Tag: Acts 1

Acts Articles – Prayer 01B

On By BrianIn Book of Acts, Church Life, Habit of Prayer

Jesus ascended into heaven where he still acts and still speaks through his followers, through his church.  But how do we know what he wants us to do?  How do we know what he wants us to say?  In the last post we said that part of the answer was the Word.  Another part of the answer is through prayer.

In Acts 1:15-26, the disciples are guided by the Word to replace Judas.  They find two men that fit the necessary requirements for an apostle – they had to be with Jesus during his ministry, and especially be eye-witnesses to his resurrection.  Having determined the possibilities, the disciples then pray for direction. 

They pray to the Lord.  In the context of Acts, Jesus is often referred to as Lord.  And so it is possible that we should understand the disciples as praying to Jesus.  As the Head of the church, it would make sense for them to seek his direction.  As the one who chose the original twelve disciples, it would make sense for them to speak to him about his chosen replacement of Judas.

And so we ought to seek direction from Jesus in prayer.  Our churches need to pray together seeking his direction in how he wants us to apply his Word in our specific situations.  We will look at three specific applications tomorrow.

Acts Article – Word 01

On By BrianIn Book of Acts, Church Life, Habit of Scripture

Jesus ascended into heaven where he still acts and still speaks through his followers, through his church.  But how do we know what he wants us to do?  How do we know what he wants us to say?  In part, the answer is through his Word.

In Acts 1:15-26, Peter recognizes that Judas abandoned his role as an apostle, as was predicted in Psalm 69:25.  He then finds guidance in the Word.  Psalm 109:8 instructs them to replace Judas. 

The main point I want to make is that they found guidance in the Word.  The Word told them what Jesus wanted them to do.  And so the Word tells us what Jesus wants us to do. 

As we gather together as local churches to study the Word together, Jesus is speaking to us, telling us what he wants us to do and say.  As we hear the Word taught and preached, Jesus is giving us our marching orders.  And as we faithfully respond to what his Word tells us, Jesus is acting and speaking through us. 

As we gather together around the Word, let us then be careful to listen attentively and respond appropriately so that we might be the hands and tongue of Jesus.

Acts Articles – Prayer 01

On By BrianIn Book of Acts, Church Life, Habit of Prayer

After seeing Jesus ascend into heaven, the disciples return to Jerusalem to wait for the coming of the Spirit (Acts 1:12-14).  They wait with the women who had supported Jesus and visited his tomb.  They wait with Mary, the mother of Jesus.  And they wait with Jesus’ brothers who did not believe during Jesus’ life, but have come to believe since the resurrection.  In all there are around 120 people waiting. 

Jesus ascended 40 days after the resurrection.  We know the Spirit will come on Pentecost – 50 days after the resurrection.  So what do these 120 followers of Christ do while they wait for 10 days?  They have an extended prayer meeting!

All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer. – Acts 1:14a

Notice their example:

  • They prayed with one accord.  They were united in prayer.  They were of one mind, joined together in crying out to God.
  • They were devoted to prayer.  They continued in it.  They were persistent, persevering, constant, busy in prayer.

And what were they praying for?  The context suggests they were praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus had promised that the Spirit would come.  And indeed they are waiting in Jerusalem for the Spirit to come.  Certainly the Spirit was on their minds. 

All of this suggests two applications for us today:

  • As they were devoted to praying together in one accord, so we should be devoted to praying together in one accord.  Each church should unite together in devoted prayer.  Our prayer services should be highly attended, and whenever we gather we should be quick to pray together.
  • As they prayed for the Spirit to come to empower them to be Jesus’ witnesses, so we should pray for the Spirit (who has already come) to empower us to be Jesus’ witnesses.  How might our churches (and communities) change if this became our united prayer?

Acts Articles – Spirit 01

On By BrianIn Book of Acts

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
– Acts 1:8

In the last Acts Articles, we discussed Jesus’ call to be his witnesses.  But we can’t be his witnesses on our own.  Nor are we meant to be.  The disciples were to wait for the coming of the Spirit who would empower them to be witnesses for Jesus.  As the Spirit came upon Jesus at his baptism to empower him for ministry, so the Spirit came upon the disciples to empower them for ministry.  And still today, the Spirit dwells in his people to empower them for ministry – to be witnesses of Jesus, to be Jesus’ hands and tongue.

When your employer gives you a task, he or she enables you to do the task.  Your employer gives you the necessary materials to do the job.  In the same way, Jesus has given us a task to be his witnesses, and he has given us what we need to accomplish it – the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit empowers us to be the witnesses Jesus called us to be.  The Spirit empowers us to serve and speak as witnesses.  The Spirit leads and guides us as Jesus’ witnesses.  The Spirit helps us to use even our trials as opportunities to be witnesses.  The Spirit strengthens us in persecution that comes from being witnesses.  And it is the Spirit who enables people to believe in response to our witness.  It is the Spirit who changes people’s lives. 

May we have a growing awareness of the Spirit in our lives.  May we live in the power of the Spirit to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Acts Articles – Witness 01

On By BrianIn Book of Acts1 Comment

You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth. – Acts 1:8b

Jesus spoke these words to the 11 apostles (identified as his listeners back in v2).  They were given the special task of being witnesses to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, and especially to the reality that Jesus rose from the dead (see v21-22).  From their witness, thousands were saved who then themselves became witnesses to the apostles’ testimony about Jesus and their own testimony of what Jesus had done in their lives. 

And so it is for us today.  We are witnesses of the apostles’ testimony found in the Word of God.  We are witnesses of what Christ has done in our lives.  We must share the good news with others.

Jesus called the 11 apostles to be his witnesses starting in Jerusalem, then moving out to Judea and Samaria, and then to the end of the earth.  This is exactly what happened, and it makes a good summary of the book of Acts.  Chapter 1-7 are centered in Jerusalem.  Chapters 8-12 find the gospel moving out to Judea and Samaria.  Chapters 13-28 show the gospel beginning to go out to the end of the earth.

This pattern is good for us as well.  We should begin in our own Jerusalem, the people we know, our own community.  There are many without Christ.  Our local churches need to be missions posts from which we go out to a very real mission field. 

From there we go out to our Judea and Samaria– perhaps our state and country.  I found statistics showing that 50% of Americans have no religious affiliation at all.  Of those who do, it takes little consideration to realize many of them are also without the gospel.  We have a mission field right here in our own country.  What can we do to reach our Judea and Samaria?  Our churches can send out missionaries and church planters who will minister in our own country.  Larger churches might partner with smaller churches struggling to reach their small communities.  We can raise our own children to be witnesses, many of whom will eventually live in another city or state – our Judea and Samaria– as witnesses.

And then we are to go to the end of the earth.  And so our churches send missionaries around the world.  Perhaps in light of Jesus’ call, we need to increase our commitment to world-wide missions, with a focus on reaching people with no gospel witness, training pastors around the world in the Word, and helping churches in other countries with the many resources we have been blessed with.  Perhaps God would call some of us to go.

When an employer gives us a task, we are expected to do it.  Our Lord has given us a task.  Let’s be his faithful witnesses to a world that needs Jesus.

Acts Articles – Jesus 01

On By BrianIn Book of Acts

According to Acts 1:1, the gospel of Luke told what Jesus began to do and teach.  That word “began” is emphatic.  The clear implication we are to draw is that the book of Acts is about what Jesus continued to do and teach.  In other words, Jesus did not ascend into heaven to twiddle his thumbs until his return.  He is still acting and teaching…through us.

If you have a job, your employer undoubtedly has certain goals that he or she wants to accomplish.  Your job, and the tasks that make up that job, fit within those goals.  We might say that your employer is working through you to accomplish his goals.  In the same way, Jesus is working through us to accomplish his goals, his mission, his purpose.  He acts and teaches today through his church.  He is the head, and we are his body.

As such, we must live as his hands and his tongue.  We must do his work.  We must speak his words.  We must allow ourselves to be used by Jesus to care for the hurting and serve his people and encourage the weary and teach his church and witness to the lost.  What a privilege!  What a responsibility!  We must allow ourselves to be guided by his Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit so that we live as his hands and tongue to accomplish his purpose for his glory.  May God’s grace help us to live like this!