Sermon Info
Summary
After Jesus conquered death on Easter, He stayed on the earth 40 days until He ascended into heaven. During this time, Jesus prepared His disciples to be the Early Church. The book of Acts is the story of the Church. The Church is how God accomplishes His work in the world. The Church is made up of ordinary Christ-followers united in the confession of faith, “Jesus is Lord” and is fueled by the Holy Spirit. The Church is alive today. And, we are the Church.
Content
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:16-18
1. Acts is about God’s work in His Church.
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. Acts 1:1-2
- Acts is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke.
- Acts stands for “Acts of the Apostles,” but should be “Acts of the Spirit.”
- Acts was written to you (“Theophilus” means “lover of God”).
- Acts is mostly descriptive and sometimes prescriptive.
2. Jesus calls us to be His witnesses.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8
- Jerusalem - the home where you live.
- Judea - your community.
- Samaria - different culture.
- The ends of the earth - international missions.
3. The Church is not made up of perfect people, but people united in Jesus.
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives...They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Acts 1:12 and 14
- The confession of our faith - “Jesus is Lord.”
- Don’t let money, or anything else, become more important than Jesus.
- The importance of engagement in the church.
- Every Christ-follower is essential to the Body of Christ.
4. God works in the world today through His Church.
Then they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry...” Acts 1:24-25a
- God has a plan and a purpose for His Church.
- The Church is the vehicle God uses to accomplish His work in the world.
- The Church is not a building, but the body of Christ.
We are the Church.
