Week 1: January 30, 2017 February 5, 2017

Week 1: January 30, 2017 February 5, 2017 Scripture: DAY 1: Luke 1:1-4, Luke 24:37-53, The Prequel DAY 2: Acts 1:1-11, Jesus Ascension DAY 3: Acts 2:1-13, John 16:7-15, Pentecost DAY 4: Acts 2:14-21, Joel 2:28-29, First Church Sermon, Pt 1 DAY 5: Acts 2:22-36, Psalm 16:8-11, First Church Sermon, Pt 2 The book of Acts does more than give a beginning history of the Christian church. Luke did not write to Theophilus again to give him the second volume of a historical work that could serve as a reference if Theo had a hard time remembering a place or a name. Acts demonstrates how God s plan comes to fulfillment through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit after Jesus Christ was resurrected and ascended into heaven. Indeed, the main theological aim of the book is to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah because he rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God. Luke also intends, through Acts, to show how the God of the Old Testament is now doing a new thing and moving through those who respond to the call to repent and believe in who Jesus is and what He did. This call is for everyone, not just Israel. These themes will play out as we read through the book of Acts these 10 weeks. Through all of the four gospels, we have come to know who Jesus Christ is. From the beginning of the world, He is God s Son and God Himself. From the beginning of His human life here on earth, prophecies have been fulfilled indicating He is the Chosen One. Jesus teaching demonstrates a radical application of the Jewish law, pointing to God s original intention for His chosen people. He calls us to a new kind of Kingdom life, which has been ushered in by the Son of God s entrance into the world. The miracles of Jesus back up Who He is, and indicate the power of God is at His disposal, restoring us to who we were created to be and who we are called to be. God had a bigger plan, and it leads to the offer of redemption for ALL people! God s power is on full display as Jesus rises from the dead. As Jesus ascends into heaven, His believers are given a call to be witnesses. And, the power made available to Him will be given to them through the gift of the Spirit. How we read Acts and how we discuss Acts in our small groups will determine the kind of impact God s Word will have. I would encourage you to think in two specific ways as you read: THINK IMAGINATIVELY We re not just reading how the church was formed back then, and how it responded to the different situations it found itself in. We are asking ourselves about what is God saying to us about who we are and how we are called to respond to the world we live in, and the difficult times we find ourselves in. The specific circumstances may be different than what the church faced in Acts, but we believe the Word of God is living and active, and God can speak to us about the circumstances we as the church find ourselves in today by reading the Word and hoping for a fresh, faithful, new Word from God. Furthermore, Acts challenges the church (then and today) to look at and listen to Scripture again, because there are examples when believers experiences clash with understanding of Scripture. (NBBC) Peter understands Scripture more fully about the inclusion of Gentiles after his encounter with Cornelius. (Acts 10 & 11) The church goes through a stage of conflict because they have to work through what it means to be the people of God, and whether than includes dietary laws and the ritual of circumcision (Acts 15) THINK COMMUNITY When we read about what happens in Acts, it s more about what is happening to the community of believers, and not as much a private spiritual experience. Pentecost is not about speaking in tongues as proof you have the Spirit, it s about a group of believers empowered in their mission to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ, and receiving the divine blessing Jesus promised. And, the community we are to

think about is one where all are welcome. There are no outsiders or insiders. All have access to the grace of God and called to repent. Acts dares us to begin expecting and looking for God at work, even within those persons or groups that the (world or) church has left behind or left outside. (NBBC) THINK ORGANICALLY. When we ready the book of Acts, it does tell us how God works within the church and the result at times is the church grows numerically. Luke did not write Acts as a strategy book for church growth. He is not saying do this and that and you will add 3000 to your church body. He is speaking of the effect of God s grace and presence in the church when they genuinely worship Him. We are called to be the Acts 29 church, but we must not look for formulas within the book of Acts to give us success numerically! Luke 1:1-4, 24:37-53 It may seem strange to being a 10 week reading plan on the book of Acts in another book! However, it s important to know that Acts is the sequel to the gospel of Luke. They really are one big book, which together make up 25% of the New Testament. Both books are about movement. The gospel of Luke is about movement by Jesus TO Jerusalem, starting in Galilee and then journeying towards Jerusalem, and finally reaching there, where he will face a trial and death, rise from the dead, and ascend into heaven. Acts is about movement by His believers FROM Jerusalem. They receive the Spirit in Jerusalem, and then progress throughout Acts to journey further and further away, to Rome and the ends of the earth. In both the gospel and the book of Acts, Luke lays out God s plan to bring light to the world through Israel. If Acts is a sequel to Luke, it s important to start where the prequel left off. What Luke emphasizes in the last part of his gospel will be important for Acts. Luke emphasizes the physical reality that Jesus has been raised to life and conquered death. The disciples are told to address their doubt by observing his wounds and even touching them. He eats in front of them. His resurrection is not merely symbolic or visual. It is physically real. A key verse in the passage in chapter 24 is verse 44 when Jesus says everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. This fulfillment will continue in the book of Acts, and it will be made possible by the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus has promised. Jesus tells them they will be witnesses, and this is literally the case, as many leaders will be given opportunity to bear witness to what they have seen Jesus raised from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God. Many will give literal witness at trials, and many will be killed because of that witness! Luke ends with a short account of Jesus ascending into heaven. Most of what is chronicled here in this last passage of Luke is repeated in the first passage of Acts. This happens a lot with a sequel; it picks up where the prequel left off by reminding the readers what happened last. The Ascension is not mentioned at all in Matthew; it s alluded to in John; it s mentioned with one sentence in a later addition to Mark. It s not given much press time here either. Then, the gospel is left with a TO BE CONTINUED tag. One of my favorite movie series is Lord of the Rings. I remember watching the first movie and then screaming NOW WHAT? when it cut to credits. Then, I had to wait a year to see the sequel, and another year for the finale. We are asking NOW WHAT? as Luke concludes. What happens now that Jesus is gone? Will the believers receive the Spirit, as Jesus promised? We ll have to wait and see. We could take a cue from what the believers did as they waited living out the kingdom of God, worshipping and praising Him! Acts 1:1-11 Luke reminds Theophilus of his first book and its importance. In other words, you must have the first book (the gospel, the story of Jesus) to understand the second book (Acts, the story of a developing church proclaiming the story of Jesus). Today, the church must constantly look to the gospels for identity and direction. What Jesus taught and how He lived are a model for the church and the substance of the call God gives to be His chosen people, formed out of the new covenant Jesus brings by his death and resurrection. Luke speaks of the proofs that show Jesus is alive, meaning hard evidence that convinces the skeptic. Jesus was with them for a span of 40 days, which seems to correspond to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert at the beginning of His public ministry a time of preparation. (Then, it was preparation for His public ministry. Now, it is preparing His disciples for their public ministry.) The disciples are being prepared to be ACTIVE witnesses to a risen Jesus. Jesus speaks to them about

the Kingdom of God. It is not something in the future anymore. It is NOW, because of God entering into the world as Jesus. The question the disciples face is How can they do this with Him saying to them that He is leaving? Luke records here the ascension of Jesus, the final event of His public ministry. Jesus first gives final instructions, and speaks of them waiting for the gift of the Spirit in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a significant place a place of destiny for Jesus as He fulfilled His mission a place of departure for the disciples, as they take the gospel to the whole world. Indeed, Acts will demonstrate this. As the book progresses, we begin in Jerusalem, then go to Judea and Samaria, and then travel out into the world, concluding in the capital of the empire, Rome. The pouring out of the Spirit is a fulfilment of Isaiah s prophecy (Is 32) that the Spirit will be poured out and God s covenant renewed. God s promise to Abraham to make a great nation now has taken a new shape, and the disciples will be charged with the mission to build this nation, or church. The Holy Spirit will be a guide to the believers in Acts in a POWERFUL way not quiet or passive, but aggressive, challenging, counter-cultural. The disciples ask WHEN they will receive the Spirit, as they see this as the restoration of the kingdom, although they are still struggling to understand what kind of kingdom Jesus is speaking of. Jesus answers with WHO, and it is the Spirit who is the fulfillment of a promise, and EMPOWERMENT FOR MINISTRY. Jesus then ascends into heaven, eventually hidden by a cloud. A cloud is representative of the presence of God in the Old Testament, and illustrative of His activity. A cloud guided the Israelites when they were freed and left Egypt all the way to Mt Sinai, where it rested on that mountain, which was the scene of the giving of the Ten Commandments. Two men have a message for the disciples as they watch Jesus depart. No need to wait here. The promised Spirit is coming. The Ascension is and will be a testimony by the disciples as witnesses that Jesus is still alive and is positioned to pour out His Spirit, delivering a message of a resurrected Jesus who offers grace and forgiveness of sins until He returns again someday for the resurrection of all things. Even though Jesus is physically leaving, God s presence with them remains, giving them peace and guiding them. The disciples then depart and head back to Jerusalem to wait. As they wait, they pray. This is a theme in Acts believers praying together as they wait on God to act during critical moments in the life of the church. Their prayer is symbolic of a unity they share, and a need to be aware of and participate in the presence of God. They are motivated by the belief they are called to be representatives of God s grace for forgiveness and restoration by means of the power of the Spirit. Pentecost is coming! Acts 2:1-13, John 16:7-15 Acts 2 is the account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Jesus followers on the Day of Pentecost. The Day of Pentecost was one of the main feast celebrations of the Old Testament. It was celebrated fifty days after the feast of Passover. We remember that the Passover meal was the occasion on which Jesus gathered with His disciples on the night before He was crucified in an upper room and instituted what we now call The Lord s Supper. It has been about fifty days since the crucifixion of Jesus and now, in obedience to His command, 120 of his followers have been meeting together for prayer in an upper room (possibly the same one where they had celebrated Passover) waiting for the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised to give them. For a first century Jew, Pentecost was an agricultural festival where farmers brought the first fruits of their crops as an offering to God, partly in gratitude for God s provision and partly as a prayer that all the rest of the crop would be safely gathered in (N.T. Wright). Passover, Pentecost, and other festivals served as annual reminders to the Jews of the mighty ways that God had acted on their behalf in the past. In the Passover Feast, as they ate the meat of the lamb, they remembered how God had sent the Angel of Death to pass over the firstborn sons of Israel while taking the lives of the firstborn sons of Egypt. God had acted powerfully to set them free from bondage in Egypt. Fifty days after this, God gave Moses the law on top of Mt. Sinai. Pentecost became, for the Israelites, the celebration of God giving to His people instructions on the way He wanted them to live their lives. So the powerful outpouring of God s Spirit at Pentecost would have been understood by these first century believers as God acting again, not giving them what had become a lifeless list of rules to live by, but as God now pouring out on them the power of the presence of the Spirit of the risen Jesus Himself. The power of Jesus Spirit is poured out on the 120 believers, empowering them to spread the life-transforming message of Jesus and to continue His work of healing, forgiving, loving and serving people. We should recognize this as the Spirit being given to the believers as a community. The primary purpose was not the giving of the Spirit on an individual as proof they were a believer, but power was given so they could proclaim the message. This was not a personal Pentecost.

Great signs and wonders accompanied the giving of God s Spirit: The violent WIND was a symbol for the Spirit of God. Wind commonly symbolized the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. In fact, the words in Hebrew can be interchanged. The tongues of FIRE were the symbol of God s purifying presence. This was also a common image in the Old Testament, from a pillar of fire that guided the Israelites at night when they fled Egypt, to a bush that would not burn up that was a calling card to Moses. The speaking in tongues was clearly a miraculous gift which allowed for people present there from many different nations to understand the message of Jesus ( each one heard them speaking their own language (v. 6)). Since the feast of Pentecost was one of the pilgrimage feasts, Jews from all over had traveled in to observe the spiritual occasion, and were there to witness this outpouring of the Spirit and hear the gospel message in their own native tongue! Luke tells us the reaction of the crowd - they are amazed and perplexed (v. 12) and some people laughed at them thinking they were drunk (v. 13). This scene feels a lot like the Tower of Babel account in Genesis 11. There, an effort was made to build a tower so high that people could be like God. To thwart their effort, they were made to speak different languages, and became confused. Ironically, the opposite is happening here. God reveals Himself through His Spirit, and those who speak different languages all hear the same message. The result is also confusion and bewilderment! It was an awesome display of the work of God. Even as believers, we can be confused and uncomfortable with direct experiences of God at work. They can be unsettling, probably because they defy explanation or understanding. Like some in the crowd, we might even seek to delegitimize it. We should not be quick to disqualify things that go beyond our mental constructs. Yes, we should pray and make sure they are compatible with Scripture. (Peter will clear this up with the sermon he is about to give.!) When we see God at work, our response is to worship. The passage in the gospel of John gives us some further understanding of this gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. In Jesus Farewell Discourse in John 14-16, Jesus references the promise of the Holy Spirit 5 different times twice in the passage we read today John 16:7-15. Jesus says it is actually good He is going away and they will receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus says the Holy Spirit will aid in their proclamation of the gospel. He will proclaim and guide the believers into truth. The Holy Spirit will prepare them for the future, although we should not interpret this as the Holy Spirit making us predictors of the future. In short, THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL PROCLAIM JESUS TEACHINGS TO THE BELIVERS IN A FRESH WAY TO ENABLE THEM TO FACE THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN THEIR LIVES. He ensures there will be an ONGOING CONVERSATION BETWEEN JESUS and THE CHURCH - both then and now. The disciples were left with questions at the end of Acts 1, the big one being how they would continue without Jesus here on earth. The promise of the Holy Spirit ensures that God s revelation of Himself through Jesus Christ was not meant for one group of people who were with Him physically, or for one particular moment in history. The Holy Spirit reminds the church of what Jesus taught and did and leads believers of Jesus Christ to truth. And, those who are tasked with preaching and teaching (and leading a small group) share that same work through the anointing of the Spirit! Acts 2:14-21, Joel 2:28-29 & Acts 2:22-36 Peter stands up to deliver a message in response to the confusion and accusations of the crowd. The sermon is not meant for the ears of that crowd alone. As Luke write Peter s sermon and frames the missional purpose for Christians in Acts, he knows many more people will read this than just the crowd who hear the original words that day. Luke includes this message because it is key to the formation of the beliefs of the beginning of the church. Peter, the guy who had denied that he even knew Jesus in the events surrounding the crucifixion, now stands boldly before thousands of people and proclaims the first Christian sermon. His preaching is persuasive, a result of being filled by the Spirit and anointed by God to speak. Whether it is a pastor preaching a message, a small group leader facilitating a group on a discussion of Acts, or someone who has the opportunity to share the gospel with a friend, we should all pray that we are filled with the Spirit like Peter is here, rather than relying on ourselves! Acts shows this is God s design to pour our His Spirit on His people, so they will proclaim the gospel! Peter s sermon can only be understood as we realize that the Day of Pentecost happened at a time when people were suffering and struggling. Their struggles prompted them to diligently search the Old Testament for clues as to when and where and how God would finally send his Messiah to usher in his Kingdom of justice and power. So,

it s not surprising that, in explaining the significance of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter would turn to the prophet Joel who predicted the coming of the day of the Lord. Peter doesn t just quote Joel, he uses the passage as a commentary on what is taking place at Pentecost. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whom he has just received, the gives a fresh, new interpretation of what Joel says. Later, he will do the same thing with passages in Psalms. Those Scriptures were written with an original meaning, and now the living, active Word of God speaks into the present situation with a deeper interpretation. There would be no greater time than this to quote these passages and express this meaning, since the Old Testament has continually told the story of the plan of God to redeem His people through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Joel, a minor prophet, wrote a book in the Old Testament that would be described as a lament. A locust plague had ravaged the people of Israel, and they cry out to the Lord, and the cry turns to grief, as they see the God to whom they cry out is distant because they have turned from Him. The hinge point of the book is verses 12 thru 17, when God calls on His people to repent, and He will hear their cry. The passage Peter quotes comes after this call to repentance. Joel speaks of the day of Yahweh, when God will bring both judgment and salvation upon Israel (the covenant community, the people of God) and the nations (the rest of the world). With this salvation comes a pouring out of His Spirit. Pouring Out signifies that there is no limit that God will not hold back. It will be for ALL people not just Israel, but all people; not just the privileged, but even those on the margin. Peter is saying that the outpouring of God s Spirit described in Joel is now happening because ultimate salvation is offered because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. AND, with that salvation and the ascension of Jesus into heaven, the promise of the Holy Spirit is given to those who believe, which the crowd (some who think the believers are drunk!) is now witnessing. They will ultimately be called to repent as well. The early Christians had understood that they were now living in the last days which would climax in the return of Jesus in power to renew all things on the day of the Lord when all creation would be renewed. Peter identifies the wonders on the day of Pentecost as the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophet Joel. In the Old Testament God s Spirit was poured out on a few select individuals but now the Spirit is available to all who call upon the name of the Lord. The concept that salvation is available to everyone is one of the key messages of Acts, punctuated by the council of Jerusalem in chapter 15 when the Jewish leaders decide that Gentiles can indeed be saved without having to fulfill the requirements of Jewish law. Peter then goes on to make the point that the last days have begun through nothing less than the death and resurrection of Jesus. He reminds the crowd (again) that He is a Jew like they are, and recalls the man they know as Jesus, the one from Nazareth who did signs, wonders, and miracles. (This wording is likely not coincidental, when you see the quote from Joel and the reference to signs and wonders. These were common words used to describe God s powerful activity on behalf of Israel in the Old Testament. In Peter s quote of Joel, he adds the words above and below, to point to the work of Jesus Christ on earth and his ascension and placement in heaven at the right hand of God.) Then, he indicts the crowd there as the ones who put Jesus to death, using the Romans and their method of execution. As I think about Peter sharing this, I can t help but wonder if his denial of Jesus was in the back of his mind. It underscores the central message of Acts, the New Testament, and the gospel shared by the church today we are all responsible for His death, and we all need His grace, and we are all called to repent. He quotes from Psalm 16, in which David, Israel s greatest king, speaks of a confidence and joy He has in the presence of God, so much so that David predicts his own resurrection. He expresses confidence in the face of humanity s greatest dilemma death. But he was not speaking of his own resurrection, but of his offspring. Peter s argument is that they know where the tomb of King David is, so he can t be talking about himself. Rather, David (whom Peter refers to as a prophet) was predicting the resurrection of Jesus, the son of David (v. 31-33). Jesus, whom they crucified, has been made by God both Lord and Christ. This statement was treasonous from Rome s perspective it rejects the claims of Caesar to be the Lord and the Christ (anointed one). The other passage Peter quotes from in Psalms (110) is a Royal psalm, and speaks of the enthronement of a king! Thousands of believers would be put to death because they believed that Jesus was King, Lord, and Christ. As the Psalm states, He is now at the right hand of God, interceding for us and speaking to us through His Spirit!

Next week, we ll learn that the people were cut to the heart after hearing Peter s message, and this would lead to many being saved, and the birth of the church. The Jews had been waiting for the Day of the Lord which would usher in the last days. There is now no more waiting, but there is an urgency to take on the mission, urging EVERYONE to call on the name of the Lord. God s desire is for universal restoration, and everyone is called to join the community of Jesus-baptized believers, that God would empower them to not only go to heaven someday, but to be resurrected into God s new creation, filled with the Spirit. (passage is in parenthesis) (Note: The Acts Small Group Guide by N.T. Wright contains questions that can assist you as you lead your small group. Below are some additional questions you might find helpful.) (From Introduction) How does God use Scripture to speak into our lives and speak about the world today? What are some of the questions that arise out of the lives we live in the world of today? (Luke 1:1-4, 24:36-53) Why do you think the disciples had doubts when they saw Jesus? Do you think touching Jesus and seeing Him eat helped? Why will their witness to all of this be so important in the book of Acts? (Luke 1:1-4, 24:36-53) Jesus tells his disciples they are witnesses to what Jesus did while He was with them. What are ways you can witness to what Jesus has done? How should you fulfill the call to be His witness today? How does the church do this? What is the message to which we should be giving witness? (Acts 1:1-11) Do you think it felt scary for the disciples when Jesus ascended into heaven? Do you think they felt alone? How does an active prayer life (as a person and as a church) help with this? (Acts 1:1-11) In Acts 1 Jesus commands his disciples to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit so that they can be his witnesses. For you, what does it mean to wait on the Lord? When and how have you done this, and what was the result? What happens when you don t wait on the Lord? Does God ever call us to wait on him as individuals and as his church? Share a time in your life when you felt God asked you to wait. (Acts 1:1-11) The disciples watched Jesus ascend into heaven. What will they do without Jesus with them? Jesus promises them something better is coming. They are told to wait in Jerusalem. Question for the Day: Do you like waiting? Why is it hard to wait for something you really want or need? The believers' response was to pray. How do waiting and praying go together? How does prayer help? (Acts 2:1-13) What have you learned and what have you experienced of the Holy Spirit? How could you be more open to his work in your life? (Acts 2:1-13) How might the power of the Holy Spirit be seen in the church today? In what ways can or should the church be aggressive, challenging, and countercultural? (Acts 2:1-13) Has following Jesus ever become for you a keeping a list of rules? How can Pentecost keep us from falling into this law-oriented brand of faith? What difference does this make in our daily walk with Christ? (Acts 2:1-13) Why do you think we don t see more miraculous signs and wonders happen when people are filled with the Holy Spirit? What do you think it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit in the 21 st century? How do you see evidence of the Spirit in your life? What difference does this experience make in a person s life? Note: being filled with the Spirit was not a one-time experience for the disciples. It happened to them on numerous occasions (see Acts 4:31, Acts 13: 51,52). (Acts 2:1-13) What do you think it felt like to witness Pentecost? Have you ever witnessed God working in unexpectant or unexplainable ways? How did it feel? How did you respond?

(Acts 2:14-21) In what sense are we now living in the last days? What is the great and glorious day of the Lord for which we wait? How does this affect your daily outlook on life? (Acts 2:14-21) The last time Peter appeared in the prequel of Acts, the gospel of Luke, he is denying Jesus in one scene and bending over looking at the clothes in the tomb, wondering what has happened, in the other scene. In Acts 2, Peter speaks with authority. What s the difference? What gave him the courage to speak and not be silent like when he disowned Jesus in Luke? What gives you the courage to be a witness of the good news of Jesus Christ and what God has done? (Acts 2:22-36) What is the significance of Jesus being at the right hand of God? (Acts 2:14-36) Peter quotes three Old Testament passages and gives them a fresh, new meaning for the Pentecost event, and the declaration of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. How is he faithful to Scripture if the verses carry a new meaning from when they were originally written? Does this happen when pastors preach sermons today? Can you think of a good or recent example of this? You can use the following questions for any of the passages. They can help to get discussion moving on a passage, sum up the message for the week, and help tie things off for your small group time. -What stands out to you from this passage? -What questions do you have after reading the passage? -Pick a person from the passage or think about the reader: What would it feel like to be in their shoes? -What do we learn about God from this passage? -What do we learn about ourselves this passage? -How might God be working in a similar way today as He is in the passage? -How might we be acting in a similar way today as the person or persons in this passage? -What should be our response after reading this passage? -How does the Scripture we have read and our discussions speak to us about current events and issues?