Acts Introduction_1_1-8

Acts Introduction_1_1-8
6/22/08
“Acting Out God’s Way”

The Book of Acts - Introduction
I. Title - The Acts of the Apostles, which is perhaps not as descriptive as it might be, in it we see some acts of some of the Apostles (really only two of them)
A. Some have suggested that "Acts of the Holy Spirit" might be a more appropriate title; as we will see that the book opens with the Church waiting for the Holy Spirit to come upon them and fill them with power to be witnesses on God's behalf through their lives and their activities.
II. Acts is unique among the NT writings in that it is the only historical sequel to the four Gospels among the canonical writings.
A. The book of Acts forms the background and setting for most of what Paul has written.
1. F. F. Bruce writes:
But it is Luke that we have to thank for the coherent record of Paul's apostolic activity. Without [Acts], we should be incalculably poorer. Even with it, there is much in Paul's letters that we have difficulty in understanding; how much more there would be if we had no Book of Acts? (F.F. Bruce, Commentary on the Book of the Acts, p. 27).
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:349
B. It gives a historical account though not a full history of the church up to about 60-61 A.D. and Paul in Rome waiting to appear before Caesar Nero.
1. This is the same Nero who began his infamous persecution of the Church in A.D. 64.
III. The book of Acts gives us basic information about the early church and insight into some of the problems it faced.
A. After His resurrection and just before His ascension Christ gave His disciples "The Great Commission" as stated in Mark's gospel reads:
Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
1. And in the 28 chapters of this book we go from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the world.
a. That is to say we see the church birthed in Jerusalem and we watch as it progresses all the way to Rome.
2. In it we see a history of planting the church among the Jews by Peter, and among the Gentiles by Paul.
B. As we look at the example of the early believers (saints) we should be challenged by their passion, faith, and devotion to Christ and His Gospel.
1. And in this book we find a great deal of encouragement as we see by the sovereignty of God the church advancing and growing in spite of the opposition of men and governments.
IV. Miscellaneous
A. Acts is the connecting link between the Gospels and the Epistles
B. The book divided into two main sections
1. Chapters 1 -12 where the growth of the Jewish arm of the church is predominate and Peter is the main character.
2. Chapters 13-28 where the focus shifts to the ministry of Paul and the advance of the church among in the gentile world.
3. Actually the theme of the book is found in the key verse (Acts 1:8) and provides a basic outline of the book for us.
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.”

As Phillip Schaff writes in his History of the Christian Church
(Acts 1:8): "Ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you (Acts 2): and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem (Acts 3-7), and in all Judaea and Samaria (Acts 8-12), and unto the uttermost part of the earth" (Acts 13-28).
Schaff, Philip ; Schaff, David Schley: History of the Christian Church. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997
a. The main purpose of this second volume of Dr. Luke’s writings is to present the progress of the church (its life and growth), the biographical and other elements are subsidiary to this aim.
Commentary
I. Prologue
Acts 1:1-3 (NKJV)
1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
A. The former account I made refers to the Gospel of Luke which we just finished and he is addressing it to someone referred to as Theophilus
1. There are a number of theories set forth as to who Theophilus was, but the truth is we don't know who he is.
a. He may have been Luke's patron who financed his writing of Luke and Acts.
b. Another speculation is that he was a lawyer involved in Paul's defense and that these books were intended to provide information for Paul's legal defense in Rome.
c. Luke refers to him as "most excellent Theophilus" in Luke 1:3 a term that is usually reserved for high government officials, so Theophilus was probably a magistrate or government official of some sort.
d. Theophilus means "lover of God" and he was most certainly a believer; a part of Luke’s stated purpose for writing this two volume book was to confirm and instruct this man concerning the faith.
Luke 1:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us,
2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,
3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus,
4 that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.
B. This former account i.e. the "Gospel of Luke" was "of all that Jesus began both to do and teach"
1. The key word is "began" this verb indicates a present infinitive linear action, that is to say the work that Jesus began to do and to teach before His ascension to heaven is a work that is still going on.
a. It is still going on through His people the church today
2. He began both to DO and to TEACH
a. I look at this statement and am challenged by it, particularly the DO aspect of it.
(1) We believe it or not have an awful lot of activity going on for a little church.
(a) There are a lot of teaching opportunities, as well as a lot of fellowship opportunities and I think this is great.
b. But when I hear about the doing part of it, I see a lot of our discipleship and fellowship centers around teaching, but I would like to see us growing in terms of discipleship that involves doing.
(1) What do I mean? (I'm not really sure myself)
(a) Activities where we are showing others how to do things.
i) Things like evangelism and outreach to the community
(1) Retirement community or the elderly
(2) The poor, orphans and widows
(3) Hospitals, prisons
(4) Substance abuse arenas
(5) Emergency response teams ???
(6) Youth activities: teaching our young people how to be servants???
ii) More missions involvement
iii) Prayer cells???
iv) “In reach”
(1) Wives teaching women how to love their husbands and children, household help
(2) Marriage discipleship???
(3) Singles stuff is happening and that is great.
(4) Financial management
c. So much of the time we are looking for the church or the pastor to give us something to do, and I think that is typically a flawed approach to the activity of ministry.
(1) Just reacting to a need is also fraught with potential trouble.
(2) What we want is for the Holy Spirit to be prompting us and showing us what and how to do things, (Let Him direct us)
(a) Activity that flows out of passion placed in the heart by God. (Acts of the Holy Spirit)
i) Example of work detail right and wrong...
3. The reference to the ascension here in verse-2 "until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen," looks back to Luke 24:49-51
Luke 24:51 (NKJV)
51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
a. Two commands were given by Jesus before He returned to heaven
(1) The first one was to wait (tarry) in Jerusalem
Acts 1:4 (NKJV)
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
(2) The second was to “Go” into the world as witnesses.
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.”

Luke 24:47 (NKJV)
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

(3) Wait and Go may seem contradictory, but they are not, the waiting was for the purpose of being empowered by the Holy Spirit to enable the going and doing.
(a) Two mistakes we can make, not waiting just going (problem is it is in our own energy)
(b) Waiting and never going, (probably a heart issue, we are distracted and “don't care” or perhaps we lack faith)
C. “to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.”
1. Many infallible (or convincing) proofs, it speaks of proofs that look at demonstrable evidence in contrast to evidence provided by witnesses,
Luke 24:39-40 (NKJV)
39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

1 John 1:1 (NKJV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
2. Being seen by them during forty days... so for forty days after His resurrection He appeared to the Apostles and He discussed the kingdom of God with them.
II. The Holy Spirit Promised
Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
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.”
A. And being assembled together with them He commanded them not to depart but to wait for the Promise of the Father
1. The gift of the Father anticipated by Luke 24:49 is obviously the Holy Spirit
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.”

John 14:16 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

John 15:26 (NKJV)
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

John 16:7 (NKJV)
7 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 depart, I will send Him to you.
a. And here we see the doctrine of the Trinity, the Son commands that they wait for the promise of the Father to come upon them which is the Holy Spirit.
2. We will come back and look at being baptized with the Holy Spirit and what that means next time
B. But I want us all to realize today that God the Father loves us and wants to make us a part of His kingdom.
Luke 12:32 (NKJV)
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
1. But death came through sin and we were separated from God, and as we learned in the Gospels the Father sent His Son into the world so that redemption could be provided.
John 3:14-17 (NKJV)
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
2. It is the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that is the evidence that we are His
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
3. But they were commanded to wait in Jerusalem until the Spirit came upon them to empower them to be witnesses.
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.”

a. And if we want to be effective witnesses for the glory of God and His kingdom we too need this empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
(1) This is the theme of this book and we will see how it plays out in a real way in the life of the church as we watch it expand and grow.
(2) Will you do me a favor and pray this week that God will fill us anew and afresh with His Spirit and direct us in the things He would have us do to be a greater witness for Him in our community and through our lives.