Acts of the Apostles and I gave
it some consideration and actually interestingly I checked on the
chapters that I'd never preached from in the Acts. In actual fact
there's six chapters in the Acts which I've never preached from
to the best of my knowledge and I've got a record going back
at least 12 years, probably 15 years. So as I thought upon it
I thought well If I've never preached from them, then those
chapters at least have never actually been read in public
here. So, I pray that our consideration of this little book, or big book
as it is, the Acts of the Apostles, might truly be made a blessing
to us. Now, it falls in a very different
category of course, to those of Paul's, because they are very
doctrinal, whereas This book really gives an historical account
of the Acts of the Apostles. So it won't be a question, as
I see it, of taking just one or two or three verses at a time,
but generally speaking it will be taking a section at a time. So I pray the Lord will bless
our meditation as we may move through this Acts of the Apostles. And this evening we'll just take
the first five verses. which form a whole section by
themselves. We'll just read this section again. The former treatise
have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to
do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up after that
he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles
whom he had chosen. To whom also he showed himself
alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen
of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God, and being assembled together with them, commanded
them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for
the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with
water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many
days hence. Well the Apostle commences this
by saying the former treatise have I made O Theophilus and
you may remember that the person who spoke those words was the
Apostle Luke and he wrote in his epistle he wrote similar
words as he addressed the people in the beginning and he said
for as much as many have taken in hand to set forth in order
the declaration of those things which are most surely believed
among us even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning
were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word It seemed good to
me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first
to right unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus. So he is addressing the excellent
Theophilus and we don't know anything more about him than
that statement there and he addresses this again to Theophilus and
he just continues really in his meditations in the following
on from that epistle or that gospel rather to Luke he says
the former treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus
began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken
up after that heath where the Holy Ghost had given commandments
unto the apostles whom he had chosen and of course we know
that in the Gospel of Luke, it does really go right through
from the very beginning of the life of the Lord Jesus and right
to when he was taken up into glory. You remember he led the
disciples out to Bethany and it was at that place that he
was taken up from them and we read then, open here their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them
thus it is written and thus it behove Christ to suffer and to
rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission
of sin should be preached in his name among all nations beginning
at Jerusalem and ye are witnesses of these things and behold I
send the promise of my father upon you but tarry ye in the
city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high
So there are very similar words really that Luke ended his gospel
and he commences the Acts of the Apostles with very similar
words. But the whole thrust of course
in these few opening words is that he directs us to the fact
that very carefully had been covered the wonderful teaching
of the Lord Jesus. All that Jesus began both to
do and teach until the day in which he was taken up after that
he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments and as he
stated here and said unto them that it is written and that it
behove Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third
day and that repentance and remission of sins to be preached in his
name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem and so as he ended
this gospel we see a very clear statement of his directing us
to the life and the death the sufferings of Christ very clearly
set before us and then what should occur and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name and we should not
forget that sometimes we may tend to duck out of such statements
like that but here is a very important statement which Luke
makes and referenced to it here as he continues in the Acts of
the Apostles until the day in which he was taken up after he
for the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the Apostles
whom he had chosen to whom also he showed himself alive after
his passion by many infallible proofs being seen of them forty
days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God. And it is interesting to notice
that the Lord Jesus, it was forty days after he'd risen from the
dead until the time that he was taken up from the earth and ascended
up in that cloud and there are a number of 40 days mentioned
in the Bible and they clearly must be of some significance
I'm not prepared to give any particular views on that but
you might just consider it yourselves and I'll just give a little list
of I think most of the 40 days which are referred to we know
that the flood was 40 days on the earth we know that Moses
was 40 days in the mount we know that the spies were 40 days spying
out the land of Canaan and we know because of the disobedience
of the children of Israel that Israel then spent 40 years wandering
in the wilderness a day for a year for each day that the spies were
in Canaan. And Goliath presented himself
40 days before Israel, before David slew him. Elijah went in
the strength of the food that he was given for 40 days and
40 nights. Jonah also warned the people
that there would be 40 days and then judgment would come upon
them and we also know that the Lord Jesus when he was declared
to be the son of God and was baptized he was led into the
wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights so there are a number
of forties which are very clearly described in the word of God
and here we have this statement here, to whom also he showed
himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs being
seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God. Now again just to refresh our
memories the Lord Jesus did appear to a number of people in those
forty days generally only for a short time on each occasion
and the first time was to Mary Magdalene on that day, that resurrection
morn when she came to the tomb to seek after Jesus and Jesus
revealed himself to her when he said that very beautiful salutation,
Mary and she turned and realised who it was the Lord Jesus Master
well and then he appeared on that road to Emmaus that wonderful
occasion when those two people were journeying on that Emmaus
road and they were sad because they didn't understand what had
really happened There were things going round in their minds. They
couldn't really fit them all together. And then we're told
Jesus himself drew near and went with them. What did he do on
that journey? He opened to them the scriptures
concerning himself. What a blessing that is for us.
For the Lord Jesus draws near to us and opens the scriptures
to our understanding. so that we see Jesus. Well, it had a wonderful effect
on those two, didn't it? And as they said, did not our
heart burn within us? And when they got to Emmaus and
when the Lord departed from them, they didn't hesitate, they went
fast back to tell the disciples what they had seen and who they'd
been with. And then Jesus appeared to the
ten disciples in an upper room. He stood in the midst. Thomas wasn't there. Thomas doubted. Thomas said he wouldn't believe
unless he was able to thrust his hand into his side and put
his finger into the nail holes in his hands and feet and then
the next time Jesus came again and stood in the midst and this
time to the eleven and now Thomas was there and the Lord invited
him to do that which he requested that he would do before he believed
on this occasion he simply said my Lord and my God yes he was
given that blessed ability to believe it was the Saviour. Then the Lord came and met with
these seven at the Sea of Tiberias. Remember He prepared some food
for them on coals and ate that fish with them. Then He appeared to all the apostles
and then to 500 people at once. and then on an occasion just
singly to James and then on this occasion when he was taken up
from the earth and it would appear that the Lord Jesus after he
rose from the dead was only revealed to those of his people a very
favoured and select number who it was ordained that the Lord
Jesus should come and appear to. So we have this statement,
to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many
infallible proofs. And they were infallible proofs,
weren't they? Because he ate with them and they felt him and
they knew that he was the very man and yet very God. and being assembled together
with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father which saith, He, ye have
heard of me. It is significant that the Lord
told them to go and to abide at Jerusalem. It was of course
at Jerusalem that the Lord Jesus had been crucified outside the
city gate. So here he tells his disciples
to go to Jerusalem and to wait there. They were to tarry certain
days. They didn't know, did they, how
long that was going to be. But we do know, of course, how
long it was. It was in fact ten days bringing
the 40 days up to 50 days because it was then at Pentecost when
the Lord did come in that power of His Spirit He says, you have
heard of me for John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized
with the Holy Ghost not many days hence and as we shall come
on to that occasion as the Lord may help us to speak of that
wonderful occasion on that day at Pentecost. And of course,
what occurred? Well, the Spirit came upon them.
And what did the apostles do? They preached Jesus. And that was the great and blessed
effect, wasn't it? Because they were able to declare
the Lord Jesus Christ, who He was, what He'd done. And now
He was risen from the dead. and ascended into glory and with
those great and glorious truths there was then the blessing of
that repentance was given here we have this thing and that repentance
and remission of sins should be preached in his name among
all nations beginning at Jerusalem and so it did it began at Jerusalem
that wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God and that
had of course been prophesied on several occasions first of
all we might just think of that prophecy which would appear to
be relevant in the prophecy of Joel and in the second chapter
and the 28th verse we read and it shall come to pass afterward
that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons
and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams
your young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and
upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit and
I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth blood and fire
and pillars of smoke and also Isaiah we read in Isaiah's prophecy
of those things which that prophet was able to speak of those things
which were to come in the 32nd chapter of Isaiah and the 15th
verse we read that well known verse until the spirit be poured
upon us from on high And the wilderness be a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. And of course it
had been an exceedingly barren time until that wonderful occasion
when the Spirit of the Lord came down upon that assembly at Pentecost. And a similar statement also
in the 44th chapter of Isaiah when the prophet says for I will
pour water third verse upon him that is thirsty and floods upon
the dry ground I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing
upon thine offspring so it's good to be able to look in the
Old Testament and see God's prophecy being fulfilled and may be encouraged
therefore as we read these words here this evening to recognize
that the Lord was gracious and the Lord fulfilled that which
he had promised and so for John truly baptized of water but ye
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence Amen