Let's open back up to Acts chapter
1. I was able to read through Acts
the other day and I enjoyed it so much. Just chapter after chapter. I just really, this is such a
blessing. This book is such a great blessing. It is an interesting book. I don't know if the Lord is going
to allow us to go through it, or if we're going to be just
here this one time for now, but it's a very interesting book.
The title at the top says, The Acts of the Apostles. And that
was put there by the translators. And it's really the Acts of Christ. That's actually what it is. Everything
that he did, this is a diary. I'm gonna give us just a little
intro to this book, okay? This is a journal, that's what
it is. And I don't want this to be too
like college class, but a couple of interesting facts. This is
a journal of what happened to the apostles and all of the work
that the Lord did right after he ascended up to glory. It covers about 30 years. Our Lord began his ministry at
30, and he left this earth at 33, and this covers about the
following 30 years after that. It begins, you know, we just
read it, it begins at the Lord ascending up into glory, and
this book of Acts ends with the imprisonment of the Apostle Paul
in Rome. That's where it ends. Here's a couple more facts. Luke. The Gospel of Luke is the one
who wrote it. The one who the Lord used to pen it. He and Paul traveled quite a
bit together. And all of the things, or many
of the things anyway, that happened to Paul, you know, Paul went
through a lot. A lot of those things, Luke was with him. You don't really have to turn,
but over in 2 Timothy 4, verse 11, Paul says, only Luke is with
me. Okay, so they traveled quite
a bit together. And Luke was with him when Paul
went to Rome and was put in prison. Alright? That's when the Holy
Spirit inspired Luke to write the things that he had seen and
heard. Now, you know, when they put Paul in prison, the church
thought, God is not with us. He's not with us. I thought about
Tom Harding and Todd Nybert. What if word started spreading
they have put him in prison for preaching the gospel? What is
going to happen to this country? What's about to happen to all
the churches, God is not with us. That's when Paul got a pen. I think they did like that. He got a pen and he wrote a letter
to the Colossians. And then he wrote another letter
to a man named Philemon right then. And Luke got him a pen
and he wrote down all the things that he had seen and heard as
he traveled around with Paul. Thank God for the rocks and the
iron and the chains of that prison. Tools of God. Isn't that amazing? Rome meant it for evil. God meant
it for the salvation of men's souls. All things work together
for good. Every single thing that happens
on this earth is for the salvation of a sinful soul. Every single
thing that happens. Well, Acts chapter 1 verse 1
says, The former treaty have I made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do and teach." Luke is writing to Theophilus. And Theophilus means friend of
God. Friend of God. This book is not written to the
world. None of the scriptures are written
to the world. But specifically, this book is
written to the friend of God. That's who this is all written
to. He says in verse 1, the former
treaty have I made. Now this is what he's talking
about. He's talking about the other book that he penned, which
is the Gospel of Luke. Alright? Turn with me over to
Luke chapter 1. I just want to show you factually
a couple of more things and then we'll move on from the facts.
Luke chapter 1, verse 1. It says, for as much as many
have taken in hand to set forth in order a 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 write unto thee in order, Most Excellent Theophilus." Friend
of God. that thou mightest know the certainty
of those things wherein thou hast been instructed." Now go
with me to the last chapter of Luke, which is chapter 24. This is how he ends these treaties,
okay? Luke 24. Luke writes, and our Lord says
in verse 49, "'And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon
you, "'but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem "'until you be endued
with power from on high.' "'And he led them out as far as to
Bethany, "'and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. "'And it came to pass, while
he blessed them, "'he was parted from them and carried up into
heaven.'" And they worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing
God. Amen. So the Gospel of Luke ends
with the Lord ascending up into glory and everybody going back
to Jerusalem and gathering together, praising and blessing God. Okay?
Back in Acts chapter 1, Luke says, I'm going to pick up right
there where I left off. That's what we just read, those
first 14 verses. That is the pickup where he left
off in the Gospel of Luke. So it's just a continuation.
Acts is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. That's interesting,
isn't it? So verse 1 says, now, the former
treaty have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both
to do and teach. Theophilus, how does a person
become the friend of God? That's who this is written to
and that's who I want to be. I want to be the friend of God. James chapter 2. I've got a lot
of places and you can turn to some and not turn to some. But
James 2 verse 23 says, And the scripture was fulfilled which
saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness, and he was called the friend of God. The friend of God. I want to
be called the friend of God. How does a person become the
friend of God? Well, it begins with the Lord
Jesus Christ doing something. And it ends with Him telling
that friend what He has already done. That's how it works. Christ does something, and then
He teaches the sinner what He's already done. So verse 1 says,
The former treaty have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus
began both to do and teach. What did He do and teach? He
bled and died to take away my sin. That's what the song says. He bled and died that I might
be made the friend of God. So Luke says, I wrote all that
down in my former treaty. And that's what the whole gospel
is about, the suffering and death of Christ. That's what the whole
book is about. Verse 2 says, he says, I recorded
all that, verse 2, 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. Did you know that salvation
is a choice? It's just not ours. Look back at John 15 with me. John 15 verse 11. These things have I spoken unto
you. that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, that
you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath
no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
For Theophilus. Man, I hope I'm Theophilus. How
does a person become the friend of God? Christ has to lay down
his life for him. That's how. That's the only way. He says in verse 13, Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his
friends. Ye are my friends if you do whatsoever
I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants,
for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called
you friends. For all things that I have heard
of my Father I have made known unto you." And then he says,
you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that
you should go and bring forth fruit. In salvation, God does all the
choosing, every bit of it. You have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you." Back over to our text, Acts 1 says, verse
1, the former treaty, "...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. That's the only
time that word is in the scripture. And what it means is painful
experience. His death on the cross. Painful
experience. 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. I've got
a margin. Right there, for being assembled, and what it says is,
eating together. And that just struck me. Can you imagine that? This was
after He arose. He was in His glorified body.
The same body He is in right now on the throne. And over the space of 40 days,
He appeared unto them a few times, and they had dinner together.
Those men had dinner with God. That is amazing. "...being assembled
together with them," verse 4, "...commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father, which, saith he, you have heard of me. For John truly
baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence." Now, I want to show you where he said
that, okay? I know we're turning quite a
bit, but I want to show you some of these things. I think this
is really interesting and important. Go with me over to Mark 16. Mark
16, verse 9 says, Now when Jesus was risen, early
the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom He had cast seven devils. And she went and told
them that had been with Him as they mourned and wept. And they,
when they had heard that He was alive and had been seen of her,
believed not. After that, he appeared in another
form unto two of them as they walked and went into the country,
that was the two on the road to Emmaus, and they went and
told it unto the residue, neither believed they them. Afterward,
he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided
them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they
believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he
said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these
signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall
cast out devils." That ability was given to the
apostles. And then he says in verse 17,
they shall speak with new tongues. And that ability was given to
the apostles. Verse 18 says, they shall take
up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not
hurt them. We all have seen the news. We
know the man just died from the snake. That ability was given
to the apostles. Those guys are playing with fire. And it says in verse 18, they
shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. That ability
was given to the apostles. Verse 19 says, so then after
the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven
and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and
preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming
the word with signs following. Amen. So as we have opportunity to
look through Acts, what we're going to see is these gifts that
he just mentioned right there. We're in Acts chapter 1. If the
Lord lets us go to Acts chapter 2, we're going to see speaking
in tongues. All right? So it says that the Lord worked,
the Lord did it, and it says He worked with them, or what
that means is through them, He used them to do His work, confirming
the Word with signs. That is the reason the apostles
were given those abilities. The New Testament was not written,
okay? And it was to confirm that these
men had God's Word. It was to confirm it. They wrote
it down, and we have it now, and there's no more need for
signs. None whatsoever. We have His Word. Signs are over. An evil and adulterous generation
seeks after a sign. We just believe the Word. We
don't need signs anymore. Back over to our text in Acts. Verse 6 says, When they therefore
were come together, They asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou
at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? Are you going
to establish your kingdom here again on this earth? That's what
he's asking. That's what they're asking. Are
you going to sit on a throne in Jerusalem? Look over at Luke
17. Luke 17 verse 20 says, And when he was demanded of the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered
them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. And my margin says, With outward
show. Okay, it's not going to be seen
with observation. Verse 21, "...neither shall they
say, Lo here! or Lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God
is within you." That's where it is. He says, if they say,
well, he's sitting back over there, don't drive over there
and say, the kingdom of God is in you. Verse 22, "...and he
said unto the disciples, The days will come when you shall
desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man." He's been
on the earth now for 33 years. And he said, the day is going
to come when you're just going to wish you had one day of me on the
earth. Verse 22, he said unto his disciples,
the days will come when you shall desire to see one of the days
of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it. And they shall say
to you, See here, or see there, go not after them, nor follow
them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth
out of the one part unto heaven, and shineth unto the other part
unto heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in his day." He's
saying, when I come back, it's going to be that fast. Verse
25 says, But first, must he suffer many things and be rejected of
this generation." He's saying, I've got to go to the cross first.
This generation's got to despise me, reject me. I've got to pay
the debt of all the sin of my people first before all this
can happen. So back over in Acts chapter
1. Verse 6 says, When they therefore were come together, they asked
of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is
not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father
hath put in his own power. There are some things that we
must not know. We just must not. There are some
things that we must not study. That sounds strange, doesn't
it? We must not become taken with. There are some things it is not
for us to know. And we bow to that. It's just
not for us to know. Here's two of them. Times or
seasons. Times, years, days, calculations,
and seasons. He said, you see the sign of
the times and you know when summer's coming, right? Look over at Matthew
24 with me. Matthew 24 verse 36 says, But of that day and hour knoweth
no man. No, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only. If we become too taken up, just
too taken up with days and times and things, what is going to
happen is we're going to miss Christ. That's what's going to
happen. We're going to get it, it teases
our intellect in it. We're going to miss Christ and
then He's going to come back and it's going to happen as a
thief in the night. And we're not going to be ready. Look at
verse 42 right here. Matthew 24 verse 42. Watch therefore,
for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this,
that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief
would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his
house to be broken up. Paul said, I'm determined to
know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's all I need to be accepted
in the Beloved, is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That's it.
So back over in Acts chapter 1, verse 7 says, He said unto
them, it is not for you to know the times or the seasons which
the Father hath put in His own power, but you shall receive
power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall
be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. He said, I
must leave that the Comforter can come. That's what he said
in another place, the Holy Spirit of God. He's going to come to
you in power, and it is powerful. It's going to be irresistible,
that's what he's saying. And he's going to put faith in
you and cause you to believe and be a witness unto me. That's
what he's going to do. Verse 9 says, and when he had
spoken these things, While they beheld, he was taken up, and
a cloud received him out of their sight." Can you imagine that? Can you imagine that? While he
was talking, I imagine him finishing the sentence as he's being taken
up. The glory and the majesty of
watching him ascend. watching him ascend into heaven
as the victorious Savior, the High King, the Almighty God. What a sight. I thought about
the Queen of Sheba. It says when she went to see
Solomon, she was going to bring Solomon some gifts, you know,
thank you for having me. So she brought some gold on some
wagons or whatever it was she brought. When she got there and
saw everything that Solomon had, and all of his servants, and
the table that he had spread. And she had her little gift over
here. It was so embarrassing to her. And how great this man
was. And finally, she watched him
take steps and ascend up to his throne. And she said, when I
saw that, there was just no more spirit left in me. Take me now. Oh man. A greater than Solomon
was right there. And they watched Him ascend up
to His throne on high. Can you imagine? Verse 9 says, And when He had
spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and
a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked
steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood
by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you
have seen him go into heaven." The glorious news of the gospel. They're all just going like this.
And these two angels come up and they said, did you see what
he just did? You're going to watch him come right back down
the same way he went up. The good glorious news of the
gospel is he is coming back. Don't you love him? Aren't you
in love with him? Don't you want to see him? He's
coming back. He is really coming back. Why? Go with me to John 14. John 14 verse 1 says, let not
your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you,
and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
receive you unto myself. that where I am, there you may
be also. That's why he's coming back.
Matthew 24, 31 says He's coming to gather together His elect
from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. That's why He's coming back,
to scoop up His people, and they're going to live together forever
with Him. Back over in Acts 1, verse 11
says, which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing
up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken
up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you
have seen Him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem
from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem, a Sabbath
day's journey. And when they were come in, they
went up into an upper room where abode both Peter and James and
John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James
the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes and Judas, the brother
of James. These all continued with one
accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the
mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. They immediately gathered
together with one accord and worshipped God with prayer and
supplication, just like we're doing right now. That's what
they did. This is what all His sheep have
been doing since the day He left, and this is what all His sheep
will be doing until the day He comes back down. We're going
to be right here, we're just waiting on Him. You know what
life is all about? Waiting on Christ. We're just
waiting on Him. We're just going to gather together
and we're just going to talk about Him and say, didn't our
hearts burn within us? He went up and He's coming back.
And it's a joyful thing. This is the most joyful thing
on earth, waiting on Christ. I want to close with the way
that was penned in Luke, okay? We're going to close with this.
Go to Luke 24. Luke 24, verse 50 says, And he led them out as far as
to Bethany. And he lifted up his hands and
blessed them. And it came to pass, while he
blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up into heaven.
And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and
were continually in the temple." Praising and blessing God. Amen. Great joy because they all said
he's coming back. He's coming back. Every single
believer says, Amen. Amen. That means so be it. I love that. I hope the Lord
will bless that. Let's stand together.