Image: "Emerging Bloom", 2017, Jonas Green Park, Annapolis, Md
Acts 1:3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:11 ... who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:21–22 “Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
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With the Book of Acts, we begin the final countdown to completing this two-year journey through the Bible. It started in the first week of Lent, 2019 and Lent comes early this year. (2/17/21) It seems appropriate somehow that this section of Scripture is before us because, in many ways, the work of the Holy Spirit in establishing, growing, protecting, and empowering the Church of Jesus Christ is the culminating phase of all history. That's what the Acts is all about.
Luke has done a powerful job in writing this book and the first chapter not only sets the stage, in many ways it defines the book. What it teaches us is that the Church of Jesus Christ began, continues, and shall prevail in its primary mission: to bear witness through reliable men and women, to the crucified but resurrected Jesus Who has ascended to heaven and shall, in the fullness of time, return in the same way He departed. (see above verses)
Today it seems that the modern Church fails to concentrate on this primary mission. Most solid, conservative churches still preach the Cross but only in its most narrow application: the individual forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life for all who believe. In ministry, the Church is most often characterized by a therapeutic vision: we offer comfort and healing ministries to those empty souls who long to be filled.
These things are good and must continue, but we must remember that in essence, these ministries are like the healings and exhortations of Jesus and His disciples. These things, properly understood, are signs: they point to a greater truth that is to transform the daily lives of the Christians who embrace the Church and its message and that is to be the core proclamation of the Church in both its individual and corporate messages.
That core message - stripped to its bare facts - is: Jesus of Nazareth was God in the flesh in His earthly ministry and was killed on a cross but He rose again from the dead and is alive even now! Throughout the book of Acts, we will see this message powerfully applied to both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus, by His resurrection, has vindicated His teachings about Himself and the Kingdom of God. (1:3) Jesus, by His ascension, has clearly established that He lives at the right hand of God and has all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus, by sending His Holy Spirit, has empowered the Church to proclaim these things throughout the entire world (1:8) to the end that every tribe and nation will contribute its share to the eternal harvest yet to come. Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead and will hold the Church accountable for how it pursued its mission.
When viewed this way it seems so simple. In one sense it is. But, this Gospel, as Paul will state, is the power of God unto salvation. But, we must be cautious about this idea of simplicity. This "simple" Gospel is like the still waters of a deep lake. As the Church and its individual members undertake to live a life reflective of this gospel, incredible things begin to happen. This is the unfolding story of the Acts and it continues down to this day.
As the Church spreads throughout the world it discovers that the Holy Spirit has prepared many to hear and embrace its message. As the Church grows it becomes the focus of jealous rage by those powers and principalities that have a vested interest in the evil status quo. We will see a vicious backlash develop. This backlash continues down to this day also.
But the Holy Spirit acted then and continues to act now, to preserve Jesus' Church. to nurture it, and to cause its message to sink deep into the consciousness of all men and nations. Saved and unsaved, regenerate and unregenerate, caustic disparagers and convinced proponents, all have this in common: they cannot deny the deep impact that the Church has had on the history of mankind.
This was and is the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus' Church. The book of Acts contains the opening chapters of this story but it does not bring that story to an end. Only Jesus' return will do that.
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