The first apologist
Acts 1:1-11; 2/5/2023; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang
Introduction
If the Gospels introduce Jesus Christ, then the Book of Acts introduces how Jesus Christ continued to stay in the church through the Holy Spirit. Then, the book of Acts found a helper to co-work with him to complete the mission. This is the Book of Luke. Luke thus becomes a bridging figure in history. Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the saints are integrated into one, spreading out a large net of the Gospel, integrating the culmination of the Gospel and apologetics. It is about the Kingdom of God, the Mother Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Heaven. Let’s look at the first point:
About the Kingdom of God
What is the Kingdom of God? It is the kingdom of God, the place where God reigns, right? First of all, “most excellent” becomes a brother. Although Theophilus is mentioned in both the book of Luke and Acts, in the book of Luke, the word “most excellent” is added after his name. Calling him “most excellent” shows that he is a prominent Roman official. According to information, he may be the former magistrate of Rome at that time, and it is even said that he is the elder brother of Vespasian, King of the Roman Empire. From Luke to Acts, the books are arranged in chronological order. In fact, Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke first and then the Book of Acts, with a difference of about three years. He does not go from brother to “most excellent”, but on the contrary, from “most excellent” to brother. We can see that Luke is revealing the things about the kingdom of God. As for us, some people are not happy to call him a brother, and are not satisfied to call him a pastor. Call him a doctor or a professor, and he will feel comfortable with that.
Second, the Holy Spirit chose the apostles. In fact, the Book of Acts can also be called the Acts of the Holy Spirit, and traces of the Holy Spirit’s entry into the world can be seen everywhere. In the previous book of Luke, Jesus Christ has revealed the Messiah to the world, and now he has to do one thing, which is to use the Holy Spirit to complete the selection from disciples to apostles. Here, there is a limited point of time, which is often overlooked by people, which is what the Bible says here: “the day he was taken up to heaven.” In other words, the selection of the apostles has nothing to do with people, but is purely the “internal affairs” of the Holy Spirit. It’s not like today, as soon as someone lays his hands on a person, then the person becomes an apostle. This timeline is within the range before and after the Lord’s ascension, rather than extending infinitely into human flesh to interpret the Bible. Similarly, Jesus said that prophets lasted until John the Baptist. After that, prophets can only be the gift of prophecy, not a position.
Finally, talk about the affairs of the kingdom of God. Talking about the kingdom of God itself is manifesting God’s authority. Stephen was the first martyr who still did not give up preaching God’s words in the face of Antichrist. Pastor Wang Yi was the first person to declare the truth that if you don’t believe in Jesus, you will perish in front of the Chinese dictator. After the reform and opening up, Pastor Cao Sanqiang was also the first missionary to spread the gospel abroad, especially to the Yunnan-Myanmar border and South Asia. In fact, Jesus Christ was the first person to preach the kingdom of God. After the Lord gave His life on the cross for us, He did not speak empty words, but used many proofs. Evidence is proof, and it is reasoning based on facts. Then it is to manifest the testimony of one’s own life, not in one day, but in forty days. Forty, the Bible shows the determination to persevere, not to give up. Let’s look at the second point:
About home country
The so-called mother country, also known as the motherland, is the place where our ancestors grew up for generations, and it is also the place where each of us was born and grew up. What is accumulated in the mother country is our emotions and preferences, emotional expressions that transcend rationality. First, don’t leave Jerusalem. So Jesus also cared about Jerusalem? Of course He does! Jerusalem is the most important place for God’s chosen people, David said: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” (Psalms 122:6) In the eyes of the Israelites, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. (Psalms 125:2)” So when Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem, the disciples got excited. They ignored what Jesus said, only heard the first half of the sentence, and completely ignored what Jesus said in the second half. This is no different from the many types of pinks we have today, scrambling to read and tamper with Yue Fei’s Man Jianghong!
Second, when will the nation of Israel be restored? As Jews being ruled by the Roman Empire, we can certainly understand. Because we Chinese have a similar experience, right? The massacre of the Song people by the Yuan Dynasty, the cruelty of the Ming Dynasty by the Qing Dynasty, the Opium War of the British, the Gengzi indemnity of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese invasion of China for 14 years, etc., can be said to be countless! How can one not understand this pink plot of revival of China and the nation of Israel? However, the kingdom Jesus talked about here is not the mother country in our emotions! This is also a choice we must make! I remember when I first believed in the Lord, faith was just a tool that I thought could be used to bless and change the motherland! Until one day, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and made me see the great love of the Lord, far surpassing everything in the world!
Finally, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit! Perhaps the disciples could no longer hear what Jesus said next, that is: “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5)” Jesus was referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which the disciples were waiting for. This matter is ordained by God, and it has a time and a space. It took place at Pentecost in the Cenacle on Mount Zion. Jesus was still foretelling this event, but the disciples used another event to rob God’s authority. This other thing is our mother country plot. Yes, “Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)” what to do? Facing this group of little pinks, Jesus showed them the limits of God’s authority: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ” Actually, Jesus didn’t answer their question. Let’s look at the third point:
About heaven
What is the Kingdom of Heaven? The kingdom of heaven is the eternal kingdom we will live in, the more beautiful hometown we are walking through and will reach through the mission of the gospel. First, the Holy Spirit comes. The coming of the Holy Spirit is not a game that can be manipulated by human hands, nor is it a skill that can be trained by human beings. Jesus made it very clear that the Holy Spirit will come upon us on His own initiative. If someone says, come, come to our Pentecost meeting, tonight at eight o’clock! I will not go, and I will not object to your going. But I encourage you to do your due diligence in the Bible before you go, agree? Especially when you have to be laid hands to pray, you have to act like being prostrated by the Holy Spirit to deceive yourself and others to show that you have become a person with the Holy Spirit from now on. Does it make sense? Little do they know that the Holy Spirit is a God who works miracles alone, never under the control of man, and does not need you and me to be counselors.
Second, receive power. It turns out that power is also God’s promise, a promise to each believer. The tone of the Lord Jesus was firm and unambiguous. He said: “ you will receive power ” Therefore, don’t panic, don’t have to be restless, for fear of losing at the starting line. The power that God bestows on people through the Holy Spirit is God’s definite will. Some people are like this, some are like that, some are at this time, and some are at that time. There is no need to force the same. This person preaches, another person prays, and another person cares, heals, serves, speaks in tongues, prophesies, comforts, meditates, worships, writing, etc., all come from the power of the Holy Spirit. Focusing on Christ will give birth to a heart that blesses people because of their grace.
Finally, be the witness of the Lord. This scripture is our biblical basis of International Online United Church, especially the transcendence of time and space in the scriptures. the original scripture said, “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” There is no time difference in this gospel circle. It should be pointed out that this gospel circle is simultaneous, just like the service of our church today, the weekly service can be extended to all parts of the world, not limited by time and space. This is a grace that God has reserved for us in the last days. Of course, no church form is perfect and without flaws. Therefore, there is conceptually only one church in the world. The relationship between the churches is to coordinate and complement each other.
Conclusion
Well, thank the Lord! “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” In other words, these were the last words the Lord spoke to us on earth. Maybe we’re still confused, but the angel says, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Let us pray……
Acts 1:1-11
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.
3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
