Acts 1:1-11: Intro & Commission

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1) 1:1-3 – “all that Jesus began to do and teach”

A) ESVSB – “Luke’s first book is the Gospel of Luke, which gives an account of what Jesus began to do and teach. This suggests that the book of Acts is going to be about what Jesus continued “to do and teach” in the world.”

B) The book of Acts is the story of Jesus working in our world

1) cf. Matt. 28:18-20 – Great Commission (“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”)

2) e.g.

(a) Acts 1:24 (choosing Judas’ replacement) – Which new apostle has Jesus chosen?

(b) Acts 2:47 – “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved”

C) Summary

1) The Gospel of Luke is about what Jesus began to do and teach until he ascended

2) Acts is about what Jesus continued to do and teach after he ascended

3) There are four Gospels, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is incomplete without the rest of what he did and said.

4) Our title is the Acts of the Apostles. Most commentaries will call it the Acts of the Holy Spirit (because the HS is the main character in Acts). I’m going to call it the Acts of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and his Apostles.

2) How Jesus is going to continue to “do and teach” through the book of Acts

A) 1:4-5 – Through the Holy Spirit

1) We’ll have more to say about this when we reach the fulfillment of the promise (2:33)

2) Matt. 3:11; Jn. 1:29-34 – ref. to John the Baptist

3) Lk. 24:44-49 – wait in Jerusalem to be “clothed with power from on high”

4) Acts 1:4-5, 8

5) POINT – Jesus is going to continue to work through the Holy Spirit

B) 1:6-8 – Through his witnesses

1) cf.

(a) v. 6 – Lord, will YOU at this time restore the kingdom to Isreal?”

(b) v. 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.”

2) Jesus’ last words to the apostles in the Gospel of John helps to put this together

(a) Jn. 14:16-20

(b) Jn. 14:25-26

C) SUMMARY: Acts is about Jesus continuing to work in the world. He does this by sending the Holy Spirit who will teach and empower his people to be his witnesses

1) “witnesses” is a big deal in Acts

(a) Gk – martus (later word for martyr)

(b) Lk. 24:48 - “you are witnesses of these things”

(d) Acts 1:22 - new apostle “must become with us a witness of his resurrection”

(e) Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; *14:17

(f) Acts 22:15; 26:16 - Paul

(g) Acts 22:20 – Stephen

2) Witnessing about what?

(a) v. 1 - what Jesus did and taught

(b) v. 2 - his commands

(i) Lk. 24:36-43 – proof that he was raised from the dead

(ii) Acts 17:31 – Not just that he was raised, but what it means

(d) vv. 3b, 6-8 - “speaking about the kingdom of God”

(i) cf. Acts 28:30-31 – how Acts ends

(ii) We’re going to need to know something about this

(e) vv. 9-11 - Jesus’ ascension

(i) Next – not only that he went, but that he’s coming back

3) 1:9-11 – Jesus’ ascension

A) It’s interesting only Luke mentions the ascension (in Luke and Acts)

B) v. 11 (MAIN POINT) – “why do you stand looking into heaven?”

1) e.g. When it’s time for everyone to leave camp, Jake stands on a table and says, “Hey everybody…GIT!”

2) i.e. You have work to do…get going

C) v. 11b – “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

1) i.e. The clock is ticking – it’s time to get to work

2) cf. Lk. 12:35-37a

3) cf. Titus 2:11-13 – we live as waiting for Jesus

4) Conclusion

A) Acts is the story of what Jesus continued to do and teach after he ascended into heaven.

B) He did this by sending the Holy Spirit to teach and empower his followers to be his witnesses.

C) Throughout this series, we are trying to learn 1) Who are we, and 2) What are we supposed to be doing?

D) WE ARE CALLED TO BE WITNESSES FOR JESUS! (cf. the list above: witness about what?)

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