1 God s Plan Continues Unhindered: The Risen Jesus expands His church, through the Spirit s Power, Despite all opposition March 23, 2014 Matt Rawlings We live in a time when there is much uncertainty don t we? There is uncertainty in the world about origins and a popular series out now on the cosmos doesn t help to clear anything up for people. There is uncertainty about the future and things seem shaky on many fronts. Is the age of the American empire crumbling? The future stability of our country is uncertain to some degree. Christians face opposition in the political arena. Some would even say that Christianity is being systematically attacked and Christians are being discriminated against. In fact, just this past October, soldiers at Fort Hood were trained that evangelical Christians are a threat to the nation and that they are tearing the country apart. In the same training, it was said that evangelical Christians protesting abortions are the mobilization stage and that leads to the bombing of abortion clinics. Earlier in the same month, several dozen active duty troops at Camp Shelby in Mississippi, were told that a well-respected Christian ministry, should be classified as a domestic hate group because it advocates for traditional family values. Last April an Army Reserve briefing classified Evangelical Christianity as religious extremism. This isn t limited to the military though and these aren t isolated incidents in our society. Christians are increasingly looked at as being supposedly intolerant because they hold to what the Bible teaches. Many are suspicious about Christians who actually believe what the Bible teaches and often Christians are characterized as unintelligent and backwards or worse as hateful and bigoted. Christians increasingly face opposition in politics, opposition in the courtroom, opposition in the classroom and opposition in the workplace. The future of Christianity in America and in the world can seem uncertain at times, in the midst of opposition. As Christians, we can be tempted to feel like we are powerless in the face of uncertainty and opposition. We may even face personal difficulties or persecution to some degree. In this country right now, the persecution may just be snide remarks or being marginalized or ridiculed. But according to an organization called Voice of the Martyrs, in more than 40 nations around the world today Christians are being persecuted for their faith. In some of these nations it is illegal to own a Bible, to share your faith in Christ, become a Christian or teach your children about Jesus. Those who boldly follow Christ in spite of government edict or radical opposition can face harassment, arrest, torture and even death. In just the past weeks, Sudan and North Korea made the news for their persecution of Christians. With all of this opposition to Christianity, with all of the seeming uncertainty about the future freedom of Christians, it may tempt some to lack faith or to doubt that God is really at work. Some may be tempted to lose hope or become discouraged or give up. Some may be tempted to think that somehow, God isn t really in control and that perhaps God s plans have failed. 1
2 It is likely that these may have been some of the temptations that Theophilus faced. It is likely that many Christians in the Roman Empire may have been tempted to think the same things and lose courage. Today, we are beginning our study on the book of Acts in the New Testament. And we are just going to be taking a broad overview of the book of Acts. If you have been to Epcot in the past few years, they have a ride there called Soarin, and the ride is a cinematic overview of the United States, that gives you a perspective on the country and makes you want to explore God s creation even more. The goal of our time today is similar. As we fly over the big themes in the book, I want to help us understand the book better and hopefully to encourage us all to explore its wonders even more, as we see the big picture of what God is doing. The book of Acts was written over 1,900 years ago, probably around 62-64 AD, in a time of much uncertainty, to people who lived amongst a pluralistic, largely ungodly society. It was written by a well-educated Gentile, Christian Physician named Luke. Luke was at the time, a traveling companion of Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles and as a man of learning, he was an excellent writer and historian. He wrote both the book of Acts and the book of Luke, that were originally included together as a two-part historical account of the life of Jesus and the early church. And he wrote them both, as books addressed to Theophilus. The first few verses of the Gospel of Luke would have served as the introduction for both volumes. And in the first verses of the Gospel of Luke, he wrote, Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 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, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught." (Luke 1:1-4) Luke wrote his gospel and the book of Acts to Theophilus, so that he might have certainty concerning the things he had been taught. Luke knew that Theophilus, for whatever reason was at least tempted to be uncertain about the things he had been taught. Much as in our day today, Theophilus and Luke lived during a time of much uncertainty and even opposition to Christianity. Luke wrote his book of Acts probably just after Nero had become emperor of Rome and prior to the widespread Neronian persecution. But in that day, many would have accused Christians of being barbarians. Christians were being persecuted, even though not on a systematic or state sponsored level yet, they definitely faced hardships and suffering and were being wrongly accused. Their property was confiscated and they were sometimes thrown into prison or whipped and beaten for their faith So, in the midst of the uncertain time of opposition that they lived in, it was important for Luke s reader to have certainty about what they had been taught about Christianity. It would be understandable if his reader in that day wondered if God s plan had somehow failed or been thwarted. How would they make sense of things when by this time, the future of Christianity may have seemed to be in jeopardy, with the great apostle to the Gentiles in prison in Rome. So, Luke wrote the book of Acts with this in mind and the overarching message of the book of Acts can be summarized very briefly. Here is how one could summarize the message of Acts, that was not only relevant for that day, but remains relevant for our day as well. 2
3 Main Idea: God s Plan Continues Unhindered A little longer of a summary that fills out the major themes of Acts more fully could be: God s Plan Continues Unhindered. The Risen Jesus expands His church, through the Spirit s power, despite all opposition. Since the second century, the book of Acts has sometimes been called the Acts of the Apostles, and although it relates the Acts of some of the Apostles, it really doesn t tell us much about the apostles other than Peter, James and Paul. But really, it is even more than that it is the account of God s working to continue His plan to call a people to Himself through every tribe and tongue and nation, to rescue them and adopt them as His children, unhindered by any human circumstance or authority or opposition. And God carries out His plan through the risen Jesus Christ, who expands His church, through the empowering of the Spirit. At the very beginning of Acts, we see the Risen Jesus beginning to expand His church. And this is the first of three themes that I want us to look in our overview of the book of Acts. 1. The Risen Jesus expands His church 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) At the end of part one of Luke s account, Jesus appeared to His disciples and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:46-48) As you read through the book of Acts, you will find that the resurrection is central to the Christian message. Look at Acts 1:22 - at the beginning of the church, when the disciples were appointing an apostle to replace Judas, the prerequisite was someone who could be a witness of His resurrection. In Acts 2:24, Peter preached about Jesus, that God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Time and time again in Acts, their testimony is that Jesus is Risen. We see this in Acts 3:16 and Acts 4:10. And then again in Acts 4:33, it says And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. Luke wanted his reader to know that Jesus was risen and to be confident about this central message of Christianity. God sent His Son to die for our sins and in Acts, the death of Christ is referred to again and again. Not only that, the preachers in the book of Acts were in your face about the message of the death of Jesus in five separate accounts, when they preached to the Jews about Jesus, trying to win them to Christ, they said you killed him!" It is clear that they taught that the death of Christ was actually the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies that God s people Israel would reject the one God sent. But, they knew that God s plan didn t end with the death of Christ. In fulfillment of the prophecies about the 3
4 Messiah, God s plan to redeem a people to Himself was continuing to be carried out by the Risen Jesus And Luke is careful to assure his reader that Jesus presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. So many people had seen Jesus alive, and through various proofs He had shown He wasn t a ghost but He had a physical body. Jesus appeared to over 500 at one time and to many others as well, over a prolonged period of forty days, to prove that people weren t delusional He really was the Risen Messiah. He really had conquered death and was victorious. The sacrifice of Jesus on behalf of mankind was acceptable to God. The payment for the sins of all who trust in Jesus has been made and is never to be made again Jesus no longer has to die He already died and the penalty of death was satisfied and now, Jesus is risen victorious, having fully satisfied God s righteous wrath. Jesus proved He really is who He said He is and He fulfilled God s ancient promise that He made to Abraham and his descendants, to redeem a people for Himself. And Jesus expanded His church through His powerful message a. Through the Message of Jesus The message of Jesus is that He has come as the bringer of salvation and one day, He will come again as the judge of the living and the dead. His message is the message of the kingdom of God. In Acts 1:3, Jesus was speaking about the kingdom of God. He was speaking about the rule and reign of God that He had inaugurated, where anyone who repents of their sins and turns to Him in faith, trusting in His sacrifice for their sins, will be saved from God s wrath and brought into His kingdom. The message of Jesus was repent, believe and be baptized, calling on Christ. Peter summarized the response to the good news about Jesus Christ in Acts 11:17 as believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The message in Acts is that we aren t saved by circumcision or any other work done with human hands. Peter said in Acts 13:39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. The risen Christ expanded His church through His message of salvation by grace. In Acts 15, when some insisted that Gentile Christians had to be circumcised, Peter insists in Acts 15:10-11 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are. The good news is that it isn t by what you do to keep the law or earn favor that we are saved. No! we are all saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus. And in Acts, the Risen Jesus expanded His church through His message and through His mission, as He commissioned His disciples to. 4
5 b. Through the Mission of Jesus As Luke closed out his gospel, in Luke 24:46-47, Jesus said "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." Jesus expanded His church through the mission of spreading the good news that He gave to His disciples. The mission of Jesus was to take His message of good news to all kinds of people everywhere. So, in Acts, you see several times that the word of God spread, and Acts 12:24 is just one example of many where it says, But the Word of God increased and multiplied. Or, as it says in the NIV, it, continued to increase and spread. You get this picture of the Word of God spreading like kudzu, growing no matter what is done to it and growing in all kinds of places, spreading everywhere. So God s Plan Continues Unhindered. And The Risen Jesus expands His church, through the Spirit s power. 2. Through the Spirit s Power After Jesus had commissioned his disciples at the end of Luke to be His witnesses, He said in Luke 24:49, And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." They could not be effective as His witnesses without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. So He told them to wait until they are clothed with power from on high. Jesus did not leave His disciples alone He sent His Holy Spirit to be with and in each and every one of them, to empower them for witness. And all throughout Acts, one of the significant themes is that of the Holy Spirit. The preacher John Chrysostom, around 400 AD, called Acts the gospel of the Holy Spirit, because the presence of the Holy Spirit is so evident in the book. In Acts 1:4, Luke wrote of Jesus, 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.'" In Acts 1:8, Jesus says, 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." In Acts 2:4, it says "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The Holy Spirit enabled them to speak with other tongues, so that His good news could be carried to all nations. And Peter explained this in verse 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. In Acts 2:38, Peter said to those gathered, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." And we see throughout the book of Acts, example after example of the empowering gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:8 says, Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them. When Peter and John were arrested and then released, they all gathered together to pray and in Acts 4:29-31 we see what their prayers looked like, "'And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and 5
6 signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. The Spirit empowered the disciples to speak the Word of God with boldness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Jesus, His disciples performed miracles, healing the sick and empowering the Word of God to spread through all kinds of signs. It says in Acts 5:12 that Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. In Acts 6, when they chose men to serve in leadership roles in the distribution of bread, they chose men who were noticeably full of the Holy Spirit. And Stephen, who was a man full of the Holy Spirit, preached the Word of God boldly and performed many sings and wonders. In Acts 8:5-6, we see that Philip was empowered by the Holy Spirit to take the gospel to Samaria, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. As the Holy Spirit empowered them, God s Plan Continues Unhindered. The Risen Jesus expanded His church, throughout all Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria through the Spirit s empowering His disciples. In fact, the Holy Spirit s power was so evident on those who received the message of Jesus that Simon the magician wrongly offered them money to buy the same power, so that he might use it to his advantage and impress people with it. But the disciples rebuked him because the Holy Spirit cannot be bought but it is a gift given to empower His people for the work of carrying the gospel to the nations and drawing people to glorify God not to glorify ourselves. In Acts 9, Saul was dramatically converted from a persecutor of Christians to a messenger for Christ and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 11, it says of Barnabas, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. The Holy Spirit empower Barnabas to preach the good news in faith and people were added to the Lord. Later, we see Paul, by the Spirit s power, performing miracles as well and the Spirit was so evident that it says in Acts 19:11, And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas were sent out it says, by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 15, the Holy Spirit gave the Jerusalem council wisdom, so that they protected the integrity of the good news and they wrote in Acts 15:28, For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. 6
7 In Acts 16, the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in Asia. In Acts 20:28, Paul instructed the Ephesian elders to "Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. The Holy Spirit made them overseers, and equipped them to care for the church of God. All throughout Acts, we see that God empowers His people, through the Holy Spirit, for the mission that He calls them to. But they didn t have it easy. We can tend to romanticize the early church and think about how cool it would be to have seen God at work in these ways, but they encountered much opposition. We may feel like we are encountering opposition now and we can feel at times as if this is unusual, but from the very beginning, the church encountered opposition. But God s Plan Continues Unhindered. The Risen Jesus expands His church, through the Spirit s power, despite all opposition. And that is the third major theme of the book of Acts. As we see God s plan continue unhindered, we see that the Risen Jesus expands His church and then we see that Jesus does this, through the Spirit s Power. And the final thread we see weaving its way through the book of Acts is that the message of the Gospel is spread and the church expands, despite ALL opposition. 3. Despite all opposition Right after they were filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter took the hand of the Lame Beggar and he was healed, a huge crowd was gathered because of the healing and Peter spoke to them in Solomon s portico and preached a powerful message of repentance. But immediately, in Acts 4, the religious rulers arrested them. the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. (Acts 4:1-4) Even though they were stopped and arrested, the Word of God could not be stopped and while they were arrested, five thousand men were set free from their sins and made alive to Christ. God s plan continued unhindered by any opposition external or problems internal to the church. Even through the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira, God s plan continued unhindered. In Acts 5, the apostles were arrested but an angel of the Lord broke them out of prison and told them "'Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.' And when they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and began to teach. Even after they were arrested and the high priest the highest religious leader in Israel - charged them not to teach in the name of Jesus, God s plan to use them to preach the gospel and to bring people to Himself was not hindered. Then we see Gamaliel in Acts 5:38-42 giving the council advice, 'for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!' So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 7
8 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ." Gamaliel knew that if their ministry was from God, it would be unstoppable and nothing they could do could hinder God s plans. So, even though the disciples were beaten, they didn t cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ. The religious leaders tried relentlessly to stop the message and the mission of Jesus and squash the expansion of the church, but nothing could hinder God s plan. They seized Stephen and stoned him until he died. And in Acts 8:1 it says, And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. But God used persecution and Stephen s murder to continue to spread the Word and expand His church and the church spread throughout all the regions of Judea and Samaria. Then, God stops the most ardent persecutor of the church, Saul, who it says was ravaging the church entering house after house and dragging off men and women and committing them to prison. In Acts 9, it says Saul was Still breathing threats and murder against all the disciples of the Lord. And on the way to persecute Christians more, Jesus blinds Saul and stops him in his tracks and makes Saul born again. God s plan will not be hindered by any mere man, and it won t be stopped by persecution or death. James is killed in chapter 12 and Peter was kept in prison, but an angel of the Lord delivers Peter from prison. Herod opposed the disciples and was proud, so God struck him down and in Acts 12:23 it says, Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last. But the word of God increased and multiplied. Against all opposition, against all odds, throughout the book of Acts, God is Sovereign over all and His plan continued unhindered. If you are weak and weary and discouraged, see and hear God speaking and acting to carry out His plan, empowering His people and making people alive to Him. In Acts 11:18, God grants even the Gentiles repentance unto life. God is sovereignly at work in His people. In Acts 13:48, it says all who were appointed for eternal life believed. In Acts 14:27, it says that God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. In acts 16:14, God opened Lydia s heart to respond to Paul s message. In Acts 18:9-10, even though Paul had not seen any conversions in the city of Corinth yet and he was facing opposition, God encouraged Paul with this promise and said, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people." God had many people in the city, and this encouraged Paul to stay and preach the gospel so that they might be converted and made alive in God. Shouldn t we be encouraged to keep preaching the good news, knowing that God has many people in the city? God may have our neighbor or coworker or relative and if we preach the gospel, He might bring them to Himself. 8
9 Later we see Paul was abused and misused, he was stoned and shipwrecked and imprisoned but nothing could stop the plans of God. Acts ends abruptly and Luke leaves it very openended, almost like he was expecting a sequel. Listen to Paul s final word and then Luke s comment at the close of Acts. Paul was preaching to the local leaders of the Jews from prison and said in Acts 28:25-31, "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 'Go to this people, and say, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen." He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. The Jews rejected the message and the mission of Jesus, but the risen Jesus continued to expand His church through the Spirit s power, despite all opposition. At the end of Acts we are left with a vivid, poetic picture. The Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, after the Jews rejected the gospel, the apostle Paul is in jail. He is bound. He is hindered physically and cannot go about as he pleases. But the Word of God is unhindered. He is in chains but the message of the gospel and the mission of God to bring a people to Himself is not bound. God enabled Paul to still proclaim the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance. And now, God continues His plan through His church today, unhindered. The Risen Christ continues to expand His church and empower us as His people, despite any opposition. Application: God wants to use this book for us as a church to show His plan is UNHINDERED TODAY. Have hope! 2014 Redeeming Grace Church. This transcribed message has been lightly edited and formatted for the Website. No attempt has been made, however, to alter the basic extemporaneous delivery style, or to produce a grammatically accurate, publication-ready manuscript conforming to an established style template. 9