Acts 1:1-8. SETTING THE STAGE

SETTING THE STAGE

Text: Acts 1:1-8.

Delivered on: May 25, 2008. Streetsboro.

INTRODUCTION.

1. The book of Acts was written by Luke.

2. It is an account of the history of the church.

3. Acts 2 has been defined by some people as the “Hub” of the Bible.

4. Hub = a place or thing that forms the effective center of an activity, region, or network.

5. A hub is a center of activity.

6. This adequately describes Acts 2. It is a center of activity.

7. Acts 1 sets the stage for the earth-shaking events of the second chapter.

1. Verse 1. The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

   1. Jesus was an astounding teacher.

      1. Even as a child, He astounded the teachers in the temple. Luke 2:47. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

      2. Matthew 7:28-29. And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

      3. John 7:40-46. Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” ⁴¹ Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Will the Christ come out of Galilee? ⁴² Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?” ⁴³ So there was a division among the people because of Him. ⁴⁴ Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. ⁴⁵ Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” ⁴⁶ The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!”

      4. Some examples:

         1. He taught a lesson from drawing water out of a well. John 4.

         2. He taught Nicodemus about being born again. John 3.

         3. He taught a lesson when He fed the five thousand. John 6.

         4. He used the death of Lazarus to teach a lesson. John 11.

         5. He taught us about the Kingdom by telling a story about a man sowing seed in different kinds of soil. Matthew 13.

         6. We could go on and on.

   2. Jesus also practiced what He preached.

      1. He not only taught, but he DID.

      2. He gave us the Golden Rule but then He showed us the Golden Rule.

      3. He taught us about the need for obedience and then showed us obedience.

      4. He taught us not to be materialistic and lived an life that demonstrated what that meant.

      5. In order for us to be affective teachers, we must practice what we preach.

2. Verse 2. Until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen.

   1. Jesus gave commandments to His disciples.

      1. Many seem to believe that Jesus gave suggestions to His disciples.

      2. Commandment = to order, to command to be done, to enjoin.

      3. Further, He coupled loving Him with obedience to His commandments. John 14:15. If you love Me, keep My commandments.

      4. Obedience to the commands of Jesus is not optional.

      5. He has all authority. Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

   2. Those commandments included the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19-20. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

      1. Notice that they were to teach them (those who obeyed) to observe all things that Christ had commanded.

      2. Hence, you and I today are subject to the commands of Jesus.

      3. 2 Timothy 2:2. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

3. Verse 3. To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

   1. Jesus presented Himself alive by MANY INFALLIBLE proofs.

      1. Notice what Paul said. 1 Corinthians 15:4-8. And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

      2. Jesus was seen by over five hundred people. Most were still alive at the time of the writing of Acts.

      3. His resurrection was easily confirmed. It wasn’t a hidden or mysterious occurrence.

   2. Secular history from that time period affirms His resurrection as well.

      1. Listen to Josephus. Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works – a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. Antiquities 18:3:3.

      2. Justin Martyr. A.D. 147. Dialogue with Trypho. You Jews knew that Jesus was risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, as the prophecies did foretell was to happen.

      3. One has said that the silence of the Jews in regard to the resurrection speaks as loudly as the proclamations of the Christians.

      4. No one could deny the resurrection.

   3. He spoke with them about things pertaining to the kingdom.

      1. Why would He do this if the Kingdom was thousands of years from coming into existence?

      2. Jesus had 40 days to converse with His disciples and He was teaching them about the kingdom.

      3. He did this because the kingdom was AT HAND. VERSES 4-8 BEGIN SETTING THE SCENE FOR THE “HUB” OF THE BIBLE.

4. Verses 4-5. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; ⁵ for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

   1. Jesus tells them to go to Jerusalem.

      1. It was in Jerusalem that the events of Acts 2 occurred.

      2. Isaiah 2:2-3. Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. ³ Many people shall come and say, “ Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

      3. It was in Jerusalem that the Kingdom would begin.

   2. He tells them to wait for the promise of the Father.

      1. Then He tells them what that promise was.

      2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

      3. A few things to consider about Holy Spirit Baptism:

         1. It was promised only to the disciples.

         2. As we are going to see in Chapter 2, it was accompanied by some miraculous signs.

         3. There is only one baptism today. Ephesians 4:5. One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

         4. From our study in the book of Acts we will see that this one baptism is water baptism.

5. Verses 6-8. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

   1. The disciples’ question.

      1. “Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

      2. They, like many today, were still looking for a physical kingdom.

      3. Jesus didn’t even bother to correct them at this time.

   2. He promises that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them.

      1. It was when the power came that the Kingdom would come. Mark 9:1. And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

      2. So, the kingdom would come with power and the power would come with the Holy Spirit.

   3. Verse 8 is an outline of the book of Acts.

      1. The Kingdom began in Jerusalem and for a period of about 3 years, the gospel was preached primarily to the Jews in Jerusalem.

      2. Then Judea, Samaria, and the end of the earth.

Conclusion.

1. What do I want us to learn from this lesson?

2. To be effective teachers, like Jesus, we must teach and do.

3. Jesus has all authority and we must be obedient to Him.

4. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is certain.

5. The scene has been set (almost) for the “Hub” of the Bible.