We’re preaching on Acts chapters 8 to 15 in Term 1 at my church, having preached on the first seven chapters last year. At the very start of Acts, Luke writes:
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to hea,ven. (Acts 1:1–2a)
The ‘former book’ he’s referring to is his Gospel, in which he describes the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. Notice: he describes his Gospel as the record of what Jesus began to do and to teach. That implies that Acts, the sequel to Luke’s Gospel, will be about what Jesus continued to do and teach after he was taken up to heaven. You’d think that once Jesus had ascended to heaven he’d be done doing and teaching. Clearly not. No, Jesus continued ‘to do and to teach’ after he rose to heaven, and he still is.
How is Jesus doing and teaching now? Acts 2 makes it clear that in his people by his Spirit Jesus is continuing to lead his mission. And what is his mission? He told his disciples before his ascension:
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. (Acts 1:8)
Encouragement for a New Year
It can be daunting getting everything ready for a new year: putting the finishing touches on our kids programs, starting up Growth Groups, and possibly still recruiting a few extra leaders to fill gaps in our teams. We have big plans for the year. But it can be lonely work. Who knows if anyone will be here in two hours’ time to fill the seats I’m putting out now? And is it all up to me to make sure that they are? Do I have any help in this work, or am I on my own?
God tells you: you’re not on your own. The Lord Jesus Christ is with you. Jesus didn’t ascend to heaven just to put his feet up and wait for his second coming. He is leading the mission of his church right now by his Spirit. He is helping you get kids church ready this week and picking who will come and sit in the chairs you’ve laid out. He’s helping you put the finishing touches on your sermon and guiding the band as it practices. He will be at work in regenerating, convicting of sin, sanctifying, stirring up joy and repentance, empowering for ministry, courage and perseverance. He is here. He is busy. And he is absolutely unstoppable. Jesus is determined to build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt 16:18).[1] You are not alone. Jesus is with you. And one day, when all of this is over, he will return and bring you home to live with him forever.
[1] This is not to guarantee the growth, or even the survival, of any particular local church or ministry. But when a church falters or fails, the Lord Jesus is there with us, and this too is caught up in his universal-church-building work (see, for example, Acts 8:1–8).
