LAUGH 'N LEARN

An Encouragement Ministry of Verde Valley Christian Church Of Cottonwood Arizona
http://vvchristianchurch.net

Issue # 382 July 25,  2010

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"Children?" the second woman answered. "We don't have any children. This is for my husband."

from preachingtoday.com

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Jim's Manuscript

July 25, 2010

"How To Do Less And Be More"

"Acts" Series:  Chapter 1

Look at the open it question for the Care Group Study this week.  It reads:  When was the last time you were busy, busy, busy, and yet making little to no progress?  Have you ever had that happen to you?  It is like your life is like a truck that is stuck in the mud, you keep applying the gas, and your wheels keep spinning, but you are getting less than nowhere.  You are actually getting MORE stuck.  You get out a shovel perhaps, and work, and sweat, and yet you keep sinking further and further.  How would you like to learn how to do less and be more?  That's the title for this morning's message. 

Today, we begin a new series.  We are going to begin a study of the book of Acts.  I'm excited about what God is going to do with us.  Let me explain how we got here, and why I chose Acts as our next series. 

Many of you will remember that a few weeks back, while in the study from 2 Corinthians 12, and while learning from Paul's example that "when we are weak, THEN we are strong", I confessed to you that the concept was one I was really wrestling with.  I confessed to you that I thought as a church we weren't really operating according to this principle very well.  I also confessed that I was not sure how to lead our church to operate in this principle better, rather than the "come to our church, our church is great" way of operating; as if highlighting our strengths and doing this thing all in the "natural" is the way to go.  I am convinced it is NOT the way to go.  So, what is the better way to go, as a church?  That's the question. 

In praying about this and thinking about how to lead a church to be church the way God wants, operating in the supernatural, rather than just the natural strengths, I literally changed my plans about what series we should be doing after our 2 Corinthians series. 

I believe the Lord impressed on me the need to get back to our foundational roots, and learn how to do church the way church was intended to be done, and the way it was done at the church's earliest stages.  Christianity was never an endeavor to be carried out in the natural.  It is God's church, God's kingdom, and God's work.  Jesus himself said, "I will build my church."  So how do we operate from the standpoint of human weakness, to magnify the strength of God, and cooperate with him as He builds us up?  I believe the Lord prompted me to go back to the beginning of the Church; which means, go back to Acts, and learn from Acts.  So that's what we are going to do.

Acts is the name of the 5^th book of the New Testament.  The word Acts is a noun that describes things that have been done.  The book of Acts describes Acts that are accomplished.  Yet, it also explains how these Acts were accomplished.  These were not accomplished in the natural.  Acts is traditionally called Acts, because it is a book that documents the "Acts of the Apostles".  But that certainly isn't a full description of the book we are about to study. For one thing, there are a bunch of Apostles whose "Acts" are never recorded.  I mean we never hear about the "Acts" of Bartholomew, or the "Acts" of "Thomas" or the "Acts" of Mathias, who replaced Judas.  Or the acts of a number of others.  The actuality is that this book only really focuses on a couple of Apostles.  It focuses mostly on Peter in the first half of the Book, then shifts to Paul for more than the last half of the book.  So it isn't really about Acts of all the Apostles, as it is about the Acts of the Holy Spirit through these men, and the church.  Acts isn't a book about acts that are accomplished by amazing men, with amazing natural talents, and amazing tenacity.  No.  It is a book about the supernatural history of the early church.  And the supernatural history is a history of the ACTS of the Holy Spirit, through the Apostles, and through his church. 

The book of Acts is the 5^th book in the New Testament.  It follows the 4 Gospels which are about Jesus' life and ministry, his crucifixion, and resurrection.  Acts picks up from that point and covers the next 35 years or so of history.  It is more than a historical narrative.  It presents the Acts of the apostles, the Acts of the Holy Spirit, the acts of the church, and thereby teaches us how to act. 

I have been pondering Title Ideas for this series.   Staff even put in a few humorous ones.

Acts Me Anything

Acts...Seek...And Knock

Acts...And It Will Be Given To You

Acts Beyond The Facts

I finally settled on.... "Acts".  Not very original, I know, but you will remember it as the Acts series anyway.  Acts is actually the second part of a two part work.  Luke wrote the gospel of Luke, and the book of Acts is a sequel to that gospel.  It picks up where he left off in the Gospel. 

Now that you know this, here's an interesting piece of Bible Trivia you might want to know.  Most people think Paul wrote most of the New Testament.  That is what it looks like if you are to compare the Table of Contents.  I mean Paul wrote 13 of the 27 books.  However, did you know that Luke wrote more than Paul?  Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and Acts, but between these two we have 64 pages of words in Microsoft Word 8 and ½ by 11 inch pages in 12 point font.  And when you put all 13 of Paul's letters there are only 60 pages.  And when I did a "word count" in Microsoft word, using the NIV translation, Luke wrote 2668 more words than Paul!  I know, I'm weird.  But you need to know that in terms of number of books, Paul wrote the most, then John, but in terms of the most volume, Luke wrote the most!  [That was just a tidbit for you Bible trivia buffs].

A more valuable piece of information about Acts is the interesting conclusion.  It doesn't really have a conclusion, it leaves you hanging in suspense.  The first half of the book features the key character, the Apostle Peter.  The second half of the book, features the key character, the Apostle Paul.  But the book leaves us hanging.  Paul is in prison awaiting his trial.  We are not told what happens.  Was he released?  Was he executed?  The book just ends.  Why?  I see two reasons, and both of these are practical reasons. 

The first practical reason is that Luke leaves us hanging because he has presented his orderly account of what had occurred right up to the time of his writing.  So, Acts was written some time before AD 68.  It for sure covers material through AD 63 when Paul was imprisoned, and certainly if it was written after AD 68 Luke would have told us the outcome of Paul's imprisonment.  But Luke does not, because he does not know the outcome.  It has not happened yet. 

The second practical reason this book is not concluded is that there are more chapters to write.  This is a book about the Acts of the Spirit on Earth.  There are 28 chapters in the book as we have it.  It is our responsibility to see that the ACTS of the spirit are written in our generation.  In a sense Acts 29 is our responsibility.  Our lives continue the story.  Our lives continue the Acts of the Spirit in our generation.  I believe in heaven we will enjoy hearing as Paul Harvey puts it, "The Rest Of The Story."  That too, by the way, was a title I toyed with for this series.  Acts, "The Rest Of The Story". 

Why we need Acts! 

Acts is a very practical book that helps us figure out how life in God works for us as individuals, but also, as a church.  I think you will find the history fascinating, but you will find the principles very personal, pointed, and practical!  This is MORE than a study of history.  We will find out that "Acts" isn't really about "Acting", or doing, or working in the natural at all.  We will discover that life the way God intends is somewhat counter intuitive, and that is why we need revelation from God.  That's why we need the Bible.  That's why we need revelation.  You might find our focus this morning kind of counter intuitive also.  Here is our focus this morning. 

Focus:  Don't just do something, stand there!

This is the reverse of conventional and natural wisdom.  Doing church God's way isn't the way many churches are operating today.  I hope to show you that to function in the supernatural we have to stop just doing something, and wait on the Lord.  We must learn how to Do less, and BE more!

God did an amazing thing when he sent his Son to die for us.  Acts tells us the "rest of the story", but the rest of the story doesn't start with a flurry of activity, it starts with the command to wait!

I.        WAIT (1:1-26)

Actually, "Wait" isn't just point number 1 as if it was the first part of this chapter, the whole chapter is kind of a pause, and a waiting. 

Before we read the text, I need to make sure none of you take my point and apply it in the wrong direction.  The command to wait does not give us a license for procrastination.  This definitely is not what "WAIT" means.  Let's see what the command to "Wait" was all about. 

Look specifically for the Command to Wait in 1:1-5

Acts 1:1-5 (NIV) 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 showed himself to these men 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 water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

There is a specific waiting, for a specific purpose that Jesus commanded the disciple s to wait.  So, when point 1, tells us to "Wait."  I'm talking about the Biblical principal of waiting on God, waiting before God, and learning how to not get ahead of God. 

Why The Command To Wait?

So these disciples have been seeing the resurrected Jesus for 40 days.  They have already kind of been waiting.  Yet, they have been commanded to wait some more.  Why?  Why didn't God immediately grant the giving of the Holy Spirit after Jesus' Ascension?  After all, that is what Jesus said.  He had to go, so that the Holy Spirit could come.  Why the wait?  Why the command to wait?  

It is for a good reason that everything is not instantaneous.  There is a work that takes place in us when we "wait on the Lord".  Waiting before God is a discipline.  And there is a work in waiting. 

But to give a direct and different answer to the question, why are they to wait.  They are not to do this thing alone!  They are to wait for the Spirit. 

Look at Verse 1

¹ In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach...

In This Book Jesus Will Continue To Do And Teach (1)

"My former book" = Luke; the sequel is Acts.  What Jesus began to do and to teach in Luke, Jesus will continue to do and teach in ACTS!  How?  He is ascended.

He does this Through The Holy Spirit (1:2, 4-5)

Acts 1:2 (NIV) until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Before Jesus' ascension, he gave instruction "through the Holy Spirit", who aided the Apostles in their understanding.  Now, we will see that after the ascension, Jesus continues to instruct and empower "through the Holy Spirit."

What Jesus began, he continued to do.  Jesus continued to do and to teach Through HIS SPIRIT, and from HIS THRONE.

When one realizes that the term "Lord" (Gk. Kyrios) in Acts usually refers to Jesus, it becomes evident that the entire book tells how Jesus was building his church: selecting an apostle to replace Judas (Acts 1:24), pouring out the Holy Spirit in new power (2:33), adding people to the church day by day (2:47), appearing to Ananias (9:10) and to Paul (9:5; 18:9), healing a paralyzed man (9:34), receiving worship from the church (13:2), stopping a magician who was opposing the gospel (13:11), and opening people's hearts to believe the gospel (16:14).[1]

Are We There Yet? (6-7)

⁶ So when they met together, they 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.

There are matters that it is not for me to know. (1:7)

This by the way, is why I don't spend much of my time and energy studying, trying to figure out prophecy, and when things are going to be fulfilled. 

It is not for me to know times and dates.  It is for me to ACT more than to know.  It is for me to Obey.  Jesus is always more concerned about my obedience than he is concerned about my knowledge.  This is not to say we should not study.  The more knowledge I have, the stronger my faith can grow, and I'm better equipped to obey.  Having said that, prophecy isn't given to satisfy our curiosity, but rather to equip us and encourage us when we enter the difficult times the prophecies speak about. 

HOWEVER, my Acting and Obeying is not to be merely approached from the NATURAL, we need to learn how to ACT and OBEY with the power of the Supernatural.

And here comes the REALLY GREAT NEWS about how he helps us in the obedience department!!!!

1:8 is the Really Good news

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."

Ascension!  (verse 9)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Angels! (verse 10)

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.

Appear Again! [In The Same Way] (verse 11)

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."

So although the focus reads don't just do something, stand there, the angels are asking the opposite, "Why do you stand here?"

EMPHASIS is on "HERE"

Jesus told them what to do...WAIT in Jerusalem

So what do we do while we wait?

II.       Pray For Power (1:12-14) 

¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

They All Joined Together Constantly In Prayer (14)

QUOTE:  The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.  He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion.  He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.

                                                --Samuel Chadwick

QUOTE:  Because God is a living God, he can hear; because he is a loving God he will hear; because he is our covenant God, he has bound himself to hear.

                                                --Charles Spurgeon

III.       Get Organized--Work As A Team (1:15-26)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus-- ¹⁷ he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." ¹⁷ he was one of our number and shared in this ministry."  ¹⁸ (With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)  ²⁰ "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "'May another take his place of leadership.'

They Got Organized:  They Selected Godly Leadership, Replacing Judas (16-26)

They carefully considered the QUALIFICATIONS.  They looked for those who Shared In This Ministry (17).  They looked for those who had  "Been With Us"  (21).   Later in Acts we will discover a similar phrase to this one, "Been with us".  The phrase we will find is "been with Jesus."  And with that phrase we will find out that in those who have truly been with Jesus there is a quality that makes an observable difference.  "Been With Jesus" (4:13)

Acts 4:13 (NIV) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

We will get to this episode in a few weeks so I'll make no more comments about it now.

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

"A Witness of his resurrection" (22)

²² beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection."  ²³ So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias.

This is a unique situation for the "12"; only the qualified witnesses of the literal resurrected Jesus were considered.  Yet, in principle, for all leadership positions, this qualification--"A Witness Of The Resurrection"--should be considered.  How have your leaders experienced our Lord's Resurrection? Selection of leaders must also be confirmed by prayer and God's guidance (24-26).  Lord, You Know The Heart, Show Us (24-26)

²⁴ Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen  ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

In this unique situation, they cast lots.  This isn't teaching us that we should do church business this way now.  We don't flip a coin or cast lots at church board meetings.  Actually in the rest of Acts we see that leaders were chosen in a different way than this.  Never again in the New Testament do we see the casting of lots.  Leaders were selected, and appointed.  It was not by the casting of lots.  So this is a unique situation attempting to leave the "choosing" of the replacement up to the Lord, who chose the original 12.  They saw a need for God's New Covenant Kingdom to have the 12 pillars, as the Old Covenant Kingdom had the 12 patriarchs, which became the 12 tribes of the covenant nation. 

Now, let me also say that I don't want to lead you into pragmatics in the "natural".  I want to teach you the "supernatural" approach.  So when I say, "get organized and work as a team."  I'm not talking about the natural wisdom of how to do less and be more.  I'm not talking merely about he power of delegation.  And the power of synergy when the team works together.  I'm talking about how God's church functions by the power of the Holy Spirit.  When it comes to effectiveness in spiritual matters, if you organize, and work as a team as it relates to spiritual warfare, and kingdom tactics, and evangelism, more gets accomplished.  Too many Christians are attempting to live the so called "Christian Life" from a "solo" perspective.  From my studies of the New Testament, life in the Kingdom isn't meant to be lived "solo".  The apostles, wait, but they organize and they work as a team.  They come together.

Now, let's back up... 1:8 anticipates what will happen, and becomes the theme verse for all of Acts.  So it also gives us our strategy. 

IV.      Start Where You Are (1:8)

Acts 1:8 (NIV) 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."

If You have not yet received the power of the Holy Spirit, start there!

Once you have A Relationship With God through Christ, in the Power of the Spirit, notice the Focus is NOT "DO" but "BE."   This changes who we are, and whose we are, and our state of being changes.  It changes based on our experience with Christ.

"And You Will Be My Witnesses"

Point 4 is "Start Where You Are".   Start What?  Being My Witnesses

Then Start BEING a Witnesses WHERE You ARE

Acts 1:8 (NIV) 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."

Too many of us think about EVANGELISM in terms of DOING.  We need to think less about Evangelism as "DOING".  It is less about "witnessing" and more about BEING a witness;  less about "DOING" and more about BEING.  Be Christ's Witness.  To be a witness is more about who you are in relationship to him, than it is about "How To's" and "what you do" and "what to say".  There is a supernatural element here.  We receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us, and we BECOME, we ARE Witnesses.  Jesus said, then you will BE my Witnesses. 

BE A Witness Where You Are (8)

Acts 1:8 (NIV) 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."

Start where you are but don't just stay where you are, where it is comfortable, in your Jerusalem.  The strategy is to move out from where we are.

V.       Reach Out of Your Comfort Zone (1:8)

Even as you reach out, though, keep the pattern in place. 

Wait while Praying For Power and looking for God to work

Meanwhile organize your team

Then be a Witness where you are

Then look for ways to reach beyond your comfort Zone...this is the place of faith and obedience.  We have a world to reach, to the very ends of the earth.

Of the 5 main points I just covered, which one do you need to work on first?  Do you need to get better at "waiting" on God?  Do you need to spend time on the work of waiting?  Have you prayed to ask for His Spirit to come upon you in greater fullness?   Do you need to make prayer a greater priority, praying for power, praying for God to enter into your situation?  Do you need to stop doing, doing, doing, and figure out how to do less, and be more, and become a more viable witness?  Where do you need to be a witness with God's power?  Point 3 says, "Start where you are," meaning start BEING A WITNESS.  Where do you need to be a witness?  Let the Holy Spirit bring a place, or face to mind.  Point IV. Tells you to reach out of your comfort zone, to move from your Jerusalem into Judea, or even "Samaria", that uncomfortable place, even to the ends of the earth.  Just pick one thing...right now.  Pray about it.  How will you respond this morning?

(C) Jim Hammond

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