Christ’s Vision for the Church

Christ’s Vision for the Church

“Christ’s Vision for the Church”

(Acts 1:1-11)

Series: Back to the Basics (Acts 1-9)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

  • Take your Bibles and join me in the Book of Acts, Chapter 1.

We’re starting a new series this morning from the Book of Acts and we’ll be looking this morning at the first chapter.  While you’re finding that, remember our 52 Days of Prayer.  If you were out last Sunday we launched our 52 Days of Prayer and handed out these prayer guides.  If you missed last Sunday, be sure to pick one up.  There are some right over here and a few scattered near the exits.  A praying church is a powerful church.  Be sure to pray daily for our church during this transition time.

And we celebrate that some folks are opening up their homes for opportunities to come together in prayer.  Each Thursday from 7-8 PM.  This Thursday evening the Noblett Family is opening up their home for prayer.  You can find out more there in the bulletin as well as your copy of First Facts.  Praying together Thursdays.

Last week we challenged every member to be involved during this transition in two ways.  We said pray and participate.  Be loyal and faithful to your church family.  Participate by giving input as opportunities arise to meet with our deacons and staff.  Also, know that a page has been created on our website.  Want to share this with you now.  We’ll project it on the wall here.  If you go to fbchenderson.org you’ll see this banner that says, “Church in Transition.”  As you scroll down you’ll see the video of my sharing about how God has led me to step aside from pastoring to begin a new ministry of teaching and writing.  And then it mentions “Phase I” of our transition, that we’ve begun our 52 Days of Prayer.  And you’ll see the Prayer Guide there.  You can click on that and it will take you to a pdf of the Prayer Guide.  Click and scroll down.  

At the bottom there of the page is a place for you to “Share Your Suggestion.”  There’s something you’d like the church to consider during this transition time.  You’re praying for the future and you want to share something you’d like to see happen in the church, an idea, or a change of some kind, or you want something to continue on.  Just fill out the form and share your suggestion.

The updates tell you about recent happenings like the Members’ Meeting last Sunday evening and the deacon meeting last week where the deacons appointed an interim pastor search team.  By the way, in our Members’ Meeting last week, we shared that my last Sunday will be the last Sunday of November—November 24th—with no reception on that day.  We want to keep the focus on Jesus.  But Michele and I are opening our home every day of the week preceding that last Sunday.  We want to host you and invite you to stop by any time during that last week and we’ll have plenty of snack trays and good coffee for you to enjoy.  But that’s still a ways away so let’s not worry about that this morning and let’s get to Acts chapter 1!

We’re beginning a new series of messages from the opening chapters of the Book of Acts, a series entitled “Back to the Basics.”  One of the best things a church can do during a time of transition is look at what the early church did.  What does the Bible teach about how a New Testament church operates?  How did the church form and grow and progress?  What does a biblical church look like.

So we’re taking a look back as we look toward the future.  Looking back, back to the basics, looking at the first church, the early New Testament church, as we propel toward the future.

It’s like that time after Billy Graham spoke in one particular city.  And some critics said that Billy Graham just “set the church back 50 years.”  When Graham heard that he said, “Well, I am ashamed. I have been trying to set the church back 2,000 years!”

Luke begins by looking back himself!  Verse 1, he refers to his “former account,” literally his “first account,” the book he wrote before he wrote the Book of Acts.  He’s looking back to his gospel, the Gospel of Luke.  That’s volume 1 of Luke’s writings.  The Book of Acts is volume 2.

Luke wants to provide a historical and theological record of the spread of Christianity in the first century from Jerusalem to Rome—from the community to the continents.  Verse 8 is the key verse of the Book of Acts.  Many of you know verse 8:

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

And that’s our mission: to get the gospel out from Jerusalem to the end of the earth.  Verse 8 is also an outline of the Book.  You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem (that’s Chapters 1-7), Judea and Samaria (that’s chapters 8-12), and to the end of the earth (that’s chapters 13-28).

Our focus will be primarily upon the first part of the Book—the first 8 or 9 chapters; first two years of the church as the early church came together and began to grow, the years AD 33-35.  

  • Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 

11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

  • Pray: “Father, as we begun this study, we ask Your blessing upon it.  Holy Spirit be our teacher and point us to Jesus Christ so that we may learn to live for Him, in His name, amen.”

Our series on the early church is timely given the sway of popular culture and a growing number of people who are abandoning the Christian faith.  There are a number of very public people who have turned away from Christ.  Many of you know that Joshua Harris, popular author of the Christian book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, has kissed his Christian faith goodbye, announcing that he and his wife are divorcing and declaring himself to be no longer a Christian.  More recently, Marty Sampson, Christian singer and songwriter, and worship leader of the popular Hillsong Church, wrote that he now believes Christianity to be “just another religion.”

It’s not unusual for some professing Christians to be thrust into the public eye because of a family connection or a particular musical gift or talent.  And often what those professing Christians lack is theological teaching and maturity—time to grow in the Word.

I was encouraged to read a Facebook post by John Cooper, lead singer of the Christian band Skillet.  Some of you may know that band.  He addressed this concern in a Facebook post entitled, “What in God’s Name is Happening in Christianity?”  In his post Cooper warns that the church not be enamored by celebrity worship leaders, getting their theology from them, or from hip and trendy influencers.  He writes:

We must STOP making worship leaders and thought leaders or influencers or cool people or “relevant” people the most influential people in Christendom…We are in a dangerous place when the church is looking to 20-year-old worship singers as our source of truth…We now have a church culture that learns who God is from singing modern praise songs rather than from the teachings of the Word.

…It is time for the church to rediscover the preeminence of the Word. And to value the teaching of the Word. We need to value truth over feeling. Truth over emotion. And what we are seeing now is the result of the church raising up influencers who did not supremely value truth who have led a generation who also do not believe in the supremacy of truth.

…Brothers and sisters in the faith all around the world, pastors, teachers, worship leaders, influencers…I implore you, please please in your search for relevancy for the gospel, let us NOT find creative ways to shape Gods word into the image of our culture by stifling inconvenient truths. But rather let us hold on even tighter to the anchor of the living Word of God. For He changes NOT.

Indeed!  “The grass withers and the flowers fade away, but the word of God abides forever (Isaiah 40:8).”

Let’s go to the Word of God, walk back through these verses and look closely at what a New Testament church looks like.  First, Luke is concerned that the church be focused on the right person, a real person, an historical person, a real Jesus Christ who is more than just a man, but a miraculous God-Man who died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead that we may be saved, forgiven of our sin.  That’s number one.

**The Church of the New Testament is

  1. Established upon a Miraculous Person (1-3)

Jesus Christ. 

1 The former account (the gospel of Luke) I made, O Theophilus (the person to whom Luke is writing), of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Luke writes that the church proclaims a resurrected King.  He painstakingly records the details of those who saw Jesus alive and then saw Him die, and then saw Him rise from the dead.  Jesus Christ really did rise from the grave.  He’s alive!  No resurrection, no Christianity.  Luke stresses that Christianity is based upon, founded by, established upon the miraculous risen Savior and King, King Jesus Christ.

Think about it: Christianity is the only major religion founded by someone who came back from the dead.  Christianity is the only major religion with an empty tomb.  The tomb of Mohammed is occupied.  The tomb of Buddha is occupied.  The tomb of Confucius is occupied.  But the tomb of Jesus is empty.

I serve a risen Savior; He is the world today,

I know that he is living, whatever men may say,

I see His hand of mercy; I hear His voice of cheer;

And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

A biblical church, a New Testament church, is established upon a miraculous person.  Secondly, a biblical church is:

  1. Empowered by a Mighty Presence (4-5)

The presence of God by virtue of the Holy Spirit.  

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

He’s referring to Pentecost, the time when God will unleash the Holy Spirit upon the church.  The Holy Spirit figures prominently in these opening chapters of the Book of Acts.  The Holy Spirit is God’s indwelling believers with His Mighty Presence!

Adrian Rogers defined the Holy Spirit as, “Christ in the Christian.”  Remember when Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless?”  He said, “I will come to you (John 14:18).”  He was talking about the Holy Spirit. 

As the church got started, the Holy Spirit pours forth from Pentecost in Jerusalem.  Since the time of the epistles, the letters of the New Testament, the Holy Spirit comes once a person places his or her faith in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 teaches that at the moment we believe in Christ Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit.”  If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, whether you’re 8 years old, 18 years old, or 88 years old, you have the Holy Spirit living within you.  The very Spirit of God Himself takes up residence within us, empowers by a mighty Presence!

Now remember why this is mentioned here.  God doesn’t just empower us with His mighty Presence so we can do magic tricks or just bask in the glory of His presence.  He empowers us with His mighty, powerful, Holy Spirit so we may do what is our primary mission—getting the gospel out to the lost.  That fact is captured succinctly in verse 8 where Jesus says, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…”  

The very first Christians were a bit confused about all this..  That’s why they ask this question in verse 6:

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

Now that’s a reasonable question.  The disciples had heard Jesus preach a lot about the kingdom of God.  They’re wanting to know, “Jesus, since you’ve done what no man can do, you’ve died for our sins and risen from the grave, are we now at the end of the age?  Are you going to reign here on earth now and we’re going to reign with you now?  Is this the time that you restore the kingdom to Israel?”  What’s Jesus’ answer?  Verse 7:

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 

In a word, the answer is, “No.  No, now is not the time that the kingdom is restored to Israel.  Now is not the time of the end of the age.”  In fact, Jesus says, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”

By the way, that’s a good reminder to us that no one knows when the end of the age will occur.  Even though the Bible is so clear about this, there are always these crazy guys who start setting dates and writing books and telling us exactly when they think Jesus is going to return.  Now there’s nothing wrong with studying about the end of the age, the end times.  That’s in the Bible.  Years ago, we went verse-by-verse through the Book of Revelation.

But the major purpose of the church is not to study prophecy and end times, and try to figure out when the church will be raptured.

Note carefully the context here of verse 7.  Jesus says, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.”  That is, “This is not your major purpose for existence.”  Well if studying prophecy is not the church’s major purpose, what is?  Keep reading, verse 8:

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

That’s number three.  The church is:

  1. Equipped for a Major Purpose (6-8)

And our major purpose is to get the gospel out, get it out from our community to the continents.  Or across the street and across the seas.  That’s our major purpose—not studying prophecy and setting dates, but sharing Jesus!

Some Christians need to get their noses out of the books on end times and get their feet on the sidewalks of these times, getting the gospel out to neighbors and friends and co-workers.  We’re equipped by the Holy Spirit for the major purpose of getting the gospel out!!!

Continue praying for your “one.”  Keep asking God for opportunities to share with your one.  I still wear my wristband as a reminder to me to pray for my one.  Every time I look at it I say, “God, save Dale.  Soften his heart and give me another opportunity to share.”

A biblical church, a New Testament church, is established upon a miraculous Person, empowered by a mighty Presence, equipped for a major purpose, number four:

  1. Encouraged by a Magnificent Promise (9-11)

9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 

This is what we call the ascension, the ascension.  It means “to ascend,” or “to rise upwards,” Jesus literally ascended, rising up into heaven to sit on His throne at the right hand of the Father.  After He rose from the dead, He appeared to many persons over a period of 40 days, then He spoke those last words to the apostles about the major purpose of getting the gospel out, and then He went up into heaven.  The Bible says, “a cloud received Him out of their sight.”

10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel (two angels), 

11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

That is, “Don’t be discouraged, be encouraged!  He’s coming again!”  What a magnificent promise! Just as you’ve seen Him exit, so you will see Him re-enter: “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”  Just as you saw Him go, so you will see Him come again.  His second coming will not be a secret!  It will be visible to everyone.

A true believer can’t help but gaze upon Jesus!  And just as these believers gazed upon the Lord as He ascended into heaven, savoring every moment, longing to keep their eyes upon Him, so believers today can’t get enough of Jesus.  We long to see Him, long for His return. 

Our family does this thing when we say goodbye.  When we’re driving away, we’ll wave from the car and the one who is behind waves as well.  And we’ll open the windows and wave as we drive.  And we’ll all keep looking, waving, until we cannot see one another at all.  We want to enjoy every moment we have to see one another.  

That’s how true believers love Jesus.  They want to enjoy every moment of His presence.  These disciples looking up into heaven, savoring every moment, and living for His soon return.  He’s coming again.  Be encouraged church by that promise!

  • Let’s bow for prayer.  Heads bowed and eyes closed.  Before we pray, I want to ask you whether you know Jesus Christ.  Do you know this miraculous Person known as King Jesus?  Do you know Him to be your Savior?  If you are not a Christian, I’m inviting you to repent, to turn away from your sin, and turn to Jesus Christ, receiving Him into your life.  Right after the service, I’ll invite you to go into the Response Room.  There’s a sign right outside these doors to my left.  And you can go right into the Response Room where someone will pray with you and give you some things to take home, spiritual helps and encouragement.  You need to be baptized or you want to join the church, just go into the Response Room and find a helpful volunteer.  Turn your gaze away from sin and fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ.  “God, give us grace to live out your vision for the church.  During these 52 Days, give us a greater desire to be about our major purpose: getting the gospel out, sharing Jesus with others, reaching out to those in darkness.  Holy Spirit come and put strength in our every stride as we live for Your glory, in Jesus’ name, amen.”

Let’s stand and sing our hymn of Response, “O Church, Arise.”

O church, arise and put your armor on;

Hear the call of Christ our captain;

For now the weak can say that they are strong

In the strength that God has given.

With shield of faith and belt of truth

We’ll stand against the devil’s lies;

An army bold whose battle cry is “Love!”

Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,

But to rage against the captor;

And with the sword that makes the wounded whole

We will fight with faith and valor.

When faced with trials on ev’ry side,

We know the outcome is secure,

And Christ will have the prize for which He died—

An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,

As the Son of God is stricken;

Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,

For the Conqueror has risen!

And as the stone is rolled away,

And Christ emerges from the grave,

This vict’ry march continues till the day

Ev’ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev’ry stride,

Give grace for ev’ry hurdle,

That we may run with faith to win the prize

Of a servant good and faithful.

As saints of old still line the way,

Retelling triumphs of His grace,

We hear their calls and hunger for the day

When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

***

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