a replacement for the missing apostle that Jesus choose so we can continue with a group of 12 apostles.

Judas has left the group, he was chosen to fulfill what Scripture stated about him, but we need another.

Let’s pick a couple of choices, cast lots and see what happens.

Great, Matthias is our man. Welcome to the group.

So was Peter wrong in leading the group to bring on a man who is only mentioned once? Scripture never talks about him again. Why was this event even mentioned? Why did Luke have to go into detail.

There is a reason why

In those days,

Remember, Luke is writing this letter to His friend giving up update of what happened.

Luke, a friend of Paul, a close friend of Paul. A friend that had traveled with him on extensive trips. A close friend of a man who was Called by God to be an apostle.

Luke earlier in this passages highlighted that Jesus Had commanded them to go to into Jerusalem and Wait for the promise.

This was a time before the Holy Spirit the promised Gift had been given,

This time, which we will discover in future Sundays, brought about clarity to the movement, but Luke wanted to show something.

Maybe Luke was highlighting for us that Paul was the Apostle chosen by Christ that was coming to fulfill the empty spot begin vacated by Judas.

Maybe it highlights that without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our decision making we can only rely on outdated practices to determine God’s Direction.

Maybe it is in this passage to see the change in Peter’s live pre- Spirit’s filled life and that of a Peter who becomes full of the Spirit.

Maybe it’s there in the passage as a reminder that waiting for God’s Promises can be hard to wait and we can quickly jump, possibly too early and trust our own plans.

Am I saying they were wrong, not really.

It does show us that God works despite our best efforts to bring about what we think God’s direction should be.

As we go through this movement we will discover many choices were made that had good and bad consequences.

The church can make mistakes, but God never does.

What I do know is this, as one person put it.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 28: Acts The Qualifications of an Adventurer

What happened to Matthias? We are not told. He never is mentioned again. Did he defect or drop out? Probably not. I believe we would have been told if that happened, and Luke’s thoroughness would have included that data. What we do know is that the position was filled by Paul. There is no need to be down on Matthias. He responded to a call. He was ready with his knowledge of Christ and an open mind and heart to receive His Spirit. He was there at Pentecost—that’s all that matters. Whether his ministry afterward received the recognition of history is unimportant. The same is true for us. Once we have experienced what Christ said and did for us in His death and Resurrection and then returned to continue to do, titles, or history’s recognition, or even the accolades of people today become unimportant.

In Summary

As the worship team makes their way up to prepare to lead us in a song of response, let me summarize.

The movement is about to begin, the preparations have been made.

It’s like an orchestra that is warming up and the first Violin stands up and tunes the whole orchestra to the same note before the conductor arrives.

The promise is coming. The movement is about to begin,

Come back next week to hear the grand entrance of the Promise of the Father, spoken about through the Son, and reveled to the people.

Response to Worship

Benediction

Ephesians 3:20–21 ESV

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.