The book of Acts is a book of action. It’s gives the history of the New Testament church beginning with the Ascension of Christ and then continuing on with the works of the apostles as they preach the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth beginning in Jerusalem. It is really the continuing work of Jesus Christ in this world through the person of the Holy Spirit of God. God’s great work of redemption continues even to this present hour. Don’t get the wrong idea that what Jesus accomplished on the cross was somehow insufficient, because I am not trying to say that. What I am trying to say is that there is much work to be done by the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in continuing to do the work that Jesus began and we have been commissioned to continue to do.
Jesus said in John 19:30, "...it is finished..." He was saying that the payment for sin was finished. That tells us that nothing more need be done to pay for the sins of the world. Salvation is complete in Christ. All we need to do to receive the gift of eternal life is to realize our sinful condition and turn from our sin and to Christ, in faith believing and trusting Him and Him alone as our personal Lord and Savior. And if you have never done that today, you can come at the end of this service and take care of that. His shed blood is sufficient to take care of the sin debt for the entire world!
But as Jesus ascended to the Father, there are some things that I want to look at today that He began to do and that we as believer’s need to continue doing. Look again at verse one of Acts chapter one,
"The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach."
Notice that word "began." The author of the book of Acts which we believe to be the physician Luke, says that Jesus began to do and to teach. It gives the idea of a starting point with no place to stop. Jesus began something that must go forward, that must go on and that must continue. And that is the unfinished work of the church. That Brings me to the first point,
#1) An Unfinished Task
Jesus began to do and to teach Luke said. He also said that "the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
A) As long as there is one person unsaved, the task is not finished.
B) As long as there is one person who has not heard the gospel message, the task is not finished.
C) He Left The Task To Be Finished By His Churches. He gave us the great commission which is found in all four gospel records and in the book of Acts.
Let’s just look at one in Matthew 28:19-20,
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
- The mission fields cry out, "unfinished".
- The remote areas of every city and town cry out, "unfinished".
- The presence of the homeless cry out, "unfinished".
- The voices of your neighbors cry out, "unfinished."
- Our lost loved ones cry out, "unfinished."
- And perhaps your very own soul this morning is crying out, "unfinished."
How about you this morning? Are you actively participating in carrying out His unfinished task? We have been given our orders from the chief shepherd. What are you doing to see that the work that Jesus started is continuing until He comes back?
John 9:4 Jesus said,
"I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."
In John 14:12, Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." Greater works than Jesus? I don’t believe our works could ever be greater than what Jesus did, but it’s my opinion that our works would be greater in number and not necessarily greater in demonstration of His power. I believe this means greater in number because Jesus said "because I go unto my Father." And in these 2,000 plus years since Jesus went home to heaven, He has left us here to do the work that He began!
So we have an unfinished task and #2
An Unchallenged Message
Acts 1:3 says,
"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:"
The message of salvation can’t be challenged.
Jesus said that He is THE way to heaven! John 14:6,
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Paul told the Galatian Christians that if they preached any other gospel than the gospel of God’s grace, let them be accursed! That’s how strong he felt about it! We should feel the same way. It should motivate us to action. We have the truth of God!
#3) An Unquestionable Love:
Verse three again says, "To whom also he showed 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:"
John 3:16,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John15:13,
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
No one can question the love exhibited by the Son of God.
- He who gave His life that you and I might live forever.
- He who gave His body to be beaten unrecognizably.
- He who shed His blood for an uncaring world.
- He who left His home in heaven and came to a world of sinners who rejected Him and nailed Him on a cross.
- He who in love cried out to the Father, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."
That’s unconditional love.
The song says:
Love divine so great and wondrous, deep and mighty pure sublime.
Coming from the heart of Jesus, just the same through tests of time.
Love divine so great and wondrous, all my sins He then forgave.
I will sing His praise forever, for His love, His power to save.
That’s Unquestionable love. He died for you. He loves you.
#4) An Unmistakable Plan:
Acts 1:8,
"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."
A witness is sworn to tell the truth of what he/she saw or experienced. Sometimes we get the plan wrong. It is an unmistakable plan. We are to be witnesses not a super salesman, attempting to persuade the person with our ability. It has to be Christ in us. We witness to that which has happened to us.
Here’s the plan:
-We Are To Witness First In Jerusalem.
That is our immediate surrounding area.
- Our neighbors.
- Our co-workers.
- Our friends.
-We are to next witness in Judea- That’s farther out from home base, into some of the out laying towns.
- Next in Samaria- That is still further out.
-Lastly is the Uttermost Part of the earth- That is foreign missions.
Let’s stick to the plan!
#5) An Unshakable Testmony.
Look at Acts 1:10,
"And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;"
Notice that the Bible says that they Looked steadfastly toward Heaven. If we could just get the professing Christians to "look steadfastly toward heaven," our task would be much easier.
A. Your Testimony Will Either Exalt Christ, Or It Will Shame Christ.
1. If you are looking for Him to come soon, you will cleanse yourself. (1 John 3:3) "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."
2. He who has no intimacy toward the coming of Christ is not a living testimony for Him.
B. You Can Lose Your Testimony In A Moment Of Time. (1 Pet 5:8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
#6) An Unstoppable Force
Luke 24:49 says,
"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high."
Then in Acts 2:4, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost...."
This small group of men returned that day to the upper room, and there with some of the other saints began to call upon the Lord in prayer; and then we see them in Acts 2 where 3,000 got saved. In Acts 4:4, 5000 more got saved. In (Acts 5:14) "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)" And it went on and on.
Their enemies said that these Christians "turned the world upside down. The Bible says that they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus Christ.
(Acts 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."
It makes a difference when you are doing the work of God through the power of the God of the work.
B. Persecution Didn’t Stop Them. (Acts 8:3) "As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison."
(Acts 8:4) "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word."
1. They were scattered because of persecution. They had to literally run for their lives. Saul (who became Paul) was leading the persecution against them.
2. Persecution allowed them to take the Gospel to the "uttermost parts of the earth."
That thing which they feared became their greatest tool in accomplishing their task. (Acts 19:10) "And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks."
#7) An unfailing Promise:
(Acts 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."
Story:
When I think of this I am reminded of Gen. Douglas McArthur. He was in charge of the S. Pacific Theatre and was stationed in the Philippines. During the latter days of WW2 Gen. McArthur’s men had taken a beating and he withdrew them and moved them to Australia for a time of rest and retraining. As he boarded that DC9 in the Philippines those people looked to him as their saviour. He made his famous statement in saying, "I will return."
Several months passed by and one day the people of the Philippines heard the roar of airplanes and looked up into the sky and saw the sky was filled with American airplanes. Gen McArthur kept his promise.
2000 years ago Jesus stood on a mountain overlooking Jerusalem and also made an unfailing promise to His disciples,
John 14:1-3,
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 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. 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."
I know the battle gets tough. Don’t be discouraged, one day soon that trumpet is going to blow, (1 Th 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."
That’s an unfailing promise. If it wasn’t so He would have told us so. I am looking for Him to come today.
We have :
-an unfinished task
-an unchallenged message.
-an unquestionable love.
-an unmistakable plan.
-an unshakable testimony
-an unstoppable force.
-an unfailing promise.
How about you today.