The Persecution Of A Hostile World

The Persecution Of A Hostile World

Book of Acts Chapter 4: 1-14

Many people always ask why do we suffer from persecution and we really should have only one answer even though there may be some other reasons.

Jesus teaches us these words:

Mat 10:22 And "ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake": but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

It is a fact that most all true Christians do good in this world we live in "But" even that good that is done is looked upon as evil in most of the world today.

Even in this latest tragic hurricane in our north our own president put down the good of the churches and asked people to work through the Red Cross. The Red Cross does a good work for the most part but they cannot put people on the ground as quick and as efficient as the local church.

BUT, It is a fact that any demonstration of the power of God makes this lost world uneasy!

The preaching of Peter had caused many lost souls to come to know the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But this same preaching that had brought many to salvation had inflamed the priestly authorities of Judaism in Israel.

The Sadducee were the ruling party at that time and they absolutely rejected resurrection in any form and especially any resurrection of a Messiah.

It is also a fact that this world's religions reject the truth of God coming to Earth in the form of a human.

Most all religions believe that any Messiah will be some resurrected human from the past.

So, They could not allow the disciples of Jesus Christ to go unpunished.

Remember what Jesus had said:

Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: "I came not to send peace, but a sword".

Mat 10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Of course that sword is the Living Word of God!

At this time the high priest and his followers were answerable to the Roman authorities for anything that even sounded like a disturbance.

Any gathering of people that might suddenly erupt into a riot or a revolution could take away their limited power and prestige given to them by Rome!

Their answer to this problem was to try to stop the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

As we left off last week the Temple Police and the religious leaders were just about to lay their hands on Peter and John.

Let's continue where we left off!

*****Act 4:1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,

Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

It should be very obvious to us all that it was not only a ruling government that led to the persecution of the Lord Jesus but it was the religious rulers of that day. These were the enemies of Jesus Christ when he walked on this earth and these were the enemies of the apostles as the early church began to grow and then we can add on to that the ruling governments.

These authorities tried in every way to stop the spread of the Christian faith just as they still do today!

Many lost souls were being saved by the preaching of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The church could have been stopped dead in its tracks if the world could only have produced the dead body of Christ.

We can be sure that they made great effort in trying to find the body of Jesus.

They could not find the "physical" body of Christ so they took steps to eliminate the "spiritual" body of Christ!

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Eph 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

These apostles had witnessed the Lord Jesus ascending into Heaven. They had spent 40 days walking and talking with the resurrected Lord.

They knew for a fact that no one would be able to find the body of Christ because it was not on this earth!

This gave them the boldness to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND This was also one of those infallible proofs that Luke writes to us about.

This enemy would surely have produced that body of Jesus if it were possible for them to do so.

Christianity would have never even got started!

The apostle Paul put it this way:

1Co 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

1Co 15:16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

1Co 15:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If you believe that Jesus did not raise from the dead, then you are still on the threshhold of hell if you are still alive and everyone that has gone before you is in Hell already!

*****Act 4:3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Peter and John were placed in jail that day for simply preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

It had only been 3 hours since God had used Peter in the healing of that lame man and had preached a sermon that would cause these to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior!

Peter and John and entered the Temple in time for the three o'clock prayer time and it was now evening time probably six o'clock.

*****Act 4:4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

If anyone that calls himself a preacher needs an outline for a sermon they need to take advantage of this one preached by the apostle Peter. At least 5000 souls were saved that day. These were true converts.

These were Jews who had recognized that the fulfillment of Judaism is in fact, Christianity.

*****Act 4:5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,

Act 4:6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

We see this time that there was no midnight court for these Apostles and this is because of those 5000 new Christians and "one miracle receiving man" who had spent 40 years being lame.

You know it is just as great a miracle for even one lost soul to be adopted into the family of God.

This court was essentially composed of the family of the High Priest. The Jewish religious system had become so corrupt that the offices were passed from one relative to another without regard or the Word of God.

None of these men were not descendents of the tribe of Levi.

In fact history tells us that Annas was deposed from the High Priesthood by Rome and he was not about to allow that to happen to those of his family! Caiaphas his son-in-law was next appointed High Priest and at least five of Annas's sons held the office of High Priest at one time or another.

In 1994 near a hidden valley in Jerusalem the stone burial ossuary of Caiaphas was actually found in the tomb of Annas.

These were real people and at a real-time at this time of the apostles and the beginning of the early church and not some made up story by these apostles!

*****Act 4:7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, [have ye done this]?

The first thing we should notice here is that these religious leaders had acknowledged this as a miracle even though they tried to make it seem a minor thing at this time! (this thing)

The second thing we should notice is that these religious leaders had acknowledged that this miracle was done by Peter and John, the Apostles of Jesus Christ! (ye or you people)

In other words, "who do you think you people are to come into the Temple with this stuff"

The view of Judaism at that time was that all illnesses and afflictions were caused by demons!

In their view it would take an exorcism to remove those demons and this could only be accomplished by qualified spiritual leaders or else by a follower of the devil as we know that Jesus had been accused of.

Mat 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

This Sanhedrin council realized that these two Apostles were only fishermen and could certainly not have any such power.

*****Act 4:8 Then Peter, "filled with the Holy Ghost", said unto them, [Ye rulers of the people], and [elders of Israel],

The power of regeneration can come only by the Holy Spirit and only through the Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

To question the work of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ is "Blasphemy" and this riled the Holy Spirit within Peter!

And Christ Jesus fulfilled one of His promises to His Apostles which was:

Mat 10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

We must realize the more we go about the work of God, the more spiteful will be the servants of Satan!

If we take our stand on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will empower us!

Notice the eloquence of Peter at this time that is shown to the national leaders of Israel. This shows the wisdom of God that is given to the Christian!

*****Act 4:9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

Keep in mind that Peter and John were only fishermen and not educated and trained lawyers.

The Word of God teaches us:

Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

And also:

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, [to stand].

Peter's first emphasis was that they were being questioned "for a good deed".

Peter and John had done nothing bad, nothing evil nor anything immoral and it was not a Sabbath's Day.

They had been used by the Holy Spirit to bring life to a man that had been lame for 40 years. This man had been a beggar all his life and to God's glory he had been preserved until this very day of his healing.

There can be no doubt that in those 40 years these same elders and the same rulers had seen this man many times and had probably provided an "alms" to him.

Peter then said if you want to know by what means this good deed was done then let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

There can be no doubt that these words pierced the heart of these non-believers.

They had thought that they were finished with the prophet from Nazareth but now these fishermen were telling everybody that Jesus of Nazareth was still alive.

Since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead then Peter's statement was almost a declaration of war to them.

Peter made it known that it was these religious leaders and these elders of Israel that had caused Jesus to be crucified, but it was God who had raised him from the dead!

It was that same power of resurrection that had brought new life to this lame man!

*****Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

Here again we see that Peter knew that Christianity is the fulfillment of Judaism and not some new religion but this is still rejected by the practicing Jew!

We should also remember that this same Peter had once been so fearful in his life that he had denied Christ Jesus three times.

It had taken a major transformation which was the fact that Peter knew beyond any question that Jesus had triumphed over death and had now energized him by His indwelling spirit.

Peter quoted the same Scripture that Jesus had earlier:

Psa 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

Psa 118:23 This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

This "image of the stone" was not new to these men who were experts in the Old Testament scriptures. They knew that the "rock" was a symbol of God.

Deu 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

The Sadducees used only the five books of Moses but the Pharisees used most all the Old Testament of that time.

We know that the Jews still stumble over this "Rock"!

Rom 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Rom 9:33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This is the stumbling stone that God has laid at the feet of the Jew and also at the feet of the world.

You see for Jesus was not just any Stone, "He is the Corner Stone of the Church" just as He is also the Savior of the Church and This World!

*****Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

This is one of the clearest statements that can be found anywhere in the Bible that sets forth the only way of salvation!

Only Christ Jesus can save!

It is Christ Jesus that created and sustains all things!

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Jesus had made this very plain Himself!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

We can see that these Apostles "clearly believed" the gospel of Jesus Christ!

We know that this truth may be offensive to non-Christians but we must continually and consistently make it clear in our witness to them in an act of love for them.

For without Christ Jesus we are lost and bound for an eternal Hell!

*****Act 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Many, if not all of these same men on this council had been at the false trial of Jesus. Remember this day of Peter and John was probably not much than two months since Jesus was crucified.

They had seen the witness of Jesus and sitting before them this day they were seeing men that resembled the Lord Jesus Christ in many ways including their boldness!

Being with Jesus will yield a greater wisdom and courage than this world offers!

There are many things the Holy Spirit provides to every believer:

Isa 11:2 And the "spirit of the LORD" shall rest upon him, "the spirit of wisdom" and "understanding", "the spirit of counsel" and "might", "the spirit of knowledge" and "of the fear of the LORD";

We that believe, can live happier and more productive lives with the knowledge of Jesus than we could have ever lived with any great wealth of this world or with the education that this world provides.

These men that were accusing these Apostles of Jesus Christ were of the most educated and certainly of the most wealthy in Israel.

But they had been silenced by God's people!

Suddenly the accused had become the accuser!

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

It should be to all of us "our goal" for people to see Jesus in us!

These religious rulers of Israel had thought that they had gotten rid of Jesus but they could see Jesus in these Apostles and in all who believed with all their heart!

Jesus said:

Mat 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

*****Act 4:14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

All this time they could see this once lame man standing with Peter and John with personal knowledge that they had witnessed a miracle!

All arguments are silenced when there is a direct evidence of the power of the Gospel!

What Peter's speech could not do the witness of this once lame man accomplished!

All this time this council had not been seeking the truth.

They were seeking a way to avoid the truth! No matter what God does in this world we live in, some people simply will not learn or accept!

What they did think is if they just left thing alone, Christianity would soon pass away from the scene but it did not because the truth "is always the truth".

Christianity exploded from this day onward!

The name of Jesus was in the minds of everyone in Israel and would be scattered around the world by persecution!

This world can only do what God allows it to do to God's people!

And what God allows will further prove His Word is True!

Questions?

Then let us pray with them!

Amen

The Proclamation Of The Risen Christ

The Proclamation Of The Risen Christ

Text: Book of Acts 3:1-26

Our focus: Acts 3:1-8, 11-16, 18-21

We have just witnessed the first birthday of the Church Age and we will learn as we study the Book of Acts the function of the Church.

The Church is the tool of God to reach the lost and to hold back the evil of this world we live in!

1.) The church is to provide proper instruction:

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly "in the apostles' doctrine" and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

2.) There should be proper "fellowship":

Act 16:34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, "believing in God with all his house".

3.) There must be proper "Worship":

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, "when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth": for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

4.) There must be proper "Service":

Act 5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, "they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ".

Act 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad "went every where preaching the word".

The power to do all these things comes from the Power of the Holy Spirit!

Let's begin:

*****Act 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

We can see that the Apostles and the Jewish converts to Christianity, continued in the regular practices of the Jewish religion.

It was common practice for the Jews to pray 3 times a day, at the third, the sixth, and the ninth hours.

We should clearly understand that the Church is the fulfillment of the Jewish religion "and not some new religion".

In fact Christianity is not a religion at all, "it is just the truth" of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!

BUT, The Church is not and never will be a new Israel. These are two separate fulfillments of prophesy!

We have just seen in the Book of Ruth a "type" of Christ and His "Gentile Bride" which is the Church!

These are some of the things that were promised when the Messiah came and that Messiah is Jesus Christ! The word "Christ" is Greek for "Messiah" or "The Anointed One"!

The Bible tells us:

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is "the Christ"? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

If Jesus the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Christ, cannot be accepted for what He is, "God in the flesh", then you are not a believer and therefore not saved!

This is the stumbling block of Christianity to the world!

Any man can be good some of the time but only God can be perfect!

Heb 5:9 And "being made perfect", he became the author of "eternal salvation" unto all them that obey him;

*****Act 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

Act 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

We have in this verse a man who has been lame from the day he was born and he was 40 years old at this time. We can see that he had someone who cared enough about him to bring him to a place where it was possible for him to get enough money to eat on.

At this time this was the welfare system of Israel.

Peter and John are often found together in Scripture:

They were in a fishing business together.

They prepared the last Passover before Jesus was crucified.

They ran to the tomb of Jesus together on that first Easter morning.

They were the first to minister to the Samaritans who were hated by the Jews.

They were now both filled with the Holy Spirit and working together to build God's Church!

That gate called Beautiful was probably the gate that led from the court of the Gentiles to the court of the women. A gate that Herod had added when he was rebuilding the Temple and had it hand made of Corinthian Brass.

An "alms" would be anything given for the poor. We now call it "Charity"!

*****Act 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

Act 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

Most of these beggars would not be focused on those going in and out of the Temple. They would hang their heads down because most of them were embarrassed for what they had to do to survive.

Being disabled is not satisfying at all!

Being disabled seems to take away from any purpose of life!

But this lamed one obeyed Peter when he was told to look at him and John. This man was expecting some money but he was about to get something much more valuable.

There should be no doubt that this beggar was not the only one at this gate of the Temple that day. It should be noticed that Holy Spirit led Peter to this particular beggar for a reason.

*****Act 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Miracles did not happen at random in the scriptures. Miracles occurred in three major periods:

In the days of Moses and Joshua.

In the days of Elijah and Elisha.

In the days of Jesus and His Apostles and there were very few outside this scope of time.

Miracles were always given to authenticate a message!

God enabled certain of His messengers to perform unusual miracles to substantiate a new message they were about to give!

When the Bible was completed in the form we have today, a completed work of God, then there is no need for miracles of this type.

I believe God still does miracles everyday but we have to to be paying attention to see them.

It's a miracle every time someone is saved.

It's a miracle every time someone is healed from a major sickness and there are still many that happen today but we have the entire message God has given to us and it does not need to be authenticated by miracles!

Jesus gave the Apostles and maybe a few more the gift of miracles but these ceased when the last Apostle, John died.

There is no truth to Apostolic powers in our day. All work is done by the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ.

God still does miracles but He does not still do them through a person.

AND, It can also be said that the church is so rich in "silver and gold" today that the church has forgotten about the Power of the Holy Ghost.

*****Act 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

If we pay attention we can see a "type" of sinner being saved.

This man was born lame:

And everyone on this planet is unable to walk to please the Lord. When Adam "fell" he passed his lameness to all his descendants

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

This man was very poor:

We as sinners are bankrupt before God. The wages of sin are only death!

Luk 7:41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

Luk 7:42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

Salvation was immediate for this once lame man:

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The evidence of salvation was evident to those around him that knew him!

*****Act 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

Now that this man could stand, he also took a stand on the Lord!

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

*****Act 3:9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

Act 3:10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

Act 3:11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

Now we see the purpose of the miracle!

This entire audience is made up of Jews. Jesus had said:

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus had told His disciples to begin in Jerusalem and God was gathering a large audience to hear His message to be preached by Peter.

Prophecy had said:

Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isa 35:6 [Then shall the lame man leap as an hart], and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

And Jesus said:

Mat 11:5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Mat 11:6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

*****Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel", why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

We know that at this time the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ was presented only to Israel. Jesus had told the Apostles to begin in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem had rejected Jesus and after His Death, Burial, and Resurrection, they would now hear the Gospel to see if they would now believe.

The fact that the Gospel "will come to where we live" is proof of the Love of God!

Peter is very clear, that this miracle was not done by any power that he had.

The New Testament had not been written at this time and Peter was about to take the Old Testament and show them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

*****Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

Peter was now not some dumb fisherman but he was mighty in the Word of God. Peter laid the groundwork for his sermon by associating Jesus with the God of Israel, the same God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Again Christianity is not some new religion but it is the fulfillment of Judaism. It was the same God who made a covenant with Israel who then also rejected the Son of God!

It was some of these very same Jews that had delivered Jesus to Pilate.

It was some of these very same Jews that had denied Jesus as their King.

Pilate had truly put some effort in trying to release Jesus!

Mat 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Then all of Israel made this foolish statement:

Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children".

Israel has surely suffered because of this statement!

But God has not abandoned them as some think!

*****Act 3:14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;

Act 3:15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.

It was some of these very same Jews that had received the guilty Barabbas in exchange for the sinless and guiltless Son of God named Jesus.

For the remainder of his days the Apostle Peter will never preach another sermon where he will not mention the "Resurrection of Jesus Christ"!

Peter here says he and John were witnesses to these things and there were some in this very audience who were also witnesses to these things.

*****Act 3:16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

In His Name:

It is the names of Our Savior that also describe Him to us!

His Son Jesus, The Holy One, The Just One, The Prince of Life, His Christ, The LORD, The Prophet, The WORD, The Light, The Lamb of God.

He is Shiloh!

He is the Rose of Sharon!

His name is Wonderful!

He is the Mighty Counselor!

He is the Mighty God!

He is the Everlasting Father!

He is the Prince of Peace!

And He is the King of Kings!

He is the Lord Jesus Christ the true Messiah!

And He is Our Precious Savior!

And He is the Fulfillment of "All" the Old Testament Prophecy about the Anointed One of God!

*****Act 3:17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

Act 3:18 [But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled].

There are many things that we do through ignorance and do not totally understand the results that come from them.

Even Jesus said forgive them for they knew not what they were doing!

We will never understand all the plan of God, but we know God has a plan and he wants us to be involved in his plan and not have a plan of our own, which is a greater sin!

All the things that were fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ were told about in the same Old Testament that all these people had access to.

The apostle Paul put it this way:

1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, [because I did it ignorantly in unbelief].

To be a unbeliever does not give anyone an excuse but an unbeliever cannot know the will of God!

An unbeliever relies on the laws of man and if the laws of man do not match up with the Word of God then they are ignorant of God's law.

It is our job to tell everyone "who cross our paths" the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There is not one single book of the Old Testament that does not point to the Messiah!

It may be said that Israel's situation was something like that of the "man slayer" who killed his neighbor without prior malicious intent and fled to the nearest city of refuge.

*****Act 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, [when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord];

These Jews and the World of today need to realize that when they fight against Jesus they are fighting against the God of the Bible.

The resurrection of Christ Jesus was conclusive proof that He was approved of God!

The present power of Jesus was shown by His healing of this lame man.

The rejection of Jesus is an act of ignorance and God was ready, willing and waiting to forgive them of this sin.

To "repent" is a complete changing of the mind and is reflected in the heart!

To be "converted" is the physical act of turning from sin and Satan and then unto God!

It is this act that that will cause your sins to be blotted out in God's book of records!

Isa 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; [for I have redeemed thee].

Salvation is only on an individual level but Peter was preaching for the national repentance of Israel.

Jesus Christ had suffered brutally and died on the cross but there will be a time in the future when He will return as King and King of Kings.

This will be the time of His refreshing And the time of His presence again in this world!

*****Act 3:20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

These are the things that God had shown by the mouth of all His prophets.

This is the message that God was giving to "whosoever" would listen and repent.

And Jesus will come again a Second Time!

Peter was saying this day that, "now is the time to turn and repent". Peter's message was that the Lord can return any day and the day of judgment was not the time that they could repent.

Psa 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and "not be written with the righteous".

On the day of judgment or the day of death, every soul will be blotted out the book of the living "but it will be too late to be written in the book the righteous".

It will be too late!

Today then is surely the day to turn to the Lord!

This is the same message we need to hear today!

*****Act 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive [until the times of restitution of all things], which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

The last day of the Church Age all the Saints that are still alive will be taken up into Heaven.

All the souls that are in Heaven will be reunited in a "glorified body" along with those saints.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

There will then be a seven-year tribulation period proven by the Book of Daniel.

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Dan 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Dan 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

This period of seven years will be divided into parts of three and a half years apiece.

This last period is known as the Great Tribulation is also known as the time of Jacob's trouble:

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: "it is even the time of Jacob's trouble"; [but he shall be saved out of it].

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

It is at the end of this time that God will restore all things for 1000 years:

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:

This is the message of Peter to the Jews and this is the message to the Church today.

These things will not change!

The truth is the truth whether there are any believers!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Promise Of The Holy Spirit

The Promise Of The Holy Spirit

Book of Acts Chapter 2:1-47

Focus: 2:1-6, 22-24, 36-42, 46, 47

It must be very clear to us all, The Holy Spirit is a member of the Triune God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is the One God of the Bible!

In Genesis 1:26 it says "Let Us" and these words mean, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!

A Personality can best be described as as possessing an intellect, having emotions, and having will. As we go through the Book of Acts we will see that the Holy Spirit possesses all these traits and much, much, more.

1.) Intellect: The Holy Spirit searches for the answers from God.

1Co 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: [for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God].

2.) Knowledge: The Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God.

1Co 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? [even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God].

3.) Mind: The Holy Spirit knows how God thinks.

Eph 1:17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, [may give unto you the "spirit of wisdom" and revelation in the knowledge of "him"]:

4.) Emotions: The Holy Spirit has feelings, and is aware of our feelings and has the ability to respond to our needs.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

5.) Will: The Holy Spirit has will.

Jas 1:18 Of "his own will" begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

An example:

Act 16:6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and [were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia],

Each of us have similar traits and in these ways we are made in the image of God but we lack the one main thing and that is "Power".

2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; "but of power", and of love, and of a sound mind.

This why the Holy Spirit comes to live with us after we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior!

This is why it is the individual believer that is the Church and not some building or some man-made structure!

SO, What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

This is defined as the work whereby the Holy Spirit places every believer into union with Christ Jesus and into a union with every other believer as the "Body of Christ".

1Co 12:13 For by "one Spirit" are we all baptized into "one body", whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made "to drink into one Spirit".

So let's begin our lesson:

*****Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

This day at Pentecost will give us an example of the Power Of the Holy Spirit.

The "ministry" of the Holy Spirit is to "Glorify Christ Jesus" in the life and the witness of every believer!

Joh 16:14 He shall glorify me: "for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you".

Pentecost means 50Th and it was held 50 days after the "Feast of the firstfruits".

The Passover is a picture or a "type" of the "death" of the Lamb of God.

The Feast of the Firstfruits is a picture or a "type" of the "resurrection" of the Lamb of God.

The Feast of Pentecost is a picture or a "type" of the formation of the early Church.

There was no "Power" to form the Church without the "power" of the Holy Spirit!

Another thing we should realize is, that because of all the things that had happened:

1.) The day of this feast.

2.) The death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

3.) The raising of Lazarus.

There were probably more people in Jerusalem than at any other time up until that day!

Those first believers were in "one accord" and believed all these things!

They now realized the plan of God!

Notice that Pentecost was always observed on the day "after the Sabbath" or Sunday, the 50th day not the 49th day.

The Church had it's beginnings on "The Lord's Day".

The Resurrection was on the 1st day of the week, "The Lord's Day"!

The tithes and offerings were gathered on The Lord's Day!

This day was a once in a life time event and it will never happen again!

There can only be one day that the Church Age began because there was only one Calvary!

*****Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

We can be sure that the Holy Spirit has not made Himself visible in this passage!

These 120 disciples of the Lord heard "a sound".

"A sound" more like a tornado than just a normal windy day.

*****Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them "cloven tongues" like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Cloven means divided into two parts, much like the hoofs of an animal. Most of these type of animals were considered clean to the Jew.

These were not hooves but resembled a flickering flame.

Tongues means "languages" in every place it is mentioned in the Bible that is not talking of "that piece of meat in our mouths".

These are the only two uses of the word "tongues" in the Bible!

These tongues looked as fire, BUT "they were not fire"!

They flickered as a fire does!

When the Holy Spirit came into this upper room, there was an appeal to the eye and to the ear!

Any "baptism of fire" is for all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Savior and is a sign of "Judgment"!

BUT, For God to reveal Himself by resembling fire was not unusual and these Jews had seen this in the Word of God, such as Moses and the burning bush that would not burn up.

On this day of Pentecost this "sign" showed "these 120 Jews" that God was present in the room with them!

This "sign" also indicated that God was approving the beginning of the Church Age!

Fire is also a "sign" of Judgment and all those that refused the message of Peter that day would be judged for their unbelief which is the only sin that will send you to Hell!

These in that upper room were to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit and not with fire!

Jesus said:

Joh 16:9 Of sin, "because they believe not on me";

All other sin can be forgiven except the "Sin Of Unbelief"!

*****Act 2:4 And they were filled with the Holy Ghost, "and began to speak with other tongues", as the Spirit gave them utterance.

You see the Church has "no power" until the believer is filled with the Holy Ghost and Only God can baptize us with His Holy Spirit!

This filling for salvation can only happen "One Time"!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost";

Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

And is given at the very moment of salvation:

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: "in whom also after that ye believed", ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

BUT, we need to pray for a constant filling to do our work for God!

Act 4:31 "And when they had prayed", the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

A study of this Book of Acts will reveal that biblical tongues were always languages.

It will also reveal that the tongues of Acts and Corinthians are the same.

It will also reveal that tongues are a gift of the Holy Spirit and actually a lesser gift than the gift of preaching, teaching, and witnessing.

And it will also reveal that tongues will one day cease when their usefulness was complete and this gift ceased to be given by the Holy Spirit when the Apostles had all died.

Tongues were a "sign gift" belonging only to the early Church and used only for the Jews and not the Gentiles:

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: "but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

What is the truth of tongues?

1Co 14:22 Wherefore tongues "are for a sign", not to them that believe, [but to them that believe not]: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

We should be clear in this matter!

What we need to realize is that on this day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit also began His work of holding back "that Wicked" so the Church would have time to do the work of Our Lord:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

We use this verse a lot to show us that this work of the Holy Spirit will cease at the "Rapture" of the Church!

*****Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

As we said earlier many people had come from everywhere for not only for the Feast but to see the Resurrected Christ and the Raised Lazarus.

But there were also many devout Jews that had made their homeward journey back to Jerusalem after their ancestors had been scattered out for so long.

It can be said that this proof that there are no lost tribes of Israel!

*****Act 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, [because that every man heard them speak in his own language].

That word "noised" is the Greek word "phone" which means they used their voices to broadcast this message!

No one spoke in some angelic language and no one heard some angelic language!

People heard the Word of God spoken in their own language and even in their own dialect!

There was no one that did not understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was being spoken that first day of the early Church!

What can be said is that this day of Pentecost was a reversal of that day at the Tower of Babel!

At the Tower of Babel and at God's presence and at His "Judgment" people were scattered by the different languages because they could not understand each other "but at this Pentecost" believers were united by languages because they understood the Word of God and that it was for all people and all nations!

What was that message they heard?

*****Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Act 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Our lesson did not cover verse 21 but it needs to be mentioned also. The Apostle Peter was referring to the prophecy of the Book of Joel 2:32.

Joe 2:32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

This prophecy has not been fulfilled even up to the time of our day. This will take place near the end of the Great Tribulation when the Lord will call out His remnant of the Jews.

Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

This same verse is mentioned by Peter and also by Paul:

Rom 10:13 For "whosoever" shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

This verse shows us that from this day of Pentecost, that "whosoever" (no matter where they come from) calls on the name of the Lord, "Shall Be Saved up until the Day of Judgment"!

The Church Age did not begin until the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit.

It is this day that believers were introduced to the Body of Christ!

Vs 22)

We have already said that the main reason that Jerusalem had its greatest crowd this day was because they had heard of all the things of Jesus Christ.

1.) They had heard of Jesus of Nazareth, a fulfillment of prophecy.

2.) They had heard that Jesus was the Messiah, a fulfillment of prophecy.

3.) They had heard of all the miracles and wonders, a fulfillment of prophecy.

4.) Many that were at this gathering had been "eye witnesses" to most all of these things, including those 120 that had been in the upper room.

5.) Peter was preaching the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

6.) And it is the truth that "makes" not "sets", us free!

If you are only set free you may be caught again But when you are MADE FREE, you are indeed free forever!

*****Act 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel [and foreknowledge of God], ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

We must believe that none of these things that had happened were outside the "Will of God".

This had been God's plan all along! This is the same plan that Satan had tried, to no avail, to stop ever since his attack on Adam and Eve!

Isa 53:10 Yet "it pleased the LORD" to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

*****Act 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: [because it was not possible that he should be holden of it].

It was an incredible thing that Jesus, The Son of Man, should be defeated by death!

To some this was a terrible crime!

BUT in reality it was God's victory!

The Greek word "odin" translated "pains" means "birth pains"!

In other words that "tomb" where they laid our Lord Jesus was more a "womb" out of which Jesus was "born" into Resurrected Glory!

Act 13:33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, [Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee].

And what was the importance of all this to the Jew and to the Church?

*****Act 2:36 [Therefore] let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

"Jesus" was His human name and as Savior, He was ordained of God Himself!

Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

"Christ" which means "Messiah" the "Anointed One", is the title representing His threefold office as "Prophet", "Priest", And "King"!

First to Israel and "then to all nations on this Earth"!

"LORD" to "whosoever" will call on His name for salvation!

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth "the Lord Jesus", and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Thus His full name "The Lord Jesus Christ"!

*****Act 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men "and brethren", what shall we do?

The "convicting" work of the Holy Spirit is shown in this verse:

1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe".

Holy Ghost conviction is at work here:

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, 'and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart'.

So what can we do?

*****Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, "Repent", and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Repenting is not just saying "I'm Sorry"!

Repenting is a Complete Change Of Mind:

Php 1:27 "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ": that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Both Repentance and Baptism must be done in the name of Jesus Christ!

Repenting is the "coming" to Christ, and Baptism is the "evidence" of repentance!

Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; [what doth hinder me to be baptized]?

Act 8:37 And Philip said, [If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest]. And he answered and said, [I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God].

If we do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, The Messiah sent from Heaven, then we are not believers and therefore cannot be saved!

We can take as many dunks in the water as we want but we are only washing the skin and "not cleansing the soul".

*****Act 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The "Gospel Message" is for all nations and "not just for the Jews"!

I am so glad I was one of those that was included in those that were "afar off"!

This verse is also an encouragement to parents. It shows the gradual progress of the Holy Spirits work, beginning with each individual, extending to the family, and then to the uttermost parts of the world.

The call of the Gospel is not confined to one nation, nor to one age, while we are still in the Church Age!

Psa 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

Psa 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

Psa 85:11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Psa 85:12 Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Psa 85:13 Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

The message then and the message today is verse 40!

*****Act 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

There can be no doubt the intent of this verse. We are to get away from all false religion and all unbelievers and cling to the Lord Jesus Christ!

"Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded"

We must focus on the Lord and make the right choice!

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We must completely separate ourselves from the world we live in!

Not to be a hermit but to be mentally separated by the Word of God.

Pro 9:6 Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

We must quit being foolish and trust in the truth of the Word of God.

*****Act 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Act 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

What is the first thing we notice here?

When those 3000 were saved they did not just step back into the world but they stayed in the church under the preacher and were taught the truth of the Word of God.

They knew there was real a need to know the Word of God!

That word "fellowship" did not just mean associating with the Apostles and the other disciples.

To the early Christian it included having all things in common!

Rom 15:26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem.

To be a Christian in this day of the early church would mean excommunication from the Jewish religion and also the Jewish way of life and there was a great need to share in order to survive.

"Fellowship" today is to be understood by every believer as to break down the barriers that exist between all peoples.

It is a truth that the word "race" came from the teachings of Evolution.

God never uses any such thing in His Word!

There are only Jews and Gentiles!

Red and yellow, black and white, they are "all" so very precious in His Sight!

In God's sight there is "no human" that is "Common"!

Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

So what are the signs of the true church:

1.) A true church will continue stedfastly in the "Apostles Doctrine"!

Not some new man-made interpretation but the correct doctrine of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Heb 1:2 "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son", whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

2.) There must be true "Fellowship"! A sharing of all the things in Jesus Christ!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

3.) There will be a breaking of bread.

This more than just going through the ritual of The Lord's Supper.

This means a true relationship with The Lord Jesus Christ!

1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

4.) The true Church will always be a house of prayer!

Mar 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations "the house of prayer"? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

*****Act 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

To these of the early church it was not enough for them to meet only once a week.

They met daily!

They cared daily!

They witnessed daily and souls were added daily!

Their Christian faith was a day-by-day reality not a once-a-week routine!

It was by the Resurrection Power of God and the filling of the Holy Spirit and Faith in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that formed the early church and it is only by these things "and MUCH Prayer" that the Church can do a work in the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Plan Of Christ Jesus For His Church

The Plan Of Christ Jesus For His Church

Book of Acts 1:1-14

The Book of Acts is the first chapter, "the beginning of the truth of the history of The Church", which is the Body of Christ, and just as important, The Bride of Christ.

This is the time called by some "the Church Age" that began at the ascension of Jesus, Our Lord and will not end until He returns in the clouds to get His Church. This called the "Rapture"!

And the "Church Age will be ended by the "Rapture"!

The Book of Acts was written by Luke. Luke was not one of the 12 disciples pick by Jesus. But Luke was an educated man and is mentioned as a physician. Luke was a doctor.

We may not realize it but there are medical journals as far back as 3000 BC and medical schools at least as far back as 500 BC.

There is strong evidence that suggest the Book of Luke was written about or very near 63 AD before the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.

The "theme" of the Book of Acts and the command to the Church, can be seen in Chapter 1:8:

This verse is called by some "the Great Commission"

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

The greatest thing we see here is that the Church had no power until the Holy Ghost began this new function after the ascension of Our Lord!

We must also remember this other command of Jesus to His disciples:

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

The Book of Acts describes to us the spread of Christianity and the establishment of many houses of God which were called "churches".

That word Church means: "The Lord's House" and a place to worship God in "spirit and in truth"!

The word "church" comes from the Greek word "ecclesia" which means "an assembly".

The church "in the beginning" depended entirely on Jesus Christ and the Power of the Holy Ghost for everything and "today" the church still depends entirely on Jesus Christ and the Power of the Holy Ghost and this will not change during the Church Age!

There will never be a new message to the Church!

There will never be a revised message to the Church!

We already have the complete, ever living, Word of God!

In the Bible, the Church denotes the whole entire body of the "Redeemed", all those whom "Our Father in Heaven has given to His Son Jesus Christ.

All those that have their name written in the Lamb's Book of Life!

Jesus Christ writes down the name of every one that calls on His name, and each one is a member in good standing in His Church!

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, [which are written in heaven], and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Let's begin:

*****Act 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

The author of the Book of Acts is closely tied to the author of the Book of Luke. We have already said that Luke was an educated man, and in fact he was a doctor, a physician and it shows as he wrote while inspire by the Holy Ghost.

Col 4:14 [Luke, the beloved physician], and Demas, greet you.

Luke also says that he had a perfect understanding of the life, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We find that in the Book of Luke:

Luk 1:3 It seemed good to me also, [having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first], to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

This "perfect understanding" could have only come through the Holy Spirit!

Luke affirms to what we already know, that salvation can only come through Jesus Christ:

Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: [for there is none other name under heaven given among men], whereby we must be saved.

We know the world still rejects the truth of God's Holy Inspired Word!

This Theophilus was probably a real man but that name means "Lover of God" or "Friend of God"!

This Book of Acts will show us at least these two things:

1.) We will see the threat of the Jews who rejected Jesus Christ and Christianity.

2.) We will see the spread of Christianity throughout the Roman controlled world.

3.) This book presents Christianity as distinct from Judaism "but also as the fulfillment of Judaism", which is still also rejected by most Jews because they are still blind to the Gospel.

Luke will show us in the Book of Acts that Christianity follows in the historical pattern and is based upon the foundation of Judaism.

The proof of that can be found in the words that Jesus said to the woman at the well of Samaria:

Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: [for salvation is of the Jews].

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, "when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth": for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him "must worship him" in spirit and in truth.

The Book of Acts will also reveal to us that the Apostle Paul had the same Christ given authority as that of the Apostle Peter and the other Apostles.

The Book of Luke told us of the things that Jesus did BUT the Book of Acts tells us what Jesus continued to do because of what He taught to the Apostles through the Power of The Holy Spirit.

There is a strong emphasis on the Holy Spirit in this book and it is through the Power of the Holy Spirit that the Church has strength.

It is the Holy Spirit that is "the shield" of the church:

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: [only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way].

Jesus had told them:

Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, [he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you].

The Church can work only as the Holy Spirit dictates the Words of Jesus!

Those that removed the Work of the Lord Jesus Christ are not part of the Church:

This the prophesy of the end of the Church Age and the Laodicean Church.

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

If Jesus is outside and knocking on the door to get in then He is not part of that church.

We can see this happening before our very eyes!

*****Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

Luke had already said that he had a perfect understanding of all these things about Jesus and he now says there were many infallible proofs.

The Greek word "tekmerion" is used here and it is the only place this word is used in the New Testament. This tells us that the evidences for Jesus Christ's resurrection were not based on philosophical speculations but on "Certain Facts".

There is no other event in the Bible that is more confirmed than the "bodily" resurrection of Jesus Christ and that grave is still empty. This cannot be said of any other religious leader.

Jesus Christ died for "all" our sins and He arose again for "all" Our Justification!

There are 10 or more appearances of the resurrected Christ to the disciples!

That empty tomb, that remarkable change in the disciples who are now the Apostles, and in the development and the spread of the Church as a result of this preaching of the Cross and of the Resurrection are also proof!

The change of worship from the Sabbath to Sunday, "The Lord's Day".

The long observances of "Easter" by the Church.

The long observances of the "Lord's Supper" since that first one with Jesus and His disciples.

The teaching of the full immersion of "water baptism" which is in type, The Death, The Burial, and the Resurrection of the Body of Christ.

The written testimony of every Holy Ghost inspired writer of the New Testament.

The "absolute fact" that if the Body of Jesus could have been found "it would have been found"!

These are additional proofs that cannot be denied!

As Jesus was victorious over Satan in His 40 days of temptation. He witnessed to His disciples for 40 "of this greater victory" over Satan!

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death", that is, the devil;

Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

*****Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Waiting on God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the condition of all our blessings in the Lord. When we are saved and employed by Christ Jesus, He will give us a much better Spirit than we had!

John the Baptist had "immersed" the disciples in water and they were shortly to be "immersed" in the Holy Spirit!

John the Baptist had said:

Mar 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but "he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost".

The Greek word "baptizo" means "immersion" and "not sprinkled" in both instances!

In accordance with the Promise of Jesus:

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; "whom the world cannot receive", because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Paul wrote that all believers were to be baptized in this same manner:

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Again, Baptism means "a full immersion" and not just a sprinkling!

If you get a sprinkling of the Holy Spirit "you are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit"!

We must be "fully immersed" in the Holy Spirit!

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, "by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost";

Tit 3:6 Which "he shed on us abundantly" through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

Abundantly not sparingly!

*****Act 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou "at this time" [restore again] the kingdom to Israel?

Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

It should be very clear to anyone who studies the Bible that the Lord will, at some future time, RESTORE the kingdom of King David, to Israel.

The Bible teaches to the Church Age:

Act 15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

Act 15:16 After this "I will return", and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

Act 15:17 That "the residue of men" might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Jesus was specific that this was not a concern for His disciples. Not then and not now!

The Church has other things to concentrate it's time on, which is specifically to the command of our next verse 8.

We know that Jesus Christ was 100% man but He was also 100% God and Jesus says that not even His human side knew when the Father would do these things, although His God side had to know when these things will happen.

The Bible gives us much information about "when this time may be near", which if we open our eyes we can know that Jesus could come any day now, as their is no dominant prophesy that has not already been fulfilled about the Church except the Rapture!

We must remember the prophesies that remain are mostly for the Second Coming and the Church will be Raptured out of this world before that time!

If we noticed the words of Jesus in verse 5, we know that John the Baptist had spoken of being baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire BUT Jesus said nothing about "fire" in verse 5.

WHY, we might ask? Because the "baptism of fire" is the "future judgment" after the Church Age when the nation of Israel will go through the Tribulation period!

Mat 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, "and with fire":

Mat 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and "he will throughly purge his floor", and gather his wheat into the garner; but "he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire".

We should not be confused thinking that the appearing of "the tongues of fire" is a baptism of fire!

Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

Those Apostles had every right to ask all these questions and Jesus did not rebuke them for doing so. They knew that Jesus had proven Himself to be the Messiah by His Resurrection.

What they did not understand was the "Church Age". The period of time between the prophecy and the restoring of Israel.

So what is God doing today?

Act 15:14 Simeon hath declared [how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name].

God is forming His Church out of the Gentiles!

And what is the purpose of this Church? Again, Verse 1:8!

*****Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

This is the command of Our Lord Jesus Christ to His Church. The "Power" to form the Church must come by the "Power of the Holy Ghost".

What does the title Ghost mean? This is an old English word that is equivalent to soul or spirit.

It is the translation of the Hebrew word "nephesh" and the Greek "pneuma", both meaning "breath," "life," "spirit," the "living principle".

The Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, whichever you prefer as they are interchangeable, is the "Breath Of God"!

This is much more than a dynamic preaching style!

It is the "boldness" and "grace" to be a "witness" centered on the Wisdom of the Word of God!

It can be said that every Holy Ghost filled child of God will possess the "Fruit of the Spirit".

Which is:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Notice the word fruit is not plural. The fruit of the "Spirit" is all these things. We do not get one and not get all the rest!

To be a witness is not only a "Command" directly from Our Lord Jesus but it is also a fulfillment of prophecy!

We can see that we are to witness at our homes(Jerusalem).

We can see that we are to witness to our communities.(Judaea)

We can see that we are to witness to the adjacent communities in our nation(Samaria)

And, we can see that we are to witness in every location where humans dwell on the face of this Earth.(uttermost part)

Mar 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into "all" the world, and preach the gospel to "every" creature.

Mar 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; [but he that believeth not shall be damned].

Our witnessing is to be the "Gospel of Jesus Christ".

There is no other message of the Church more important than this, His message!

Pro 14:25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

It is the Holy Ghost that will decide who goes where, like to a foreign land BUT we are all to work at home!

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ":

These 3 things are the function of the Church!

*****Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Notice this verse does not say Jesus got in His spaceship and went up. It does not say Jesus had some kind of special spacesuit either.

This ascension of Jesus was a slow upward movement until He was out of sight because of the clouds!

And, There was only a cloud that received Our Lord.

What kind of cloud was this?

Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me "with thine own self" with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Where have we seen this cloud?

Exo 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day "in a pillar of a cloud", to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Exo 13:22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

This same Jesus:

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and "the express image of his person", and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Heb 1:4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Col 1:15 "Who is the image of the invisible God", [the firstborn] of every creature:

Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

From the Beginning till the End:

Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, "and all that are in them", heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, "and unto the Lamb" for ever and ever.

*****Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Jesus Christ went up in His physical "Glorified" body!

Jesus is sitting on a physical "God Made" throne!

Heaven is a real place!

Heaven is not just some dimension in time!

Heaven is not just some dimension of space!

Heaven is not just some black hole in space!

My God is real, His home is real, and therefore my home is real!

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: "if it were not so, I would have told you". I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

SO, Who are these two men in white apparel?

They may have been the same two who stood by the empty tomb who told of the resurrection:

Joh 20:12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

They may have been the same too men that came with Jesus to meet Abraham:

Gen 18:2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

Gen 18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

They may be the two witnesses described in prophecy:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

It is not so much important as to who these two are as the message they bring!

They said:

"why stand ye gazing up into heaven"

In other words quit standing around gazing up to the sky.

IT IS TIME TO DO WHAT THE LORD HAS SAID DO!

And the next message was this:

This "same" Jesus will still be in His glorified body when He returns.

He ascended to a cloud and He will descend from a cloud.

He ascended from the Mount of Olives and He will return to this exact same place at the Mount of Olives.

Zec 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

While will it be necessary for this earthquake. There was a Muslim king who was trying to defy the God of Glory and placed a cemetery between the Mount of Olives and the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem.

My question is if every Muslim goes to Heaven to 70 virgins then who is in all those graves?

Jesus will come in a cloud to get His "Church" but "He will step out of that cloud" So Every Eye Will See Him, at His Second Coming.

When He comes for the Church:

1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

When He comes to rule as King:

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

*****Act 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

SO, What is a Sabbath's Day journey?

A Sabbath-day's journey, according to Jewish tradition, was about three-quarters of a mile. It was "the supposed distance" between the camp and the Ark that the priest carried it into the River Jordan the day Israel marched into Canaan Land.

Jos 3:4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.

*****Act 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

Act 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

We find the 11 Apostles all in the upper room. Judas the betrayer had already committed suicide.

There had been many times of contention during their 3 and 1/2 years of training but not now.

Waiting on God for the anointing of the Holy Spirit is our condition of blessing and the fulness of "Power"!

All those that will be witnesses for Christ Jesus qualify for a better spirit than their own.

The Holy Spirit is God's representative to each of us and will live within us!

This is also the first occasion of at least 30 times that "prayer" is mentioned in the Book of Acts.

There should be no doubt that "Prayer" is the greatest weapon we have. There are many things we as individuals cannot do, But We Can All Pray!

The ministry committed to every disciple of Jesus Christ is to bear witness of Him in all the world but we are powerless unless We Pray!

Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

It is also good to see that the earthly family of Jesus are also now all in one accord.

The Mother of Jesus. Mary had been at the cross and had seen her Son crucified. She had stood by her Son all her life because she knew the truth and now after His resurrection "all these that were with her knew the truth".

Jesus Christ, her son was God in the flesh just as she had been told by Gabriel:

Luk 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Luk 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luk 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

Mary had been the subject of name calling and ridicule all her life but now she was surrounded by believers.

"and his brethren"

The step brothers of Jesus who had been fathered by Joseph "and not the Holy Spirit", had never believed much about their older brother:

Joh 7:5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

But, that had all changed since His resurrection and His ascension.

Who were these brothers?

Mar 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

We will later see more about James, and even Jude wrote one of the Books of the Bible called by his name.

We have said many times. God has a plan for this world. We can be a part of His plan of "Salvation" or we will be left out of it.

BUT, We cannot have our own plan!

God laughs at our plans!

Psa 59:8 But thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.

Psa 59:9 Because of his strength will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence.

Questions?

Let's Pray!