Sunday Sermon
sunday morning 4th Jan 2009
Acts 1v 1-11
What was Jesus doing?
When we look at the early church we are tempted to look at the people and see what they were doing to see if we can just do the same things and then get the same results!
And there may be a lot to learn from what the people were doing in those early days.
But the point really is what God was doing! Not what the people were doing.
And therein lies great relief for us today. For we are not to look at what people do that is successful and just copy that. All that tends to do is depress us and leads to legalistic outlook.
The Good News does not come in with what people do but with what God does!
The Good News is always about God and his work, not about us and our work.
And as we turn to the book of Acts the story is about what God is doing, about how He works, about His power, His glory.
Intro:
The person to whom the book is written is called “Theophilus”.
This is the same person to whom Luke writes in his Gospel – Lk 1v3.
He wrote to him so that he would have an assurance of all that he had been taught of Jesus.
Who was this person? An individual? Or a generic name? Both?
The name means friend of God.
Written to us then who are friends of God.
What do we see of the continuing work of God here then? V1-5.
1) first of all we see that Gods work is based on the Historical events of the life and work of Christ.
It is about what Jesus has done v1.
- he “suffered”, that is His “Passion”. It is about what happened to him. What was done to him.
He was passive, he let it happen! He let them kill him!
· That Jesus suffered and died no one doubts. That he suffered and died is not the full picture thought. If that was all there was, there would be no good news.
· Yet, how important for us that Jesus did suffer. Why? Because he suffered for us, yes. But also because we are to expect suffering as we follow His footsteps!
· Sufferings are part and parcel of the Christian faith.
- he rose from the dead. Then “showed / presented himself”, gave “convincing / infallible proofs” and “appeared to them”.
Three words are used in v3 to describe how he went about proving he was alive.
· Here we come to the “full” gospel. He suffered, but then he rose from the dead. Death could not hold him! We need to move on from the suffering to the glory!
· Present: to stand beside. That is what he did, he came and stood amongst the disciples to show he was alive
· Infallible proofs: this is to give evidence that clears any doubts!
· Appeared: to be seen. Jesus put himself in place to be seen!
- further he taught them. “teach” v1, “spoke” v3, “commanded” v4.
· As he proved he was alive he taught!
· V1 Teach: this refers to the past life of teaching that Jesus engaged in. He was a Rabbi. He work was to teach! The work of God continues through teaching
· V3 “spoke about the Kingdom”: this was the original message! All about God and what he is doing. The availability of God now, doors open, all are invited to come! Jesus is giving formal instruction in these things! The work of God is based on divine revelation, not cleverly invented stories.
· V4 “command”: here they are given a formal instruction. They had to obey!
In all this what do we see? We see God at work. He suffered, he rose, he taught! The whole gospel enterprise is the work of God! He has done it all!
2) second we see that Gods work is done through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the power of God. He is the one through whom God works.
We have difficulty trying to grasp the third person of the trinity. He is unbodily personal power.
He is everywhere present and He works as we come to trust in Him, rely upon Him for all we do.
Like electricity – we cannot see it, its mysterious to me at least, but I know that if I just flick a switch the lights will come on, the tv will turn on, the computer will start etc. I trust and rely upon electricity.
a. Jesus teaches “through the Holy Spirit” – v2
that is he trusted and relied upon the Spirit. He suffered and rose in the power of the Spirit and importantly here in v2, he teaches by trusting and relying upon the Holy Spirit!
b. the disciples will witnesses by the power of the Spirit v8.
The disciples were to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Their work was to be performed using the same power source! They were to be given the Holy Spirit and they were to then trust and rely upon Him in their ministry!
What good news this is for us too. How can we live for Jesus? The same way he lived for the Father – in the power of the Spirit! This brings us onto the final point.
3) God chooses to continue his work through imperfect followers (the disciples).
V6 – they still did not grasp all that Jesus had been hanging around trying to teach them!
V10-11 – they were dazed, day dreamers!
How encouraging to see the disciples here at the start of the church!
They don’t have a clue!
And that even after Jesus had been teaching them!
Of course they had not received the Spirit yet.
But maybe we echo their clueless predicament today. Here we are at the start of a New Year, what lies ahead we don’t know. How Gods kingdom is to appear in this place we don’t know! We look up to the sky and wonder where Jesus is today!
But we need not despair for too long.
Because this is Gods work. It is His kingdom. We have been given the Holy Spirit, we need then to trust and rely upon Him and God will work with us as we do!
Not because of us, often in spite of us, but because it is His work, His Kingdom!
Jesus gives the commission and then leaves. We have been given the commission. We need to simply get on with it!
sunday evening 4th Jan 2009
Rom 8v1
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”
This is one of the most glorious verses in scripture!
Context: 5v16-18, 6v23 and 7v25.
The previous chapter deals with the complicated issue of the Christian experience now,
as it struggles with sin, yet also knows it has new life.
It is complicated because Paul is dealing with the transitional aspect of the Christian life. That life which is at one and the same time fully saved and also dead in sin!
We battle with sin, but we are justified, sanctified and glorified!
We are new creations but we also sin and are tempted to sin!
We have been saved but our bodies are dead!
Tension there undoubtedly is as we wait for our full experience of salvation.
But Paul does not want to stay to long in this “gray” area!
He wants to move onto the great themes of salvation.
This is what he has been dealing with already in previous chapter, now he returns.
1. “Therefore”, because of this. Refers back to previous chapters/context as we have noted.
Because of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because in him we are free from sin, because in him we have a new eternal life.
“Because of Jesus” should be the headline over all our lives.
All that we are, all that we have that is good, true and noble, all that we will be, is because of Him!
The “therefore”/ “because of”, not only points back, it also points forward!
It is a connecting word. Brings together two ideas, two realities.
Joins up the cause and effect.
The reality is Christ, the cause is Christ, the effect is ... what? We will see:
App:
One way of thinking about ourselves today is as “therefore’s”!
Who we are today is because of what Jesus has done for us, and because of what he has done for us, there is a tomorrow, there is a great future – a therefore!
2. “there is now no condemnation”
Because of Jesus “there is now no condemnation”. That is the ‘effect’.
Condemnation – a legal term that includes both the sentence being handed down and its punishment.
The sentence would have been that we have been found guilty and the punishment would be death!
But “now” things have changed!
Once there was condemnation, now there is “no condemnation”.
No blame, no penalty! No nothing! No sentencing, no execution!
Once there was wages of sin to be paid, but not now! Once death, now life.
“no”- full meaning is not just “no” – but not at all, in no respect, no way!
Sometimes we say “no” to our children, but with some pestering the “no” becomes “maybe” or “yes” – but not here. The “no” is irrevocable.
And together with “condemnation” makes the whole thing wonderful.
No condemnation and all because of Him.
App:
Think about this statement as a banner over your life.
Meditate upon it. Think of your changed status. Think of what is true “now”.
This is the good news that we are to bask in, to enjoy, to live.
The question this then leads us to is how can we enter into this “no condemnation”?
3. “for those who are in Christ Jesus,”
Who is this good news for?
It is not good news for just anyone! It is for those who are “in” Christ Jesus.
What does that mean? The word means “withinness”, referring to what is in a person.
In the context it refers to a close, personal, special relationship to Jesus.
There is no condemnation for those who have this special relationship with Jesus.
For those who belong to Him, who can be described as being “in” Christ.
It is that close, so close that later on Paul testifies to the fact that nothing can separate us from Him!
You are “in” and there is no escaping. In not out. Belonging to, part of, one with!
· The opposite to being “in” Christ is to be “in” Adam.
What that represents is the opposite of the verse as a whole.
“Therefore there still is condemnation for those who are in Adam” would be how the verse would read!
But the verse is not for those, in Adam, but for those, in Christ!
App: this deals with two basic human problems; Guilt and Loneliness.
· Guilt: You are free in Christ!
Need fear nothing!
Because of sin, the human soul feels the sentence of death hanging over it.
We find it hard to escape that guilty feeling.
Paul struggled with it. But feelings are not to be the master over our lives. Facts are!
Revealed truth must be our guide.
What is the truth here? No Condemnation – because of Him.
· Loneliness: You have belonging in Christ.
We were made to belong.
Ultimately, belonging was to be expressed in our fellowship with God. But that was lost.
Now in Christ it has been regained!
