The Prelude to the Birth of the Church

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The Prelude to the Birth of the Church

• Acts The Unfinished Story of the Church Series
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• Acts 11-11

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK AND THE SERIES

• The Distinctive Characteristics of The Book of
  Acts
•   1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt
  with all that Jesus began to do and
  teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up,
  after he had given commands through the Holy
  Spirit to the apostles whom he had
  chosen. (vs.1-2)
• It is Part 2 of the two-volume account of Luke
  continuing ministry of Jesus by the Holy Spirit
  through the Apostles.
• Hence, it is the continuation of Part 1, the
  Gospel of Luke.

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• 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile
• a narrative of the things that have been
  accomplished
• among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning
  were 
• eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have
  delivered them
• to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having
  followed all things
• closely for some time past, to write an orderly
  account for you,
•  most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may
  have certainty
• concerning the things you have been taught.
• Luke 11-4
• Historical Events Jesus life and ministry
  accomplished.
• Eyewitnesses of the life ministry of Jesus
  (the Apostles).
• Lukes Personal Research having followed all
  things closely.
• Writing/Compiling many did just that (the
  Gospels).
• Reading for Certainty ground for readers
  Christian faith.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK AND THE SERIES

• Luke was unique among the New Testament writers.
• He was a Gentile (Col 414).
• He was a physician (Col 414).
• He was a close traveling companion of Apostle
  Paul in his missionary journeys (Acts 1611-17 2
  Tim 411).
• He was a skilled historian.
• He had a special concern for the outsidersthe
  poor, tax collectors, sinners/outcasts, the
  lost, and the Gentiles.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK AND THE SERIES

• 2) The Importance of The Book of Acts
• Its role as bridge between the Gospels and the
  Epistles.
• Its historical account on the origin outreach
  of the early church.
• Its vivid focus on the powerful work of the Holy
  Spirit in and through the early church.
• In spite of the fact that the early church was
  neither perfect nor problem-free.
• It is an unfinished book about the church (still
  being written by us as well).

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK AND THE SERIES

• The Key Themes of The Book of Acts
• The Church how the church had birthed on
  Pentecost and expanded from Jerusalem to the end
  of the earth.
• The Holy Spirit Jesus had sent the Holy Spirit
  to empower and work in and through his church and
  his followers, continuing his work for the
  kingdom of God.
• The Gospel The book of Acts is essentially about
  how the gospel of Christ was spread from a Jewish
  sect to all peoples of all nations universally.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK AND THE SERIES

• 4) The Structure of The 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. (v.8)
• Acts 1-7 Witness in Jerusalem (Peter
  John).
• Acts 8-12 Witness in Judea and Samaria
  (Stephen Philip)
• Acts 13-28 Witness in the end of the earth (Paul
  Barnabas)

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WHAT WERE GIVEN TO THE DISCIPLES AS THE PRELUDE
TO THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH?

• The followers of Jesus were given the firsthand
  experiences with the risen Christ.
• He presented himself alive to them after his
  suffering by
• many proofs, appearing to them during forty days
  and
• speaking about the kingdom of God. (v.3)
• The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a historical
  eventour faith is laid on the historical
  certainty.
• The disciples were given many proofs concerning
  the resurrectionseeing him numerous time, eating
  with him, hearing about the kingdom of God, and
  with others.
• So, here is the first tool for us We are also to
  experience the risen Christ through faith and
  obedience.

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WHAT WERE GIVEN TO THE DISCIPLES AS THE PRELUDE
TO THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH?

• The followers of Jesus were given the promise of
  the Father.
•  4 And while staying with them he ordered them
  not to depart from
• Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the
  Father, which he said, 
• you heard from me 5 for John baptized with
  water, but you will
• be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
  from now 8 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.
  (vs.4-5, 8)
• The promise was the Holy Spirit for all believers
  in Christ.
• The power and vitality of the Christian mission
  as well as the Christian life comes from the Holy
  Spirit.
• So, the second tool is this We are to be
  Christs witnesses not with our own power by the
  power of the Holy Spirit

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WHAT WERE GIVEN TO THE DISCIPLES AS THE PRELUDE
TO THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH?

• 3) The followers of Jesus were given the hope of
  Christs return.
•  6 So when they had come together, they asked
  him, Lord, will
• you at this time restore the kingdom to
  Israel? 7 He said to them,
• It is not for you to know times or seasons that
  the Father has fixed
• by his own authority 9 And when he had said
  these things, as they were
• looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took
  him out of their sight.
•  10And while they were gazing into heaven as he
  went, behold, two 
• men stood by them in white robes, 11 and
  said, Men of Galilee,
• why do you stand looking into heaven? This
  Jesus, who was
• taken up from you into heaven, will come in the
  same
• way as you saw him go into heaven. (vs.6-7,
  9-11)
• Jesus ascension was the basis of hope for his
  return.
• Until his return, the Spirit does his work
  through us.
• So, the third tool is this We are to live out an
  incarnational life of Jesus in this certainty of
  hope for his return!

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Broadening Our Horizons for Christ

• In his reply Jesus broaden their horizons. He
  promised that the Holy Spirit would empowered
  them to be his witnesses. They would begin indeed
  in Jerusalem, the national capital in which he
  had been condemned and crucified, and which they
  were not to leave before the Spirit came. They
  would continue in the immediate environs of
  Judea. But then the Christian mission would
  radiate out from that center, in accordance with
  the ancient prophecy that the law will go out
  from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem
  first to despised Samaria, and then far beyond
  Palestine to the Gentile nations, indeed to the
  ends of the earth . . . For Christs kingdom,
  while not incompatible with patriotism, tolerates
  no narrow nationalisms. He rules over an
  international community in which race, nation,
  rank, and sex are no barriers to fellowship. And
  when his kingdom is consummated at the end, the
  countless company will be seen to be drawn from
  every nation, tribe, people and language.
• - John R. W. Stott

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THREE PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE

• Which importance of the book of Acts interests
  you the most? Why?
• Which of the three key themes will be your goal
  and focus in this series?
• What is your application on this prelude to the
  birth of the church? i.e., (1) the risen life
  of Christ, (2) the promise of the father for the
  Holy Spirit, and (3) the hope of Christs
  return.

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