I plan, the Lord willing, to
bring some messages from the Book of Acts, and the one tonight
will be the first eleven verses of Chapter 1 of the Book of Acts. The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter
1. Now just a note or two, the Book
of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles is what it's called, is a brief
history of the ministry and the miracles and the messages of
the Apostles of Christ. That's what it is, a brief history
of the ministry, the messages, the miracles of the Apostles
of Christ. a period of about 35 years. It begins with the ascension
of Christ. That's what we're going to talk
about tonight. The book of Acts begins with the ascension of
Christ and it ends with Paul the apostle in prison in Rome. The final chapter ends with Paul
in Rome. Now this book was written, we're
just certain, it was written by Luke. Luke was a Gentile. Luke was
not a Jew. Luke was a Gentile. He wasn't
an apostle. He was a Gentile. He was born
in Antioch, in Syria. You know, when we read our newspaper
today, we read about all of these places where all of this began. But Luke was educated a physician. Let me show you that in Colossians
chapter 4. Colossians chapter 4. Luke was
a... The word Luke is a common Roman
name. And Lucas, Lucius, Lucas. Colossians chapter 4 verse 14. It says, Luke was a companion
of Paul. Paul loved Luke. I'm going to
show you that in a minute. But Luke, the beloved physician,
and we must greet you. But our greater knowledge of
Luke comes to us through the testimony of Paul. For Luke was
a companion of Paul, with him continually. Look, if you will,
at 2 Timothy. While you're over there, 2 Timothy
4, verse 11. Let's read verse 10. Paul says, Demas hath forsaken
me. You know, we read a while ago,
Luke, the beloved physician, Demas has quit, as many did. Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica. Christian to Galatia, Titus under
Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. So take John Mark, you remember
John Mark quit the ministry and now he's back in the ministry
with Paul. Take John Mark and bring him with you when you come. He's profitable to me for the
ministry. But Luke was a traveling companion
of the Apostle Paul. Most people believe, however
now Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke. So he was with the Lord
from the beginning, from the beginning of our Lord's ministry.
Some people believe that Luke was one of the 70 that the Lord
sent out. If you turn to the book of Luke,
chapter 10, most writers believe that Luke, having been used of
the Lord to write the gospel of Luke, and that he was an early
convert, he was with the Lord from the beginning. He's bound
to have been because of the things that he knew and wrote. In Luke 10, verse 1, After these
things the Lord appointed another seventy besides the twelve, and
sent them two and two before his face unto every city and
place where he himself would come. wrote the gospel of Luke, and
he wrote the book of Acts, and that's pretty evident from Luke
1. Turn to Luke 1. I'm going to
read Luke 1 and then Acts 1 and show you the association here. In Luke 1, verse 1, you have
it there, Luke 1, verse 1, 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." I was an eyewitness and a minister along with these
other men. It seemed good to me also, Luke speaking, having
had perfect understanding of all things from the very first,
to write unto you in order most excellent Theophilus, that thou
mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast
been instructed." Now, keep that in mind and turn to Acts 1. Here in Acts 1, verse 1, Luke,
who wrote The Gospel of Luke. And finished it, as Bob read
a while ago, with the ascension of Christ. Now takes up right
where he left off with the ascension of Christ and then writes the
history of the early church and the ministry of the Apostle.
To the same man. Listen. Chapter 1, Acts of the
Apostle, verse 1. The former treatise, the former
book, have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both
to do and to teach, unto the day in which he was taken up.
After that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments
unto the apostles which he had chosen. So Theophilus is the
one to whom Luke addressed his gospel. And Theopolis is the
one to whom Luke addressed the history of the ministry, messages,
and miracles of the apostle. Who is Theopolis? I wish I knew,
but nobody else does. I searched and searched and no
one is certain concerning who this man is. Now here's what
many believe, most agree, that he is a man of great authority. Why did they arrive at that?
Well, you remember back when I read Luke 1, he said, I write
unto you, most excellent Theophilus. That's the same title that the
captain of the guard gave to Felix, most excellent Felix,
who was the governor. And that's the same title that
Paul gave to Festus, most noble and excellent Festus. So many
believe that this man, Theophilus, and his name means, according
to Strong's concordance, a friend of God, a lover of God. All lovers of
God are not called Theophilus, but Theophilus was called a friend
of God. Not many mighty, not many noble
are called But some are. That's what Queen Victoria said
one time. She said to somebody, she said,
I give thanks for the letter M. And the person to whom she
was speaking said, Your Majesty, why would you give thanks for
the letter M? She said, well, the Lord said, not many mighty,
not many noble are called. He didn't say not any. I give
thanks for that at the end, there's not many. Let me give you, let
me tell you about two of them. Turn to John chapter 19, just
back a couple of pages. John chapter 19, verse 38 and
39. John 19, 38. After this, Joseph
of Arimathea, he was a very, very wealthy man. being a disciple
of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews. He besought Pilate
that he might take away the body of Jesus after his death. And
Pilate gave him leave. This man knew Pilate. He was
on conversational terms with the
governor, wealthy man, who asked the body of Christ. And he came,
therefore, and took the body of Jesus, and there came also
with him Nicodemus, ruler of the Jews. Not many mighty, not
many noble, but there's some. Which at the first came to Jesus
by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred
weight. And they, those two men, took
Jesus, the body of Jesus, down from the cross, wound it in linen
clothes, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to
bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a
garden, and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein never man
yet laid. Whose sepulchre was it? It was
Joseph's of Arimathea. And they laid, then laid they
Jesus, therefore because of the Jews' preparation day for the
sepulchre was nigh at hand. So Luke's a writer, beloved physician,
Gentile. And he writes to this man Theopolis,
we believe he's the author of both of these, the Gospel of
Luke and this because of the greeting. Because certainly Luke
is referring here to the former book that he addressed to this
particular man. All right, in that early book,
the book of Luke, Luke gave an account It says in verse 1, of
all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. That's what
the gospel of Luke is about. It's about the Lord Jesus Christ
and all that he began to do and to teach. As the book of Acts
is about Christ, of course, but about the apostles' witness of
Christ. But you know, when Luke says
here in verse 1, he, the former treatise I made, O Theophanus,
of all that Jesus began to do and teach. He didn't write all
that the Lord Jesus did in common actions and in private actions
and words because John said if you do that the world wouldn't
contain the books. But what Luke's talking about
here is he wrote those things in the gospel of Luke which are
sufficient to declare unto us Who Christ is, what he did, why
he did it, and where he is now. That's what he wrote about. He
wrote the things that are sufficient to declare that he's the Messiah,
the Savior of the world. All those things Jesus began
to do. His incarnation. Nobody wrote
about the incarnation of Christ quite like Luke. The virgin birth. Angel appearing to Joseph, to
Mary, the trip to Bethlehem, the wise men, Herod, all these
things, the trip to Egypt. Luke dealt with all these things.
His obedience, his holiness, his suffering, his death, his
sermons, parables. Luke is full of the parables.
His discourses to the disciples. He wrote what our Lord began
to do and teach. Look at verse 2. from the beginning
until the day in which he was taken up. And that's what that last chapter
Bob read. That was the end of Luke's gospel,
the day he was taken up. Let's just go over there and
review that just a moment in Luke 24. Luke 24, until he was
taken up, until he ascended, until he ascended to heaven.
Let's read that just a moment. In Luke 24, verse 44. And our Lord said in verse 44,
Luke 24 to his disciples, these are the words which I spake unto
you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled
which are written in the law of Moses and the prophets and
the Psalms concerning me. And then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them,
thus it is written and thus it behoove Christ to suffer, to
rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations,
beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things.
And behold, I send you the promise of my Father." Remember that
word now, the promise of the Father. I send the promise of
the Father unto you. But now you tarry in the city
of Jerusalem until Pentecost, until you be endued with power
from on high. That was ten days from then.
This is the 40th day. Christ arose, appeared to them
for 40 days. Now he's standing here on Mount
Olivet in Bethany and telling them to tarry in Jerusalem until
Pentecost. They'll be endued with power.
And then he led them out as far as Bethany, lifted up his hands
and blessed them, came to pass as he blessed them, he was parted
from them and carried up into heaven. He was parted and carried
up into heaven, and they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy and were continuing in the temple, praising and blessing
God. Now back to Acts 1. Acts 1, the
former book, O Theophilus, I've made of all that Jesus began
to do and teach until that day in which he was taken up. After
he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles
whom he had chosen, he gave them commandments, he taught them.
Verse 3, now, to whom also he showed himself alive, after his
passion, after his suffering, after his death, by infallible
proofs, by infallible proofs, he showed himself after his suffering
and death to his disciples with infallible proofs. Now let's
turn back to the passage Bob read, Luke 24, and look at these
infallible proofs. He's not a ghost, he's not a
spirit, he's a man of flesh and bones. He showed them that with
infallible proofs. Now listen, verse 36, Luke 24,
and these disciples being together. Verse 36 says,
And as they thus spake, Jesus himself, it is I myself. Now that's saw him, Jesus himself. They saw him die. They were aware
he was taken down from that cross and put in a tomb and lay there
for three days and nights. But Jesus himself stood in their
midst and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And they were terrified.
and appraised him, and supposedly had seen a spirit. And he said,
why are you troubled? Why are you so troubled? Why
do thoughts arise in your heart? Now, he's infallible proof. Now,
listen. Behold my hands and my feet. It's I myself. What was in those
hands and those feet that would convince them infallibly
it's Christ. What did they put in those hands?
Nail prints. What did they put in those feet?
Nail prints. They saw those nails driven into
his feet. When he told Thomas, reach heavy
your hand, behold my side, what was in his side? A scar where
they drove that spear from which came blood and water. Infallible
proofs. Reach heavy, touch my, handle
me! And see, the Spirit does not
have flesh and bones as you see me have. And when he spoke and
he showed them, they went through this process, he showed them
infallible proofs, it's I myself, flesh and bones. And while they
yet still didn't believe for joy and wonder, he said, do you
have any meat? What have you got on the stove?
What have you got prepared? Well, they said, we've got more
fish than a honeycomb. And he reached and took it, and
stood there and ate it. Infallible proof. Infallible
proof. That's the body we're going to
have someday. He buried there Mary Booth's
body. You can bury her, she's in Glover. She's with the Lord. A building
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. One day that
body's coming out of the grave. And Mary's going to have a body
immortal, incorruptible, undefiled. Fade us not away. Just like thy
Lord, God. That's right. Just like our Lord.
I am too, so are you. Just like our Lord. Not a spirit
with the wings floating around on clouds plucking on a harp.
That's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. We're
going to know one another, we're going to embrace one another,
we're going to love one another, we're going to eat with one another,
we're going to walk on a new heaven and a new earth. Infallible
purpose. And I want to go back to my text,
Acts 1. Verse 3, to whom also he showed
himself alive, living after his suffering. after his death by
many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days. Now
this is important. Stay with me now. Forty days.
His appearance wasn't in and out. You'd have had some reason
to sort of wonder about it. His appearance wasn't sudden,
once for all, here today, gone tomorrow. But over a period of
forty days, a set period of time, Forty days. From the time he
died, forty days later, he gave them the opportunity to satisfy
themselves with the truth of these things. Forty days. That number, forty days, is remarkable
in the scriptures. Let me remind you of a few. was upon the earth. How long?
Forty days. Moses was in the mountains with
God. Forty days. The spies searched out Canaan. Proof. They didn't just go in
there and say that place is something else. They stayed forty days.
They had no reason to come back with anything but a good report.
Is that 40 days? Goliath presented himself before
the armies of Israel and gave them 40 days to doubt God. 40
days he challenged them and nobody would respond until David came
along. Elijah lived on the, when the
angel brought him the food, He lived on that meal 40 days. Did you know that? 40 days he
lived on that meal that the angel gave him. God said in Ezekiel 4, 6, 40
days. Ezekiel will bear the iniquity
of Israel. 40 days. One day, he said, for
every year. Jonah cried to Nineveh, you got
40 days. to repent. Our Lord Jesus Christ was tempted
of Satan for 40 days. And now after his death and resurrection,
he arose from the grave and came to his disciples and moved in
and out among them with proof of his resurrected glory for
40 days. And then verse 4, and being assembled
together with them, this is where he's going to speak to them about
things of the kingdom. Back there, let's look back at
verse 3 just a moment, and 40 days he appeared to them, speaking
of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. That's what I
want to talk about, speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom
of God. The disciples had heard these
things. This 40 days that he was with them, he was with them
speaking of things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Things
he had told them about and preached about and taught them for all
the time he was with them. But you know they are like us.
They heard these things but they didn't manifest much knowledge
of them. The kingdom of the Messiah, the
gospel witness, the doctrine of Christ, the ordinances of
the kingdom. The kingdom of grace, the church, it's nature, it's
ministry, it's order, it's life, it's knowledge of faith, it's
love. The kingdom of heaven, the certainty of it. I go to
prepare a place for you, the glory of it, the beauty of it,
the holiness of it. He takes these 40 days of proof
of his resurrection and his glory and then teaches them the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God. Now verse 4, being assembled
together with them, this is their last meeting. He commanded them
that they should not depart from the Jerusalem, but wait for the
promise of the Father. What's the promise of the Father? Not to the world the promise
God gave to Abraham was the Messiah, but the promise of the Father
to the church is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's right. Turn back to chapter 2 of Acts. Verse 16, this is what Peter
said in Acts 2, 16. Listen. When the disciples were
filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter said, This is that which
was spoken by the prophet Joel. It shall come to pass in the
last day, saith God, the promise of the Father, I will pour out
my Spirit upon all flesh, believing flesh. Your sons and daughters
shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men
shall dream dreams. And O my servants and my handmaids,
I will pour out in those days of my spirit, and they shall
prophesy, they shall be witnesses. This is the promise of the Father.
This is the promise. And Christ said in verse 4, And
being assembled together with them, commanded them they should
not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father
which he said you have heard of me." When did they hear this? Well, over and over. Let me just
read a few. You stay where you are. John
14, 16. I will pray the Father, and he'll
give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever.
Then in John 15, verse 26, he said, When the comforter is come,
whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of
truth, which proceeded from the Father, he'll testify of me.
And then in chapter 16, how be it when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come? He'll guide you into all truth.
He'll not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that
shall he speak, and he'll show you things to come. This is what
I told you, he said. And you go to Jerusalem, and
you stay there, and you wait for the promise of the Father,
which you've heard of me, which I told you." Or verse 5, John
baptized with water. When the believers, John had
the baptism of repentance, and when believers came to John,
when believers come to us, we baptize them. It's their confession
of Christ, their confession of faith, their identification with
Christ, buried with him in baptism. When he died, I died. When he
was buried, I was buried. When he arose, I arose. This
is my confession. John baptized with water, and
every believer follows his Lord in believer's baptism. But this
is different. This is a baptism, but it's not
in water. It's a baptism of the Holy Ghost.
But you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. You shall be
submerged, emerged, covered, filled with the Spirit of God. And this is not your confession,
this is God's confession, and God's acceptance, and God's assurance. John baptized with water, and
I came to the water, and I was baptized. But I had nothing to
do with this. you shall be baptized with the
Holy Ghost, not many days hence. Let me let you read about that
in Ephesians 1, Ephesians chapter 1. John, Ephesians chapter 1,
verse 13. Verse 13, Ephesians, in whom
you trusted. by the grace of God, by the gift
of God. You trusted after you heard the word of truth. You
trusted, you believed, you followed the Lord in baptism. You trusted
the gospel of your salvation when you heard it. In whom? After
that you believed. You didn't seal yourself. You
were sealed. You were baptized. You were immersed
with the Holy Spirit of promise. which is the earnest of our inheritance
unto the redemption of the purchased possession under the praise of
his glory." That's what our Lord is saying in verse 5. John baptized
with water, but you shall be baptized. And these men, they
were baptized with the Holy Ghost and God gave them gifts unusual
Unusual gifts. Unusual gifts. Unusual gifts. And he's given
us gifts. The ability to understand the
scriptures, to witness, to preach, whatever, sing. Not to the extent
that they did, but nevertheless, never apart from the Holy Spirit.
There's no understanding of the gospel apart from the Holy Spirit.
Nobody can call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit. Turn to Hebrews 2, let me show
you the special way in which these men were gifted, in a way
that we're baptized with the same Holy Spirit, but not to
this extent of the gifts. Hebrews 2, verse 3, How shall
we escape if we neglect so great salvation, which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed by them that
heard him, God bearing them God also bearing them witness both
with signs and wonders and different miracles and gifts of the Holy
Ghost according to his will. All right, let's see if we can
move along just a few minutes more. All right, verse 7. The disciples are still disciples.
They're still men. And here again arises that notion
of an earthly kingdom. It comes back. And they ask this,
verse 6, when they four come together at this time, they ask
him, Lord, would you at this time restore again the kingdom
to Israel? You know, they've debated that
over there in that scripture you read, Bob. You remember they
said that we thought he was the one that would restore Israel. And here they ask it again. And
how did our Lord answer? Look at verse 7. And he said
to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons
which the Father hath put in his own power. What's he saying? He's saying the time and the
seasons of the coming of the Lord, the destruction of this
world, the new heaven and new earth, the resurrection, is not
in your power or the power of the creature, or the power of
the angels. No, he said no man knoweth the
day nor the hour when the Son of Man shall come, not even the
angels. It's in God's own power, in God's
own time, when God Almighty ordains it. That's right. But, verse 8, you shall receive
power After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, power for
what? You'll be my witnesses. You'll
be my witnesses. You'll be witnesses unto me,
both in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, for that are most
parts of the earth. That's your mission. Every believer
is a witness of Christ. What does a witness do? Tells
what he's seen and heard. That's what a witness is. We
read that to you in Acts 4, just over a couple of pages. In Acts
4, verse 19, verse 18, Acts 4, verse 18. And they called them
and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name
of Jesus. But Peter answered and said unto
them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken to
you more than to God, you judge. But we cannot bespeak the things
which we've seen and heard. That's what a witness does. He tells people what great things
God's done for him, what he's seen and what he's heard. And
verse 9, I'll close. And when he has spoken these
things, while they beheld, they're standing there and he's speaking
to them, he was taken up. And a cloud received him out
of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as he went up, a cloud separated him from them. Behold, two men stood by them
in white apparel, two angels. And they said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, this same Jesus,
which is taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus, born
in Bethlehem, died on the cross, bearing rose again, ascended
to glory. He'll come again. How? In like
manner as you've seen Him go. There are three things about
the return of Christ that are told in these verses. Number
one, it'll be in God's designated, ordained, fullness of time, according
to his own power and purpose. Number two, it would be this
same Jesus. Peter said that over in Acts
chapter 2, this same Jesus that God raised up. This same Jesus
whom you crucified is Lord in Christ. The angel said this same
Jesus is coming back. What's the third thing? In like
manner as you've seen him go, he's coming in the clouds, in person. attended by angels. And in closing, I want to read
about it in 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 13. I would not have you ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4,
verse 13. That ye sorrow not, even as others
who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, that we which are alive, if he comes today,
you and I are still alive, and remain unto the coming of the
Lord. We shall not perceive them which are asleep. For the Lord
himself, this same Jesus, shall descend from heaven. with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, that then
in Christ shall rise first, and then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Comfort
one another with these words.