Post by clarkthompson on Mar 28, 2024 19:27:42 GMT
Acts 1:1-8 NLT
1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.
1 We receive His teaching/word to instruct us 1-2
1-2 There are many differing ideas of who Theophilus is from a priest to lawyer to just a term of phrase but, what is sure is that Acts is for us the church. We learn about the life of Jesus through the four gospels. Acts continues the story as we learn about how the Holy Spirit used the early church to build up us, the bride of Christ. We are to take all scripture sacred as it all is the word of God but the words of Christ are the gospel and through receiving Him we enter into a relationship with the Lord and are added to the church.
Jesus spent forty more days with the 12 disciples after His resurrection. This time would have been more intimate teaching as now their faith would be more full as their understanding of what He was saying before would be more realized.
3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
2 We are chosen because He loves us 3
3 As Jesus chose His disciples, He also chose us. We don't just by chance come to faith but He had planned it and it is all because of His great love for us. Jesus desires to have an intimate relationship with us. We are to make Him first in our life and fully commit to Him.
His death showed how He lives us and Him coming back shows how He wanted His church to be built.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
3 We are given Holy Spirit to empower and lead us 4-7
4-7 The Holy Spirit is evidence we are believers but is also to equip us to follow and serve Him. We can't do much without His Spirit and what we could do doesn't matter if He is not the One leading us. The Holy Spirit was promised by the prophets. The Old Testament saints knew of the Holy Spirit but would never receive them as we the church do because Jesus had not fulfilled His mission to defeat sin yet. Oftentimes waiting on God can be the most frustrating thing but it is often during this wait we trust Him and are made ready for what is to come. John started things and made things ready for Jesus, we as the church are used by the Holy Spirit to build up the kingdom being ready for His return. The disciples ask about His role as Messiah because the Messiah, Christ would free Israel but Jesus did far more and as He will set up His kingdom through believers, He defeated death and sin on the cross and gave us hope for new life at His resurrection. We as the church are on earth to share the Faith with others as we live for Him. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to do His will. We are not meant to know when things are to end and the kingdom age will happen but, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us during this time.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
4 We are meant to minister to this world 8
8 The great commission, while we all are not called everywhere, we are to be faithful where He plants us but the church as a whole is called everywhere and we should support the spread of the gospel any way we can.
1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit.
1 We receive His teaching/word to instruct us 1-2
1-2 There are many differing ideas of who Theophilus is from a priest to lawyer to just a term of phrase but, what is sure is that Acts is for us the church. We learn about the life of Jesus through the four gospels. Acts continues the story as we learn about how the Holy Spirit used the early church to build up us, the bride of Christ. We are to take all scripture sacred as it all is the word of God but the words of Christ are the gospel and through receiving Him we enter into a relationship with the Lord and are added to the church.
Jesus spent forty more days with the 12 disciples after His resurrection. This time would have been more intimate teaching as now their faith would be more full as their understanding of what He was saying before would be more realized.
3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
2 We are chosen because He loves us 3
3 As Jesus chose His disciples, He also chose us. We don't just by chance come to faith but He had planned it and it is all because of His great love for us. Jesus desires to have an intimate relationship with us. We are to make Him first in our life and fully commit to Him.
His death showed how He lives us and Him coming back shows how He wanted His church to be built.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.
3 We are given Holy Spirit to empower and lead us 4-7
4-7 The Holy Spirit is evidence we are believers but is also to equip us to follow and serve Him. We can't do much without His Spirit and what we could do doesn't matter if He is not the One leading us. The Holy Spirit was promised by the prophets. The Old Testament saints knew of the Holy Spirit but would never receive them as we the church do because Jesus had not fulfilled His mission to defeat sin yet. Oftentimes waiting on God can be the most frustrating thing but it is often during this wait we trust Him and are made ready for what is to come. John started things and made things ready for Jesus, we as the church are used by the Holy Spirit to build up the kingdom being ready for His return. The disciples ask about His role as Messiah because the Messiah, Christ would free Israel but Jesus did far more and as He will set up His kingdom through believers, He defeated death and sin on the cross and gave us hope for new life at His resurrection. We as the church are on earth to share the Faith with others as we live for Him. The Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to do His will. We are not meant to know when things are to end and the kingdom age will happen but, we have the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide us during this time.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
4 We are meant to minister to this world 8
8 The great commission, while we all are not called everywhere, we are to be faithful where He plants us but the church as a whole is called everywhere and we should support the spread of the gospel any way we can.