Acts 1:4-11: The Thesis Statement
Acts: God's story continued... • Sermon • Submitted
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· 27 viewsActs 1:8 is the legend in understanding the map of Acts. We see here the Commission, Provision, and the Ascension.
Notes
Transcript
Last week was so encouraging. The fruition of years of prayers and planning.
If you weren’t able to join us, we want you to know our sermons are posted every Monday to the website.
Important, because we preach through books of the Bible. Why? God’s word, not mine. Can’t avoid tough passages. It is authoritative, inspired, and inerrant, not my opinion.
So we preach through books of the Bible, and we are launching by spending the better part of a year walking through the Book of Acts.
Seems like there is a lot of confusion out there on what the church is and and what our role in it should be. Mentioned last week that the church is less of an event to attend, and Acts will show us that its actually a movement of people, filled with His Spirit, on mission with His purpose.
Let me quickly remind you of where we were last week.
Introduction
Introduction
Context
Remember, Acts is Volume 2 of a 2 volume work by Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke. Luke was all about what Jesus began to do, but the book of Acts is all about what Jesus is continuing to do through his people.
But we saw last week that for this Work to be done effectively the disciples needed to go through a dramatic transformation.
Volume 1 concludes with them being fearful, doubtful, reluctant, confused, and kind of good for nothing.
But when Jesus proved to them the reality of his resurrection, and opened their minds to the fact that all of Scripture testifies of Him they were changed.
Today our text picks up with Jesus’ last appearance with them. He had been showing up over a period of 40 days proving his resurrection, and teaching them; and this was seemingly his last moment with them before the ascension.
Thesis
Thesis
And in his last address He gives us the Thesis. The main idea of the entire Book of Acts that will be developed as we go on.
In school, a stereotypical jock. Played multiple sports, was there before school for workouts or film study, after school for practice. World revolved around sports.
That was my identity, and an intentionally crafted self-image. But the problem with a self-image is you have to work exhaustively to maintain it. You can’t let up. Can’t show cracks, or glimpses of other identities.
So for the first time in my life I have to let you guys in on a little secret… I loved school. I loved classes (not as much in college), but I loved to study. To learn. To make good grades. I had to pretend that I loathed them, but Friday exams excited me as much as Friday night lights.
And although math was the most exhilarating subject, I loved literature. I love literature. I like reading the classics.
But in Literature classes in HS, you couldn’t just read for enjoyment, you inevitably had to write a paper or an essay on the book.
And everyone of you learned a secret that aided in the process. That made the paper possible. That provided clarity, and direction for your essay. You learned A THESIS STATEMENT.
The thesis statement is a sentence that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps control the ideas within the paper.
It summarizes the main point of the entire work, and is developed, supported, and explained throughout the duration of the text with examples and evidence.
Learning the secret of a Thesis Statement made the act of writing our papers so much easier. They provided a road map for our trains of thought.
And that is exactly what we are going to look at today in the Book of Acts. We are going to see Luke’s Thesis Statement. Today’s text states the main idea of the entire book, and will be developed, supported, and explained throughout the remaining 27 chapters.
And this Thesis is our roadmap for today’s sermon. We are going to see that...
He gives them a Commission, and reminds them of His Provision.
Read Acts 1:4-5
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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
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.”
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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
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.”
Commission
Commission
The first thing I want us notice is their Commissioning. These poor disciples, just as we saw last week, just couldn’t get it. They were so convinced that the Kingdom of God was a physical, nationalistic, monoethnic kingdom they asked him..
Read Acts 1:6-7
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
But Jesus rejects their speculations and brings their attention to what is actually relevant. He doesn’t necessarily deny that Israel wouldn’t be restored, but calls them to brass tax, and lays before them their Mission. He commissions them.
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.”
2 Things I want to say about their Commissioning.
The commission to be WITNESSES.
In this short verse, we find the central idea of all of Acts. That Jesus would continue to move and work, through the witnessing of His people.
To live as WITNESSES. That greek word martoos conveys the idea of a witness being called in court to testify , to make a solemn declaration to the evidence of something.
This is what they do throughout the book. It’s the thesis.
Acts 1:22; Acts 2:32; Acts 3:15; Acts 5:32; Acts 10:39; all the way to Paul witnessesing to Cesar!
But notice what they were to witness about. They were comissoined to be “His” witnesses. To testify to the evidence of Jesus! Witnesses that in Jesus, repentance and the forgiveness of sins is found in His name.
Simply put, they were to be witnesses to The Gospel.
This is why He spent these 40 days patiently educating, and teaching them because they had to have their story straight. They had to be on the same page as to what Jesus came to do and accomplish. They had to be solid on the foundation of the Gospel message.
This is so important for a variety of reasons, but let me give you a few.
The witnessing of the Apostles would serve as the foundation of the church that expands even to today.
So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
The church is built on the foundation of their witnessing. If the foundation of the Gospel is inconsistent, or rocky, then the whole structure will crumble.
We watch AFV, and one episode has a 30 second running clip of people who failed to firmly establish or secure ATV ramps to load their ATV’s on the back of their trucks. Ramps is really a misleading word. These guys just redneck engineered their homemade ramps. Totally unsecure. Painful to watch. ATV rolling off, rolling on top of others, failing to succeed.
That clip is what the church becomes, when we aren’t secure and confident on the foundation of the gospel, brought to us by the eyewitnessing of the apostles.
Jesus is the cornerstone. The author, the subject, the Head, but the faithful witness of the Apostles is the foundation that the church was and is built upon.
Secondly, they had to be solid on the Gospel, because false teachers would arise.
False teachers wasn’t a new thing in the days of Christ, and the early church.
We see throughout the OT, especially Jeremiah that false prophets would rise up and speak false hopes to the people in order to lead them astray.
We see Christ warning of this to his disiplces.
For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
We see the apostles battling this throughout the NT.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
We have to be solid on this today too.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it.
The church is built on the message of the Gospel. The Good news that you and I were created in Gods image to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. The Bad News that due to our sin and rebellion of His orders, we have fallen. Seperated from relationship with God, and condemned to die in our sin eternally seperated from Him. The Great News that Jesus came, lived the life we could not live, and died the death we deserved to die, so that our penalty is paid, and relationship is restored.
We have to hold tight to the. message of the Gospel, for just like in Acts many will rise up teaching a false gospel. And many of us will have itching ears, and gravitate towards false gospels.
So Jesus, commissions His apostles with a purpose. To witness. But notice too the Scope of this commission.
The SCOPE of the comission.
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.”
I said it before, but I’ll say it again. This is the thesis. The scope of their commissioning was to extend from
Jerusalam (where they were then) Acts 2-7;
Jerusalem was the epicenter of the movement. The first shockwave would begin there, when Peter stands publicly on the Day of Pentecost to witness to the gospel as we’ll see in Acts2.
For us today, I want us to see that Jerusalem was where they were. It’s where you are. It’s where you live. Buckhead, Buckhead East, Buckhead North, how many more are there… all of them.
It’s Berwick. It’s Henderson Golf. It’s The Commons. Do you live commissioned where God has you right now? Are you witnessing to your neighbors, at your grocery store, to your co-workers? Actually that’s a misleading question… because the reality is you’re definitely witnessing to something. So maybe I should Ask are you witnessing for Christ?
This is your job Christian. If you want to be part of the movement… you gotta move. You have to embrace your commission to your Jerusalem.
Judea and Samaria (The suburbs, their neighbors) 8-12
Judea was the surrounding area, and Samaria was where the half-breeds lived. Or so the Jews thought. Samaritans were Israelities but not true Jews, or children of Promise. The Jews loathed them. Historians tell us they’d actually walk 100 miles out of the way in order to not have to pass through Samaria.
But Jesus didn’t. He engaged the Samaritans, and by his life and through His commission he is telling his disciples to drop their racial and cultural bias because the gift of His salvation is for all people!
The Commission at that time would have been socially, economically, and ethnically unheard of!?
Are you willing to engage, and witness for Christ to people who are different than you? Different socio or ethnic make ups? If not, you’re going to hate heaven.
To the ends of the earth (All nations, everywhere) 13-28
Everywhere. All nations. We will see this in Acts 2, but more fully in Paul’s ministry.
Not everyone at that time was led by Christ to cross cultures for the sake of witness. But some were. In like fashion, not all of us are called to go to the nations but some will be.
Are you willing? Because there are about 3.34 billion people that we believe have never heard the name of Jesus in our world today. Who will go?
So the Thesis begins with the Commissioning. The purpose to be witnesses of Christ, to all peoples.
Next I want us to see the Provision
Provision
Provision
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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
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.”
Here is where we are going to spend the bulk of our time. Because what we see clearly from Luke’s account in Luke and Acts is that before the Commission occurs, Power must be provided. Power must precede the Purpose. and its clear in our texts here that this power is the Holy Spirit.
Provision was Promised
Provision was Promised
What we find in Scripture is that the Father consistently promised the provision of the Holy spirit.
When all the people questioned John if he was the Christ, how did he answer:
Luke 3:16 (ESV)
John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Jesus really ramped us this teaching as his death approached. In the Upper Room Discourse in the Gospel of John we find the most dense theology concerning the Holy Spirit.
But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
John 16:7 (ESV)
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Jesus plainly promised that when He ascends, He will send the Holy Spirit, and even made the bold statement that it is better for Him to go!
The Holy Spirit was promised, and we see in Luke and Acts that it was come as a Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Apart from the doctrine of election and predestination, I’m not sure if their is a subject more divisive in the church than the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Many believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit isn’t for everybody. That there is some spiritually elite demographic seperate from the normal body of Christ… aka we have christians, but then we have spirit filled. Many believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a seperate experience from conversion and should always be confirmed with the expression of charismatic gifts like speaking in tongues, healing, and prophesying. Let me address this real quick.
First to say, the Baptism of the Holy spirit is not exclusive. This is not an experience provided for some small group of spiritual elite. Or only for those who hunger enough for it. For Peter concludes his first sermon saying…
Acts 2:38–39 (ESV)
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
This is for you. This is for everyone that repents and believes in the. name of Christ!
Second, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit IS NOT seperate from conversion. When you repent of your sin, and place your faith in the saving work of Christ you are filled with His Spirit at that moment.
Well hang on, what about Acts 19… when Paul comes to Ephesus and finds some disciples. Paul proceeds to ask,
Did you receive the Spirit… we didn’t even know there was one.
Didn’t know jesus had actually come and accomplished salvation on the cross.
AKA those people weren’t converted. They had not believed. They had repented in preparation for the coming Messiah, but they didn’t know that He had actually come about Jesus and accomplished salvation on the cross. So he shares with them, baptizes them in the name of Jesus! They are converted, and filled with the Holiy spirit.
John’s baptism was a sign. A symbol that we have new life. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the actual presence and power of Christ indwelling your life!
When we think baptism of the HS, I want us to think about Chocolate Milk.
At conversion, the HS indwells you. Like the syrup in the Milk. His presence is in you.
When stirred by faith, and accompnied by sp. disciplines the Holy spirit changes us to look like Christ, just as it changes the color of the milk to reflect the syrup.
But be careful, because the Bible also teaches us that we can
quench the spirit of God.
Grieve the spirit of God.
Resist the spirit of God
each of these responses is like that chocolate syrup just settling at the bottom of your life. Unchanged. Untransformed. Living without power. Saved sure. Sealed by the spirit sure. But not stirred up. Not tapping into the POWER and PRESENCE of the HS in your life.
So the provision of the Holy Spirit was Promised, and it happens at conversion. The next thing I want to expound on is that the provision of the Holy Spirit provides POWER!
Provision of Power
Provision of Power
2 Reactions
Now many of you are SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE. Like, whoa now Pastor… we like the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Bible but the Spirit stuff makes us uncomfortable.
And some of you are barely holding back your “AMEN PASTOR PREACH. TALK ABOUT THAT POWER”! You want me to bring out the shofars, grab the oils, bring out some dead sea salt, we want the power. Lightning coming from our hands.
But each of these reactions misses the mark.
To properly understand the Power of the Holy Spirit we have to rightly understand the Purpose of the Holy Spirit.
The Purpose of the Holy Spirit
The Purpose of the Holy Spirit
Lets quickly go back to John 15 and 16.
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The purpose of the Holy Spirit is primarily to glorify Jesus! He exists to bring attention, fame, and recognization to the person and the work of Jesus!
This is why power precedes the commission.
Power to witness with our lives.
The Holy Spirit resides within you, so that your life witnesses to the glory of Jesus!
Maybe the reason you aren’t experiencing the power of the Spirit in your life is because your living for your own glory. Making a name for yourself. Detracting attention and fame from Christ so that it may be on yourself! Honestly assess that… Because the power of the Spirit is given to you for the purpose of making MUCH OF JESUS.
He does this in 2 ways. We are empowered to witness in 2 ways.
With our lives: You want to know what Holy Spirit power is? Holy Spirit power is living life like Christ lived! To witness with our lives.
Because everything that Jesus did was by the Spirit. I mean read the Gospel of Luke on your own. You’ll see for yourself.
We have to grasp this church! For us to live like Christ, we need POWER. The Power provided in the Holy Spirit.
It’s the power required that when lonely, self-loathing, and you consider going to pornography you can resist that temptation!
It’s the power provided that when your spouse verbally abuses you and hurts you, you in turn respond with gentleness.
It’s the power to overcome same sex attraction, and live within God’s design of sexaulity as revealed in the Scripture.
It’s the power to love your neighbors. To bless those who persecute you.
It’s the power to forgive those in your life that have hurt you, and that unforgiveness has left you bitter, and resentful.
It’s the power defeat Satan when he tempts you with lies, just as the Spirit empowered Jesus to resist Him in the wilderness.
That’s power. To live like Christ, to witness with our lives, we NEED POWER.
Fortunately that Power is provided in the Holy Spirit.
Secondly, power to witness with our lips.
To proclaim and to testify with your words the goodnews of Jesus.
Everytime the Holy Spirit fills a man or woman in the NT, the result is a proclamation of the lips
Luke 1:15. John the Baptist, being filled with the Spirit, proclaims the coming of the Lord.
Luke 1:41, Elizabeth, being filled with the Spirit, proclaimed a blessing over Mary.
Luke 1:67, Zechariah, being filled with the Spirit, prophesied about the coming glory of Jesus.
Acts 2:4, the spirit fills the apotles and they begin to proclaim God’s praises in multiple languages.
Acts 4:8, Peter is filled witht eh spirit and preaches to the rulers that Jesus is the only hope of salvaion.
Acts 4:31, the disciples are filled with the Spirit and they speak the word of God boldly in the face of persecution.
Acts 9:20, Paul is filled with the spirit, and he immediately begins preaching in the synogogue!
Is this you? Do you reguarly proclaim God’s word to others, and bring others to Jesus!
And I know… I know the excuses. I know the objections. I’m human too.
I don’t have what it takes.
I don’t have the gift of evangelism.
I don’t have the time.
I don’t know how.
THAT’S THE POINT. You need the Spirit. All of those excuses reveal that we are dependent upon ourselves, and that too may be a reason we aren’t experiencing the power of God in our lives. We are too dependent upon self.
The Provision was promised… its for you! The Provision is Power… the power to proclaim Him with our lives and with our lips.
And maybe the reason we aren’t experiencing the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT is we’ve let it settle just like that chocolate milk.
We’ve quenched with habitual sin, and a desire to control our own lives instead of living surrendered.
Maybe its because we’ve lived our days making most of ourselves. Only focused on my own career, my own stuff, my own reputation, and we’ve forgotten
THE LESS JESUS IS AT THE CORE OF OUR WITNESS, THE LESS POWER WE HAVE.
Yall, we need His power. To my shame as a man, up till about a year ago I never owned power tools.
We lived in India where labor was cheap, and people needed the income. Never had to learn working with my hands.
Had to dismantle a playset, and it took about unscrewing 3 panels before I threw my screwdriver drove to the homedepot and came back with more power tools than I know what to do with.
Just destroyed that thing. Not only did I feel like Tim Allen, but I ACCOMPLISHED THE PURPOSE.
We need Power to accomplish the Purpose. We need His Provision, before we can adaquately be Commissioned.
So let me conclude by bringing us to the end of our text.
Conclusion
Conclusion
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.
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
He disappeared, but unlike the last 40 days… this time he wouldn’t be reappearing. But they expected him too. The greek “gazing” implies an intent staring. It’s suggesting that they were longingly looking for a reappearance. And as they stand, their unspoken prayer request is answerd.
2 angels appear and say, Acts 1:11
Acts 1:11 (ESV)
This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
He Will come back.
Just as His first coming was promised and was fulfilled. Just as His promise of the Holy Spirit was given, and fulfilled. So will his second coming occur. You can bank on it. He will come again, not humble like a baby, but glorious like a King riding on the clouds
Why stand gazing, He’s giving you a Comission. The Provision is coming not many days from now. Dont stand. Get going.
As John Stott once wrote, “It’s time to be his witnesses, not stargazers.
From the Ascension to His Promised Return we have work to do. A commission, and His provision.