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I’m going to invite you this morning to Acts Chapter one as where we’re going to be together today. Acts chapter one. We’re kicking off a new series on the book of Acts. If you would like to receive one of these books, which just is the ESV translation through the The Book of Acts, you can pick this up on your way out if you didn’t grab one on the way in. It has a great spot to take notes in if you’d like to do that. As we journey through the book of acts together, I have known we’ve been going going to go through this book for some time. I’ve been excited about this book. We kind of try to position this book in a place of where we thought we were going to be as a church thinking man, we’re trying to build a new building right now, and as we look forward to that new building, the Book of Acts would be a great book to kind of prepare our hearts with and knowing that we’re we’re going to be somewhere in that process. And so we’re, we’re getting to the place we might break ground. My hope is before we’re done with this book, we have we will have broken ground. And if it starts to take longer to break down, I’m just going to slow down in this book.
I’m just I’m just kidding. I’m not. I don’t want to take forever in a book, but I do want us to appreciate the beauty of this book and what it represents for us as Christians. This is a narrative story recording for you the history of the early church right after the Ascension of Christ. For the next 30 years, we see an incredible church moving forward in Jesus. We’re really the most of the known world. Has the gospel preached to it because of what we find in the the early church and their love for the Lord and the way, the way they live for him. And so we often say that as a church, like God created the church for a mission, we exist for a purpose greater than ourselves. Abc is here to give ourselves away for the glory of God, to the benefit of others and acts records for us how the Spirit of God moved through the people of God to accomplish the will of God in this world. And the great news is, it’s the same God that’s moving in his people today. And so we have the privilege now that to recognize God has us in a specific place for a specific reason. Right? It’s no accident where God’s placed you. He and his sovereign And abilities, knew exactly when you would exist and where you would exist. And so what does it look like for you and for me to be faithful to Jesus now, in our place in history, as we walk with Christ, what is it God desires for us and the book of acts? This narrative story becomes this great example and inspiration for us as a church today in following after the Lord and what it means for for you and for me.
Now, as you read this book, I think it’s important to recognize that the author of the book of Acts is Luke. Luke gave us two books in the New Testament. He gave us the Gospel of Luke, and he gave us the book of Acts. In fact, when when you start with the ending of the Gospel of Luke and then you go right into the book of acts, you realize those two books really dovetail together quite nicely. I mean, Luke ends with the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the book of acts begins with with the resurrection of Jesus. And so Luke records for us as really the the only Gentile author of, of any book of the New Testament. And he writes from a time period of Jesus’s resurrection, which is around between 30 to 33 A.D. and then the story of acts continues to about 60 to 62 A.D.. So for for 30 years, he’s writing for us how the early church moved forward and what God had called them to do. And today we’re going to talk about how they they were introduced to that movement of the Lord in their lives.
As we look at what it looks like to go from a spectator to a participator in what God calls us to in this world. In fact, we’re going to talk about four components that help lead us as God’s people, from just simply being a spectator into being a participator in what God desires for our life. And in fact, when you think about your life, your life is a gift. It is a precious gift to you that we don’t want to waste. I know we certainly make mistakes, but how can we make most of the life that God has given to us and the reason for which God has created us? It’s wonderful. If you know Jesus this morning, if you might call yourself born again, saved, redeemed in Christ. I mean, that’s our hope for everybody that they that we would find that in Jesus, which is really the beginning of a relationship in the Lord. But but to understand God has made us more for just simply to be saved. God has a purpose for your existence in this world that that is born out of a relationship with him, that as you find new life in Christ, you would walk in that relationship and in so doing live for his glory. If all God desired for you was was to simply save your soul the minute you were saved, he would take you out of this world. But the fact that you remain says to us that God has a mission for us to live in light of our relationship with him.
So as we come to know him and grow in him, what is it like for us to live for him in the world around us? And so we ask the question here as a church, we have what we call a discipleship pathway. And in that discipleship pathway, we ask the question, what does it look like to see someone go from the lost world? Don’t know Jesus, right? Your lost world to a saved spectator among the body of Christ, right? And we take that serious. When someone comes into our church, we We want to greet people with kindness, to let people know that they matter. Because we’re all image bearers of God doesn’t mean you have necessarily a relationship with God, but you do have intrinsic worth because you’re made in the image of God. And we want to honor people and one of the most beautiful ways that we can honor God, as seen in the way that we care for people around us. Because God made people in his image. And not only did he make people in his image, he wants to remake you in his image. That’s the reason Christ came for you. So what does it mean for someone to come from the lost world to a saved spectator? But we don’t want you to stay there long. We want you to become a devoted participator in what Christ has called you to, and in him, and and from devoted participator to a multiplying leader, to recognize the work that Jesus has done in your life.
He doesn’t want to just stay with you. He wants you to impart that in others, that others may have the opportunity to experience Jesus to to know him and to walk with him. And so as we look at acts chapter one, this is really the that transition that the author is bringing us through is what does it look like in your life and mind? And I can’t think there’s not a more beautiful time in our church’s history to go through this book than now. And recognizing and God’s done a beautiful work here, and God is still on the move. I mean, we’re doing several baptisms today, and we’re thinking about a new home together, and we want our future as a church to continue to make an impact throughout this valley. So what does this look like for us to continue to walk with God, not as a spectator, but moving into being a participator in what God has called me to in this world? Let me let me give you a point, number one, and then we’ll we’ll read some of this passage together. But number one is this we need a foundation to trust. We need a foundation to trust something like this. To do something meaningful, you need a strong conviction.
The greater the conviction, the greater the impact. The more you care, the more you’re going to want to live for that purpose. So, so understanding exactly what Jesus has done for us really becomes that foundation of trust. And if we had to pin it on something specific, we’d talk about the finished work of Christ. The finished work of Christ is significant for you and for me. And understanding that foundation that we have to trust in. William Booth, who founded the Salvation Army, he said it like this. The greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender. What’s really captivated your heart? And therefore, what are you going to live for? Does it? Does it ultimately matter? And there’s no greater purpose that you could live for in this world than the one who has created you for his purposes in him and recreates you through the cross. As you discover that identity, there is nothing that makes a a bigger impact with your life than that, because there are eternal implications in a life that’s given over to the Lord. And this is where Luke starts the story in light of the resurrection of Jesus. What does it mean for you and for me? And he says it like this in acts chapter one, verse one in the first book of Theophilus. I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and to teach. Let me stop there before reading these next couple of verses.
Luke is referencing the first book that he wrote, which is the Gospel of Luke, as he now dovetails into the second book, which is the book of acts, how the the Spirit of God worked in the people of God to accomplish the will of God. This narrative story of the early church, and one of the reasons Luke is able to write this story, is because it was funded by a particular individual named Theophilus. Theophilus gave what was necessary for Luke and some of his friends to go around the world and document this. And Theophilus, I think, very intentionally picked Luke to participate because Luke is a physician. He’s an intelligent man. And so Luke is very precise in what he is documenting, right? I mean, I can’t think of anyone here this morning that would say, I don’t like a precise doctor. I like them to miss some things. Right. Like nobody. Nobody’s looking for that. Right. So Theophilus is Theophilus is now looked at to Luke to be this individual And as you read the gospel or the book of acts, excuse me, as you read this book of acts, you discover that Luke a few times within this book actually uses the word we to to recognize that not only is he writing about the acts of the apostles as they’re moving around the world, but he’s joined in on the journey at various locations, and this happens later in the book of acts where Luke includes himself.
Some think that the reason Luke is including himself is because Luke has just likely become Paul’s personal doctor. Like this guy, the apostle Paul has gone through so much in the beatings and things that he has endured, that he just has needed someone there with him constantly. And Luke, in a way, has become like his cut man in his corner as as Paul went through nine rounds, you know, he’s coming to the sign and saying, am I? How can I am I knocking like and and Luke is probably traveling with him to, to assist Paul, but he’s getting to be at the front row of everything taking place and he’s recording this now for us. I think, Theophilus, when he’s giving us an invitation to participate in this, to recognize man. God is still writing the story, and I can belong. But but at the same time, he’s also helping us realize that when God’s people are surrendering themselves to God’s calling in our lives, how we can make an impact in this world. Meaning, when you look at Theophilus, no doubt knowing Theophilus is human like you and me, he’s probably done a lot of things in life where he’s like, I wish I had not done that right. It was pretty stupid. I wish I could have a do over, but but there’s one thing in his life I can say that Theophilus was eternally grateful that he got to participate in, and that was to contribute to the cause of seeing the book of acts written that has blessed church history all these years.
Now, even when you read the epistles today, the letters that were written after the book of acts, you know, a lot of what we know about the epistles. We know because of this narrative story of acts, it helps bring life to those letters that we begin to recognize what what Paul, for example, would have been dealing with as he’s writing his various epistles through the New Testament. This is a very critical book to to the identity of the church, as we better understand what Scripture says because of the narrative of the book of acts. And Theophilus was simply an individual willing to give of what God had of him to be a blessing to those around him, because it’s the same for us. Now, here’s Theophilus getting an opportunity to to be a part of the writing of Scripture and his contribution to that. I’m not saying that’s that’s you or me today, but God has you in a place for a reason. In order to be able to make a difference in understanding what it means to go from this transition from spectator to participator is critical. God wants to work not only in you, but through you, and to be confident that we need a foundation. This is where Luke is starting. He says. I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.
Verse two. 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 40 days, and speaking about the kingdom of God. Here’s here’s what Luke is saying is, do you know what’s foundational for all of us? Really, to be able to move forward is the resurrection of Christ and to understand the importance of this. And so in order to do that, Luke is very detailed in the accounts he writes, not only in the gospel of acts, but also in the book or excuse or excuse me in the book of acts, also in the Gospel of Luke. And when you read those stories, you find Luke is he’s identifying specific places and he’s naming specific names. Even in acts, there’s there’s over 80 locations identified and there’s over 100 people listed, and sometimes even their titles are included. And it’s a way of Luke saying, if you want to verify this, go check this out. You need to understand this. Throughout history, some of the accusations charged against Christians were that, you know, the Bible was written later. These dates, these names, they’re not real figures that we haven’t discovered them in history. And over time, archeology has revealed again and again that, no, the Bible is incredibly accurate. In fact, it’s 100% inspired by God.
And so therefore it’s it’s trustworthy. There was one individual by the name of Sir Walter William. Excuse me, William Mitchell Ramsay. He was an archeologist and he lived in the 1800s. Died in 1939, if I remember correctly. But he was an archeologist who was also an atheist, and he wanted to disprove Christianity. And so on his first archeological journey, he decided he wanted to follow after what Luke had written in the Gospel of Luke and acts. Because Luke was so detailed, he thought it would be easy to to quickly disprove what Luke had said. And so he was going to write this book that was going to finally, once and for all, put a death knell to Christianity. And so he went on this ten year journey, archeological journey, and people were waiting for his return, anticipating his return, will finally revealed to us that work that was going to once and for all destroy Christianity. But to everyone’s surprise, when he had returned from his archeological journey, what they found was quite the opposite. That that now Mr. Ramsay had actually given his life to Christ, and in his his works that he accounted of of biblical archeology sites that he studied. And he wrote multiple books on this. One of his early books said this Luke is a historian of the first rank. Not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy? This author should be placed among the very greatest of historians.
Now, I love this about Christianity because when you think about religions in general, some of them are based on ideas is. And some of them, they try to write about locations, but they have what are referred to as anachronisms, where you have people writing about places and events hundreds of years after the fact, and they get it all wrong. They have things existing when when they weren’t even invented yet, and it just discredits that religion in general, when they when they do that kind of thing. But here, when you see the Gospel of Luke, when it’s put to the test or, or the book of acts, when it’s put to that test, what you discover is archeologists again and again are coming back and validating what we already know about the Bible. And the most important event of all events is the resurrection of Jesus. Penned on the resurrection of Jesus is everything for you and for me. And so this is why Luke is recording this, especially when you look at the Gospels. You realize the Gospels when you read the four Gospels, the majority of the Gospels just deal with the final week of Jesus’s life and even the final moments of Jesus’s life, because the whole point of Jesus’s life was about his death, burial, and resurrection so that we can find life in him. And so Luke’s gospel is highlighting that for us. And as you get to the book of acts, it’s then coming to the resurrection of Jesus.
And Luke continues to write about particular people in particular places, as if to say, if you doubt this, you can check this. Even even when Paul wrote. First Corinthians 15, he talks about the resurrected Jesus appearing to many people. In fact, at one point he appeared to 500 people at one time. And Paul says some of them have died, but many of them are still awake and are still living. If you don’t believe me, go ask them. And so there was this credibility Christianity rooted not just in historical fact, but really in the identity of a person. All of Christianity is pinned on one person and one event, the resurrection. So when you think about different religions, the world, some find their identity or philosophy, some might find their identity in a location. We really find our identity rooted in a person who we believe is still alive. And the resurrection of Christ is the reason why that God became flesh and gave himself for you and for me. And so Luke is writing this account to help us recognize what this resurrection means for us. It gives us this incredible place to to trust and in what God has accomplished for you and for me. In fact, when you look at the resurrection of Jesus, it says this in Matthew 28 verse 17, when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Some doubted. I love when you read the Gospel of Matthew.
This is the very end of the Gospel of Matthew. And at the very end it says like this in verse 18, if you read further, it says, Jesus says, all authority in heaven and earth has been given unto me. Go into this world in verse 19. Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father, son, the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things. And I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Here’s Jesus at his resurrection. He wants us to recognize as he’s commissioning us, that we’re able to do so, and his authority by his power. And sometimes people ask that question, by whose authority do you do what you do? You know, and it’s like, well, Jesus, right. You should read Matthew 28 verse 18 and, and then to go to the world, make disciples. And here’s the promise that Jesus is with you always. And why would I believe that, lest he be resurrected from the grave, that that death has not defeated him? And because he lives, he’s promised that I can live to in his power and his authority by his presence with me. Now, knowing that is one thing, but whether or not you believe it. I remember when I first became a Christian going through the Bible before I had given my life to Christ and recognizing man. If Jesus is really with me, then I should be willing and wanting to give everything to him, trusting what he says because I’m either going to believe it or I’m not.
And you see in verse 17, there is some hesitancy with people that some doubted. And rather than throw stones at them, can we just acknowledge for a moment they should They should. Because this story is pretty crazy, right? Like, if you think about what it was like for Jesus to to to meet the end of his life, the crucifixion of Christ, this was done something shamefully. This was this was done in a public forum during a holiday when there would have been a ton of people in Jerusalem by professional executioners, Roman soldiers. He was beat. He was hung across, he was speared through his side like people knew. This guy definitely died. If anyone ever died, this guy died. And to to to have those images in your mind, knowing Jerusalem had been packed and to then have someone come to you just a few days later and be like, hey, he’s he actually just said, if you want to catch him for breakfast, he’s up the street like you’ve been like, really? Like, were you not here a week ago? Like, I don’t think that can happen, you know? Like, there’s no doubt that people would have been like as much as I thought he was great, you know, I just can’t believe that. Until they saw it. And for 40 days Jesus walked the earth proclaiming his victory, proclaiming that he had overcome the grave.
For you and for me. And even when you. When you study Jesus’s life, you recognize man. There was no mistake for Jesus in Him understanding who he was. And in Mark chapter one, the first thing he says, repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. At the end of his life, when he meets Pontius Pilate, Pilate asks him, are you a king? And Jesus says, I am a king, but not of this world, because if I were a king of this world, I would tell my servants to fight. So he’s acknowledging something about his kingdom. One of the favorite stories I have about Jesus is in Luke chapter four. I say I like it’s me. I have this special story about myself, but it’s in Luke chapter four, chapter four, verse 15 and 16, where Jesus goes to the synagogue and they ask him to read from the scriptures. And so he takes the scroll of Isaiah, chapter 61, and he reads just the first two verses, and then he closes a scroll. In those particular verses he’s reading, or messianic verses about who the Messiah would be and what the Messiah would do when he comes. And Jesus takes the scroll and he closes it from there, and he just simply looks at the crowd and says, and all this is being fulfilled in your midst today. I gotta think to say something like that, you would either have to be insane or it would be true.
Right. And the fact that he’s overcoming the grave is demonstrating to us that he has been victorious, that he is who he said he was. And because of that, we can have confidence to that. What we discover is this love of God, this sacrificial, compassionate love of God, where he would take on flesh and give his life, that we could find freedom in him, that we could be forgiven through the cross of Christ, as his life has, has become that substitute for us, that he has taken on our sin, our shame, that we could take on the righteousness of Christ. And beyond that, when we look at the resurrection, what it’s telling you and me is that we have hope that that evil doesn’t get the last word, that you think about all the difficulty you might go through in this world and even Jesus’s first century followers. Seeing how Jesus met his demise, the the fact that he died on the cross, they could be worried for their own life. But then when they realized Jesus is overcome and promised, they can overcome too, that they begin to recognize that nothing can stop them. His power, his authority to take their life from this world. They know immediately where they’ll be. And so it gave him this, this foundation of trust, as God called them in this world.
Let me give you a point. Number two, I gave them, along with that, a power to embrace. It gave them a power to embrace. And it says in verse four. And while 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 baptize you with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now, John is recognizing. He goes on in verse eight to talk about this Holy Spirit as one who gives you power. And we quoted Matthew 28, verse 18, 19 and 20. All authority given to Christ go into this world and represent or make disciples for him. It’s this idea of God’s, the power of God’s presence being with you, because now the Spirit of God dwells in you. Remember when Jesus on the cross, the veil was torn on the temple, recognizing that the temple was no longer where the God’s presence dwell, but now, rather he dwells in his people, that that the spirit indwells God’s people. And as he’s describing this for us is we’re thinking about that power that we have in Christ. He says to us in verse five, he talks about the baptism of John and the baptism of the spirit. Now I want you to know the word baptism when you read it in Scripture can sometimes be confusing and and here’s why. We can sometimes read the word baptism and just immediately assume Duncan water.
Duncan water. That’s what we here baptized. Duncan Water. That’s how we equate it. And I want you to know, sometimes that can be true. Like today, we are going to baptize you. Some of you, depending on what you’ve done in life, we’re going to really baptize you. I’m just kidding. I’m just. I’m teasing. I might hold you under a little longer, though. But anyway, if that scares kids. I’m sorry, kids, I’m not going to do it. But there’s there’s there’s a few different baptisms to recognize because we’re going to do a baptism today that’s different than these baptisms. There is John’s baptism in Scripture, which is which is not believer’s baptism, which we’ll practice today, which is unique from the Holy Spirit baptism, which is also talked about here. When the Bible uses the word baptism, what it means is immerse. It means the word immerse. The context in which the word baptism is used, then helps us understand what kind of immersion are we talking about? So when John baptized in in the New Testament, when you start off the Gospels, you see John doing that work of baptism. And sometimes people might equate that with the same baptism we do today, which acts clarifies. It’s not. We’ll get to that. But but when John is doing his baptism, what he’s doing is a very unique baptism. He’s recognizing that when the children of Israel in the book of Joshua crossed from the years of wandering in the wilderness, if you’re familiar with that in the Exodus story, remember they left Exodus as slaves.
They left from Egypt as slaves, and they wander in the wilderness for 40 years. And finally, after 40 years, God lets them cross him to the Promised Land. But to cross in the land, they have to cross the Jordan River. But John recognizes that when the children of Israel crossed on the Promised Land, they never truly walked faithfully with God. But knowing the Messiah is coming, John calls the children of Israel back to the Jordan River to prepare their hearts. I mean, God said things like, there’s one coming whose shoelaces I am unworthy to untie. And John calls Israel back to the Jordan River to prepare their hearts, knowing they had not walked faithfully in that promised land. And so it became this place of repentance to to open their hearts to the coming of the Messiah. When the Messiah comes, they would receive him the baptism. The Holy Spirit is baptism, talking about being immersed in the spirit. It’s because Jesus, the sacrifice is sufficient that now we’re promised that the Spirit of God indwells his people, and in fact, we are baptized as one body in Christ. We are all baptized in the spirit. The moment you trust in Jesus, we’re all baptized into one body spiritually. First Corinthians 12 verse 13 that we become the indwelling place of the Spirit of God.
First Corinthians 619. And so because of that, you are regenerated in the spirit. You have new life. John chapter three, verse five and six, and you’ve been adopted by Christ. And in Romans chapter eight, verse 15 and 16. So the idea of the spirit becomes significant for us to understand our identity, that we belong to Jesus. And as he promised, he would be with us always. It’s because we are sealed in the spirit that we belong to him. Ephesians chapter one, verse 13 and 14. The role of the spirit in your life is critical to understand how the power of God moves to the people of God. Now, just because we have the Spirit of God working in us, doesn’t mean we’re always surrendered to the way the Lord wants to work. That’s why last week we looked at passages like First Thessalonians chapter five, verse 18, or Ephesians chapter four, verse 30, which tells you, don’t quench the spirit. Don’t grieve the spirit. Galatians 516 tells you to walk in the spirit which is to be surrendered to the spirit. Or in Ephesians chapter five, verse 18 and 19, to to be filled with the spirit means to let him have control of your life. Out of all the things that could determine what you do. Understanding who you are in light of who Christ is, and being surrendered to that purpose in this world, is the greatest thing that you could live for.
So the foundation of trusting what you had to trust in, and the power of God’s presence with you, becomes that place of recognizing how how precious this calling is in our life. To understand that just as the church in Acts saw the Spirit of God moving among them to accomplish the will of God in this world. So that same spirit works in this people today to see a tremendous impact in this world around us. A power to embrace. Let me give you number three. A mission to fulfill. A mission to fulfill. Because we have one of the most precious foundations we could ever have in Jesus. It is the most precious foundation we could have in Jesus and the presence of God with us wherever we go, to empower us for what God has called us to in this world, so we could attempt great things from God, as William Kerry said, and expect great things from God, and realizing that he has called us all and the whole point of ministry. It’s not about trying to prove anything to God. Jesus already proven it to us. It’s not about. It’s not about getting a task done, though there are things we might do as a Christian. It’s not about programs. It’s about people. It’s about the hearts of people. God’s interest in this world is the hearts of people. That Jesus has created this church to live on mission because his concern is for the hearts of people.
Knowing that we’re all image bearers of God. We all have this intrinsic worth. But. But Jesus has pursued us to give us very life so that we could be regenerated in him. There’s nothing more important that we could live for than to honor God by how we care for the people around us. And so when you when you look at this verse six, he goes on and says it like this. So, so when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? And he said to them, it’s not for you to know the times or seasons that the father has fixed by his own authority. In verse three, if you remember f Jesus’s ascension, it tells you in verse three of this chapter that Jesus goes around for the next 40 days teaching about his kingdom. And so they naturally, in verse six say, okay, Jesus will. This kingdom sounds amazing. When’s it going to happen? And if you remember originally when Jesus came, the disciples disciples thought of a geopolitical reign of the Messiah, that he would set up a physical kingdom on this world and reign. And then when he died, they realized, man, it didn’t happen. What’s going to happen to us? But now they’re starting to learn that Jesus has a different plan for the way that his kingdom would be made known. And as Jesus described, this beautiful kingdom that’s going to restore all things broken, it’s going to bring back shalom.
It’s going to restore this earth from its fallen state to its perfected state. Like Jesus, when’s that kingdom coming? And Jesus says to him, well, that the detail of that is not for you to know, but rather to understand the privilege it is now the calling before you to live for me. And and here’s the interesting thing in regards to his kingdom, when Jesus talked about his kingdom, he taught it like this. Theologians refer to it as inaugurated. Eschatology has already not yet meaning there’s an aspect of his kingdom that’s been made known, but the fullness of his kingdom will will one day come when the King returns. And so we’re longing for the return of that king. So what? What does it look like to live in light of that kingdom today? Well, when you think in terms of of the way Jesus presented himself in the Gospels, he says it like this. And and Matthew chapter, excuse me, Mark chapter one. I already quoted this to you once, but in Mark chapter one, verse 15, Jesus, the first thing he says in the gospel of Mark is repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. He’s introducing us to the kingdom. But but then in the book of Matthew chapter six, when Jesus teaches us to pray, he says in verse nine, like this. Pray in this way Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed or sacred, be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done. So in one sense, Jesus represents the kingdom. Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand. But in another sense, he says, pray for the fullness of that kingdom, that the return of the king and the restoring of all things shalom that’s been lost, that we would see that. So. So what we’re learning in this book of acts is really the kingdom of God is on the move. And the way that it’s on the move is in the people of God. One day Jesus will bring the fullness of his kingdom, but for us in the here and now, we get to live out the kingdom of God as God works his kingdom power within us. Now, I want you to know, some people get radically crazy with that idea, and I don’t want to do that. But I do want you to to realize just how critical and and what a gift it is, where God has you today to do things for him in this world. And Colossians says it like this. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness, or some translates kingdom of darkness as a domain. And he’s transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. So it’s saying, if you belong to Jesus Spirit of God in dwells you. You’ve been sealed, you’ve been adopted, you’ve been regenerated, you’ve been baptized.
You belong. He has you. His hand is on you. He never leaves you. He never forsakes you. You’ve been transferred from a kingdom of darkness which will meet its demise in the wrath of God. And you’ve been brought into the kingdom of light. And that’s where. That’s where you belong. And sometimes I’ll hear people say like this. Well, you know, Christians sometimes obsess about the idea of deliverance. And I want you to know, Colossians chapter one tells you in Jesus, you’ve already been delivered. Yes, there may be brokenness in this world. We may face adversity, but you’ve already been delivered as a believer, so you get to live in the kingdom of light because you belong to Jesus. In fact, Romans 14 says it like this for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So is it the fullness of the kingdom? No, but the presence of the kingdom? Yes, because the spirit, the Spirit of God and dwelling people of God gives us that the peace, that joy, that that righteousness of the Lord, so that we can live for him. And so when when the Bible talks about living for God’s glory, he gives us the scope of that in Matthew eight. With that, the idea of that commission. Right. God’s calling you into this world then. And you see this in the early church. You see that they they believe the presence of God is with them wherever they go.
And so they they went to the to really all of the known world proclaiming the gospel that within 30 years they went from Jerusalem all the way to the capital of Rome and or the capital of the Romans, which was Rome, to proclaim that that gospel message. And and that’s where the book of acts comes to the end, is when Paul is in Rome. And so this new world within a span of 30 years. This is preach the gospel. And he says it like this from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, to the uttermost parts. God’s heart is for people. And so God has you in a specific place of a specific time that as you grow in the power of Jesus, that you would live in light of that for the glory of God to the benefit of others, a mission to Fulfill when it comes to the thought of being a witness. That witness in this passage is literally saying is the word for martyr, and it became synonymous with those that would be such a witness that would they would be willing to give their very lives for the sake of Christ, because they knew that no matter what happened to them, they knew to to the one in which they belonged, and therefore lived for his glory, so that we could get. Let’s get to number four. Is this an urgency to act and urgency to act? It says, and when Jesus 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 up, 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. Could you imagine this moment? This is You could just be sitting there talking to Jesus. All of a sudden, you’ve been there to take a bite of your meal, and you look up and you’re like, where did Jesus. Oh, and he’s just. He’s just blown away, right? It’s like, that was a wild moment there. He could have had a warning. Jesus didn’t know that you were just going to levitate, right? Just floating up in the sky. This is like I heard a person compare this to giving a child a helium balloon. Like, if you’ve ever want to watch your kid go psycho for a couple seconds, or maybe, maybe much longer than that is, give your kid a helium balloon, but don’t tie it to the wrist, you know, because, you know, inevitably it’s going to happen. And and but but at the same time, you’ve seen those moments where kids have they’ve held on to helium balloons for quite a while, and then they kind of get bored of it.
And they know Mom and dad’s not going to hold us. They’re like, yeah, let’s just watch what happens, right? And they just kind of let go of that and they just see it float away. I’ve heard that moment compared to Jesus like this, like the disciples of the children. And Jesus is that hot air balloon. And they’re kind of regretting they didn’t tie a string to Jesus in this, in this story. But here’s Jesus going away and. And then the angels appear and they say Jesus is going to return the same way he came, meaning he’ll return in his glory. And the fact that he’s taken into heaven is showing that his sacrifice is received as sufficient for you and for me. But but then they’re reminding the disciples. Look, it’s important now to think about where God has you and what God’s called you to do. Because Jesus can return at any moment. And so there is an urgency to act. This is number four, right? The urgency to act. Jesus, the sacrifice accepted. Giving me identity in him. And the promise, the fullness of the kingdom will come. But in the in-between, I have the opportunity to live for his glory. When you think about Christ’s sacrifice for us, not only is this this invitation to have this relationship with God, but as we walk in light of that, it then gives us the privilege to represent him in the way that we live in this world.
Acts as that example of an early church who who walks in light of that. To see how the power of God is made known in their life, even in difficult situations. The power of God sustaining them to carry them through in this world. And as you look through missionaries throughout history, you see again and again missionaries resting in the promises of God this way, that God’s glory would be made known in such an incredible, beautiful way in their life that they they never got over it. And they would come back to this, this place of realizing in Jesus that Jesus promises to be with them again and again, no matter where they go. There was an individual in history that I just I wanted to there’s several I could highlight, but if I just highlighted William Booth. William Booth is the guy who founded Salvation Army. If you ever look up pictures of William Booth, I. I might be under the persuasion that I don’t think this guy actually died. I think it’s possible he might have just got sold. He kind of just dissolved into dust and blew away. I don’t like pictures of him. I’m like, I don’t even know how this guy’s alive in these pictures. He’s. He’s a pretty old dude, and he might have the world record. I don’t know if they counted his age, but he might have the old world record and age.
But William Booth was a guy that throughout his life, he. I think he came to the Lord at 15, but he spent his entire life just faithfully serving him, faithfully serving the Lord. In fact, at the end of his life, he said a few things that I just want to share with you. He said, not cold. Did you say not heard the call? I think you should put your ear down to the Bible and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. And he said, while women weep as they do now, I’ll fight. While little children go hungry. As they do, I’ll fight while men go to prison. In and out, in and out, as they do now. I’ll fight while Well, there is a drunkard left, while there is a a poor law school up on the streets, while there remains one dark soul. Without the light of God. I’ll fight. I’ll fight to the very end. And he did. In fact, in recognizing the beautiful place that God had him in this world, he said it like this I’m not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God. I mean, when you think about what your life is in Jesus, it is an incredible miracle that God would love you in your sin and give his very life for you, that you could find freedom in him and in that freedom that he would promise his indwelling spirit to be with you wherever he goes, to empower you in anything that he’s called you to.
In this world that has the joy of knowing Jesus has made known in your heart, it would be demonstrated through your life. What a gift. And as we look at the early church in the book of acts. We have the opportunity to see their example as a privilege for us today. You know, one of the one of the things that I love about the book of acts, when you get to the end of it, is that it doesn’t have an ending. It’s one of the maybe, maybe at first it might come across as frustrating. You you expect as you get to any letter of the Bible, you get to the end, you’re like, oh, there’s an ending here. And you get through the ending and you’re done. You get to access it. It just abruptly stops. You’re like, what? What happens? Like, where’s the rest of the story? Why is there no ending to the book of acts? Can I can I tell you my thought? That’s why there’s no ending to acts. It’s because the story isn’t finished being written. And the same God that’s worked in acts is still in move in his people today. And so we have the opportunity to live the story out in our lives as we surrender to him.