Acts 1:1-3!

I. Acts Chapter 1 A. A Big Transition

1/25/2012

1. The Book of Acts is a very important book for this youth group. In fact, it is an important book for every christian who claims to follow Jesus. 2. It is the story of how the church got started and there is so much we can learn from this book. 3. It is the story about how a small group of shermen, business men, tax collectors, and doctors turned the whole world upside down (Acts 17:6) through their radical faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit through their lives. 4. I absolutely love how Jesus took the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. 5. I love that he used a sherman named Peter to be the leader of the church! a) There is this awesome show on Discovery Channel called the deadliest catch. Has anyone seen this show? I think that show actually gives us a fairly accurate portrayal of what shermen are like. Rough around the edges, foul language, just kinda simple good ol boys without any manners. Would you agree. b) Now, I dont want to say that Peter was exactly like that. But most scholars and commentators agree that the shermen in Israel were pretty rough around the edges too. c) I just love the fact that Jesus walks up to this young guy, uneducated, probably not overly zealous for the law like the pharisees and says, Hey come and follow Me! Ill make you a sher of men. And later he says, Your name is Peter and upon your faith I am going to build my church! B. Encouragment for us today: 1. Peter was weak, uncommitted, uneducated, and irrational. 2. A quick question: How many of you are able to read? You already have a leg up on Peter! 3. This is who God chose to lead his church! Amazing... II. Lets return to the Text A. Acts 1:1 1. I want to stress what Luke says here: a) The rst account I composed (The Gospel of Luke), Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach. 2. Notice how Luke says BEGAN 3. All that Jesus did in the Gospels was only the beginning of His work on earth. All of his tough, compassionate, loving, healing deeds and what he said on

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earth in his truthful, authoitative, convicting, comforting teaching was only the beginning of His doing and teaching! 4. This is a BIG statement. 5. And it is crucial for us to understand the book of Acts, who we are as the church, and what our time on earth is all about. 6. Because the clear implication is that NOW - now that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father - he is NOT nished. He is NOT dead and He is NOT absent. He is alive, present, doing and teaching... STILL. 7. Clarication: the once-for-all sacrice of Himself for sin on the cross, the mighty resurrection and Ascension to the Fathers right hand is just the Beginning of what Jesus came to do and to teach. 8. And the rest of what he came to do he does NOW in this age until the time appointed by the Father for the end of all things at Jesus return. 9. This is one of the major points of the book of Acts. This book is not just about what the Apostles did. It is about what Jesus did through them and what He wants to do through us! 10. I think many of us struggle with the reality that Jesus is still alive. We struggle to believe that He is with us and continuing to build His church just like he said He would. We need to believe this and allow it to encourage us. III. So let me summarize and ask a question: A. Is Jesus still at work today? B. Who is He looking for? Smart, educated, wealthy, inuential people? Yes. Poor, broken, uneducated people? Yes. Middle schoolers? Yes. High Schoolers? Yes. C. The point is, it doesnt matter how many awesome things you have going for you. Jesus is God and He is more than able to do amazing things through your life. IV. Inspiration: A. Is anyone in here 14 years old? a) Marie Durantz (14 yrs old), B. Katie (Video from Uganda) V. Whats needed for us to be living instruments of Jesus? A. What does Jesus give his people so that they might become his instruments in the world? B. Lets turn to verses 2-3 1. He gave them a command in verse 2: a) (I dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach) until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen.

Acts 1:1-3!

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b) In order for the apostles to be His instruments in the world, they needed a command (or a commission) that came through the Holy Spirit. 2. In John 20:21-22 we see a very clear description of a commission that Jesus gave the apostles after his resurrection: a) Jesus said to them again, Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you. (Commissioning) And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. 3. So we see through the testimony of Scripture that the Holy Spirit plays a very signicant role in the commissioning of the apostles for ministry. It is safe to say that the couldnt have done anything without Gods power through the Holy Spirit. 4. And I believe the same applies to us today. VI. The second thing they needed was verication that Jesus was alive and triumphant over death. A. Vs 3 To them he presented himself alive after his death by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days... B. I think it is safe to say that you cannot be an authentic instrument in the hands of a living Christ if you do not think he is alive. Until Peter was totally convinced that Jesus had conquered the grave and was alive with an indestructible life, and therefore could never be defeated and His cause was unstoppable - Only then did the apostles fully believe and sacrice their own lives for the sake of the gospel. C. Remember what happened before they were convinced? The went back to shing! At the end of John Jesus comes to them on the seashore after he was resurrected and Peter and the boys were out shing on the boats. They had given up! Left the cause. D. Because if Jesus isnt alive then Christianity means nothing... Absolutely nothing. E. So He appears to them like he did in Luke 24:39-40 and says things like: 1. See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me, and see; for a spirit doesnt have esh and bones as you see that I have! 2. He gave them undeniable proof! F. So at the end of 40 days of appearances and conversations and meals together the apostles were beyond doubt. They had many infallible proofs and they were almost ready to begin their ministry. VII. Lastly, They needed instruction: A. So they needed a Spirit empowered commissioning, proof and belief that Jesus was alive, and they needed instruction about the Kingdom of God. B. At the end of vs 3 it says that Jesus appeared to them and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:1-3!

1/25/2012

C. In other words, they needed a crash course in what it means for the Kingdom of God now that Jesus is risen from the dead. D. I believe He explained to them the implications of his death and resurrection. VIII. We need what the apostles had A. Spirit led commissioning B. Belief in the resurrection power of Christ C. Biblical instruction in the Kingdom of God IX. With this what can you do? A. Pretty much anything... Just take a look a the book of Acts for starters. B. Katie (Video from Uganda)