Waiting to Change the World!

Acts 1

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??? The Last 2 Sundays we have been in our Mission Conference? awesome missions dinner, great missionaries,? last Sunday PM Dave Harrison spoke on Acts 1 & 2? perfect blending of world missions and our study in Acts- he said ?The USA is the world?s 3^rd largest mission field.?

1.? The Context:? Background: (hermeneutic- context, interpretation)

??? The Great Debate:? Is Acts Description or Prescription?

???? Description:? ?a written or verbal account, representation,? or explanation of something?

???? Prescriptive: ?a proven formula for something, authoritative reccomendation?

???????? Answer: Yes!? It is Both!

??? Author:? Luke a physician

???? Acts is the continuation of the Gospel of Luke.?

???? Luke 1:1-4? ??Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.?

???? Acts 1:1 ?In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about what Jesus BEGAN to do and teach??- Implication:? Acts is what Jesus continues to do through the HS

???????? Key verse: Acts 1:8 ?But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.?

??? Recipient: Theophilus= ?Friend of God- [song- Logan]? OR, ?Beloved by God? OR ?Lover of God? probably not his real name, anonymity?? (Dave Harrison said, ?Luke & Acts written to me, ?the awfulest of sinners?! Someone in Al?s Life Group- ?He?s TheAwfullest looking baby I?ve seen.?)

??? Written bewteen 63-70 AD, spans approx. 33 years,

??? Acts is the connecting link between the Gospels (Jesus? life) and the Life of the church??

???? ?In The End (of Jesus physical life here) we find the Beginning? (of the work of His Spirit through His followers)

???? Demonstrates that the Gospel is for gentiles (non-Jews) as well as Jews?? 1^st half about Peter?s ministry (to Jews), 2^nd half about Paul?s (to Gentiles)?

??? The great theologian and scholar, Allan Hulten, uses 7 ?P? words that describe the Church as found in the Book of Acts:? Powerful, Passionate, Productive, Prejudiced, Persecuted, Praying, and Praticing

?? Read Acts 1? (Intro & Jesus? last words; Matthias chosen to replace Judas)

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2.? The Command:? Last Words Are lasting Words:

??? Example:? Sr. Recital- save the Best Song for Last- people will remember the last song you sing?

??? Jesus? last recorded words in the Gospels:

???? Matt. 28:16-20?? ?Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, ?All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.?

???? Mark 16:15-18 ???He said to them, ?Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.?? 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.?

???? Luke 24:46-49 ???He told them, ?This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.??

???? John 21:17-23?? ?(Jesus to Peter- ?Do you love me?... ?Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.?? 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ?Follow me!?? 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, ?Lord, who is going to betray you??) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, ?Lord, what about him?? 22 Jesus answered, ?If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.??

???????? Different words recorded- (?John 21:25 ?Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.?

???? Jesus? last words to his followers were consistently a ?sending out with the promise of power from on high- His presence with us!?

???? Is His command to ?go? a description of what He told the disciples or a prescription for us as well?? --We are called to go, just as the disciples were called? but let?s look closely?

??? Our emphasis:? Acts 1:4-8 ?Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.?? So when they met together, they asked him, ?Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?? 7 He said to them: ?It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.??

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3.? The Course:? Preparing to Change the World:

??? Main Point:? ?I? Must Wait on God? in Order? to? Change the World?

??? Waiting & Praying:? ?Wait? and you will be baptized, you will receive power, and you will be my witnesses!

???? We live in an instant society?? (not a new concept, I know!)? We are use to sponatneous gratification?

???? When you have a good idea of what you?re called to do, you want to go do it!!!? I remember in college, I just wanted out- I wanted to get started doing what I was calle to do?? but I had to prepare- (and have kept preparing!)?

?????? Floating (F.I.R.E.):? an intentional time of waiting.? Not Passive, but Active.? The Waiting- or Floating- is part of the Calling! w/? anticipation!

???? Isa 40:31? ?But those who hope in (wait on) the LORD will renew their? strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.?

??? Praying:? Prayer for the Lost: ?Every convert is the result of the Holy Spirit?s pleading in answer to the prayers of some believer.? (An Unknown Christian- The Kneeling Christian) .

??? Seeking:? God, His Spirit, His will, and His supply?

???? Jesus taught His disciples to pray:? ?Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.? Give us this day our daily bread?? (Mat 6)

???? Matt. 6:33 ?Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well? (What will be given? ?your needs)

??? Timing:?

???? Turn to:? John 7 & 8 (Jesus spoke of timing?)

???? ?The farmer plants Chinese bamboo the seed; they water and fertilize it, but the first year nothing happens. The second year they water and fertilize it, and nothing happens. The third and fourth year they water and fertilize it, and nothing happens.
Then the fifth year they water and fertilize it,, in a period of approximately six weeks, the Chinese bamboo trees grow roughly ninety feet.? The question is, Did it grow ninety feet in six weeks or did it grow ninety feet in five years??? The obvious answer is that it grew ninety feet in five years, because had they not applied the water and the fertilizer each year, or if they gave up and planted something else, there would have been no Chinese bamboo tree.? Some things in this life take time for us to notice that God is responding. If we are impatient we will all too often give up when things seem to not be happening.?? It all comes down to God?s timing.?

??? Emptying:

???? Yourself, humbling yourself!?

???????? I used to think that God?s gifts were on shelves one above another and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now, I find, that God?s gifts are on shelves one beneath another and the lower we stoop, the more we get. F. B. Meyer

???????? We are never so as high as when we are on our knees!

???? 1 Peter 5:6-7? ?Humble yourselves, therefore, under God?s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.?

???? Zeph 2:3? ?Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility;?

??? Filling:

???? Of the Holy Spirit.? The Holy Spirit:

???????? Teaches us (Jn 14:26)

???????? Gives us direction in what to say& do (Luke 12:12)

???????? Intercedes for us (Rom 8:27)

???????? Gives us gifts (1 Cor 12)

???????? Unifies believers (Rom 15:5)

???????? Empowers (Acts 1:8)

???????? Acts 1:8? ?But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you??

??? Dying:?

???? Acts 1:8? ?But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses (martus) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.??

???????? Witnesses? =? (Gk)? martus:? wouldn?t normally bore you with the Greek word, but this one is easy!? What English word does it sound like???

???????? Martyr!

???? Rev 12:11 ?They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.?

???????? Pastor David:? ?When you realize you are already dead, you realize the life you have is not your own so you aren?t afraid of losing it.?

???? Gal 2:20-21 ?I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.?

???? Phil 1:21? ?For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.?

???? 1 Cor 6:19-20 ?Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit , who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.?

???? 2 Cor 5:14-15 ?For Christ?s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.?

???? Our Feb.memory verse:? 1 John 3:16?? ?This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.?

???? Mark 8:34-35 ?Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ?If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.?

???? We must Die Daily!? It is a perpetual crucifying of Self!? (Catapult??)

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??? As we wait to change the world, we are waiting on God to do a work of preparation in our lives.?

???? Are we willing to wait on Him?? Are we willing to pay the price?? Are we Willing to die to self???

??? You and I are called to GO and make disciples? to change the world!?

??? This group of Jesus? followers- 120- out of about 4 million Jews= 1 in 30,000 people== changed the world- You can make a difference if you are willing to Wait on God!

??? Altar:? Salvation? & Committment