WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.240 So let's turn back to the book of Acts. So from now until just before Christmas time, 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:13.179 we're going to think about this wonderful book. We'll look at the first seven chapters, really part one, 00:00:13.720 --> 00:00:20.260 ! As Luke unpacks the mission of Jesus to the ends of the earth. But we begin with this introduction 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:27.879 where here King Jesus sends out his witnesses. But just to take a step back and to ask this question, 00:00:27.879 --> 00:00:35.259 and maybe you've thought about it, what explains the growth and the impact of Christianity on the 00:00:35.259 --> 00:00:41.960 world at a distance of, you know, 2,000 years? So that right now you may have heard or read, 00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:47.439 you know, former, you know, hardened atheists, writers and scholars, guys like Tom Holland or 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:55.099 Douglas Murray, now saying they recognize the foundations of Western society are built on 00:00:55.100 --> 00:01:05.879 Christian faith. So our school system, our hospitals, a justice system, the fact that there is a charitable 00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:15.840 sector all emerge from Christianity. Christian values are being recognized as, to borrow from Glenn 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:23.680 Scrivener's book, the air that we breathe, that people care about tolerance and fairness and mercy 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:32.520 are all distinctly Christian values. How do we explain that? How do we explain the fact that we could be 00:01:32.520 --> 00:01:41.400 dropped anywhere in the world today and we would find a Christian church of some sort meeting? How do we 00:01:41.400 --> 00:01:47.600 explain the fact that this message of Jesus has broken through all the barriers of culture and language 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:54.119 and geography? So today on our planet, hundreds of millions of people are doing what we're doing 00:01:54.119 --> 00:02:02.079 right now? Well, I would suggest that Luke's introduction to this book actually helps to give us 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:10.639 the answer. In verse 1, we learn that Luke's gospel is about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 00:02:10.639 --> 00:02:19.199 the implication being, the book of Acts and the history of the church shows what Jesus continues to do and 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:26.379 continues to teach. The Lord Jesus didn't finish His work when He returned to heaven, He continues to work 00:02:26.379 --> 00:02:35.419 today. He didn't stop speaking when He left this earth, He continues speaking to us today. And a vital way that He 00:02:35.419 --> 00:02:42.839 does that, verse 8, He does that, verse 8, He commissions these men known as apostles to continue His mission. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:52.079 And He still is sending the church today to share His message in the world. So the book of Acts, 00:02:52.859 --> 00:03:00.679 it is the book of the history of the early church, the mission of Jesus, showing that the message of Jesus, 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:08.379 the mission of Jesus, continues to work, continues to turn the world right side up. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:16.300 So we're going to jump straight in. Got two things to talk about. First, we need to talk about the Acts of Jesus. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:24.600 We need to think about the title for this book. So it's commonly known as, you know, a title that was added later, 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:34.019 the Acts of the Apostles. That's a helpful title, emphasizes, you know, those human messengers and 00:03:34.019 --> 00:03:41.879 witnesses. There's an alternative that's often suggested. We should call it the Acts of the Holy 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:48.199 Spirit, which emphasizes the divine, emphasizes what God does in the mission of the church. And as we read 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:56.199 the book of Acts, we'll see the Spirit is everywhere. Getting the right title matters. Just a little, did you 00:03:56.199 --> 00:04:02.739 know, some of our most famous books had alternative and often inferior titles. Lord of the Rings was 00:04:02.739 --> 00:04:08.259 originally going to be called The War of the Ring. That's not too bad. Pride and Prejudice was 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:14.879 originally going to be called First Impressions. Not quite so catchy. John Steinbeck's classic of 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:22.560 Mice and Men was almost called Something Happened. This is a truly awful title, but a truly wonderful 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:31.560 book. But getting the right title matters, and that's true for the book of Acts. As we read verse 1 and 2, 00:04:31.699 --> 00:04:37.259 as we read, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up to heaven 00:04:37.259 --> 00:04:44.240 after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. Let me suggest that the 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:50.340 best title that captures what's going on in this book is the best title, the best title that captures what's going on. 00:04:50.340 --> 00:04:58.879 What we have in this book are the acts of the ascended Jesus by His Spirit through the apostles. 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:06.500 Jesus is working, the Spirit is working, the apostles are working, but it's the acts of Jesus. 00:05:06.500 --> 00:05:16.560 What we read are what Jesus continues to do and to teach. And just as we get going in this book, 00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:25.680 it's also important to recognize there is a theme alert here. Verse 3, Jesus anticipates what this book 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:31.819 is going to be about. Look at the end of verse 3. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke 00:05:31.819 --> 00:05:39.599 about the kingdom of God. So, the book of Acts is a book explaining how the kingdom of God grows and 00:05:39.599 --> 00:05:47.680 expands through the world. That kingdom that is established as God becomes king through His Son, 00:05:48.219 --> 00:05:57.759 Jesus. And what we're going to see now is that these first 11 verses are like a hinge between Luke's 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:05.099 first volume, the gospel of Luke, and His second volume, the book of Acts. So, there's going to be a drawing us 00:06:05.099 --> 00:06:11.860 back. You know, you watch your shows on Netflix and you get the previously or the recap. He's going to draw us 00:06:11.860 --> 00:06:19.699 back to consider, here are the things that I told you about what Jesus did while He was on earth until He 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:27.259 returned to heaven. But then it's also going to point us forward to what Jesus is going to continue to do. 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:34.860 That He will send the Spirit. He will send out His witnesses. He will build His kingdom. More people 00:06:34.860 --> 00:06:44.039 will be brought in until He returns. Luke in his gospel, first four verses, Luke chapter 1 verses 1 to 4, 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:51.079 he gives us an introduction that covers both sections of his book. And he writes about wanting to make 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:59.359 Theophilus and us certain about the things that he writes about. So, as we get going in the book of Acts, 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:09.019 Luke wants us, Jesus wants us to be certain that Jesus is the King at the heart of Christianity. 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:19.039 He wants us to be certain about these great acts that He has done. And He wants us to know why those great 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:30.040 acts matter. So, there are four acts of Jesus that Luke records in these first 11 verses. And to help us 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:38.060 to see how they fit together, let me give you a picture to keep in your mind. So, we need to go back in time 00:07:38.060 --> 00:07:45.560 to ancient Israel or ancient Rome. So, think about that kind of time period. So, okay, so picture the scene. 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:55.339 Word comes that an enemy from another country is riding out to come into battle against Israel or against 00:07:55.339 --> 00:08:02.600 Rome, say. So, the response, the king or the emperor with his armies, they march out to face their enemy 00:08:02.600 --> 00:08:09.800 on the battlefield. And there on the battlefield, there's this decisive battle, there's great conflict. 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:17.620 The king, the emperor wins. And after that, after that great victory, we then have the king or the 00:08:17.620 --> 00:08:24.000 emperor leading a victory march back to their city, back to the place where they rule, and they're 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:31.840 welcomed back with great joy and celebration. A familiar picture, I imagine, for many people in the 00:08:31.840 --> 00:08:36.700 first century living in the Roman Empire. But keep that picture in your head, because that picture 00:08:36.700 --> 00:08:44.620 mirrors the works of Jesus, as we will see. So, let's begin with the first act of Jesus that Luke draws 00:08:44.620 --> 00:08:55.420 our attention to, and it's here in verse 3. His death. He introduces us again to Jesus, the suffering king. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:04.140 Look at verse 3. It begins after his suffering. If you've ever read Luke's gospel, you might have asked 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:09.740 the question, why does he spend so much time focusing on the death of Jesus? Why is there so much attention 00:09:09.740 --> 00:09:16.159 drawn towards the cross where Jesus dies? If you've never read Luke's gospel, let me encourage you to do that. 00:09:17.319 --> 00:09:26.439 Well, Jesus understands. You go to the end of Luke's gospel, Luke chapter 24, and you hear Jesus explaining 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:36.800 so much in such few words. Let me read, for example, Luke chapter 24, and verse 26. Here is Jesus speaking 00:09:36.800 --> 00:09:45.480 the day of his resurrection, and he says to his confused followers, did not the Messiah have to suffer 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:53.720 these things and then enter his glory? Or then as he appears in the evening towards to his fearful 00:09:53.720 --> 00:10:02.620 disciples, chapter 24, verse 46, he told them, this is what is written, the Messiah will suffer and rise 00:10:02.620 --> 00:10:08.680 from the dead on the third day. So, Jesus knew all along what the Bible teaches, that God's Messiah, 00:10:09.060 --> 00:10:19.360 Savior, King must suffer, must die before the glory of resurrection. It's woven into the storyline of the 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:26.560 Old Testament. There is this promise of a king who will save, one who will be a light to the nations, 00:10:26.560 --> 00:10:34.120 but he will come as a servant, who will be a suffering servant. He's come to be the Lamb of God who takes 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:41.879 away the sin of the world. And so, Jesus knows his Bible, and Jesus knows that God's rescue plan comes 00:10:41.879 --> 00:10:49.639 through a substitute, Jesus living a perfect life for us, then dying the death we deserve in our place. 00:10:50.620 --> 00:10:59.519 God's rescue plan involves a sacrifice, not an animal sacrifice, but of a perfect human. Jesus becomes one 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:09.679 of us to take on himself and to atone for our sin. And Jesus knows it, and that's why he focuses on 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:17.599 teaching about his suffering. And the suffering of Jesus, the cross of Jesus, is central to our good 00:11:17.599 --> 00:11:26.199 news. To go back to our picture, the cross of King Jesus becomes the battlefield, where he fights and 00:11:26.199 --> 00:11:34.099 he wins the battle over the forces of darkness, the devil and sin and death. And there, through the cross, 00:11:34.100 --> 00:11:41.980 God's wrath on our sin is satisfied. He is the king who tastes death so that we can be given life. He is 00:11:41.980 --> 00:11:50.620 the Savior who sacrifices himself to pay the price in full for our sin. So, it's vital that we're certain 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:56.899 about the suffering of Jesus and why it happened. But then, to go back to verse 3, here's the second 00:11:56.899 --> 00:12:04.959 act of Jesus. It's his resurrection. He is the risen king. Verse 3 again, after his suffering, 00:12:05.699 --> 00:12:11.199 he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over 00:12:11.199 --> 00:12:16.519 a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. And this, and we'll see this in the book of Acts, 00:12:16.539 --> 00:12:21.819 this becomes the message of the church from the beginning. That Jesus claimed victory in this life 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:28.500 death-for-death battle, that Jesus broke the chains of death as easily as you or I untie our shoelaces. 00:12:29.280 --> 00:12:36.420 That fearful disciples become courageous disciples because they have seen the convincing proofs that 00:12:36.420 --> 00:12:44.580 Jesus is no longer dead, he hasn't lost, but he is alive. What are some of those convincing 00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:53.139 proofs that Jesus gave? Well, perhaps we think about the empty tomb in Jerusalem. Everybody acknowledges 00:12:53.139 --> 00:12:59.540 it, friends and enemies. Historians now acknowledge the tomb was empty. Nobody has ever produced the 00:12:59.540 --> 00:13:05.440 bones of Jesus. Nobody produced the body of Jesus to say, see, it's all a lie. The empty tomb speaks 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:11.740 convincingly of the resurrection. There is connected to the empty tomb the message of the angels. Remember 00:13:11.740 --> 00:13:19.060 the message? He is not here. He has risen, just as he told you. There's the convincing proofs of his 00:13:19.060 --> 00:13:25.299 multiple appearances. He presented himself alive to the disciples over 40 days. Sometimes he appeared 00:13:25.299 --> 00:13:32.759 to huge crowds of his followers up to 500 at a time. And such was the nature of his glorious resurrection 00:13:32.759 --> 00:13:40.259 that even his half-brother, who was skeptical, becomes a follower, having met the risen Jesus. Or we can 00:13:40.259 --> 00:13:46.899 think about his meals. Another convincing proof. Jesus really did have a physical glorified body. He ate 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:55.139 bread and fish. He prepared and ate a barbecue with his disciples. And what we're going to see in the book 00:13:55.139 --> 00:14:02.299 of Acts is that the church from the beginning boldly proclaims the great miracle, which is also Jesus' 00:14:02.299 --> 00:14:11.779 great decisive victory. And by faith, his victory is ours. Just as King Jesus passes through death to new 00:14:11.779 --> 00:14:19.719 life, so in him we too die to sin and are raised to new life in him. God has become king through his son 00:14:19.719 --> 00:14:28.240 Jesus by way of the suffering of the cross and the glory of his resurrection. And that takes us to a third 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:35.480 great act, which is actually the first one that Luke mentions. Look at verse 2. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:42.139 I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven. 00:14:42.740 --> 00:14:48.799 Or we can go down to verse 9. After he had said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:55.620 and a cloud hid him from their sight. He also closes the gospel with Jesus ascending. I wonder if 00:14:55.620 --> 00:15:04.200 you've ever asked yourself, why the ascension? Have you ever wondered, where does this ascension fit 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:12.480 into the story of Jesus and into our good news? Because this is not just, you know, it's not a cheap 00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:19.919 magic trick. This is not just an empty spectacle. As Jesus goes back up to heaven, this is actually a 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:29.500 vital part of our good news. And here's why. So, we've already said that Jesus has gone into battle for us. 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:35.120 He represents us in that fight over sin and death and the devil that we could never win, but Jesus has. 00:15:35.419 --> 00:15:42.039 He's won that great victory. The resurrection is proof. And the ascension is the point where he is 00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:51.599 welcomed back into glory. It's where he returns to his rightful place, where he now sits on the throne. 00:15:52.679 --> 00:16:00.659 He's welcomed back with joy. We have that saying in English, to the victor go the spoils. And the 00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:08.579 spoils for Jesus, the spoils of war having won that battle. Well, firstly, all heaven praises him. God's 00:16:08.580 --> 00:16:17.879 son is crowned as king. But now he has won a people for himself. The ascended Lord Jesus is the one who 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:24.520 is building his church. He is the one who rules over us. He is the one who powerfully saves us. 00:16:25.740 --> 00:16:34.820 The ascension really matters. I think Luke mentions the clouds in verse 9 to help us to see this. 00:16:34.820 --> 00:16:40.620 Maybe you're familiar with the Old Testament book of Daniel and that famous scene in chapter 7, 00:16:41.040 --> 00:16:47.680 where we see the Son of Man come before the Ancient of Days, and the Son of Man is given glory and a 00:16:47.680 --> 00:16:56.160 kingdom forever. And that Son of Man, he comes in the clouds. And so Luke wants you and I to be certain 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:09.399 Jesus is God's chosen forever king. And to enjoy life in his kingdom, we need to trust in the ascended 00:17:09.399 --> 00:17:15.619 Lord Jesus, the one who is still for his people, the one who is still acting and speaking from heaven. 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:21.879 He sends his spirit. He speaks in the Bible. He prays for us. He builds his church. He meets with us 00:17:21.880 --> 00:17:29.820 to give us grace. It's a great act we often overlook, but it's a wonderful part of the gospel. 00:17:31.100 --> 00:17:37.080 Now, the fourth act of Jesus is different because it's not looking back, it's looking forward. 00:17:38.040 --> 00:17:43.440 And we need to think about the returning king and Jesus' second coming. Look at verse 10. 00:17:44.860 --> 00:17:49.860 We find the apostles looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly, 00:17:49.859 --> 00:17:55.459 two men dressed in white stood beside them. Men of Galilee, they said, why do you stand here looking 00:17:55.459 --> 00:18:02.339 into the sky? This same Jesus who's been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you 00:18:02.339 --> 00:18:12.000 have seen him go into heaven. So we catch the disciples gazing upwards, lost in wonder, wrapped up in their own 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:18.740 thoughts, and the angels come. And they said, listen, stop gazing. You need to be going. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:25.460 Don't forget what Jesus said. You need to go to the city. Because there in the city, you'll receive the Spirit. 00:18:25.799 --> 00:18:31.779 And when you receive the Spirit, you'll be my witnesses to all the nations. And why does that matter? 00:18:31.779 --> 00:18:36.339 Because Jesus will come back again. 00:18:38.339 --> 00:18:42.059 And until the day Jesus comes back again, the church has work to do. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:49.480 There is a day when King Jesus will return, and everybody will see that return. It won't just be limited to the 00:18:49.480 --> 00:18:56.099 apostles. It will be a public appearing of His glory. It will fill the earth, and everyone will see Him. 00:18:56.099 --> 00:19:04.139 And in God's story of salvation, again, maybe we wonder, how do we connect with the second coming of 00:19:04.139 --> 00:19:12.459 Jesus? It can seem so remote. In God's storyline of salvation, the second coming of Jesus is the 00:19:12.459 --> 00:19:21.959 ultimate, and they all lived happily ever after for the people of God. If we trust in Jesus as Lord and 00:19:21.960 --> 00:19:31.720 Savior, then this is our hope. There is a day coming when evil is finally defeated, when perfect justice is 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:39.039 done once and for all, when all suffering, sin, and death are removed, when we get to live forever in a 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:46.059 perfect world, seeing the glory of Jesus fill the earth, and we will be in the presence of our King 00:19:46.059 --> 00:19:58.500 forever. That's our hope. I wonder if you're beginning to sense why, as Luke chooses to begin this great book, he 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:13.399 begins with the great acts of Jesus. The mission of the church is proclaiming the message of our King. And to 00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:22.740 proclaim the message of our King, we need to be certain of these great truths. And we need to be sure that 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:34.060 nothing matters more than this. So, as we discover these great acts of King Jesus, we're also discovering 00:20:34.059 --> 00:20:46.039 that being right about the identity of Jesus. It matters. I imagine a number of us will have had an 00:20:46.039 --> 00:20:51.440 embarrassing situation like this. You know, you go into a shop and you pick up an item of clothing, and you 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:56.980 go to somebody else and you say, do you have this in another size? And you discover they're also customers. 00:20:56.980 --> 00:21:04.160 We've had that, and it's quite embarrassing. Or maybe you're speaking to someone and you ask, 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:10.980 is this your mom? And actually, it's your sister. There's all those kind of embarrassing identity 00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:16.059 moments. But really, they're no big deal. It's a little bit of social awkwardness. 00:21:17.819 --> 00:21:22.460 But Luke's introduction makes clear that it is a tragedy, an eternal tragedy, 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:27.860 to fail to recognize Jesus is your Lord and your King. 00:21:30.340 --> 00:21:36.860 Here is God sent to save you and to bring you home to the life that you are made for. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:44.319 And to miss that ultimately is to miss everything. So, being right about Jesus' identity matters, 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:49.279 and very much connected with that, being in right relationship with Jesus matters. 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:57.399 Because here, as Luke begins this book, he is introducing us to God's King on God's mission. 00:21:57.460 --> 00:22:05.440 And what's Jesus' mission? It's a mission to save people from sin. And you and I are guilty of sin, 00:22:05.480 --> 00:22:12.960 so we need saving. He has come to give us new life, and you and I are by nature spiritually dead, 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:20.900 so we need this. King Jesus is on a mission to, by His grace, bring us into the family of God. 00:22:20.900 --> 00:22:28.360 By nature, we are strangers to God, enemies of God. He has come to promise us the hope of 00:22:28.360 --> 00:22:34.079 a new world, when by rights. It's not salvation, it's judgment we deserve. 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:44.720 So, being in right relationship with Jesus matters, when we understand He is the King who rules and who 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:56.000 saves, so that we would learn to bow the knee gladly. Well, if those are the acts of Jesus, let's turn next 00:22:56.000 --> 00:23:03.799 to Jesus' act of sending out His witnesses. So, much more briefly, secondly, the witnesses of Jesus. 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:07.700 So, we're going to see over the next few months, and we're only just going to be in the first quarter, 00:23:07.819 --> 00:23:16.059 that Acts is a remarkable book. The story of Jesus' unstoppable mission going global. So, by the time 00:23:16.059 --> 00:23:23.299 we get to chapter 28, we get the gospel coming right into the heart of the Roman Empire. And along the way, 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:29.519 there's really remarkable scenes. We'll see hostile crowds who wanted Jesus to be crucified, being 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:36.400 baptized, 3,000 added to the church. We're going to visit a city where there's a public bonfire of books on 00:23:36.400 --> 00:23:44.220 the dark arts, because the city turns to Jesus. We're going to discover a religious terrorist who encounters 00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:52.839 the risen Lord Jesus and becomes a follower and witness and missionary. And remarkably, it all comes from a very 00:23:52.839 --> 00:24:02.919 humble beginning. This group of men recognized as common and unschooled. To read the gospel, we understand 00:24:02.919 --> 00:24:09.159 there's not very promising raw material here. We see their fears, and we see their failures. But from 00:24:09.159 --> 00:24:19.059 this group comes explosive growth, as Jesus promised, and as God promised in the Old Testament. His design and 00:24:19.059 --> 00:24:26.779 desire was that the blessing of life with God would extend to all nations. And it happens 00:24:26.779 --> 00:24:35.240 because Jesus sends out the apostles He had chosen. The word apostle, by the way, means a sent one. 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:42.000 And very briefly, we're going to see that there are four qualifications for these unique witnesses. 00:24:42.839 --> 00:24:47.779 But we're going to see there's parallels with the life of every believer. But there's unique 00:24:47.779 --> 00:24:57.240 qualifications that gives them authority as they speak, but also authority as they write. The New 00:24:57.240 --> 00:25:02.160 Testament has authority because it is connected, vitally connected, to the apostles of Jesus. So, 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:12.299 four qualifications. First, we've just heard it. Jesus chose them. So, this group were those who had 00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:19.220 been with Jesus during His public ministry. So, they had witnessed His miracles. They'd heard Him teach the 00:25:19.220 --> 00:25:25.759 Sermon on the Mount. They were eyewitnesses to His rejection, His arrest, His suffering, His death. 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:34.579 And now they have been chosen to be ambassadors, to speak and serve their risen King. 00:25:34.579 --> 00:25:46.559 Jesus chose them. Jesus chose them. Verse 3, He presented Himself to them and appeared to them over a period of 40 days. 00:25:47.339 --> 00:25:55.819 Forty days they get to be eyewitnesses of the resurrection. Forty days they get to listen as Jesus instructs them 00:25:55.819 --> 00:26:05.700 on His kingdom. Now, notice this. He instructs them in a different way. Verse 2, He instructs them through the Holy Spirit. 00:26:06.879 --> 00:26:15.119 So, during Jesus' public ministry, He instructed them face to face. But now, recognizing that He's about to return to heaven, 00:26:15.619 --> 00:26:21.480 He begins to instruct them through the Holy Spirit. And that's how Jesus continues to instruct us today, 00:26:21.480 --> 00:26:31.039 through His Word and with the help of the Spirit. Thirdly, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to them. 00:26:32.099 --> 00:26:36.400 Verse 4, On one occasion while He was eating with them, He gave them this command, 00:26:37.220 --> 00:26:44.160 Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 00:26:44.539 --> 00:26:48.339 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:26:48.339 --> 00:26:55.379 Wait for the gift my Father promised. What gift did the Father promise? Well, in the Old Testament, 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:01.799 Book of Ezekiel, chapter 36, there was this promise that with the new covenant, God's people would get a 00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:08.779 new heart, and we'd get God's Spirit coming to live in us. Jesus said, I'm going to complete that promise. 00:27:10.419 --> 00:27:16.299 And then Jesus draws reference to the difference between His baptism and John's. John baptized with water, 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:22.419 but Jesus will baptize with the Spirit. And this is amazing, because think about, if you know the 00:27:22.419 --> 00:27:31.480 story of Jesus, you'll know that when He is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes on Jesus. Jesus is the Spirit-empowered 00:27:31.480 --> 00:27:38.019 man. And now that same Spirit that Jesus received, that powered His ministry, is the same Spirit that 00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:48.859 comes to live in us. In sending the Spirit, the apostles are being told, Jesus will always be present 00:27:48.859 --> 00:27:55.059 with them, and the apostles will have Jesus' power for them to be His witnesses. 00:27:55.059 --> 00:28:03.819 And that's the fourth qualification, that Jesus commissioned them. Verse 8, you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit 00:28:03.819 --> 00:28:11.799 comes on you, and then what? You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of 00:28:11.799 --> 00:28:21.720 the earth. So, Jesus gives the church, the apostles, their marching orders. Go and make disciples. Go and be my 00:28:21.720 --> 00:28:27.120 witnesses. And he notices here this ripple effect that's going to take place. You know, when you throw 00:28:27.120 --> 00:28:32.759 a stone in a pool and the ripples spread out, the good news of Jesus is going to ripple out from 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:39.960 Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth as the apostles and the early Christians speak 00:28:39.960 --> 00:28:46.420 and live for Jesus, their King. There is this promise of global blessing that's going to be worked out in a 00:28:46.420 --> 00:28:54.840 whole new way. So, Acts, Luke in the book of Acts wants to tell us that there is something unique 00:28:54.840 --> 00:29:01.060 about the apostles in their calling and in their authority, because that way we can be certain 00:29:01.060 --> 00:29:08.900 about the words that they write. We can be certain that what we read in the New Testament are the words 00:29:08.900 --> 00:29:15.060 that come with the authority of the apostles, which means they come with the authority of Jesus Himself. 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:24.419 We can trust our New Testament. But I also want us to recognize that there is this wonderful parallel 00:29:24.419 --> 00:29:33.819 between the unique calling of the apostles and the calling that each and every Christian has. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:43.379 If you are a Christian here today, God in His grace and His love has chosen you. 00:29:43.380 --> 00:29:55.960 That He has revealed in a saving way the truth of Jesus to you. And He has sent His Spirit to come and live 00:29:55.960 --> 00:30:08.140 in you. And now He sends you and He sends us to be His witnesses, to say and to show something of Jesus, 00:30:08.140 --> 00:30:16.620 that He sends us wherever we are. So, whether that's on campus and in a classroom, or whether that's in the workplace 00:30:16.620 --> 00:30:22.940 and a boardroom, whether that's reading the Bible with somebody, or whether we're just going about our 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:31.980 day-to-day lives doing the shopping. It is true to say that right here, in our little church, here in our little city 00:30:31.980 --> 00:30:40.640 in Edinburgh, God has called, Jesus has called every Christian here to be His witnesses. And right now, 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:48.140 that means to be His witnesses. In the South Side, in the city of Edinburgh, in our schools and universities, 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:56.799 with the families that live around us, in the schools and small businesses. So, whether we've just arrived, 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:02.720 and whether we've been here for decades, the marching orders for Jesus are the same. 00:31:03.919 --> 00:31:13.539 We are to go about our business, to go about our city as witnesses for Him. Now, it may be 00:31:13.539 --> 00:31:18.460 that He will call some of us to go to the ends of the earth. Maybe some of us are here from the ends 00:31:18.460 --> 00:31:30.140 of the earth, but for all of us, the calling begins right where we are. To share the same gospel message 00:31:30.140 --> 00:31:37.819 that was given to the apostles. That's why you and I need to know for certain these great acts of Jesus, 00:31:38.620 --> 00:31:44.740 which you can actually summarize with four R's. And let me close with this, because it may be 00:31:44.740 --> 00:31:49.960 helpful for some of us if we like. Is that alliteration? Yes, it's not in the Mnemonic. 00:31:50.900 --> 00:31:57.660 Think about these four R's. Jesus, think about the cross, Jesus is the Redeemer for sinners. 00:31:59.019 --> 00:32:11.180 Fundamental to our gospel. Jesus is risen in victory. Also fundamental to the gospel. Jesus is ruling 00:32:11.180 --> 00:32:23.299 with power. Guess what? That's essential to the gospel. And Jesus will return in glory and in judgment. 00:32:24.980 --> 00:32:30.799 And if you're here today and you're part of this great story, the story of Jesus' saving work, 00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:39.380 then our calling and our privilege is to share this story. Because the risen and ascended Lord Jesus, 00:32:39.380 --> 00:32:47.020 he still sends his witnesses out into the world on mission. And we're going to see more of that 00:32:47.020 --> 00:32:49.620 in the next few weeks.