The End of the Beginning
2014-10-19
Acts 28:25-31
And
disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement:
"The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the
prophet:
26
"'Go to this people, and say, you
will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never
perceive.
27
For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely
hear, and their eyes they have closed;
lest
they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears
and
understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'
28
Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to
the Gentiles; they will listen."
30
He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to
him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ
with all boldness and without hindrance.
Acts reaches its triumphant conclusion with Paul in Rome. Acts 1:8, 28:28-30
· Rome was
in the latter days of its highest glory, with Nero as emperor, and no coliseum.
· Acts
abruptly ends with Paul in a house prison where he wrote Eph, Col, Phil &
Philemon.
o Tradition:
says Paul was released 2 years later in 62 A.D. & then wrote 1 Tim &
Titus.
o 2 yrs
after his release in 64
A.D. he returned to Rome, this was shortly after the fire that Nero blamed on Christians,
was arrested, & eventually martyred.
Ps 116:15
§ In this
final imprisonment he wrote 2 Timothy (last epistle).
· Many have
thought there must be a lost chapter or at least lost paragraph.
o But the abrupt
ending is consistent with the emphasis of Acts
§ Acts is not
primarily a narrative on the lives of
servants of God, but rather, it is about the gospel.
· Acts is not
“people-centered” but “gospel-centered.”
Acts describes 39 years
of the expansion of the gospel from Jerusalem to the “uttermost parts of earth”
& from primarily Jews to Gentiles as well. Act 1:8
· It begins
in Jerusalem with Jesus Christ who had died, was resurrected & now has ascended
into heaven.
· Christ
then continued His ministry on earth through the Holy Spirit in the lives of ordinary people –
o merchants, slaves, jailers, church leaders, males/females,
Gentiles/Jews, rich/poor.
· It records how Jesus used one generation to preach
gospel in every nation of the then known world as the church was
established, scattered & then extended. Col 1:23, Act 2:5-6, 2 Cor 5:17-20,
Christ’s plan for the expansion
of the gospel did not end in Acts 28 & that’s why the Holy Spirit deliberately intended Acts to
be unfinished.
· You’re a part of the 29th Chapter of Acts
of Holy Spirit (mentioned 70x) that is still being written as Christ’s ministry
continues today through every believer.
o Opportunity:
used by Jesus to bring the Gospel from Jerusalem to Samaria>to the most
remote parts of the world.
Your part in the continuing story
of the spread of gospel is not as complicated as it seems.
· You don’t have to create a new message for modern
times.
o The Gospel Peter preached in Acts 2 is the same
gospel Paul preached in Acts 28 & should be same Gospel preached today.
§ Jesus, the Son of Man & Son Of God lived a sinless
life, died on the cross, was resurrected & then ascended into heaven.
· It doesn’t
require seminary training or 10 yrs of living the Christian life to share the Gospel.
o Live a life that glorifies God, verbally share your
Christian testimony with the Gospel, & trust God for results.
· The results aren’t dependent upon you, but on our
sovereign God.
o Whether In Jerusalem @ Pentecost, in Rome, or in LaCrescent…some
reject the Gospel and some receive it.
· Everything in Acts & even now flows from the coming & indwelling of the Hly
Spirit. Acts 2:1-4, Eph 5:18, Heb 13:15-16, Micah 6:6, 8, Phil
4:13
o The Spirit
gives us the power to do the will of
God & enables you to join in the harvest & be a part of the expansion
of Gospel in the 29th Chapter of Acts.
- He lives in us to transform our lives into image of Christ.
- He lives through us to
proclaim Gospel & bring in a great harvest for Jesus’ glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.