The Saga Continues

I'll scripture this morning we'll be read from Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 8, Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 8. So when they had come together, they asked Him, Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority, 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 year. Amen. Amen, amen. Well, I'm sure it's not news to any of you, but Star Wars 7, right? Star Wars 7 is coming out in December, right? December? It seems like it just never ends. In fact, Star Wars is one of the longest, most successful and popular movie franchises in history. And as they say in that genre, particularly speaking of Star Wars, says the saga continues. The saga continues. I'm just curious, how many of us this morning have seen every installment and episode of Star Wars, including the animated features? Don't be ashamed of that. I thought I'd back there. Question, how many of us have never, ever seen a Star Wars movie? Not one. Not one. You are kidding me. I figured we might have two or three who've been living under a rock for the past 30 years, but good night. You know, when you understand the drama that is the Star Wars and you understand that it is a never-ending drama. Every episode is told with the idea that there is yet more to be told. There is yet more to come, and so that's why they say the saga continues. When you come to the end of Acts, I think you kind of get that sense. As Pastor Phil reminded us last week, did he not? That Acts just seems to stop abruptly. You expect to turn the page and see Acts chapter 29. But you don't. You find what? Romans chapter 1. You're like, what happened? What happened? What happened to the disciples? What happened? What went on? How does the story conclude? And as I have said, the writer, the Holy Spirit there, writing the book of Acts puts, and the saga continues. I want to suggest to you this morning that there is a chapter 29 of Acts. That's not in your Bible. You got the wrong Bible. You need to check your Bible. You take that Bible back. No, for real though, there is an Acts chapter of 29. And if it is found in your Bible, you do need to take that one back. It takes that one back. Exchange it. There is an Acts chapter 29. It doesn't continue in the Bible per se. But it continues in the lives of God's people. Remember how we entitled Acts in the beginning if you were here? You might recall, in the old King James Bible, it was called the Acts of the Apostles. But we understand it more accurately that it should be entitled the Acts of Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Holy Spirit. The Acts of the Holy Spirit in that sense, if we understand Acts to be the Acts of the Holy Spirit, then we know that the Acts of the Holy Spirit did not end with Acts chapter 29. But the Holy Spirit had been active in the world, in the church, and in the lives of God's people for the past 2000 years. And if the Lord should carry, he will still be active for another 2000 more. Amen. And so in that sense, then, we need to understand that the Acts of the Holy Spirit did not end with chapter 28. But it's still being written in the lives of God's people from that time forward. And we too now are living per se in the Acts 20. Now, your story in my story, the story of the Apostles, your story in my story, are being written in the story of redemption. The Acts of the Holy Spirit in your life and my life are being written down for all eternity. And just as we will, in eternity, perhaps speak of the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the life of Paul, and Peter, and James, and John, so too, will we be speaking of the Acts of the Holy Spirit in my life, and your life, and all those who God has used throughout the years to bring himself glory and testifying witness to the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Why? Because if you understand Acts properly, you understand that Acts begins and ends with Holy Spirit. Did you see that? Were you paying attention? Were you going through it? Were you paying attention? Did you get that? And Acts chapter 1, as was read earlier this morning, Acts 1, beginning in verse 6, what does Jesus say? So when they had come together, they asked Him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel and what does Jesus say to Him? It is not now, it is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father had fixed by His own authority, 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 world. Acts begins with the promise of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and empowering the disciples to witness for Christ in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and throughout all of creation. So it begins, you know, Acts 28 ends with the Holy Spirit speaking. You recall that? It ends with Paul quoting from Isaiah where Paul says, and the Holy Spirit said, all the way from chapter 1 to chapter 28, we read the awesome and inspiring ministry of God, the Holy Spirit. So I want to suggest to you this morning, whether you listen again to the messages that have been preached as you can on our website or if you go back and read at some future time, read through Acts again, I want to suggest to you that you listen and that you look for references to the Holy Spirit.

And you will be amazed, be amazed at how often and how frequently the influence and the power and authority and presence of the Holy Spirit manifests itself in the Acts, reminding us of His real time ministry amongst the people of God. I think what Acts does is it gives us a window into the real time work of Holy Spirit then and even now. What I want to do this morning with the rest of our time, then, as I want to remind us of two important aspects, just two, there are so many more, but just two important aspects that we might continue to identify. In our lives, that was so prevalent in the early disciples' lives and ministry, as we continue to live our lives in Acts chapter 29, how might we recognize the act of a Holy Spirit? As a story of redemption is continued, being written, or in mind this morning, that Acts reveals us two things, one, the work of the Spirit and the way of the Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit and the way of the Holy Spirit. Every Sunday morning, here recently, we confess the Apostles Creed and at the end, there in the last section of the Apostles Creed, what do we say? We say we believe in the Holy Spirit. We believe in God. And it says, we believe in Jesus Christ, is only Son, and then we confess that we believe in the Holy Spirit. What does it mean for us to believe in the Holy Spirit? Well, this is what it meant for the early disciples to say they believe in the work of the Holy Spirit. That's why I think it should be what we confess as well, particularly as we are examining the book of Acts. What do we mean when we say we believe in the Holy Spirit? Well, the first thing we mean is that we believe in the work of the Holy Spirit. See that? In Acts chapter 2, right? We turn in your Bibles there to Acts chapter 2, again in verse 1. Remember Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit in chapter 1, and here in chapter 2, the promise is being fulfilled. Jesus had promised in sending the Holy Spirit to the disciples, and this promise that he gave to them was not some impersonal force, but the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit was a personal, active spirit working and moving in the lives of God's people. And we see that chapter 2 when the spirit comes, and what is the work that he does? First thing he does is he unites us. That's what he did. He unites us. You know what the Bible says there in the beginning of Acts chapter 2, again in the verses 1 down the verse before on the day of Pentecost. The Bible says that they were all together. They were all together, and the Holy Spirit came and came upon all of them, and they were all filled with the Spirit. Don't miss that. They were all together, and the Spirit came on all of them, and it says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. This should remind us, beloved. This is what the Spirit does. He unites us in that we all become Christians the same way. I don't care what the story is. I don't care where you're from. There's only one way to become a Christian, and you have to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't care where it is. I don't care about your family. I don't care what church it was in. I don't care what language you were speaking. Pause in order to be a Christian. You must drink from the same fountain that I drink from. You must receive the same life. There is only one life. It is eternal life. And if you got something other than eternal life, you didn't get it. And it only comes by way of the one spirit. That's what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 13, we have all been baptized into one body by the same spirit. And this should remind us when the Spirit comes upon us. You know he reveals to us. I don't care where you are again. I don't care what language. I don't care what has been your experience. We all have the same father. We all have the same father in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 26, in Christ we are all children of God by faith. That's it. Galatians only has one family. And if you are Christian, it's a Holy Spirit that brought you, that baptized you into one body by that same spirit, then you are the child of God, the one true God. We all have the same father. And not only do we all have the same father. That means we all belong to the same family. That's what Holy Spirit does. It brings you into that one family, which is the family of the one and true living God. That's what the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2, in verse 18, we have access to the Bible says in one spirit. To who? The father. So then we are no longer strangers or aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.

Again, I don't care your nationality. I don't care your race, your country of origin. I don't care when or where or how you came into the world. If you are Christian, then you have been baptized into one body by one spirit and you have been brought into one household. At the same time, we have the same family. The Holy Spirit reminds us then also that we all have the same Savior. You know why? Because there is only one. And that's what they preached, didn't they? That's what the apostles preached in Acts chapter 4. Peter said in verse 12, and there is salvation in no one else, but there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we might be saved. Jesus. Jesus. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit comes and unites God's people and reminds us, should be reminding us every day. That we are one people, one father, one family, one Savior. That is only Jesus. Jesus saves. If you have Holy Spirit in your life, it is ruling and reigning. He has brought you into that family. He is confirming in your heart that there is no Savior but Jesus. You see the work of Holy Spirit there? It's a discriminating work, I love it. It is not the Holy Spirit that tells people that there is more than one way to God. It is not the Holy Spirit that tells people that they can get saved apart from Jesus Christ. It is not the Holy Spirit that tells people that all religions and all faiths and all beliefs are just the same. And it will wash out in the end. The Holy Spirit comes and unites God's people. Mind and soul and conviction that there is only one Savior, namely Jesus Christ. It's what you get in X, the work of the Holy Spirit. It's you nighting God's people around that truth. There is only Jesus and no one else. I love it. We might disagree on a lot of things and we still in the household. But that's one thing we are not going to disagree on. It's still claimed to be in the household of God. And that is the uniqueness of Christ Jesus, our Lord. There is only one Savior and His name is Jesus and you must believe in Him. It's what Holy Spirit does. It unites us and our family, our Savior. Therefore we all have the same mission, the same mission. And what is that? Well, Jesus Himself gave it to us. Did He not match you in chapter 28, again in the verse 19. Go, go. Therefore make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And Jesus reiterated this in Acts chapter 1. Did He not? When His disciples wanted to get sidetracked on all kind of eschatological questions, Jesus said, no, you just go. So you will be my witness as I told you before. So I tell you again, your mission is to know me and to make me. The early Christians understood. You see it in Acts over and over again. What are they doing? They are preaching Jesus. They are teaching Jesus. They are commanding men and women everywhere to repent and be saved calling upon the name of Jesus. They are witnessing to Jesus. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, beloved. And it is this that makes us Christians in this work of done in our lives. This is what makes us Christians. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 16, the Bible says, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. And if children and heirs and heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, this is what it means to be a Christian. It is to have the Spirit of God. This is what it means to be adopted into the family of God. That we have received the Spirit of adoption. So our adoption into the family of God have the same adoption papers. That is what it means to be a Christian. This is what made the early Christians so strong because they realize their sameness. In Christ, that was the revelation of the Holy Spirit. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. That you recognize and realize your sameness even amongst all of the diversity. You recognize your sameness in Christ. That is the Holy Spirit to do. You got to understand that takes the Holy Spirit to do. Because the world is trying to convince you that this is a diversity that really matters. But in the church, we say we recognize the diversity, but it is the sameness that really matters. That is why I want to convince you to march around and say that black lives matter. Beloved, they do. We point them to Christ. And when you understand that, then you understand, beloved, it is not just black lives that matter. The church banner is that all lives matter. This is what distinguishes the church. Don't be fooled and don't be tempted to speak only like the world speaks. It is a different message. It is a message of Christ and so the saga continues. Even today, beloved, even today. And it doesn't matter. I am amazed. If you ever go overseas and you are just over there and you are feeling all alone and you meet a Christian, you know, you just don't spend a lot of time debating theology. You just want to know somebody who knows Jesus is in the place. This is the case. This is the case. In India, Germany, South Africa, I met Bob and Deb Merff in Switzerland in a school with no air conditioning at a conference in interlock in Switzerland. And my spirit for witness with his spirit. We are children of God. We've been friends and beloved brothers and sisters ever spent. I met Timothy Bird walking through a hotel lobby in Chicago in the moment that we struck up a conversation because I was trying to figure out why is there a young black man walking through this hotel lobby when there's nothing but white men at this conference. Oh and behold, we became fast friends, fellow workers and co-laborers in the gospel ever since that day. We're not aware when, beloved, what really matters is who. And the who is the Holy Spirit and really makes the difference. Why are we saying we are one in the spirit? We are one in the Lord. The Holy Spirit comes and unites us. The Holy Spirit just comes and unites us. The Holy Spirit comes and empowers us. That's his work. That's what we've seen throughout Acts. These were people who were united. They were all together. They were united. The Spirit came from them and the Spirit filled them and what did the Spirit fill them unto.

For to do what? To witness. You will receive. And I want to see this as you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. What's that power for? To witness of me. To be witnesses of Christ. Christ said they would be His witnesses. The disciples would in Acts, beloved, for the first time. For the first time, they would have to speak boldly for Christ. And how would they do this? How would they do this? Because they had never done this before. They had never done this before. All the other times, either Christ spoke up for them or they ran. But there would be a difference. And what would be that difference? That difference would be the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 4. You recall when we were there, you want to turn in your Bibles there just to remind yourself that the disciples were there under the rats. For the first time, there was going to be open persecution of the disciples for seeking to be witnesses of Christ. They were under the rats and eventually the apostles were under arrest. And Peter, and Peter now, for the first time since the ascension of Christ, since the coming of the Holy Spirit, Peter was going to be given a chance to witness of our Jesus. And you might recall before when he was given the opportunity to witness for Jesus prior to the crucifixion of Jesus, Peter denied Christ three times. When he was called upon to witness for his Savior and his Lord, he drew back. He failed. He denied. Now he's given the opportunity. What will he do this for? Acts chapter 4, we love it right, it's a different story. In the life of the Apostle Peter. For this time, he didn't draw back. For this time, he didn't shrink and fear. For this time, he didn't keep his mouth shut. For this time, he didn't deny. This time, he didn't curse and blaspheme Christ. But this time, he spoke boldly. He spoke boldly. He spoke with assurance. He spoke with confidence. What made the difference? That's what the Holy Spirit does, we love it. When you don't grieve the Spirit, but you allow the Spirit to work in your life, what Holy Spirit does is give you encouragement. The Holy Spirit gives us assurance. It gives us the confidence to stand up and say that I know in whom I have believed. And I know that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him. And I know that whatever happens to me, I am safe in his hands. Holy Spirit gives you that confidence we can speak. And Holy Spirit assures you that God has your back. This is so important because most people think. When they think of the Holy Spirit, they think of the Holy Spirit in terms of having the power to speak in tongues. But what the Holy Spirit is doing more appropriately is not so much giving you the power to speak in tongues, but the power to use your tongue and speaking up for Jesus. The power to use your tongue and proclaiming Christ. Use your tongue and boldly praising Jesus in a world that would seek to silence. My daughters attend a Christian high school. And do you know that even in a Christian high school today, it is not easy speaking up and standing up for Jesus. So the challenge to them all the time is a stand up for Christ because that is evidence of the Spirit's work in your life that you have the boldness to proclaim that Jesus is who Jesus is and that Jesus would do what Jesus promised he would do. And let the chips fall and let the chips fall. The only way that that happens is the Holy Spirit comes. This is why you see the disciples in chapter 4, Peter was bold and then they prayed for boldness and what does God do? He sings the Holy Spirit. For they were filled with the Spirit live because that's where the confidence, that's where the assurance comes from. And is the work of the Spirit in your life and my life whereby we are granted that blessed assurance. Jesus is when we say that we believe in the Holy Spirit is what we mean. We believe in His work and we believe His work continues. And so the saga continues. We not only believe in the work of the Holy Spirit, we believe in the way of the Spirit and the way of the Spirit. But Acts, if it does anything concerning the Holy Spirit, it reminds us and it should be impressed upon us again and again and again even this morning that Holy Spirit leads and Holy Spirit guides into the way that God would have us to go. He leads any guy. There is a way. Beloved, that is right. A way that is right and those who yield and are led by Holy Spirit go that way. And contrary to much, some of you may believe. There's a way that is right. There's a way that is right that can be known that leads us into that way. And Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8, you can turn there if you'd delight too. If not, just keep listening. There is a story of Philip, not Duncanson, but it could be for the saga continues. In verse 29, notice what it says with Philip here with this Ethiopian unit. You recall the story, right? And the Spirit said to Philip, the Spirit said to Philip and join this chariot. You see that? The Spirit said to Philip, what did the Spirit say? Go. Because there is a way. There is a way and that way can be known. The Spirit says, Philip, go where? To that chariot. Follow me. After the episode with the Ethiopian unit, after Philip has shared with him the way of Christ, after he had done what the Spirit had told him to do and had went the way that the Spirit had led. That the Spirit had led him to go and had gone the right way. After he was finished ministering to the Ethiopian unit, what does it say in verse 39? And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried him away. He says, now we got somewhere else to go. Because there is a way and there is a right way. And the Spirit leads those who will yield to him in that way. This is so important for us to understand because God does not leave his people without a witness. He does not leave his people without a guide. We are not rudderless in this world. Jesus promised his disciples that the Spirit would lead them. That promise was. To feel all throughout us, beloved, the Spirit led them. And yes, what? Holy Spirit has not retired. He is still leading guiding God's people. See that? And ask. We should be identifying that in our lives. Who is led by the Spirit? This is the first thing you need to understand. Who is led by the Spirit? The sons and daughters of God. Those are the ones that the Spirit lead and everybody else, they got Spirit leading them but they ain't the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit leads the children of God. That's what the Bible says in Romans chapter 80 verse 14. For all who are led by the Spirit of God, our children of God. Philip was led by the Spirit. Why? Because he's a child of God, even Duncan. Therefore God's Spirit, I mean God's children should expect to be led by the Spirit. God's children, therefore, should be willing to wait on the Spirit to lead them. This is what you get in Acts. And this saga is continuing. The work of Holy Spirit in our lives is leading us. We should expect Holy Spirit to lead us and that expectation should cause us to wait. And he leads us. The sons and daughters, the children of God, are led. Where does the Spirit lead us? He leads us to go and make much of Christ. It's what he does. It's what he does. He leads us to go and share Christ. He leads us to go. He leads us to look for opportunities to worship, opportunities to give, opportunities to serve, opportunities to share. To read the book of Acts beloved is to be reminded what the Spirit is doing. Challenge you to go back and read that book of Acts. And you will find that this Spirit's primary leading is not to lead you to buy this house of that house. Spirit's primary leading is not for you to buy this car of that car, or to go to this school or that school, or to marry this person or that person. But rather the Spirit leads us to go, to go and make much of Christ, to go and serve Christ, to go and try and look for opportunities where the name of Christ needs to be mentioned. To witness for him. Now don't get me wrong. That is not to say that God is not concerned about those things that does not think those things are important. God cares. What house you buy? God cares what job you take. God cares who you marry. You better believe he does. He cares who you marry. But you do understand this. That whether you are married or not, whether you are in school or not, whether you are employed or not, the Holy Spirit is still leading you. And if you get so caught up on those peripherals, you will miss the most important work of the Spirit in your life. He's leading you to go to the share, to serve. He's leading you to give. That was Holy Spirit prompting you to give. That was him. You knew that was the Holy Spirit prompting you to say something. That was the Holy Spirit prompting you to share Christ. That was the Holy Spirit doing those blessed things. How does the Spirit lead us according to His Word? This is an amazing thing to see over and over again. Again and again, that Holy Spirit speaks. You just let that marinate for a minute. Holy Spirit, God's people are people who give attention to an obedience to the words of this Spirit. It's illustrated all over Acts. I don't think any more anything, any time more so than Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, beginning in verse 2. This is a story of Paul and Barnabas about to go set out on their first missionary trip. But they don't know really that they're about to be going on this first missionary trip. But the Holy Spirit is about to speak and let them know that it's Paul and Barnabas who's going out on this first missionary trip. It says, while they were worshiping, they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. Meanwhile, they were worshiping and praying. The Bible says, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have been called.

Holy Spirit, Spirit, spoke in times and for this. The Holy Spirit was speaking to the disciples and Acts. And the Holy Spirit continues to speak to them. You do understand that the Word of the Spirit then is the Word of God. And when the Holy Spirit is speaking, you know who is speaking. God is speaking. So the Word of the Spirit is the Word of God. You know the 2nd Timothy chapter 3 in verse 16 says, all scripture is inspired by God. Breathe out by God in spite. In spirit it's literally what it means. It means it comes by way of God's spirit. That the spirit of God has infused these words and inscripturated them. That the Word of God is the Word of the Spirit. It's not only there. 2nd Peter, chapter 1, verse 21, speaking even of the Old Testament. Peter says, for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The Word of the Spirit, in fact in Ephesians, chapter 6, in verse 17, the Bible says that the Word of God is called a sword of the Spirit, a sword of the Spirit. So that's why Paul could conclude in Acts, right? In Acts of 28, verse 25, when he was quoting Isaiah, what did Paul say? He didn't say Isaiah said, excuse me, Andy Stanley. He didn't say Isaiah said, Paul is because the Holy Peter said really eternally matters because it was God speaking through him by way of Holy Spirit. So the Word of God is the Word of the Spirit. You can preach, and you can say, Paul said, yeah that's fine, but really Holy Spirit said. You can say James said, and John said, that's fine, sure. It was Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still speaking today because he's still saying the Bible says. The time, I love it, speaks through the scriptures, and he speaks through those who faithfully teach and preach the scriptures. This is why, this is why the early disciples beloved gave themselves to the Word of God. They gave the Word of God first place. And that saga that needs to continue is that the church must continue to give the Word of God its rightful first place. It's preeminent in the early church, just preeminent among those other disciples. They preached it. They preached the Bible. You read those early sermons, you read Peter, Peter's quoting Old Testament, he's quoting David, he's quoting John, you read Paul. And then quote the Old Testament prophets and the Son. Why? Because they preached the Word of God. How many day preach it? Beloved, they taught it. They taught it in Acts chapter 20, verse 27. Paul told the Ephesian elders, why did not shrink from the Clarence to you the whole council of God? They and night, house the house, sharing and teaching the Word of God. Not only did they preach it and teach it, but they studied it. Notice what it says in Acts chapter 17, verse 11. Now the disciples in Berea received the Word with eagerness and what did they do? Examine the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. I hear you talking Paul, but I got to find it in the Word. Because I want to know if the Spirit is saying these things. Priest it. They taught it. They studied it. They lived it. Acts chapter 2, verse 42. You recorded me? I'm just kidding. And you know the early disciples were committed to the Word of God. Acts 2, verse 42, the Bible says, and they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching. Was there sustenance? And they devoted themselves daily, Beloved. They preached it. They taught it. They studied it. They lived it because they understood that these were not just the Word of men. These were the words of God. These were the words of Holy Spirit. And He would lead them into truth, righteousness, and the right way to go. Beloved, if you've ever seen any of the Star Wars movies, then you know there is one constant in them all. There is one constant that appears in every episode. You know that is the force. You know that is the force. The force. The force. Obi-Wan, Kenobi. And speaking to young Luke Skywalker, define the force as an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together. Well Beloved, if you didn't know that Star Wars was fictional before now, now you do. Because there is only one true power in the universe. And it is not a foot, it is not an energy. It is a person. And that person is God. And teaching and bringing us into a deeper and more fuller and more satisfying relationship with Jesus Christ, that person in particular is God the Holy end of our services. Now I'd say the benediction. I quote from 2 Corinthians chapter 13 in verse 14, if you didn't know that already. Where Paul says, in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship, the communion of Holy Spirit be with you all. Not the force be with you Beloved, but that Holy Spirit, the sweet communion and fellowship of Holy Spirit, that Holy Spirit would be with you and guide you and teach you and lead you in the truth and righteousness and point you to Christ.