This morning we will begin to embark on a line by line journey through the book of Acts.

I believe God has set before us 5 primary goals for the series.

1. We want to witness how Christ began to build His church.

2. We want to gain wisdom and knowledge for how to be a gospel centered church that glorifies God.

3. We want to have our minds renewed so that we will be able to test and apply what is true in all areas of life and to dispose of what is false.

4. We want to be brought to a deeper level of maturation by growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

5. We want to become empowered through the Holy Spirit to be bold in our community for the sake of the Lord and His gospel.

Facts about Acts and its Author

Scholars and church historians believe that a man named Luke wrote the book of Acts and the gospel of Luke. Luke does not identify himself in either of the books but it is the widely held opinion regardless.

Luke was a Greek man and a physician.

Luke appears for the first time in Acts 16:10 where he joins Paul, Silas and Timothy on the second missionary journey in the region of Traos.

Luke wrote Acts between 62-64 AD.

Luke wrote more in the NT than any other author. The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts together contain more pages of Scripture than Paul’s 13 letters.

Acts picks up where Luke’s gospel leaves off, recording the early progress of the gospel as Jesus’ disciples took it from Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the Mediterranean world. Acts forms a bridge between the 4 gospels and the rest of the NT, showing how the apostles carried on Christ’s work and providing a historical background for Romans through Revelation.

This morning we are going to launch our series by focusing on one verse 1. I will read our text, pray, and then we will examine it. Please turn to Acts 1:1.

Acts 1:1

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach.

PrayExamine

Verse

1In the first book, O Theophilus,

Commentary

Luke begins with two things here. First he references his first piece of work, his gospel, the gospel of Luke. Secondly, he identifies his audience, Theophilus. Luke had written both of his books, his gospel and the book Acts to this man. The Scriptures do not reveal much about Theophilus. Luke may have provided a bit of an insight about him in the first chapter of his gospel. Listen to Luke 1:1-4.

Luke 1:1-4

1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 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, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

In verse 3 Luke called Theophilus, “most excellent”. This may indicate that Theophilus was some kind of Roman official because Luke applied it to other Roman officials like Felix (Acts 23:26) and Festus (Acts 26:25), the governors of Judea. Theophilus may have been some sort of Roman dignitary, political official, or someone of that nature. If this is true, Luke may have had a bit of strategy for writing to this man. He may have believed that Theophilus could use his power and influence to affect other officials with the gospel. Luke learned the ministry from Paul and Paul’s strategy was to plant churches in the key cities he visited because he believed that they could influence the smaller cities and communities.

The name Theophilus is masculine and it means “lover of God” or “loved of God” in Greek which may suggest that it is more of a title rather than an actual name. Luke may have called this person Theophilus because they loved Jesus, not because their name was Theophilus. We really don’t know the facts but the first explanation seems most befitting.

One thing is certain, Luke’s target audience for both of his books was an individual that he loved and cared deeply about.

This appears to be true because he wrote 52 chapters of Scripture to a man with the express purpose of teaching him all about Jesus! Who Jesus is, what Jesus did, and what Jesus is doing.

I pray that we as a church would be as resolved and as diligent as Luke was in making Jesus known. We will never write Scripture, Scripture is a completed work, but we can share the gospel with others just as Luke did.

Look at 1a and 1b combined.

Verse

1In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,

Commentary

Luke has made a spectacular statement here. He referred to his first letter, his gospel account, as the beginning of Jesus’ work and teaching. What does he mean by this? Is he referring to the atonement? Is he referring to what happened on the cross? Is that an on-going work? No. The atonement is complete. Our sins have been permanently removed by the blood of the Lamb of God. The justice and wrath of God have been forever satisfied and quenched. The righteousness of the Perfect Son has been imputed to the imperfect sons and daughters of God. These are biblical truths that need to be understood and remembered. Why, because they prevent us from slipping back into our default mode of religious striving and works-righteousness.

We must always remember that the atonement is a completed work. Luke understood this so that’s not what he’s referring to. What then is he referring to? I believe he’s referring to the things that Jesus did in the early church. These would have been the things that Theophilus would have read about in Luke’s letter. Now the scope of Jesus’ work and teaching goes far beyond the 1st century. Jesus has been working and teaching in every century. The main thing that Luke is trying to convey to Theophilus is that Jesus is alive and still at work and still teaching. With that being said, I’d like to spend some time talking about the on-going work and teaching of Jesus.

I have 4 things that we are going to examine:

The on-going saving work of JesusThe on-going intercessional work of JesusThe on-going outpouring of divine power by JesusThe on-going rule and reign of Jesus

Let’s examine each of these.

The on-going saving work of Jesus

Jesus is and always been the Savior of the world.

Jesus was the Savior in the OT.

Adam and Eve were saved by Jesus. Elijah was saved by Jesus. King David was saved by Jesus. Habakkuk was saved by Jesus.

Jesus was the Savior during His incarnation.

Jesus saved the apostles minus Judas, Lazarus, Zacchaeus (aka Danny DeVito), Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary Magdalene, lepers, blind men, and a bunch of other people.

Jesus was and still is the Savior after His ascension.

Jesus saved a lame beggar in Acts 3. Jesus saved Simon the Magician in Acts 8. Jesus saved Saul of Tarsus aka - the apostle Paul in Acts 9. Jesus saved Tabitha in Acts 9. Jesus saved Cornelius in Acts 10.

Every one of you that believes has been saved by Jesus. Jesus continues to save sinners even while being enthroned in glory.

The second thing is:

The on-going intercessional work of Jesus

The Bible teaches that Jesus is our everlasting priest who intercedes for us. Hebrews 7:24-25 mentions this.

Hebrews 7:24-25

24 Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermostthose who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

The passage says that Jesus permanently holds the position of Priest because he is eternal. It says that He is able to save to the highest level those who draw near to God through him. And then at the end of verse 25 it says that He always lives to make intercession for the saints.

One of the primary duties of the Levitical priest was to offer up sacrifices to God for the sins of the people. This was known as intercession. When Jesus offered Himself at Calvary, he did what no earthly priest could ever do, He made a once and for all intercession to the Father for all who believe. Jesus’ death on the cross was a ‘divine’ act of intercession. Now if Jesus made a onetime everlasting intercession for the saints at Calvary, why does the author say that He continues to intercede for them at the end of verse 25?

I think the primary way that Jesus intercedes for us today is that He defends us against the accusations of our adversary and accuser, Satan. Rev 12:10 says that Satan comes to the throne of God day and night to make accusations against the saints.

Since Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father (Eph 1:20), and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18), and is our intercessor (Heb 7:25), It is makes sense that He would intercept and dispel Satan when He approaches the throne just as a good defense attorney would a felonious witness in a court of law. This is pretty much how Jesus intercedes. Satan comes and pleads his case and then our Kingly attorney defends us and dispels him.

Never forget this, on-going intercession does not mean that Jesus is in a perpetual state of trying to convince the Father that we are really saved especially during moments of disobedience. I’ve heard this passage taught by others, and by the time their done, they’ve made it sound like God the father is aloof and uninformed and that Jesus has to clue Him as to who we really are through intercession so that He won’t cast us into Hell when we sin. They make it sound like the Son of God knows something that God the Father doesn’t. How foolish and irreverent.

The Father does not doubt our position no matter what. The Father never needs convincing because He is the omniscient architect of our salvation. He predestined that we would be saved through Christ before He created the world (Eph 1:11). You must know this as well, the three members of the Godhead are perfectly equal in power, knowledge, and presence. The Father knows what the Son knows, the Son knows what the father knows, and it is the same with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is not the Father that needs to be convinced by the intercessing Son, it is the enemy, the devil. The devil brings his slanderous allegations before the throne of God, he pleads against us. He makes us stuff just as he did with Job. He is the father of lies. And yet, our Great Intercessor and Priest, Jesus, is there to intercept, defeat and dispel him.

The third thing is:

The on-going outpouring of divine power by Jesus

Throughout Jesus’ ministry we see Him pour out divine power. He healed people and cast out demons. He turned water into wine and feds thousands from almost nothing. He walked on water and stopped a storm. He raised the dead. The last line in the Gospel of John says that Jesus did so many things that there aren’t enough books in the world to contain them. Did this outpouring of divine power come to an end after His ascension? No, it increased!

One of the greatest outpourings of Jesus’ power happened after His ascension in the year 30AD. Both John the Baptist and Jesus himself prophesied about that special event (John 1:33 & John 16:13). That event is known as the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:1-4

1When the day of Pentecost arrived they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.

3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and restedon each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Before this outpouring of divine power, the church was ill-equipped to bring the gospel to the world. This is why Jesus commanded that they “Wait in Jerusalem for the baptism of the Holy Spirit”. Immediately following Pentecost, Peter, filled with divine power, preached the gospel and 3000 people were saved and baptized. Peter’s sermon is really the first event that took place right after Pentecost where we see this new divine power at work.

If you peruse the rest of the book of Acts you will see Jesus pour out His divine power in healings, exorcisms, jail breaks, and in moments of protection. What about later on? In 1541 Jesus began to pour out His divine power in Geneva and a revival broke out that rivaled that of King Josiah. In the mid 1970’s Jesus began to pour out His divine power in parts of Guatemala. In 1962 there were 60,000 Protestants in the entire country. 36 years later there are 3,300,000.

In our world today, Jesus continues to pour out His power through physicians, evangelists, and regular folks like us. Let’s make this personal. Think back 10 years ago. Where were you at in life? What did your faith look like? Did you have faith? Can you see the effects of Jesus’ power in your life and faith from then to now? I can. I was headed towards destroying my marriage, my family, and my own life and then Jesus poured out His power and I was rescued and forever changed. And then from the moment of new birth Jesus continued to pour out His power into my life and faith. How has He poured power into your life and faith? Jesus is still doing this in the world today.

The fourth thing is:

The on-going rule and reign of Jesus

Listen to what took place after the Jesus’ ascension.

Hebrews 1:3

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The text says that He is the radiance of the glory of God and that He upholds the universe by the word of His power and that after the atonement He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty. Friends, we have an enthroned King and His name is King Jesus. But He is more than our enthroned King He is also our enthroned High Priest! Listen to Hebrews 8:1-2.

Hebrews 8:1-2

1Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tentthat the Lord set up, not man.

Another one of the chief duties of the Levitical priest was to minister by dispensing the mercy and grace of God to those who seek it. This is what Jesus does now as our enthroned king and high priest. He ministers not from a cloth tent or stone building but from His throne in heaven. It is there that He divvies out the mercy and grace of God to those who seek it.

JC Ryle wrote,

“The ear of the Lord Jesus is ever open to the cry of all who want mercy and grace.”

The Bible takes this further. It says in Hebrews 4:16 that the throne that Jesus sits on is called “the throne of grace” and then it says that we may “confidently draw near to it in our times of need”. Jesus is enthroned and He rules and reigns as King and Priest over His kingdom of grace.

We must bear in mind that this will change in the future. When Jesus returns He will return in glory, not grace, to establish His kingdom of glory on earth. And He will rule and reign in that kingdom for a thousand years and then for eternity.

The last thing that Luke mentioned at the end of verse 1. He said “Jesus had only begun to teach.”

This is represented in our fifth and final point:

The on-going teaching of Jesus

Jesus was and still is an extraordinary teacher. His Sermon on the Mount is the greatest bit of preaching to ever grace this earth. Even Pharisees marveled at His teaching.

One named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Some would say that Jesus’ teaching ended when He ascended. This opinion is fashioned from ignorance. It comes from a wrong understanding about what Christian preachers and teachers are to be and do. Al true and faithful preachers or teachers know that they are messengers of Jesus who have been sent to proclaim the gospel. Preachers and teachers are not called to be cruise ship directors, comedians, story tellers or divinely inspired therapists. They are called to be proclaimers of God’s word and the gospel.

When we look at the book of Acts we see Jesus teaching everywhere through the apostles. In different countries and cities. On Islands, in prisons, and in courtrooms.

When we look at the other 26 books of the NT, we see Jesus teaching through apostles, pastors, church planters like Epaphras, and lay leaders like Apollos. And throughout the centuries we’ve seen Jesus teach through men like Augustine, Luther, Edwards, Spurgeon, Ryle, Jones, MacArthur, Piper, Keller, Begg and others. Wherever the gospel is proclaimed accurately and truthfully, Jesus is present and teaching. This means that it is Jesus who should get the praise and accolades for good sermons, not preachers and teachers.

Luke got this. I really love his statement in verse 1. Before Theophilus begins to read his letter, he wants him to know that it is Jesus that has done the works and teaching, not the apostles or anyone else. Some of your Bibles might say, “The Acts of the Apostles” above chapter 1. The book of Acts is not filled the “Acts of the Apostles”, it is filled the “Acts of Jesus”. If Luke were to find out what some scholar named his book, he’d probably cry out, “You’ve missed the point in verse 1 and in the rest of the book it’s all about Jesus…” Jesus is our teacher and we may be diligent in giving Him all the praise at RHC.

What have we learned this morning?

We’ve learned that Luke had a spectacular heart for the Lord and others. He wanted Theophilus to know Jesus and he wrote him 52 chapters of gospel and church history with that purpose in mind. How badly do we desire for others to know Jesus?

Luke wanted Jesus to get all the praise and glory for what happened in the early church. Do you desire for Jesus to receive all the praise and glory for what He’s done for you and for what He continues to do?

We’ve learned that the gospel was only the beginning of Jesus’ works and teaching. That He is alive and still saving sinners, and interceding for the saints, and pouring out His divine power, and that He is ruling and reigning from the throne of grace. What are you burdened with today? Why don’t you bring your petition to the throne of grace? Ask Jesus for mercy, for grace or for power to overcome.

We’ve learned that Jesus continues to teach after being enthroned in glory. That He teaches through those who faithfully preach the gospel. Have you been encouraged today by our great and glorious teacher, Jesus Christ? I hope so. I know I have.