“It is not only the first act of conversion which displays divine power; but the whole of the Christian disciple’s life, until he comes to perfection, it is all a clear display of God’s power. The spiritual life is similar to the burning bush which Moses saw on Mt. Horeb: it burnt, but it was not consumed. It’s the same with the Christian, like a bush, he is most fitting fuel for the flame; yet the flame does not hurt him. It kindles about him, but he is not destroyed. The Christian life may also be likened to walking on water. As Peter walked on the waves, and did not sink so long as his faith looked to Jesus; so the believer every day, in every footstep that he takes, is a living miracle. Faith too, in its life, may be compared to flying: “They shall mount up on wings like eagles.” The believer, every day takes venturesome flights into the atmosphere of heaven, rises above the world, leaves its cares and its wants beneath his feet, with no other wings but those of faith and love. This is a continued and beautiful miracle of God’s divine power." -Charles Spurgeon (abridged)
We begin a new series today called “Follow Me” the last words of Jesus to Peter in our last series. So we’ll call the series “Follow Me: Discipleship Keys from the Life of Jesus.” And in this series we will be touching on key points from the book of Acts. So we will be in Acts for much of the series, but, we will continuously jump back from Acts, to certain points in the life of Jesus, to reference the teaching the disciples live in Acts.
For many years the book of Acts was a bit of a mystery to me, and it wasn’t until I took a class on Acts in college that I truly began to understand what it’s about. Acts is listed in the Bible immediately after the four gospel books. It follows the activities of the early church, particularly Peter and Paul, and their actions to help build the early faith communities in the ancient Roman empire. It is comprised of 28 chapters and covers numerous years of activities. It was written by Luke.
During this series we are going to continuously go back to this formula.
1. Look at Acts - the actions of the disciples of Jesus
2. Look at Jesus teachings, as the disciples follow them
3. Look at how we today can act on the teachings of Jesus
Notice the title, Acts. What is an act? It is an action. One of the biggest things we are going to learn about what discipleship is, is that it’s an action.
Taking an action consistent with what you believe is what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus.
So let’s dive in, today we’ll be in Acts 1:1-11, and we’ll dip into John 3:3-6.
Acts 1:1, “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.”
The former book referred to here is the gospel of Luke. Luke here, is writing Acts as a second book, to someone by the name of Theophilus. We don’t know exactly who Theophilus was, though he is referred to as “most excellent” so it is possible he was a Roman leader of some sort. But many have pointed out the name Theophilus in Greek actually means, “friend of God” or “loved by God.” So, it’s very easy to think that God set it all up as a letter written to us, who are loved by God.
First thing to notice here is, we have in Luke’s previous book, in fact in all four gospels, an account of those things Jesus did and taught.
We also have a helper who is with us always, that is the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit’s job is to guide us in numerous ways, the most important of which is to constantly point us back to the words and actions of Jesus.
So the more we know the words and deeds of Jesus from the Bible, the more the Holy Spirit can point us to those things.
The book of Acts will be for us a historic explanation of those actions that the early disciples took in cooperation with the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Next, verse 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.”
The last seven weeks we’ve looked at many of those convincing proofs that Jesus is alive today. We have all that evidence, so we can confidently believe.
During Jesus’ life he kept talking about this mystery called the kingdom of God, that he said had arrived in his time. So another key for this series is going to be understanding what the kingdom of God is, and how it works.
Next, verses 4-5: 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 water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Wait for the gift, is the instruction given by Jesus. After the departure of Jesus, the Holy Spirit would take over as the chief leader and guide of the body of Christ. And to this day, the Holy Spirit fills every true believer.
They are told to wait in Jerusalem, until the Holy Spirit comes.
We see the action that will take place is a baptism, but not simply one of water, but baptism in the Holy Spirit.
But what’s interesting is in John’s gospel, we see that in John 21, Jesus breathed on the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. Yet we also see Jesus point to a separate incident which will occur later, which is baptism in the Spirit. What is going on here?
There appear to be two separate interactions with the Holy Spirit, the first is called regeneration, it occurs when we initially receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. But there is a second work of grace, a second experience in which we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. This is a separate experience, that empowers us for service and is also connected with the Wesleyan concept of entire sanctification.
Next, verses 6-7: 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
The disciples still don’t quite understand what is happening. They long for Israel to be restored as a nation, but God’s plan is so very different.
Next verse 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”
Jesus’ response is fascinating. He doesn’t say, no, never. He says, not yet. Only the Father knows those dates. And it’s not for them to know.
We do know that one day Israel will be restored. In fact, it occurs at the conclusion of the end times, when Jesus returns, and sets up a one thousand year reign over the entire Earth, from Jerusalem. At that time, Israel will be restored. But that is future.
It’s a tough thing when God tells us “not yet.” But in the meantime he has work for us to do in the here and now.
Being a disciple means letting go of what our plans were, and embracing what God wants for us. Do you think it was ever in my plans to live in Chicago, Escanaba, Owosso, Gary, Chicago again, and then Traverse City? I never planned any of that, but God did, and to be a kingdom disciple is to submit to His plans in place of our own.
Next, verse 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.”
Jesus instantly redirects the disciples, I know you longed for Israel to be restored, however, here is my will and plan: You will receive new power when the Holy Spirit fills you. And you will be witnesses to all the Earth of this fact.
A kingdom disciple knows he or she is a witness of Jesus, and with power, with demonstration of that reality. To the ends of the Earth. From Jerusalem, to the ancient Roman empire, into north Africa, to India, across Europe, even to the Americas, and yes even to northern Michigan.
Next, verses 6-7: 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
The disciples still don’t quite understand what is happening. They long for Israel to be restored as a nation, but God’s plan is so very different.
Next verse 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”
Jesus’ response is fascinating. He doesn’t say, no, never. He says, not yet. Only the Father knows those dates. And it’s not for them to know.
We do know that one day Israel will be restored. In fact, it occurs at the conclusion of the end times, when Jesus returns, and sets up a one thousand year reign over the entire Earth, from Jerusalem. At that time, Israel will be restored. But that is future.
It’s a tough thing when God tells us “not yet.” But in the meantime he has work for us to do in the here and now.
Being a disciple means letting go of what our plans were, and embracing what God wants for us. Do you think it was ever in my plans to live in Chicago, Escanaba, Owosso, Gary, Chicago again, and then Traverse City? I never planned any of that, but God did, and to be a kingdom disciple is to submit to His plans in place of our own.
Next, verse 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.”
Jesus instantly redirects the disciples, I know you longed for Israel to be restored, however, here is my will and plan: You will receive new power when the Holy Spirit fills you. And you will be witnesses to all the Earth of this fact.
A kingdom disciple knows he or she is a witness of Jesus, and with power, with demonstration of that reality. To the ends of the Earth. From Jerusalem, to the ancient Roman empire, into north Africa, to India, across Europe, even to the Americas, and yes even to northern Michigan.
Discipleship is to be a witness. And this ability to be a witness is not found within us, yet, it is found within us, because, the Lord, the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
An eastern cleric was challenged to read the Bible, and once finished, they questioned him on what he found to be most surprising part, and they thought well, he would certainly say Jesus being raised from the dead, or God creating the world, but his answer surprised them, he said the most amazing thing was, that in Christianity God dwells within human beings.
This hearkens all the way back to Jesus’ conversation one night, early in his ministry, with Nicodemus, a leader of the pharisees.
John 3:3-6: 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
A person of flesh trying really hard to be good can’t inherit eternal life. Me or you, born from our mother, can’t enter the kingdom of God system. We never could. It’s just white washed tombs, self-righteousness. But, if we go through Jesus Christ, we will experience the new birth. A new birth given by God himself.
The Spirit gives birth to this new us. But he doesn’t stop there. There is much more to come, in the Spirit life. And in our surrender to Him, comes the next phase of that adventure.
Next, verse 9: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
Wait for the Holy Spirit. You will be witnesses everywhere. And then… Jesus begins rising up to heaven. And that is the last time they saw Jesus in the flesh, rising into the sky.
Can you imagine the grief of the disciples? Their teacher would no longer be with them. Yes, he would send a new helper, the Holy Spirit, but I’m sure they would always long, the rest of their lives, to be with Jesus again face to face.
Similarly, we as kingdom disciples also carry a mysterious pain within us, a longing to see our dear savior Jesus face to face. We long to be with him in paradise. Every soul knows it's pain, the pain of longing for our true home.
Next, verse 10: They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
Suddenly, angels stood with them. It’s a great reminder that angels continue to stand with us today. Jesus may have ascended, but the angels remain with us, protecting us, and delivering messages to us from God.
Discipleship is knowing we have angelic support all around us. We are not alone. God is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. Jesus is with us. But we also have angel armies surrounding us. They fight off the demonic hordes all around us.
Next, verse 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.”
Why are you staring up into the sky? Perhaps they hoped he might come back. The angels explain to them, Jesus has been taken to heaven.
Jesus is now seated in heaven, on a throne, at the right hand of God the Father. One day he will return. And he will return literally from the sky, and the word says "Every eye will see Him."
For now, he lives forever to make intercession for us. What does that mean? He’s making the case for us before the Father, every step of the way, praying for us, speaking for us, covering us, standing with the Father, as the Father guides our lives, giving us exactly what we need.
How does God the Father and Jesus do this? They do it through the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord, living within us.
The Holy Spirit is even called in scripture, the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit points us to Christ, and Christ communicates to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes I talk to Jesus when I pray, sometimes I talk to the Father when I pray, but the Holy Spirit is always speaking to me. And he’s always speaking to you.
Jesus is in heaven. Yet he is with us through the Spirit.
Chelsey and I went to a play recently in Hillsdale, a play called The Pilgrim and it tells the story, with creative license, of John Bunyan’s classic book, the Pilgrim’s Progress.
But in the play the director actually plays Jesus, God, standing in the background, unseen by the main character, but seen by us. There’s a scene, spoiler alert, where the main character Christian, loses a dear friend, and he is weeping uncontrollably, and he’s angry at God because his friend had died. But as the audience we can see God holding the friend with him, weeping just as hard as he is. It gives an entirely new perspective to our sufferings, to see Jesus crying with us through our struggles and losses. Christian cries out to God, do you even care, and as the audience, we could all see God weeping desperately with Him, there was no question that he cared even more deeply than Christian did, for his beloved one who had died.
But every step of the way, the God character in white was with Christian, invisible to Him, but always with Him. So it is with Jesus. He is always with us, invisible to our eyes, yet always with us, through the Holy Spirit within us.
So in conclusion today, very simply, the first principle we want to understand about discipleship, and the command to “follow Jesus” is that this journey is Spirit birthed in us, it is not something we create in ourselves, but a gift from God. It is not trying harder, but it is being born again.
Secondly though, it is also Spirit empowered. Once we receive the new birth, and we surrender, and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are empowered for service. And we cooperate with the Holy Spirit synergistically, listening for his voice, and following Him, which truly is to follow Jesus. And this Spirit gives us power, power to proclaim Jesus, power to heal, power to pray, power to manifest the fruits of the Spirit, and power to overcome our own fears and inadequacies.
So if we walk by the Spirit, let us then keep in step with the Spirit. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord!
An eastern cleric was challenged to read the Bible, and once finished, they questioned him on what he found to be most surprising part, and they thought well, he would certainly say Jesus being raised from the dead, or God creating the world, but his answer surprised them, he said the most amazing thing was, that in Christianity God dwells within human beings.
This hearkens all the way back to Jesus’ conversation one night, early in his ministry, with Nicodemus, a leader of the pharisees.
John 3:3-6: 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.”
A person of flesh trying really hard to be good can’t inherit eternal life. Me or you, born from our mother, can’t enter the kingdom of God system. We never could. It’s just white washed tombs, self-righteousness. But, if we go through Jesus Christ, we will experience the new birth. A new birth given by God himself.
The Spirit gives birth to this new us. But he doesn’t stop there. There is much more to come, in the Spirit life. And in our surrender to Him, comes the next phase of that adventure.
Next, verse 9: “After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
Wait for the Holy Spirit. You will be witnesses everywhere. And then… Jesus begins rising up to heaven. And that is the last time they saw Jesus in the flesh, rising into the sky.
Can you imagine the grief of the disciples? Their teacher would no longer be with them. Yes, he would send a new helper, the Holy Spirit, but I’m sure they would always long, the rest of their lives, to be with Jesus again face to face.
Similarly, we as kingdom disciples also carry a mysterious pain within us, a longing to see our dear savior Jesus face to face. We long to be with him in paradise. Every soul knows it's pain, the pain of longing for our true home.
Next, verse 10: They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
Suddenly, angels stood with them. It’s a great reminder that angels continue to stand with us today. Jesus may have ascended, but the angels remain with us, protecting us, and delivering messages to us from God.
Discipleship is knowing we have angelic support all around us. We are not alone. God is with us. The Holy Spirit is with us. Jesus is with us. But we also have angel armies surrounding us. They fight off the demonic hordes all around us.
Next, verse 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.”
Why are you staring up into the sky? Perhaps they hoped he might come back. The angels explain to them, Jesus has been taken to heaven.
Jesus is now seated in heaven, on a throne, at the right hand of God the Father. One day he will return. And he will return literally from the sky, and the word says "Every eye will see Him."
For now, he lives forever to make intercession for us. What does that mean? He’s making the case for us before the Father, every step of the way, praying for us, speaking for us, covering us, standing with the Father, as the Father guides our lives, giving us exactly what we need.
How does God the Father and Jesus do this? They do it through the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord, living within us.
The Holy Spirit is even called in scripture, the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit points us to Christ, and Christ communicates to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes I talk to Jesus when I pray, sometimes I talk to the Father when I pray, but the Holy Spirit is always speaking to me. And he’s always speaking to you.
Jesus is in heaven. Yet he is with us through the Spirit.
Chelsey and I went to a play recently in Hillsdale, a play called The Pilgrim and it tells the story, with creative license, of John Bunyan’s classic book, the Pilgrim’s Progress.
But in the play the director actually plays Jesus, God, standing in the background, unseen by the main character, but seen by us. There’s a scene, spoiler alert, where the main character Christian, loses a dear friend, and he is weeping uncontrollably, and he’s angry at God because his friend had died. But as the audience we can see God holding the friend with him, weeping just as hard as he is. It gives an entirely new perspective to our sufferings, to see Jesus crying with us through our struggles and losses. Christian cries out to God, do you even care, and as the audience, we could all see God weeping desperately with Him, there was no question that he cared even more deeply than Christian did, for his beloved one who had died.
But every step of the way, the God character in white was with Christian, invisible to Him, but always with Him. So it is with Jesus. He is always with us, invisible to our eyes, yet always with us, through the Holy Spirit within us.
So in conclusion today, very simply, the first principle we want to understand about discipleship, and the command to “follow Jesus” is that this journey is Spirit birthed in us, it is not something we create in ourselves, but a gift from God. It is not trying harder, but it is being born again.
Secondly though, it is also Spirit empowered. Once we receive the new birth, and we surrender, and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are empowered for service. And we cooperate with the Holy Spirit synergistically, listening for his voice, and following Him, which truly is to follow Jesus. And this Spirit gives us power, power to proclaim Jesus, power to heal, power to pray, power to manifest the fruits of the Spirit, and power to overcome our own fears and inadequacies.
So if we walk by the Spirit, let us then keep in step with the Spirit. Hallelujah. Praise the Lord!
