The Promise that is Worth Waiting For

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:1-5).

In this Holy Spirit inspired letter from Luke to Theophilus, there are twenty-two sermons of the apostles. Yet this book is not called the Preaching but the Practice of the Apostles, not the Words but the Acts of the Apostles. It is the Acts of the Apostles that proclaim the power and presence of Jesus Christ and His transforming gospel to a desperate and needy world. Jesus knew the apostles would need help to answer the call to be His witnesses in word and deed to their generation, so He promised them all the power they would need would be coming upon them if they would faithfully and obediently wait… “You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:48-49). Paul reports there may have been 500 followers that received Christ’s command to wait for the promise… “Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time” (1 Corinthians 15:6). Before long, the number of faithful disciples still waiting for the promise had dwindled to 120… “In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120)” (Acts 1:15). Christ’s promise of the Holy Spirit’s anointing on our words and deeds is still… the promise that is worth waiting for.

The Holy Spirit gives us commanding direction. As Christ’s disciples, according to Jesus’ word, we are chosen… “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (John 15:16). In today’s text we see that before He returned to His Father in heaven, Jesus gave commands to His chosen messengers, and His commands were delivered through the Holy Spirit. We are not apostles, but we are Christ’s ambassadors… “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). It’s a tall order He has given us to be His witnesses to those around us, but we can be confident and successful if we wait for and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and instructions every day… “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

The Holy Spirit gives us convicting words. The Holy Spirit gives us the words to speak into the heart of someone that needs to hear the gospel… “And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” (Luke 12:11-12). The Holy Spirit empowers our words to defeat the empty words of our adversaries… “This will be your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict” (Luke 21:13-15). The Holy Spirit adds soul convicting power to the words He gives us to share. “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8).

The Holy Spirit gives us compelling actions. He grants willing witnesses supernatural gifts that compliment the natural abilities and talents that God gave us at birth. These gifts are given to empower us to be His witnesses individually and corporately as His Church, through Christ-like service… “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). How might God use your Spirit-empowered words and deeds to show Christ to someone today?

As we grow up into Christ, our witnessing words and actions are empowered by Christ’s fulfillment of…

The Promise that is Worth Waiting For.

Preaching and Practice

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

The early church developed and circulated two collections of New Testament writings: the four Gospels and the letters of the Apostle Paul. However, with the appearance of early Christological heresies in the second century, the value of this second letter from Luke to his beloved friend Theophilus became obvious. This sequel to Luke’s Gospel reveals the content and purpose of the Apostles’ preaching and the amazing results of the gospel. This widely circulated letter originally had no title (like Luke's Gospel), but the Greek words praxeis, praxis, used in titles assigned to early copies of the letter mean acts, ways, behavior, deeds, and/or practice, and reflect an ancient Mediterranean literary genre which describes the lives and actions of famous or influential people.

So, what we have here in what we call the Acts of the Apostles is a Holy Spirit inspired record of the actions and message of the Apostles. Luke introduces the letter by highlighting an important principle… “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,” (Acts 1:1). We note that Luke’s emphasis on the indispensable bond between preaching and practice reflects the pattern of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us to love our enemies and then demonstrated this lesson on the cross, when he prayed for those who were crucifying him… “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). The message and actions of the Apostles recorded for us here in the Book of Acts challenge us to share our faith in both words and deeds and inspire us to grow up into Christ by imitating them as they imitated Christ.

As a fellow disciple of Jesus Christ, I am blessed to share this journey of growth in Christ with you. As a pastor, I pray that the truth God has revealed here through His Word will help you to be built up and equipped as part of His body, the Church. And as a schoolmaster, I pray that the truth shared here will help you come to know and become more like Jesus Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).