Acts message 2

God’s Mission for us.

Acts 1:5–11 NKJV

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Intro: Last week, 1st 5 verses.

1. Luke writing were he had left off in the book of Luke.

2. The 11 were with Jesus, he was giving them instructions, the great commission.

3. But he also told them to go Jerusalem and wait. The Holy Spirit would give power.

a. You receive the power of the Holy Spirit when you are saved. It is all the power you will ever get. It is up to you to use all the power that is there.

b. When you get saved, you can’t do anything to get any more saved.

c. Use illustration of the horse power of a car. (Tell story when I worked at garage)

d. That is the way it is with the Holy Spirit, all the power it there, but it is up to you to use it.

Acts 1:5 NKJV

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

4. What will the power of the Holy Spirit to for them?

a. Energize them

1.They would the power of the Holy Spirit to tell people that Jesus was real.

1. We need power of the Holy Spirit tell people that Jesus is real.

a. We tell them, then we have to let the Holy Spirit work. EALB.

b. This is what the disciples were going to have to do, but they did not have the Holy Spirit yet so they didn’t understand.

c. Because they didn’t understand yet they had their priorities wrong.

PRIORITIES OF THE MISSION. VS. 6,7

Acts 1:6–7 NKJV

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

1. Look back at VS. 3 “Kingdom of God” Talking about Heaven.

He had already told them, “seek ye first the Kingdom of God.”

2. But look at what they ask him in VS.6

a. Amplified Version. “Lord, at this the time when you will re-establish the Kingdom and restore it to Israel?”

b. This natural question to ask, it just wasn’t a spiritual.

c. This another proof of how much they needed the Holy Spirit.

d. Jesus was talking heaven and they wanted Israel restored, and with good reason. Elab. Israel under Roman role. But why? Because they rejected God.

3. The book of Malachi, the last book in the Old Testament.

a. Malachi rebukes the people for their shallow worship practices.

b. They had rejected God over, and over.

c. After Malachi 400 years of silence, until John the Baptist then Jesus.

d. Now they were under Roman rule, they wanted their earthly kingdom back.

e. But in order for that to happen Israel had to except Jesus.

f. They were still rejecting Christ, and they would so reject the Holy Spirit.

g. Even today the Jews are still waiting on the Messiah.

h. Their priorities are wrong.

4. For us today, we have to have our priorities right.

a. In our personal lives.

b. Our families.

c. Church.

Acts 1:7 NKJV

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

Acts 1:7 AMP

7 He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.

5. Jesus did not rebuke them for asking a valid question, he simply told them that it was God’s secret. Jesus did not want them to worry about the kingdom of Israel but share with the world the Kingdom of God.

We can’t spend too much time worrying about little things in the church. $

Our biggest worry should be seeing people saved.

What can each person do to get people to church.

Holy Spirit: Power, (ability, efficiency, and might)

STRENGTH FOR THE MISSION. VS.8

Acts 1:8 NKJV

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1. Their strength would come through the Holy Spirit.

a. This power would give them the ability to what they could not do on their own.

2. “Ye shall be witnesses unto me” “My Witnesses”

a. A witness to what they and seen, and they had heard. Miracles, teachings, most of all the salvation. Elab.

b. We are to be witnesses. The best way is to share what Jesus has done for you.

By doing this it is a testimony.

c. Tell about your salvation experience. Elab.

d. Acts 9; Acts 22; Acts 26

PLACES FOR THE MISSION VS.8b

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

3. Look where he tells them to go.

a. Overseas missions are great. Elab.

b. But look where Jesus tells his disciples to go first.

1 Jerusalem: their own community; neighbors, family, friends, people all around them.

c. School supplies needy.

d. Handing out tracks.

2. Judea: Their own country; same language, customs, culture, etc....

a. Going out of state: Doing building projects are great, but any time missions are done, present the gospel.

3. Samara. They in their own continent. But there was a lot of racial and religious prejudice against the Samaritans.

a. For us people that are different then us.

4. The uttermost part of the Earth.

a. All over the world.

b. If we can’t go ourselves, pray, support. SBC

5. This is the mission God gave the disciples.

a. This would set the ground work for what churches should be doing today.

Encouragement for the Mission VS. 9-11

Acts 1:9 (NKJV)

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

1. For over 3 years these men had been with Jesus.

a. They had the miracles, they had seen the people who loved him, and has seen the people that hated him. They saw Him die, they had seen him when he rose from the died. They now knew their mission.

b. Now are watching him ascend into heaven. Elab.

c. I think there were some tears that day.

VS. 10,11

Acts 1:10–11 NKJV

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

1. They must have been amazed. Now they are just looking up. Maybe just looking and waiting.

2. As they are looking up, two angels appear.

a. Angels announced his brith, Angels watched his temptation, Angels had strengthened Him at Gethseamane, they were there at his resurrection, and now they came to escort him into the skies.

Acts 1:11 NKJV

11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

1. Why are you still looking up? He’s coming back. Only the Father knows when, the angels didn’t know. The disciples didn’t know. They were expecting Him to come back in their life time.

2. But in the mean time there was a lot of work to do.

3. They had a mission.

4. We have a mission.