Acts Chapter !

Acts 1.

Who: Luke

To Whom:  To Whom?  Theophilus = "friend of God"

When 

Most likely Before 70 AD.  

Nothing is mentioned of the burning of Rome and the persecution of the Christians there (a.d. 64), 

the martyrdom of Peter and Paul (possibly 67) 

and the destruction of Jerusalem (70).

First Book:  Luke. 

[Act 1:1 ESV] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,

Luke 24 Flashback! How it ends

[Luk 24:44 ESV] Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."

[Luk 24:45 ESV] Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

[Luk 24:46 ESV] and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,

[Luk 24:47 ESV] and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

[Luk 24:48 ESV] You are witnesses of these things.

[Luk 24:49 ESV] And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."

[Luk 24:50 ESV] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.

[Luk 24:51 ESV] While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.

[Luk 24:52 ESV] And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

[Luk 24:53 ESV] and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Back in Acts Luke gives us more details. 

[Act 1:2 ESV] until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

[Act 1:3 ESV] He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

[Act 1:4 ESV] And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;

[Act 1:5 ESV] for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Restore the Kingdom of Israel? 

[Act 1:6 ESV] So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

[Act 1:7 ESV] He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.

[Act 1:8 ESV] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Israel was looking for their leader to establish the Kingdom of Israel.  But the purpose of Israel is more than one little nation. 

The Capital of the Earth is Jerusalem 

The City of Righteousness

[Isa 1:26 ESV] And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city."

[Jer 23:5 ESV] "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.

[Jer 23:6 ESV] In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

Jesus is Our Leader

OT;  [Gen 49:10 ESV] The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

NT; [Phl 2:10 ESV] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

[Phl 2:11 ESV] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

King, Priest, LORD

[Isa 9:6 ESV] For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

[Isa 9:7 ESV] Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

Jesus Ascends into the skies. 

[Act 1:9 ESV] And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

[Act 1:10 ESV] And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,

[Act 1:11 ESV] and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

The Return of Jesus as King; Glory doesn’t necessarily mean Joy. 

[Dan 7:13 ESV] "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

[Dan 7:14 ESV] And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

All the tribes of the earth will morn?

[Mat 24:30 ESV] Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus is heading for Jerusalem 

[Mat 25:31 ESV] "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Everyone in the world will see His return.  

[Mar 13:26 ESV] And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

[Luk 21:27 ESV] And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

A spiritual/physical translation of some people. 

[1Th 4:16 ESV] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

[1Th 4:17 ESV] Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

[1Th 4:18 ESV] Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Two major reactions to the Return of Jesus.  Relief for a few, Anguish for man. 

[2Th 1:7 ESV] and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels

[2Th 1:8 ESV] in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

[2Th 1:9 ESV] They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

[2Th 1:10 ESV] when He comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

Nations will wail, when they see Jesus. 

[Rev 1:7 ESV] Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

[Act 1:12 ESV] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.

[Act 1:13 ESV] And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

[Act 1:14 ESV] All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Peter takes lead.   A Changed Man.   

Peter denied Jesus 3xs. Mark 14.  John 21, Jesus redeems Peters denials. 3xs. 

[Act 1:15 ESV] In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,

[Act 1:16 ESV] "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.

[Act 1:17 ESV] For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry."

[Act 1:18 ESV] (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out.

[Act 1:19 ESV] And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

So which is it?  Did Judas hang himself or did he fall? Is this an error?  

[Mat 27:3 ESV] Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders,

[Mat 27:4 ESV] saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." They said, "What is that to us? See to it yourself."

[Mat 27:5 ESV] And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.

The answer is BOTH.   He hung himself over a cliff, the rope eventually gave way and the body dropped. 

[Act 1:20 ESV] "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.'

Prophecies of Judas. 

Desolate Camp

[Psa 69:25 ESV] May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.

[Psa 69:26 ESV] For they persecute him whom you have struck down, and they recount the pain of those you have wounded.

Loss of Vocation

[Psa 109:6 ESV] Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand.

[Psa 109:7 ESV] When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!

[Psa 109:8 ESV] May his days be few; may another take his office!

Qualification of an Apostle.  

Must have Seen Jesus.  (There are no apostles today) 

oops Mormons. 

Charismatic churches need to be careful. 

The NT letters are letters from the Apostles.   

Catholism:  The Pope, while acting as Vicar cannot err.  So his letters hold equal weight to The Bible. 

Catholic Church Councils and Church Tradition hold equal weight as the Bible. 

It’s always the same battle. 

Jesus Christ (The 66 books of the Bible) +  Nothing!  

Sola Scriptura 

[Act 1:21 ESV] So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

[Act 1:22 ESV] beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection."

[Act 1:23 ESV] And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.

[Act 1:24 ESV] And they prayed and said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen

[Act 1:25 ESV] to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

[Act 1:26 ESV] And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

They prayed and cast lots.   

Casting lots was a common way to determine the Will of God, in Israel. 

The wisest thing you could ever do is Ask Jesus Christ to save you from the Wrath of God that is coming. 

Jesus is the ruler of the Universe whether you like it or believe it. 

Jesus is either, your Lord and Savior

Or He is your Lord and Judge. 

Will you yield or perish?

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