What the Apostles Were Supposed to Do

Transcription

1 Dartmouth Bible Notes Notes from the Pulpit Ministry of Dartmouth Bible Church Series: Studies in Acts, Lesson 2 Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Speaker: Rev. Neil C. Damgaard, Th.M., D.Min. Date: September 16 th, 2018 What the Apostles Were Supposed to Do Acts 1:1-5 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have 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. 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. 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; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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. 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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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. Introduction I don t know call me crazy. Sometimes I like just studying the Bible (especially the Acts of the Apostles) just for its own sake. I enjoy getting into the exact things that are written there, even the individual words, just for their own sake. The reason is that I believe the Bible, by which I mean the individual books of the Bible, were inspired by the Holy Spirit, working within the author s mind, even in detail right down to the very words he used, the grammar he engaged, the ideas he filtered and the order in which he wrote those ideas. That isn t true of every ancient writing, even of everything that the apostles themselves wrote. But the sixty-six books that made it into the Bible, I believe to be special. The problem is I need to preach this not just study it and it isn t enough to do a one-directional Bible study at you just for the technical fascination it gives to me And so, often, we preachers feel the need to take the Scripture and apply it to some need, some crisis or some deficiency in people s lives. That s OK, and we are usually evaluated by the perceived relevance to the life of the person listening to the sermon. (I don t think I have ever been commended once here in DBC in 35 years for carefully

2 exegeting a text, or bringing a text in a theologically or doctrinally balanced way. But I have occasionally been commended for bringing a text in a relevant way or for suggesting relevant applications). Then we have Bible teachers who are dead now, and have been for years whose recorded messages are still being listened to. J. Vernon McGee was a Texan with a stiff Texas accent, and he died in Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who was British, died in Both of these men s sermons are still listened to by the thousands today, including some in our congregation. Why? BECAUSE THEIR PRIMARY FOCUS WAS ON THE EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE. My early mentors, Martin Clark, Jack Arnold, Howard Hendricks, S. Lewis Johnson, Edwin Blum did this too. And then I was trained to do this at Dallas Seminary. Those guys were more concerned with accurately teaching what the Bible says than they were with merely using the Bible to address some particular 1980 or 1970 or 1965 need. And God honors His Word. As we are back in Acts 1 today, I want us to think about what Luke wrote to Theophilus as he began writing this historical monograph to him. I don t know if Luke knew anything about depression. I don t know if Luke knew anything about substance abuse. I m not sure if Luke was worried about racial reconciliation or gender equalization. I don t even know if Luke was concerned with social justice or not. All I know is what he wrote down, to Theophilus, so that Theophilus would have the straight story. Here s how it begins: In the first book, O Theophilus, I have 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. 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. (Acts 1:1-3) Luke refers to his first book (Volume I) which told the story of Jesus DOINGS and TEACHINGS. Jesus did both He did things and He taught things. He walked around the countryside and DID different tasks healed people with terminal illnesses, or permanent disabilities, raised some from the dead, cast out demons, fed a whole bunch of people out of thin air, got into discussions with the clergy (Pharisees, elders, scribes), made invitations to some to get up and follow after Him, made the weather shut up at least once and so forth. I don t think His disciples were bored very often. Then He TAUGHT people often too and Oh, what teaching! He amazed a lot of people with His wisdom and the way came across with authority. He blessed people every day probably, as He talked about all kinds of topics. Sometimes when He taught He spoke in word-picture stories 2

3 that not every one got they were called parables. He was utterly brilliant! Luke wanted Theophilus to know as much as he, Luke, could write down. That was Volume I. Time passed. Now he wants to write Volume II. Luke writes that Jesus made it really obvious to all the guys that it was really Him. After Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the tomb He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs. We love those proofs. 1) He walked through walls and just stood there and then asked them for something to eat! Good proof! 2) He said to Thomas Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe. Thomas answered him, My Lord and my God! (John 20:27,28) Good proof! 3) Two guys are walking out in the countryside, Jesus appears to them and they don t know who it is at first (Luke 24). Then as they re having something to eat, He took a piece of bread, broke it and blessed it immediately the two guys understand THIS is the same guy! Then Jesus vanished! Good proof, yes? Luke begins by telling Theophilus that Jesus had given the disciples commands, not suggestions, not strategies. It is the word entello (ἐντειλάμενος), and it means commands. The NASB and the NET Bible translate this orders. KJV has it commandments. Jesus, in the Spirit, is talking about the things He wants Peter and James and John and all the others to go out and DO. Matthew actually tells us what He said, at least in part: POREUTHENTES OUN MATHETEUSATE PANTA TA ENTHNÉ BAPTIZONTES AUTOUS EIS TO ONOMA TOU PATROS KAI TOU HUIOU KAI TOU HAGIOU PENUMATOS DIDASKONTES AUTOUS TÉREIN PANTA HOSA ENETEILAMEN HUMIN KAI IDOU EHO METH HUMON EIMI PASAS TAS HÉMERAS HEOS TÉS SYNTELEIAS TOU AINOS Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19,20). Now today, don t think of that as The Great Commission, a thing you have heard preached many times so many times maybe, it might have lost its meaning. Think of these words as military orders, given to a small group of as yet unempowered, ragtag followers people who had hardly recovered from the rude awakening that Jesus was not still dead. 3

4 Their job was going to be the making of new followers of Jesus Christ. But for the moment their task was to OBEY His command: stay here in Jerusalem. Not forever! But until the Father s promise a baptizing of them in the Holy Spirit happened. God tests us periodically for obedience! We don t know why the coming of the Holy Spirit didn t happen for a few days. Perhaps it was to temper the apostles willingness to obey Jesus. Perhaps it was to await the coming into Jerusalem of all those pilgrims who would hear the Gospel in their own languages. Then Luke tells us that they asked Him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? This is on the one hand a reasonable question, isn t it? Jesus had risen from the dead. It must have seemed logical to them that now would be a good time for Him to set up His earthly kingdom and bring Israel back to the obvious place of God s favor. And, at the end of vs. 3 He HAD been talking to them about the kingdom of God. But Jesus gives them that famous answer, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority which effectively shuts down even down to today any speculation about when He is going to come again. As the two men in white robes tell them in vs. 10 He IS going to come back But not now, for the purpose you disciples want. Instead something else is going to happen (vs. 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. I remember being told as a new Christian in 1972 to memorize this verse Someone said, Memorize Acts 1:8 because you re going to need that verse to keep you focused just like the disciples were going to need it to keep THEM focused. Peter and James and John and the others were promised that they would become empowered somehow, when the Holy Spirit came upon them I am sure they had no idea what any of that meant! The result of this strange empowerment would be witnessing for Jesus around the city, all around the area, even into Samaria, and ultimately to the end of the earth which, of course, we are still seeing today. Their job was to witness of Him. They were to make disciples of all nations but the crop of disciples would come from them first being witnesses of Christ to all kinds of people, all over the place. The strong implication is that there would be no shortage of people TO disciple. I think this is still the main focus of the church on earth. We are not to just sit in our little churches (or big 4

5 churches) and polish our silver. We are to make disciples, after witnessing for Christ. The church that does that will feel an empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The church that makes THAT its focus and passion will grow. We are not to worry too much about specific names just to be His witnesses, and to make disciples when they come to faith in Christ, baptize them, and teach them. I think that if YOU had someone come up to you and say, would you disciple me? you would never get bored. And then if someone else came up to you and asked you for the same pretty soon and you would find yourself busy! And then after a year or two you see that first person who you discipled for a while discipling someone else, you would be excited. This is what made CRU and The Navigators and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship so huge and successful. Before the second world war there were none of these organizations. Our greatest joy and occupation is the privilege of nurturing another person s spirit and soul into inquiry and investigation, breaking through past lostness and blindness, to redemption and into the experience of discipleship and finally into their own work of multiplication. The devil hates it with an intelligent fury. The world scoffs and at best thinks we re uncouth. But when you ve accompanied a soul into the arms of Jesus Christ, seen them embrace His cross and then begin to grow you can weather any trial. I know it s old-fashioned, but this tune came to mind: When we walk with the Lord In the light of His Word What a glory He sheds on our way. While we do His good will, He abides with us still and with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey for there s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. 5

6 ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ POREUTHENTES OUN MATHETEUSATE PANTA TA ENTHNÉ BAPTIZONTES AUTOUS EIS TO ONOMA TOU PATROS KAI TOU HUIOU KAI TOU HAGIOU PENUMATOS DIDASKONTES AUTOUS TÉREIN PANTA HOSA ENETEILAMEN HUMIN KAI IDOU EHO METH HYMON EIMI PASAS TAS HÉMERAS HEOS TÉS SYNTELEIAS TOU AINOS Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19,20 6

7 7