1:1-3 INTRODUCTION
Author: Luke, writer of the Gospel of Luke, and also of Acts. Gentile physician and perhaps a slave.
Former account: Gospel of Luke. Recipient: Theophilus, “lover of God.”
Time written: approx. 63-70 A.D. 30-37 years after death and resurrection of Jesus
Note- Luke was writing for just one man, as far as he knew.
We never know what God may be doing through us.
1-of all that Jesus began both to do and teach…
Acts is somewhat of an open ended book.
Jesus still works through His church.
NOTE- Jesus both did actions and taught.
2a-until the day in which He was taken up…
His ascension into Heaven, something that was witnessed by many.
2b-after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen…
Before His ascension, Jesus spent that time revealing Himself to His followers, and teaching them.
He gave them commandments, and directed them in things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
3to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs…
1 Cor. 15:6 “…He was seen by over 500 brethren at once…”
Infallible proofs- indubitable evidence, too evident to be doubted.
Disprove the resurrection and you disprove Christianity.
Those who lived chronologically closest to His life and death couldn’t disprove the resurrection.
Those closest to the fact or supposed fiction could not disprove His resurrection.
3b- being seen by them during forty days…
- His appearing wasn’t a single moment of mass hallucination for a few devoted followers.
- Jesus appeared to them over a period of 40 days.
- Many of these people would go to their death defending the truth of His resurrection.
1 Cor. 15:17 “…If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”
3c- and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
- Notice that the important topic for Jesus was the Kingdom of God.
- Not politics, not economics, not cultural trends.
Col. 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Set your mind (affection-KJV)- to have understanding, direct your mind, turn your interest to.
APPLICATION- We live in a very dangerous and distracting world.
1. Physical danger both locally and abroad, and within our nation- terrorism.
2. Emotionally- we can fear for our children, our own physical lives, our finances.
3. Spiritually- we can be side tracked & misdirected by the world about what is important.
4. Our own carnal natures can entice us to set our affections and attention in the wrong places.
5. We need to consciously set our thoughts and affections on the things of God, His kingdom.
6. What God wants to do in us, and then through us.
7. That is what Jesus chose to talk during His last days upon the earth: Kingdom of God.
NOTE- Christians are a part of the most important entity upon all of the Earth.
The church is the only thing that is involved in things eternal.
All the governments of man will pass away.
All the business of man; all the accomplishments of man; they will all pass away.
Only what is done regarding the Kingdom of God will matter in eternity.
1:4,5
This section describes what will be the birth of the Christian church.
The instruction that Jesus gives the disciples before the birth of the church is WAIT.
The disciples would go on to change the world with the truth about Jesus Christ.
They would be used to perform miracles.
They would be used to write the New Testament.
They would face tremendous opposition, and most of them would be killed for their faith.
They needed more than instructions from Jesus, they needed power for the job ahead of them.
Jesus said that they needed to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Baptized- baptize Not to be confused with bapto; to dip.
The clearest example that shows the meaning of baptizo is a text from the Greek poet and physician Nicander, who lived about 200 B.C. It is a recipe for making pickles and is helpful because it uses both words. Nicander says that in order to make a pickle, the vegetable should first be ‘dipped’ (bapto) into boiling water and then ‘baptized’ (baptizo) in the vinegar solution. Both verbs concern the immersing of vegetables in a solution. But the first is temporary. The second, the act of baptizing the vegetable, produces a permanent change.
We can be dipped in water at baptismal ceremony, and not be changed.
Jesus is speaking of these men being radically changed.
The idea of being baptized in the H.S. is to be immersed, overflowed, full and running over.
Turn to John 7:37-39
John 7:37-39 37On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
1:6
There are three aspects to this question.
1. Is the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel going to happen immediately?
2. Is restoration going to occur nationally?
3. Their understanding was that there would be a restoration of a kingdom that once was.
1:7
Jesus answers in the following fashion.
1. It is not for you to know when that will happen. (It’s not for us to know everything either).
2. The timing of that is up to God the Father.
3. Jesus did not deny that there would be a national restoration of God’s kingdom in the land of Israel. He didn’t tell them that they were right or wrong about their expectations.
4. Jesus also did not tell them that that restoration would not occur for more than 2000 years, until after the rapture of the church and until after the Great Tribulation. (As I understand it)
These are topics that we will tackle next week as we look into…
1. The return of Jesus Christ to earth.
2. The physical establishing of the Kingdom of God upon the earth.
3. The more important thing for them and for us was to be filled with the H.S.
1:8
Here Jesus mentions four things…
1. H. S. comes upon you.
a. He is alongside us – to comfort, convict, and encourage us.
b. He is in us – we become the temple of the Holy Spirit, and He dwells in us when we receive Jesus as our Savior.
c. He comes upon us – giving us power to do things we’d be unable to do without His help.
2. Power- dunamis- strength or ability.
Illustration- Pastor Rich Cathers, Calvary Chapel of Fullerton
If I was to take a glove and command it to play my keyboard, frankly I’m not going to hold my breath. It doesn’t have the “ability” (dunamis) to accomplish it. But if my hand “fills” the glove, then whatever my hand does, the glove does to. Suddenly my glove has the ability to play the piano, just like my hand. When the Holy Spirit fills our lives, we are “enabled” to do whatever the Holy Spirit wants us to do.
3. You shall be witnesses to Me.
Future, indicative tense. Not that they should be witnesses, (imperative) but that they would be witnesses (indicative).
This would be and was the result when they would soon be overflowed with the Holy Spirit.
4. Notice the progression– Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, end of the earth.
They would first be witnesses at home.
The power of God’s Spirit would change them, and would be seen first at home, in Jerusalem.
The power of the early church was that they first waited for God’s power, then they went out as they were led by God.
This is what Jesus had told them earlier. That was His intention for them.
That is His intention for us.
To be witnesses means we are to speak about that which we know concerning Jesus.
Matthew 28:18-20 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
There are many Christians, and many churches, that have forgotten that this is the call of God for their lives.
Many who are looking for a “purpose” for their life.
They have forgotten that God has already given them a purpose.
If they do remember the purpose for life, they become like the disciples.
Ready to step out in their own power.
Ready to try to change things before they themselves are truly changed, filled to overflowing.
Ephesians 5:17, 18 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
“Be being filled”
Present tense- continually be filled.
Imperative- it is a command to be filled. That command is for every Christian.
Passive- you can’t do it, God has to do it
Why are we sometimes not filled?
Why have we forgotten our purpose?
Why have we neglected our purpose?
Many reasons.
Let’s ask God to fill us, and give us a fresh vision of Himself, and of His work for us.