The book of Acts is God’s sequel and each of us has a part
Jesus told the disciples not to focus on “what ifs” but on faithful service in the moment.
Pastor Kevin Wade
Our world today seems obsessed with sequels and prequels – taking old stories and rehashing them with better graphics or slightly different words. I want us to consider, though, the best sequel of all time: the Book of Acts.
Think about it: Jesus chose His followers. They believed His message and became His disciples. Then they watched Him die. Hope was lost. But three days later, Jesus was back. Satan thought he could stop God's plan with Jesus’ death. However, the story continues in Acts: It’s Jesus, Part 2.
Acts is the second volume of Luke's investigative work. Luke wrote 27 percent of the New Testament, yet we know remarkably little about him. He was a physician, a faithful traveling companion of Paul, and one of the greatest historians the world has ever known.
The title of Volume 2, “Acts of the Apostles,” can be misleading. It seems to be too man-centered, as if the church grew because of Peter's power or Paul's charisma. But the real story is about the Acts of Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus moving in His people. It's the Spirit that leads, the Spirit that moves, the Spirit that builds the church and the kingdom.
Our world today seems obsessed with sequels and prequels – taking old stories and rehashing them with better graphics or slightly different words. I want us to consider, though, the best sequel of all time: the Book of Acts.
Think about it: Jesus chose His followers. They believed His message and became His disciples. Then they watched Him die. Hope was lost. But three days later, Jesus was back. Satan thought he could stop God's plan with Jesus’ death. However, the story continues in Acts: It’s Jesus, Part 2.
Acts is the second volume of Luke's investigative work. Luke wrote 27 percent of the New Testament, yet we know remarkably little about him. He was a physician, a faithful traveling companion of Paul, and one of the greatest historians the world has ever known.
The title of Volume 2, “Acts of the Apostles,” can be misleading. It seems to be too man-centered, as if the church grew because of Peter's power or Paul's charisma. But the real story is about the Acts of Jesus and the Spirit of Jesus moving in His people. It's the Spirit that leads, the Spirit that moves, the Spirit that builds the church and the kingdom.
Confusion and clarity
In Acts 1, the disciples are confused. They ask Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time that you're restoring the kingdom to Israel?” They'd seen Jesus walk on water, feed multitudes, raise the dead, heal the sick. They thought He was going to overthrow Rome and restore David's kingdom. Instead, they watched Him get arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified.
But here's what I love about verse 3: Jesus “presented himself alive after his suffering.” Luke emphasizes that word suffering – both to remind us of Jesus' passion and to prepare us for what's coming. We are commissioned as witnesses. Witness comes from the Greek word from which we get “martyr.” Following Jesus means there will be suffering.
But here's the good news: there is life after suffering. Whatever we're going through, whatever we've been through, whatever awaits us – Jesus' resurrection tells us there's life on the other side. “Congratulations,” someone once said – we've all survived every worst day we've ever had. We're still here. Why? Because there is life after suffering.
Jesus hung around for 40 days after His resurrection, giving “many convincing proofs” – a term from Greek logic meaning you can't deny what you see. He didn't just appear once where they could chalk it up to grief. He lived life with them, ate with them, touched them, taught them. He wanted them to know with all their senses: “I am alive.”
That's the message that changes the world. A crucified Messiah buried in a tomb changes nothing. But a resurrected Lord? That changes everything.
The Mission
The disciples were looking to the end: Is this it? Is it over? But Jesus redirects them. Salvation is finished, but we still have work to do: “I've got sheep that are not of this flock that we must go get.”
He tells them in verse 8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses.”
To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means to be overwhelmed with His presence and indwelt for His mission (verse 5). The Spirit that rested on Jesus is the same Spirit that rests in us (verse 2).
In Acts 1, the disciples are confused. They ask Jesus, “Lord, is it at this time that you're restoring the kingdom to Israel?” They'd seen Jesus walk on water, feed multitudes, raise the dead, heal the sick. They thought He was going to overthrow Rome and restore David's kingdom. Instead, they watched Him get arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified.
But here's what I love about verse 3: Jesus “presented himself alive after his suffering.” Luke emphasizes that word suffering – both to remind us of Jesus' passion and to prepare us for what's coming. We are commissioned as witnesses. Witness comes from the Greek word from which we get “martyr.” Following Jesus means there will be suffering.
But here's the good news: there is life after suffering. Whatever we're going through, whatever we've been through, whatever awaits us – Jesus' resurrection tells us there's life on the other side. “Congratulations,” someone once said – we've all survived every worst day we've ever had. We're still here. Why? Because there is life after suffering.
Jesus hung around for 40 days after His resurrection, giving “many convincing proofs” – a term from Greek logic meaning you can't deny what you see. He didn't just appear once where they could chalk it up to grief. He lived life with them, ate with them, touched them, taught them. He wanted them to know with all their senses: “I am alive.”
That's the message that changes the world. A crucified Messiah buried in a tomb changes nothing. But a resurrected Lord? That changes everything.
The Mission
The disciples were looking to the end: Is this it? Is it over? But Jesus redirects them. Salvation is finished, but we still have work to do: “I've got sheep that are not of this flock that we must go get.”
He tells them in verse 8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses.”
To be baptized with the Holy Spirit means to be overwhelmed with His presence and indwelt for His mission (verse 5). The Spirit that rested on Jesus is the same Spirit that rests in us (verse 2).
Being the Church
An important part of reading the Scriptures is not merely to obtain historical and theological knowledge, but to consider how we can practically apply these truths to our lives. In that spirit, I want us to see three things this passage illustrates about being the church:
The question isn't whether God has called us – He has. The question is: Are we being obedient? Are we letting the Spirit lead us where God has told us to go? Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But with His Spirit guiding, empowering and teaching us – we can change the world.
An important part of reading the Scriptures is not merely to obtain historical and theological knowledge, but to consider how we can practically apply these truths to our lives. In that spirit, I want us to see three things this passage illustrates about being the church:
- We must be led by the Spirit.
Every major breakthrough in Acts happens through the Spirit's guidance. When the church tried going its own way, God stopped it. We need to go when the Spirit says go, and stop when the Spirit says stop. - We must be witnesses.
We didn't see Jesus with our own eyes, but we're witnesses of the truth the apostles left us. We're witnesses of what God has done in our own lives. And yes, that may bring suffering – but remember, there's life after suffering.
- We must be obedient.
We shouldn't worry about when the end will come or what the final result will be. We just need to be obedient until the Master returns. Jesus said, “Blessed is the servant whose master finds him working when he comes.” Will we be found working when He does?
The question isn't whether God has called us – He has. The question is: Are we being obedient? Are we letting the Spirit lead us where God has told us to go? Apart from Him, we can do nothing. But with His Spirit guiding, empowering and teaching us – we can change the world.
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