Today's Word Radio

Brett Meador: Interesting. Jesus, as we're going to see in a few verses, is going to ascend into heaven. You say, "Well, he's gone, so he's done." No, he's just beginning. Then, by the Holy Spirit, he's going to work through his apostles, and that's going to be the work of Christ. Jesus was only beginning. His work was not yet finished. How would Jesus' work get finished? Acts is about what God can do through the body of Christ, the church of Jesus Christ.

Kurt: The Book of Acts begins by recounting the events following Jesus' resurrection, his ascension, and the actions of the disciples afterward. In today's word, Pastor Brett Meador begins to explore how Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit sets the course for the book, relating how Jesus' ascension helps us understand the Rapture, end times events, and his second coming.

Brett Meador: Grab your Bible and turn with me to Acts chapter one. If you look at the first two red words in the chapter—because we're going to see Jesus here—look at verse four: "But wait." "But wait." That's one of the themes we're going to see in chapter one in and of itself: the waiting. They were supposed to wait, but we'll see how they did in chapter one here. Waiting on the Lord is sometimes tricky, sometimes difficult, but the Bible actually has a lot to say about waiting.

G. Campbell Morgan, a pastor from a couple of generations ago, said, "Waiting for God is not laziness. Waiting for God is not going to sleep. Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort. Waiting for God means, first, activity under command; second, readiness for any new command that may come; third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given." That last part of that is sometimes the hardest: waiting and doing nothing until the command is given.

Waiting is difficult, but getting ahead of God's timing can become more difficult if you try to hurry things up. So here in the Book of Acts, we're going to see this idea in chapter one particularly. The disciples are going to be told to wait. It's the first red letters that we have here. We really do see the Acts of the Apostles; that's the name of this book. One of the older Greek titles in some of the older manuscripts calls it "Acts of Apostolic Men." That's kind of interesting because it wasn't all the acts of all the apostles of all time. It was just some of the acts of the apostles. That's why that older title exists.

What should it be called? Acts of the Apostles? Maybe that. J. Vernon McGee, the "Through the Bible" guy from a couple of generations ago, said, "In my opinion, the proper title for the Book of Acts would be 'The Lord Jesus Christ at Work by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles'." That's a good title. It might even be a good summary statement of what the Book of Acts is all about. Let's back up just a little bit to verse one. It says, "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach."

We saw the word "treatise" there, or in your NIV or ESV, I think it says "book." The former book that I have made would be the Gospel of Luke. The Book of Acts is the second book of Luke. You could almost call it First and Second Luke: the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. Do you ever wonder why God chose Luke to continue the story after the Gospels? Why didn't he use Matthew or Mark? I believe it has to do with Luke's writing style. Luke uses the Greek language in a way that's really clear and concise.

It's because he is a very smart, cerebral kind of guy in his writing. Luke's procedure is also sort of investigative, to say, "Here's what happened," and he writes it with a historical clarity, almost like a provability with great detail and eyewitness accounts. That's really what the Book of Acts does, which the Gospel of Luke began. Luke starts out in a similar way in Luke chapter one, verse one, when it says, "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses."

This is a key part of Luke's account. He's going to talk about eyewitness accounts of the Gospel of Jesus' birth, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and even the acts of the apostles all the way through the Book of Acts. It's going to be about eyewitness accounts and ministers of the word. He says, "It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding"—that's just him saying, "I have perfect clarity as to how the story unfolds and I'm going to write in that perfect understanding." That's why Luke is so good at this, for writing with clarity. "Of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed."

This is the way Luke kicks off the Gospel of Luke: that they may know. That's why the Book of Luke existed, to know the certainty of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, and he does a great job with that. In the same way now, Luke is going to do the same thing with the Book of Acts. He's going to even say similar words, as we'll read in a minute. But also that eyewitness account, the same Greek word is what Luke will use later in the Book of Acts. It's an interesting Greek word, that word "eyewitness." It is *autoptēs*, where we get our word "autopsy," which is kind of an interesting medical term. It's a detailed examination.

Skeptics and cynics of the Bible will try to say, and they have for centuries, "The story of Jesus was glamorized. They didn't really believe in the resurrection until the third century AD." There are all kinds of critical people and cynical people that try to bash away and say the Bible's been blown out of proportion. But that's not even close to true. Luke's writing, both in Luke and Acts, is some of the greatest when it comes to provability, eyewitness accounts, and what they believed. It's all there, written down perfectly in black and white.

Watch out for those who try to dismiss the Bible and diminish the Bible. They always have a reason for that. It doesn't really have anything to do with the Bible. When people say the Bible is full of contradictions, it's not because it has contradictions. It's because it contradicts them. That's why people don't like the Bible. I'm reminded of Romans chapter one, verses 21 and 22, where it says, "Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their foolish imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became as fools."

That's what we see today: people that are boasting of the Bible being full of errors and incorrect information or contradictory statements. No. There's a reason the Bible has lasted all these centuries and millennia, and those people are dead and gone. They just keep coming and going, the people that are critics and cynics, but the Bible remains. There's a reason for that. It's because the Bible is, in fact, living, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. We talked about who the Book of Acts was written to: Theophilus. The short answer is we don't really know who Theophilus is. We can only speculate.

Some suggest that Luke actually worked for Theophilus, maybe was a slave of Theophilus. That's an interesting theory. You say, "Who would be a slave? How's that work out?" Well, there were times wealthy people would hire or even take captive prisoners from other battles and things and make them their own slave. They would have doctors be their slaves. But that's what was possible, that Luke was working for Theophilus. There's also a slight tone change from Luke addressing Theophilus in the Gospel of Luke and Luke addressing Theophilus in the Book of Acts.

Some suggest that because of the tone change, the Book of Acts is more friendly toward Theophilus, whereas it almost seems Luke is being really reverent and fearful, almost overly respectful, to Theophilus in the Gospel. We talked about him being some kind of an official, maybe even an attorney for Paul in Rome. But it seems like they're almost like friends by the time he gets around to writing the Book of Acts. Theophilus maybe, some suggest, wasn't a believer when Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke, and then Theophilus accepts Christ and becomes a Christian.

So no longer is he going to call him "most excellent Theophilus," but it's almost like, "Hey, bro, I got Luke part two for you." It comes off a little more friendly and not quite as reverent. So some suggest Theophilus accepts the Lord as Savior and then Luke writes the Book of Acts. It goes on to "O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach." Interesting. Jesus was only beginning. His work was not yet finished. How would Jesus' work get finished? Well, that's where the Book of Acts comes in.

Jesus is, and we're going to see him in a few verses, going to ascend into heaven. You say, "Well, he's gone, so he's done." No, he's just beginning. Then by the Holy Spirit, he's going to work through his apostles and that's going to be the work of Christ. Acts is about what God can do through the body of Christ, the church of Jesus Christ. That's the beginning here of the Book of Acts. This is what he's talking about, what Jesus has begun. But notice what he's beginning to do. He both did two things: "to do and teach." He ends verse one with that.

I wanted to bring that up in that order. We see that in the Bible quite a bit. You get this sort of message as you read cover to cover in the Bible: the Lord's not interested as much in us teaching then doing. It seems like the Lord's more interested in us doing then teaching. He says both "to do and teach." Jesus was not the kind of guy that would say, "Do as I say, not as I do." If you're a parent who does that, good luck with that. Your kids will only do as well as you do. If you're wanting them to pray, you need to pray. Do, then teach.

A lot of times parents will say, as an old youth pastor, I remember parents would send their kids off to our Sunday School class and say, "Okay, Brett, fix my kids." It's like, "That's not how it works, Mom, Dad. You've got to be the example." A youth pastor or a children's pastor gets the kids for like an hour, maybe, a week, but you have them all week long and they're going to mimic you. You're not going to be able to fake your kids out. In fact, if you're faking your kids out and telling them to do one thing but you do the other, they're going to learn that you're a hypocrite and untrustworthy.

Parents scratch their heads when their kids get to be teenagers and think their mom and dad are fakes. They wonder why their kids would think that. It's because you're not doing and teaching. You're teaching and often not doing. Be careful of that, Mom and Dad. That backfires real fast on a parent. Even friends, if you're going to instruct or encourage, you've got to first do, then teach. I'm reminded of Acts later on when Paul goes and talks to the elders at the church at Ephesus. He writes this, a little sneak preview of coming attractions from Acts.

He says, "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto them, 'Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons'." In other words, this is how I ministered to you all. "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house'."

Paul was one who said, "I've ministered, and how did he minister? Serving the Lord, not serving you, serving the Lord." He said, "I kept nothing back that was profitable." That's a true friend, by the way, that's going to tell you stuff that's even painful or hurtful. Paul didn't hold anything back. Paul was the guy who said, "I'm going to give you the whole deal." That's one of the reasons we go verse by verse through the Bible here, even if it's painful or hurts. We don't avoid controversial topics or subjects because that's not what a real friend does. That's not what the Bible does. The Bible hammers down on even the most difficult of topics.

It's sad that church pastors feel the need to soften things up and not talk about certain topics. That's a big mistake, a huge mistake. That's the job of a pastor: to teach the word of God. What does the Bible say? Not what are his opinions, not what's the most trendy thing to talk about, but what does the Bible actually teach? But before you can just teach it, you've got to show it and sort of be it, too. That's important. Show and tell. Remember that in elementary school? That's what the Bible says. You've got to show first and then you've got to teach it.

That's what Jesus did here in verse one. He both began to do and to teach. That's also how to be effective as husbands, fathers, mothers. It's the way to go. So all that to say, the Book of Acts takes the Gospel message from the head to the heart and then from the heart to the hands and feet. We're going to see the church go out and start to do. They're going to be taught, but they're also going to go out and do. Jesus models that for us perfectly. Verse two says that this is that book he wrote about Jesus beginning to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.

"Taken up," of course, is used four times in chapter one. It speaks of Jesus' ascension into heaven. By the way, I believe that's somewhat how the Rapture of the church is going to look. We're going to be caught up. First Thessalonians chapter four tells us that. "Well, the Bible doesn't say the word Rapture. I don't believe in the Rapture." A lot of people say that, but it's really kind of a dishonest argument because the word "Rapture" comes from the Latin translation of the New Testament. You can call it whatever you want: Rapture, "caught up" like the English translation, or the original Greek word *harpazo*. It means to be caught up or raptured into the air and meet the Lord in the sky.

That's an interesting thing in the way that Jesus was taken up. I think there's kind of a similarity there, but "taken up," we're going to see that as far as Jesus' ascension. And then also that the people be receiving the Holy Ghost, it says that. He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments to the apostles. How did Jesus get his word to the apostles? Through the Holy Ghost. This is where we're already seeing the benefits of Jesus being caught up or taken up in the ascension. Do you remember what Jesus told them way back in John's Gospel?

I'll give you a quick reminder. In John 14:26, Jesus said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Do you want to know what Jesus is wanting you to do? People wore the bracelet: "What would Jesus do?" The best way to know is to have the Holy Spirit in your life, teaching you and instructing you, because that's what Jesus said would happen. In fact, in chapter 16 of John, he even puts it this way.

He said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away." Can you imagine the disciples saying, "What could possibly be good about you going away? We just gave up everything. We left our nets and we're following you, and now you're going away? What are you talking about?" But Jesus said, "This is really going to be good for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." That's the Holy Spirit.

"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." So if Jesus has many things to say to his apostles but they're not ready to hear them now, how in the world is he going to tell them those things after he ascends into heaven? The Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost. That's what he's talking about.

John 14 and John 16, Jesus made it clear that the Holy Spirit was coming and would be giving the apostles the words they needed to hear and the words they would ultimately say. What's interesting is he had many things to say, but they couldn't bear those things now. In other words, they wouldn't understand at this point. But there's coming a time in the Book of Acts where we're going to see the disciples start to get it. Sort of the light bulbs are going to go on, especially with Peter. I think Peter's going to be the champion. He's just kind of the bumbling disciple in the Gospels.

But in the Book of Acts, he snaps to it and he's listening to the Holy Spirit. He's preaching powerfully and filled with the Holy Ghost. It's an amazing transition we're going to see in the Apostle Peter, which is really cool. Hopefully, that transition happens with us, that it's not just the bumbling Brett. We have enough of that. We need some of that Holy Spirit to instruct, to speak through, to give wisdom, and you do, too. All of us. We all have access to that. You might say, "It's so great the disciples had the Holy Spirit back then. I wish I had the Holy Spirit."

Do you realize how much better we have it now than the disciples? Not only do we have the Holy Spirit, we also have the Bible written in black and white from Genesis all the way through Revelation, and we know what the word says really clearly, and we have the Holy Spirit. We're so blessed to live in a day where we have both. Verse three: "To whom he also shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."

I love that: "infallible proofs." The resurrection is one of the most provable facts of all history. The idea of the passion is the death and crucifixion, when it says "alive after his passion." Then Jesus would instruct them and teach them during the 40 days that he was there appearing to them, for example, on the road to Emmaus. Remember, he talked to those two guys on the road to Emmaus and talked about how the whole Old Testament was about himself. I love that. But those infallible proofs of his resurrection, and they saw him for 40 days before he'll ascend into heaven once and for all.

What was he speaking to them about? The kingdom of God. This is where a lot of confusion was found in the disciples. The kingdom of God is sort of mysterious when you talk about it from the Bible. The Bible says mysterious stuff like, "The kingdom of God is not meat nor drink; but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." What's that all about? Jesus would say the kingdom of God is among you. But it wasn't his kingdom. Isn't his kingdom coming? In fact, didn't Jesus teach us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven"?

What's going on with that? This is what Jesus taught the disciples concerning his kingdom. We're going to see here in chapter one that they're still confused. That confusion's going to be cleared up. That's the beautiful part. In fact, the rest of the New Testament will have that perfectly cleared up. If you're wondering, the kingdom was among them because they had the king with them. Those who believed in Jesus were subject to that king. So there was a little bit of his kingdom there because the king was there.

In the same way, you and I seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. That's Jesus, because he's the king. If you're a person who believes that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, guess what? You're part of his kingdom right now. But at the same time, we also know there's a literal coming kingdom where Christ is going to come in his second coming and rule and reign from Jerusalem when he returns. His second coming is not to be confused with the Rapture of the church. Some people say, "What are you guys? You believe in three comings?"

There was the first advent where Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the Rapture's coming, and then there's the third coming. No. What's wrong with that model? The Rapture is not a coming. The Rapture is where we meet him in the air and we're going to be taken up, caught up, raptured, *harpazo*-ed, whatever you want to call it. That's what we're going to be when we're going to be with the Lord. But his second coming is after all of that. I believe the order is very clear if you read your Bible carefully. But there's different views on this.

I believe the Rapture is the next thing on the list of things to do. There's nothing in the Bible prophetically that hinders the Rapture of the church to happen even tonight. But if that doesn't happen, we live our lives with that imminence. We believe it could happen at any moment. I think that was the intention not only for you and me, but even for Paul and Peter and the apostles, to live with that imminence. Maybe they thought the Rapture would happen in their lifetime. "Oh, but Brett, they were wrong, the nincompoops." No. They believed it could happen in their lifetime. They didn't say it would for sure happen in their lifetime.

I believe the Lord wants us to live with that expectation: watching, keeping our lamps trimmed and burning, ready, waiting, vigilant, sober. These are the kind of words the Bible gives to the early apostles all the way to you and me today. When will we stop looking and watching and being vigilant, sober, waiting? After the Rapture of the church. Then everything changes because after that, the Tribulation comes in. The Bible talks about a seven-year period called Tribulation. Then at the end of that Tribulation, the second coming of Christ will happen.

Kurt: Pastor Brett Meador draws a reminder from the Book of Acts of the believer's call to watch and be alert for the return of the Lord as promised in today's word. I invite you to stay right there, as Pastor Brett will join me here in a moment. But first, Today's Word is the radio ministry of Athey Creek Church in the Portland, Oregon, area where Pastor Brett Meador is the senior pastor. We invite you to find out more about Pastor Brett and Athey Creek Church by going to todayswordradio.com. If you've missed any portion of this message, you'll find all of Pastor Brett's studies online at todayswordradio.com.

Well, I have Pastor Brett with me. We've been studying the Book of Acts, and one of the things I wanted to know is what this book means to you personally, Brett. Can you share that with us?

Brett Meador: You bet, Kurt. I think the Book of Acts for me is sort of the owner's manual of the church: how to really operate, how to prioritize the church. I think that even though it was a couple thousand years ago, the same objectives that they had are our same objectives—or they should be our objectives. Acts 2:42, where they continued steadfastly with the apostles' doctrine, which is teaching, prayer, fellowship, breaking of bread. Those four things were the main thing, and as they did those things, the church just flourished. I see for me personally, the Book of Acts is a safety net as a pastor of a modern-day church just to say, how can we model the church today after the Book of Acts? So it's an important book to me personally.

Kurt: Well, thank you, Pastor Brett, for that explanation of what a church should be, even today, from the Book of Acts. Friend, if you'd like more information about Pastor Brett Meador or Today's Word, you can just go to our website at todayswordradio.com. That's todayswordradio.com. Next time, Pastor Brett will show us that it's the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that enables all Christ followers to be effective witnesses for him in our continuing study of the Book of Acts. Today's Word with Pastor Brett Meador is an outreach of Athey Creek Church in West Linn, Oregon.