Just the Beginning!

Acts1.1-2

Acts 1.1-8

The Bible is full of beginnings.

It begins with a beginning! 

The Beginning of Creation in Genesis 1

The Beginning of the Hebrew (Jewish) Nation in Genesis 12

The Beginning of the New Covenant in the Gospels

The Beginning of the Work of Christ Building His Church Acts 1

The Beginning of the New Heaven and the New Earth Revelation 21-22

The Bible ends with a Beginning!

All that Jesus began to do and to teach...

The four Gospels... so much more John 21.25

v.2 Began

Outline of Biblical Usage:

to be the first to do (anything)

to be chief, leader, ruler

"began" is the key word here.

The Gospel of Luke is the story of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ in the earth. His teaching, His works. The idea conveyed here is that the ministry of Jesus Christ did not end with His ascension into heaven. But He continues to work and teach, only now, it is through His apostles.

What Luke is saying is that the works of Jesus and the teaching of Jesus continues. He continues to work and teach, only now it is through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the lives of the believers.

Thus the book of Acts of the Apostles is an open ended book. It continues to the present day, and will continue until He returns.

 The work of Jesus continues today throughout the world.

 Jesus said in John 14, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do, shall He do also, and even greater works than these shall He do, because I go unto My Father."

The book of the Acts of the Apostles is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke/ the work of Jesus.

1. The coming of the Holy Spirit brought fresh new life to all people. v.8

This blessing was to bless the ends of the earth with the Gospel.

It has! It still is!

Let's talk about the blessing of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

What it is. Baptism- submerged/overwhelmed/dripping wet/soaked

Empowered to witness/ governed by God

What it does. Acts 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. 

Who it is for. Acts 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. 

It is a baptism. John the Baptist spoke about it. Mark 1.8

I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk)

to cleanse by dipping or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water, to wash one's self, bathe

to overwhelm

It is the endument of power for witnessing.

Luke 24.45-49

Then He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 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.”

Power from on high.

 

It is for believers.

For the early Christians

For you and I today

2. The Holy Spirit stretches us to minister in place we never dreamed of. v.8b

Thomas, one of the eleven, would go to India.

The history of the Mar Thomas Church in Maramon, India goes back, it is said to nine or twelve years after Christ was crucified. It began when Thomas the Apostle traveled far east to the Indian city of Mouziris, a major seaport on the Malabar coast.

Ends of the earth... Seemed far fetched for a bunch of fishermen who had not traveled 100 miles away from home. But it happened.

My friend, Patty Race, whom I spoke about last week, an RN, heading with a team of RN's throughout the country, taking "vacation" time to go and serve in South America.

We have the privilege of sharing in the work around the world in this little church. Some missionaries have come out from us. Praying for and giving to missions here. We go.

Our message was read this week by people from all over the world. 

The past 4 weeks readers from France, The Philippines, South Africa,

Canada,  Germany, Japan, Kenya, Russia and Israel. We have had readers from India, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Brazil, a number of Arab countries and Vietnam and The Ukraine.