Sermon 1

The Facts About Acts

Acts 1:1-11

Who wrote the most of the New Testament? Its a trick question. You probably think that it was Paul who wrote 13 or 14 books. But that is not the right answer. The answer is Luke who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. This two books combined are more in volume (78 pages in my Bible)than all of the letters of Paul the Apostle (73 pages).

Tonight, I want we are going to begin a Sunday night study of Acts. (Different style - not a sermon; more of a Bible study with very limited notes).

Let's begin. (Encourage note taking) The Book of Acts is ...

... Exciting. There is nothing dull about the work of the Lord. Church starts at 11:00 sharp and ends at 12:00 dull. But it shouldn't be and doesn't have to be. It wasn't dull in the days of the apostles.

... The 1st volume of church history - from the ascension of Jesus to Paul's imprisonment in Rome (about 30 years). During those 30 years, Christianity grew from a small group (120) of Jewish believers to thousands of people in dozens of congregations throughout the Roman empire.

It is called the Acts of the Apostles but more rightly could be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles

Significance: We could not understand the Epistles without this Book. It connects the gospels to the epistles and characters (Paul; Timothy; Titus, etc.)

Wonderful connection to all four gospels.

Matthew ends with resurrection, see verse 3.

Mark ends with ascension, see verse 9.

Luke ends with promise of Spirit, see verses 4-8.

John ends with second coming, see verses 10-11.

It is a work of history, not of theology - non-repeatable & transitional. Doctrinal truths about salvation, about the Holy Spirit (50+ references). Practical principles - a textbook on disciplining believers, starting churches, doing mission work, evangelism.

The Author: Luke (compare 1:1 with Luke 1:1-4). We passages - 16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16.

The Audience - "Theophilus" - In Luke, "most excellent Theophilus". Who is he? Some say not a real person because of the meaning of his name, lover of God, to all those who love God.

A Roman official ("most excellent") - Christian? Pagan? Paul's lawyer who would represent him before Caesar?

According to Luke, his former treatise (the Gospel of Luke) was a record of what Jesus "began both to do and teach". The church, then, in the Book of Acts (and even to the present) is finishing the Lord's unfinished work.

6 Resources For Finishing Christ's Work

1. A Message, vs. 1-2. Our message is the gospel which begins with ministry of John the Baptist and ends with the ascension of Christ, see Mark 1:1; Luke 16:16; Acts 1:2; I Corinthians 15:1-4.

2. A Risen Savior, vs. 3.

3. Power from the Holy Spirit, vs. 4-8.

Jesus refers back to Matthew 3.

Jesus says the Holy Spirit will arrive in a few days.

It is clear that these disciples are still in the dark about many things. They do not know about the dispensation of grace which is about to come. Compare Joel 2:28-31 (Acts 2:16ff; Revelation 6:12); Daniel 9:24-27; Ephesians 3:1-5; Romans 11:25ff.

Jesus told them to wait for the Spirit and with His arrival they would receive "power".

4. A Mission, vs. 8b. To witness in ever-enlarging circles at the same time.

5. An Ascension, v. 9.

Important but often overlooked doctrine. It's significance is authority (Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father); our destiny (Col. 3:1-2); our intercession (Romans 8:34; Heb. 7:25).

6. A Motivator, v. 10-11. The passage ends with a promise of Christ's return. What motivation for service! What motivation to finish Christ's work.