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Category: Acts for a 21st c. Church

Acts of the Apostles + a History of Christ’s Church

Acts of the Apostles 1-28

Acts of the Apostles:
+ The first century Church SHARED Christ while suffering severe persecution.
+ Luke records a historic account of the Church which gives 21c Christians a context to SHARE the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.

Read more about the Early Church & add your COMMENT on Scripture.

ACT now.

+ SHARE the Gospel history witnessed in the CURRENT chronological SERIES from ACTS of the APOSTLES.

The Ascension

Acts 1:3 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.

4 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

The crucified and risen Christ Jesus walked with, ate with, and instructed the disciples for more than a month.

We know that Jesus spent these precious forty days not only instructing the Apostles how to take the Gospel into all the world, but also instructing other true disciples of the early church.

1 Corinthians 15: … Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.

6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time…

Jesus’ instruction to the Apostles, now to be led in unity of Christ’s purpose by Peter, would have been frequent and private as He had done throughout His three-year incarnate mission leading to the Cross.

These same Apostles had witnessed Jesus transfigured and standing with Moses and Elijah. These same Apostles had witnessed the love and power of hundreds of miracles. These same Apostles had witnessed Jesus (and then Peter briefly) walking on the Sea of Galilee!

The Apostles, disciples of the Way, Jews and Romans had witnessed His horrific crucifixion; and now more than five hundred had witnessed Jesus’ glorious resurrection.

Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 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.”

9 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.

10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 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.”

The Power and Majesty of God Almighty: once again evident to mere mortal men.

Returning to Luke’s description of Jesus’ ascension in his first scroll:

Luke 24:

48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

May 9, 2014
Until He Was Taken Up

Jesus IS risen from death on a cross! Then after appearing alive is again taken up into heaven.

Witness after witness has told you what our Lord has done. Jesus appeared not only to the Apostles and family, but the risen Jesus also appeared to other witnesses.

How can we explain this singular pivotal event in the history of man to others? How do we tell this Good News?

This is the dilemma of Dr. Luke, Mark and the Apostles Mathew and John.

Peter, the ten remaining Apostles and others can give their witness to a scribe of history (like Mark or Luke); but then the dilemma of the reporter: how can this writer of this most important Good News convince the hearers (for most were incapable of reading the written word) of the absolute truth of the eyewitness accounts: the Gospel?

Jesus IS risen from death; Jesus walked with and instructed the Apostles; Jesus IS then taken up into the clouds to His rightful Throne of heaven!

Luke has written his Gospel account as one book. Now Luke continues in what we know as the Acts of the Apostles. Luke recounts the time after Jesus resurrection. Luke chronicles the days of the first century church, beginning with the time of the Apostles with Jesus after the resurrection and before His ascension to heaven.

Now in his second book Luke details the Acts of the Apostles.

Acts 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 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.

NOTE: As a twenty-first century reader of this first century writer I have read several commentaries on the identity of Theophilus.

The best consensus is that among the few learned men of the day, he may be a faithful disciple of the early church who provided needed funds and materials to Dr. Luke (another early disciple of the Way) for Luke to record his Gospel. (The disciple Mark would have also needed the grant of materials and time to write his Gospel account.

Luke continues:

4 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; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

… To be continued

May 5, 2014
Christians: Servants in Prison Singing

What must I do?

By the Power of the Holy Spirit, preach Christ crucified and praise Jesus as your risen Lord.

Acts 16
English Standard Version (ESV)

Paul and Silas in Prison

16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.”

18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

Remarkable! Paul recognizes the power of a spirit of evil which lives in the body of this woman fortune-teller. A spirit has knowledge and power over her flesh. Yet the spirit subservient to Satan must respond to the command of Christ.

19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers…

22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods.

23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The light of Christ frees a woman from satanic sin. And the reward for these Christians?

A brutal beating and imprisonment in a dark cell as punishment.

The Philippian Jailer Converted

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened.

You and your Christian friend are beaten severely. You are both thrown in a dark prison cell unjustly. You sing praise to God! Answer? An EARTHQUAKE!

Maybe God will just let you die now. Maybe God will bring the stones down on you and end your pain and misery.

NO.

The trembling earth and falling stones settle into something quite unexpected: a jailer, fearing for his life because you may have escaped and he, instead, could be executed.

27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.”

29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas.

Only GOD could do a work like this!

30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

I believe in the Lord Jesus. May my wife and our household be in His hands. (This is my personal prayer & witness.)

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

I have witnessed the Power and mercy of Christ.

What must I do to be saved?

You with ears to hear, hear the voice of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.

April 24, 2014