A Church That Multiplies - Acts 1:1-11
Over the next few months, we will be reading through the first eight chapters of the book of Acts. Acts is a marvelous book. It was written by Luke and describes the early expansion of God’s church. This expansion occurred both geographically, as the gospel went out from Jerusalem, and ethnically, as Gentiles came to faith in Christ. The book of Acts is the longest book in the New Testament and covers a time period of over three decades, from around AD 30 to 62.
On Sunday, Pastor Michael launched our series on this book by preaching on Acts 1:1-11. In his sermon, Michael discussed the ascension and coming return of Christ and the mission of His church.
In this passage, we can see that Jesus appeared to the apostles during forty days after His resurrection. During this time period, He spoke to them about the kingdom of God. Jesus told the apostles not to leave Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit, who would soon come to live in them.
On the day of Jesus’ ascension, the apostles were gathered together. They wanted to know if Jesus was about to restore the kingdom to Israel, but He told them it was not for them to know times or seasons the Father had fixed by His own authority. Jesus’ final words to the apostles before ascending to heaven are written in Acts 1:8, which reads, “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 earth.’” (ESV). After saying this, Jesus ascended, and angels told the apostles He would come in the same way as they saw Him go into heaven.
The book of Acts follows the structure of Acts 1:8. After the apostles received the Holy Spirit, they told others in Jerusalem of the works of God in His power, and the Lord granted repentance to many. Persecution came, and believers were scattered after the stoning of Stephen. This scattering, however, served to advance the gospel outside of Jerusalem. Disciples were made in Judea and Samaria, with people of different ethnicities coming to faith in Christ. Christianity continued to spread even beyond those areas, and in the second half of the book of Acts we can read about the missionary journeys of Paul and his coworkers. Jesus' words proved true.
Christians today are still entrusted with making disciples of all nations. As we seek to make disciples, it can be helpful to consider characteristics of a church that multiplies. While we may be tempted to trust in our own efforts, the book of Acts shows us that disciples are made by the power of the Holy Spirit, not according to our abilities. As we seek to make disciples, it is important that we rely on the Holy Spirit and not on our own strength.
A church multiplies as it is strengthened in the faith. One important way we pursue this is by devoting ourselves to the reading of God’s word. If we want to be faithful with the mission God has given us — and if we want to be healthy disciples ourselves — we must drink deeply from the streams of Scripture.
And certainly, if we seek to make disciples, we must share the gospel. Our actions can be a powerful testimony to the world around us, but they are not sufficient in themselves. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (see Romans 1:16). We’ve been entrusted with the best news anybody could ever hear. Let’s be faithful to share it, and to call people around us to repentance.
Resources:
Acts 1-12 Summary (Video) — BibleProject
Acts 13-28 Summary (Video) — BibleProject
Purposes of the Book of Acts — Ligonier Ministries
Reflection Questions:
Read Acts 1:1-11. How does it encourage or challenge you?
What motivates you to share the gospel?
How can you be more intentional to share the gospel this year?