Devoted: Go, but wait!

Acts 1:-11 Notes

Opening Story from Neighborhood

• The book of Acts was originally called the Acts of the Apostles because of all the amazing sign acts which took place in the early church.
• The book itself is dated between 63-70 AD.
• The book is a history lesson of colliding relationships (the new Christians, the Jews and the Gentiles).
• Covers a course of 30 years
• This is part 2 of a two-volume work. The first part is the Gospel of Luke, also addressed to Theophilus (Luke 1:1–4), and the second part is Acts.
• The history of the church is rooted in world history. It really happened. The book of Acts is history but it isn’t simply church history. It’s the history of the church in mission. The author Luke states, in 1:1, he “dealt with everything Jesus began to do and teach.” The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles are both books about Jesus and what he is doing in the world. In Luke, it was about what Jesus was doing in the world physically, and in Acts it’s about what Jesus is doing in the world through the Holy Spirit and in his church in mission.
• In the book of Acts, Luke shows up in Acts 16:10, the pronouns periodically shift from third person to first person. These “we” passages, as they have become known, show us places where the author was presumably experiencing what he wrote about.
• What about you? Are you in this story too? How are you participating with Jesus in his mission?

#1. Acts is a history book.

Acts 1:1-4 “In the first book, O Theophilus (means lover of God), I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 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.”

• Luke writes to Theophilus. Luke is a doctor. Luke investigates all the evidence because Theo is a well-known (master) who wants to know all the facts too.
• The apostles whom he had chosen = the 12 He chose to walk the earth with for 3 years. They were witnesses to all that he did, the cross, and then the resurrection. Apostles by definition = “sent ones.”
• Acts 1-3 The Greek word tekmeriois, translated “proofs,” occurs only here in the New Testament. It refers to proof by undeniable, irrefutable, unquestionable evidence as contrasted with the proof claimed by a witness
• As 40 days of temptation in the wilderness preceded Jesus’ earthly ministry (Luke 4:2), so He introduced His present ministry with a 40-day period of preparation. Jesus’ baptism with the Spirit occurred before his 40-day test, whereas the reverse order of events appears here in Acts. God had instructed Moses for 40 days on Mt. Sinai in preparation for Israel’s mission in the world. Now Jesus instructed the Apostles for 40 days in preparation for the church’s mission in the world.

Acts is one of the most contested and disputed yet stands as one of the most well-documented, valid, and reliable history books on this planet.

Apologetics: Main rebuttal we get from non-Christians is that man wrote the Bible so therefore I can’t believe it.

• Let’s reframe this: over 40 men did.
• Why is this good for us? Cause Quran written by one man Muhammed 600 yrs after Christ walked earth, after he came out of a cave.
• Mormon written by one man Joseph Smith in 1820’s who claimed angel Maroni revealed it to him.
• We have over 40.
• Over a 1400-1500 year period.
• On 3 continents (Asia, Africa, & Europe)
• In 3 languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic)
• In multiple genres (History, poetry, prophecy, narrative).
• By people in different circumstances, cultures, and diverse backgrounds (priests, a
• doctor, political leaders, teachers, fishermen, shepherds).
• 66 books
• Over 1,000 chapters
• All pointing to the same One person. Jesus Christ the Messiah. That same one person by the way fulfilled 456 prophecies. 24 specific prophecies were fulfilled in His last 24 hours.
• There are 24,970 copies of the NT less than 100 yrs after the originals.
• Closest next is Homer’s Iliad with 643 within 500 yrs.

#2. Convincing Proofs.

(Over 40 days)

1 Corinthians 15

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

• Ate bread and broiled fish.

• Fished.

• Touched wounds.

2 Peter 1:16

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—

No other person or God has ever risen except our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

#3. Go, but wait for the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4-5 “And while stayingwith 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 withthe Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Different waiting now. For a few days when Jesus was in the grave it was fearful waiting. Now it’s confident waiting. If you saw the risen Christ rise into Heaven wouldn’t you be confident also?!

This is what Jesus said would happen in John 14-17. The forerunner John the Baptist also said this in Luke 3:16.

• John predicted that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and now Jesus is announcing that this would take place in just a few days.
• Could you imagine waiting patiently? 40 days, then another 10. This baptism took place 10 days after his ascension (Pentecost).

Story from week of Funeral

#4. Witness-our main priority, our testimony.

Acts 1:6-8 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.” 

• To the ends of the earth. Jews, Samaritans, Romans. 1400 miles. Road to Rome.
• Our English word Martyr comes from the Greek word translated as witness. What are you being a witness to? Our lives are a witness to what we value most.

What are we supposed to be a witness to?

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” (Luke 24:46-48)

• The key to fulfilling Jesus’ commission was baptism with, and consequent indwelling by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine enablement, they would be able to follow Jesus’ example; but with it, Jesus could literally continue to do His work and teach His words through them.
• Here’s that word ‘witness:’ very prominent in Acts, appears around 39x.
• It’s assumed rightly so that Jesus, Lord, will restore the kingdom. Jesus doesn’t dismiss that fact. He’s just saying, you’re not going to know. Until then, you have a mission to do, daily. Anticipate and participate. Speak. Bear oral testimony and perform miracles as the Holy Spirit works through you.
• Catch this: they were now to be witnesses. It seems that Acts is occupied by those speeches which contain TESTIMONY. When authority continually tries to stop Peter, he says “we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.”
• Are they called to be theologians? Or philosophers? Or motivational speakers? Or church leaders? Perhaps this is a role we may enter it to, but primarily we are witnesses. This verse shows the entire outline of Acts: our worldwide mission to be witnesses, thanks to the person of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Note where it starts: where they are at, in Jerusalem. Where are we at? Where does our witnessing start?
• Rome was over 1400 miles from Jerusalem. That’s like Cleveland to Denver, CO.

What kind of people are you going to meet? Some who hold to religion but don’t’ realize it’s about relationship and some people who don’t have a faith at all. Judea were Jews, Samaria was a mix of Jewish and Pagan, Rome no real or vital religion at all.

Story of friend who committed his life to Christ.

#5. Go, but wait until the second coming.

Acts 1:9-11 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.”

• Jesus was now in heaven. He ascended bodily, visibly, and gloriously. He will also return in the same way to the same exact place, the Mount of Olives.