The acts of the Church

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:42

As a child, I was heavily influenced by the books I read. I was brought up on a diet of Swallows and Amazons and Famous Five, so all I wanted to do was go sailing, have secret meetings and bust criminal gangs. My grandfather built me a boat, so that was no problem. Busting criminal gangs is not really something that people would recommend for ten-year-olds. Secret meetings, though – well that’s another matter! One day I tried to organise a secret meeting for my brother, and the boy who lived opposite. We met in the shed in my garden (just like the Secret Seven!) and tried to decide what we should call ourselves. We couldn’t decide a name, let alone what we were going to do, so that proved to be our last meeting!

The New Testament, and Acts in particular, is packed full of useful information and guidance for churches. There’s no need for churches to wonder what they should be doing – all the information can be gleaned from the Bible! Here, at the beginning of Acts, we have a very famous, and quite simple verse, which tells us what the essential activities of the church should be. Since we are all members of the church, this advice is just as valid for us as individuals! The early members of the church here in Acts first of all ensured that they studied the teaching of the Apostles. We should ensure that we place primary importance on the study of God’s word in the same way. They also devoted themselves to fellowship, meeting together to discuss God’s word and to support one another. They undertook the breaking of the bread, which today we would probably call Holy Communion. They also placed great importance on prayer. If these four activities were considered so important to the early church, we should seek to follow their example and to undertake these activities ourselves. That is why it is so important for a Christian to belong to a church, since only by meeting together with other Christians can these things be done effectively.

We at Crossring also devote ourselves to these four activities. Our whole site is built around the word of God – why not take a look through our articles and read them for yourself? Together, we can help each other to understand the Bible better. We also have a forum, where we can meet together to discuss the Word, and to support one another. We also have a prayer forum where you can share prayer requests.

Most importantly, though, if you are not a regular member of a church, do give serious consideration to joining one. You will find it hugely helpful in your faith, and, you never know, you may even enjoy it!

The gift of the Holy Spirit

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2:38

When I was about to leave my secondary school, an old teacher spoke to all the Sixth Formers and suggested that we should take out membership of a posh club in London. Since we were young, we could get a special membership rate, and could be proposed by our headmaster. I didn’t see any benefit to joining at that stage, so I ignored the advice. Some years later, when I found myself working in London, I thought better of it, and looked at how to apply for membership. I discovered that not only would it be very expensive to join, but I would also need to be proposed by two members. I didn’t know two members, and not being particularly rich, could not afford the membership fees. I remained clubless, therefore.

Christianity is viewed by some as rather like a club. Like the club I tried to join, people often think that it is very difficult to gain membership. Here, Peter tells people exactly what they needed to do to become a Christian, however, and it was not as difficult as people might think. First, one had to repent one’s sins, meaning to ask for forgiveness and to promise not to sin wilfully again. Secondly, one should be baptised, as a sign of commitment and of the rebirth that occurs when becoming a Christian. This should all be done in the name of Jesus Christ, as a mark that it is to him one is giving one’s life. What follows is an incredibly gift – the Holy Spirit, which resides within a Christian, and which supports, guides, and points one to Christ. Peter directs these instructions at every one of his listeners – not just Jews, not just good people, but all the assembled crowd. Forgiveness and acceptance, as evidenced by the Holy Spirit, are for everyone!

There is much to be thankful for here. Why not recommit your life to Christ today? Pray for forgiveness of your sins, tell him that you will strive to do better, and accept that incredible gift of the Holy Spirit in your life?

The Promise of Righteousness

1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

17″Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.19Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’

24″Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”

Acts 3

Doesn’t it irritate you when people think they know what is best for you? It all begins in childhood, when we are told that our parents know what is it our best interests. We then find that teachers, too, think that they know better than us what we should do. Then, once we reach the real world, we find that it doesn’t end. Even our bosses think that they know what is best for us. Most people have an annual appraisal, and it is then that our managers tell us that they think we should do this, or go on that course, if we are to do well. What is even more annoying, though, is when those people who think they know what is in our best interests are right. They somehow manage to spot what it is that we need, even if we didn’t notice it for ourselves.

In our current reading, we meet someone who is in just that position. Peter and John encounter a “man crippled from birth” whose daily routine is to sit outside the temple and beg for money. He thinks that charity is the answer to his problems; if only he can persuade a few people to give him some cash every day, he will manage to get by in life. Peter, though, recognises that although money may go some way to alleviating the man’s problems, it is not the real solution. What the beggar really needs is to be healed. Peter commands the man to get up in Jesus’ name, and the beggar, who has evidently heard of Jesus and the amazing things that he has accomplished, has such faith in Jesus’ ability to heal, that he is cured, and finds himself able to walk. Peter is keen to tell everyone that it is not he who has brought about this amazing transformation in the man, but Jesus, and the faith that the beggar had in him. Jesus continues to have the power to transform lives; Peter and John knew that, and the beggar they met believed that. Do we believe that? Do we know that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is still at work today? That he works in, and through, us? Like the beggar, we might not fully understand what we need; like him, we may not be able to see the real solutions to our problems, but God can. If we have faith in him, he will surprise and transform us, and provide all that we need.

We often try to understand what it is that God wants to do with us. Like the beggar, who hopes for money but gets healing, we find ourselves limiting our expectations of what God can do for us. As he did in his previous sermon, Peter calls upon people to repent – something that is already becoming something of a theme for Acts. If we repent from our sins, they won’t just be forgiven, they will be wiped out, forgotten. It will be as if we have never sinned. In God’s eyes, we will be pure and holy, righteous, just as Adam and Eve were before the fall, and just as Christ was. This is why our true repentance is so important; as well as asking for forgiveness, we must actively turn from our sin and try our hardest to live a pure and blameless life. This promise already goes beyond the promise of simple forgiveness that we had been hoping for, however. Peter goes on to say that if we repent, “times of refreshing” may come for us from the Lord. That internal worry that seems to inhabit us will disappear, the angst that disturbs us will be no more, because we will have discovered not just the meaning and purpose of life, but we will know that we are forgiven, loved by God, and that we are destined to take our place in God’s new creation after our death. The human affliction of worry will cease to be, because everything will have a context. Peter’s words here demonstrate that too often, even as Christians, we limit our expectations of God’s goodness. Maybe that ignorance that led to mankind killing Jesus still affects us today.

The amazing salvation that Christ brings us is foreshadowed throughout the Old Testament, and Peter comes to this at the end of his sermon. Much of his audience were Jewish, and it would have been important for him to demonstrate that Jesus was a continuation of their tradition, not something entirely new, if he was to reassure them that following Jesus was the right thing for them to do. Whilst we may not be Jewish, the way in which Peter links the coming of Jesus, the Messiah, back through the major characters of the Old Testament should reassure us that God’s plan is a coherent vision for the future of not just mankind, but for all of creation. Jesus was not an after thought, but the central element of his plan, around which everything else hinges. Peter confirms that Moses told his followers that God would raise a prophet up from amongst the Jewish people, and that people must do everything that he tells them to do, otherwise they would be completely cut off. He confirms that all the prophets from Samuel onwards have confirmed that this would be the case. Peter also tells his listeners that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham, that through his offspring all people would be blessed. Far from being something new threatening, Jesus is the figure to whom all the central events in the Old Testament have pointed.

Through this one incident in Acts 3, the healing of the crippled beggar, we learn a great deal from Peter about Christ and his place in our faith. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is still at work in the world today, and can change and transform lives, often in ways that we were not expecting, but always for the better. Through Jesus, we, as Christians, are not just forgiven, but made righteous in God’s eyes. He doesn’t reluctantly tell us not to worry about the sins that we commit, but forgets them, wipes the slate clean, and enables us to start again. We must, therefore, repent in a heartfelt and genuine manner, aiming never to commit those sins again, but to live a life worthy of one who has been made righteous on God’s eyes. Finally in our current reading, we see that Jesus is the fulfilment of the prophecies of the Old Testament, and as such is the lynchpin of God’s plan. Jesus is without a doubt the most significant character of the whole of human history, and it is for that reason that we should make the effort to find out as much as we can about him, and, if we accept that he lives today, ensure that we do everything we can not just to live a life worthy of him, but to encourage others to consider what Jesus has done for them too.

Jesus will return

“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.”

Acts 1:11

The Bible promises in numerous places that Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and to decide who has honoured his name, served him faithfully, and is deserving of a place in God’s new creation. The question that many Christians ask about this is how will we know that Jesus has returned? Many people over the centuries have claimed to be the returning Christ, and yet none were. Will we notice Christ return? Will he slip back unnoticed? Will we recognise him?

There are several places in the Bible that detail how Christ will return, but this prophecy in Acts is particularly poignant, since it comes straight after Jesus ascended into heaven. The disciples were told by two men, who were probably angels in the form of man, that Jesus will return in the same way as he ascended into heaven. The disciples had just seen Jesus, in a physical human body after his resurrection, be lifted up and taken into the sky on a cloud. Since Jesus will return in the same way, we can expect to see him. He will return in human form, still a man and yet still God, and will descend from the sky on clouds. I don’t know how many men you have seen do that, but I suspect the answer is none

The promise of today’s verse is that Jesus WILL return. He will come back to gather together his people. He has not abandoned us, but, as we saw yesterday, has left us to continue his ministry on earth. When the time comes, we will see him return, and when that day comes, there will be so much to be joyful for. Give thanks, then, that Jesus will return, and pray that we might see his descent from heaven soon!

You will receive power

“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.”

Acts 1:8

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could just tell you what you should do with your life? There as are so many decisions to make, and so many possibilities that sometimes we can feel swamped and unclear on the best direction we should take. I recently resigned from my job, but as yet am not clear on what I should do next. If someone could only tell me what I should do, then things would be so much easier!

In this verse, one of the first in the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus gives his followers a commission; they should tell the world about him. They were, he said, to be his witnesses, not just in the local area, but across the whole world. Whilst much of Jesus’ ministry was focused on reaching out to the Jews, Jesus now makes it explicitly clear that his message of salvation is for everyone, regardless of their religion or their nationality. Everyone should be told about him, and everyone should have the opportunity to repent of their sins. This seems like a pretty hard task to us today, but in the first century when travel and communication were rudimentary compared to what we have today, this must have seemed like an impossible challenge!

Jesus makes it clear that his disciples will not have to face this giant task unaided, however. The Holy Spirit will come upon them, they are told, and when it does, they will receive power, power direct from God. With the Holy Spirit, they will be able to fulfil the task that Jesus set them. The evidence suggests that they did a good job. The fact that we are still speaking about Jesus 2000 years later is evidence that they got the message out!

We must ensure that we tell people about Jesus. We also have a responsibility to tell the world about Christ. Whilst it might seem difficult, don’t forget that we too have the Holy Spirit in us. If the apostles managed to do such a good job, just think what we can do in the twenty first century!

A Powerful and Awesome Force

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17″ ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22″Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.23This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25David said about him:
” ‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will live in hope,
27because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29″Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.31Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
” ‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.” ‘

36″Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2

I’m writing this on the day the iPad is released in the UK. I’m a bit of an Apple-fan, and so this is quite significant for me. I am on a bit of an economy drive at the moment, though, since I am about to spend three weeks in the USA, and then return to Northern Ireland to get married in August. As a result, I can’t really afford to splash out on unnecessary gadgets at the moment. At the airport this morning, though, I joined the crowd of mainly young men who were crowded around this new Apple product in Dixons, and even had a bit of a play on it. It was an incredible bit of kit, and fulfilled all of the expectations I had for this heavily promoted product. That’s something of a rarity these days, it seems to me. Most of the time when we’re promised a new product, we feel it is overhyped, and that it fails to live up to the expectations we had of it. Consumer disappointment often reaches high levels! As we see in chapter two of Acts, however, that is never the case with God’s promises!

In Acts 1, the apostles were given a mission by Jesus. Their role was to spread the gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. This seemed like a very daunting task, but the apostles were promised the arrival of the Holy Spirit, which would give them power to complete this task. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit arrives, and boy, is it powerful! It arrived “like the blowing of a violent wind,” and tongues of fire rested on them. The Holy Spirit had come with force, and filled each of the apostles. Suddenly, they found that they could speak in different languages – not “tongues” in the sense of a language understood only by God, but real languages, that were recognisable to the people from across the world who had gathered in Jerusalem. Not only was this a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit, but it also served a very practical purpose; those who had gathered were able to understand the gospel message preached by the apostles, and 3,000 came to faith as a result.

The power of the Holy Spirit also brought about a change in Peter. Peter was a humble fisherman, who a few years previously had been running his own small fishing firm. Although he was one of the apostles who was closest to Jesus, he didn’t have a particularly bright career behind him. It was he who sank when he didn’t have the faith to walk across the water. He was the one who when asked by Jesus who he thought he was replied “the Christ,” but did not understand what this meant. He was the disciple who denied Jesus three times. Yet here, in Acts 2, we see Peter addressing the crowd so effectively and so persuasively that many gave their lives to Jesus right there and then. The power of the Holy Spirit had taken hold of Simon Peter, the fisherman, and transformed him into Peter, the preacher extraordinaire! As Christians, we are also filled with the Holy Spirit, and should not doubt our abilities to serve God. The Holy Spirit will ensure that we are adequately equipped to fulfil whatever purpose God has in store for us. We might feel inadequate and that we are the wrong choice, but God can use anyone for his purposes!

When the Holy Spirit does come with power, it reveals that the gospel is for everyone, not just the chosen few. The gospel of Christ is fully inclusive. This is clear when the Holy Spirit fills the apostles, enabling them to speak in languages that were not their own. At this time, a large number of people from across the world had gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover festival. Many of these people heard the gospel being preached in their own languages – an early opening up of the gospel message. Peter also quotes a passage from the Old Testament, from the book of Joel, in which it is made clear that the gospel is for all peoples. That same passage also comments that men and women will prophesy, which is often taken to mean teaching in the sense of communicating and explaining God’s word. It goes on to affirm that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, without exception. Peter takes this idea up in the closing section of his sermon. The promise of salvation, he says, is open to all – to the listeners, to their children, and all who are far off, presumably in distance and time. The promise is open to all. No-one is excluded from this gospel message. It is for everyone, no matter who they are.

There is a requirement, however, if salvation is to be received. Upon hearing Peter, many in the crowd are deeply affected, and want to know what they should do. Peter’s response is clear; they must repent of their sins and, as a mark of their new start, be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. If they do this, Peter says, they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This requirement is both simple and difficult. It is easy to ask for forgiveness, but repentance is more than just that. Repentance means actively turning away from sin. It means apologising for doing all those things that God dislikes, but it also means making a commitment to strive not to commit those sins again. Repentance is meaningless unless it is accompanied by a change of heart and a new direction. God understands that we all slip and fall, and that as fallen human beings the chances are that we will sin again, but he wants us to strive to live a life that is holy and pleasing to him. If we take this step, Peter promises us that we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which will inspire and guide us, and ultimately lead us to salvation.

The apostles did not have to wait too long for the Holy Spirit to arrive, and when it did it proved to be a powerful and awesome force. It did not leave their expectations unfulfilled in any way. It equiped the apostles for the tasks ahead of them. It opens up the gospel message to everyone. It also convicted people of their sin, so that on that very first day 3,000 people repented and turned to Christ. The Holy Spirit is still with us, and still works in the same powerful and awesome way. It prepares and equips us, it helps us to carry the gospel far and wide as we were instructed to do by Jesus, and it convicts us of our sin. The Holy Spirit continues to move amongst us today!

Great Expectations

1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After 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. 4On 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. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But 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.”

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

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

12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13When 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.14They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16and 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—17he 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. 19Everyone 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.’ 21Therefore 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,22beginning 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.”

23So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Acts 1

I have a great deal of respect for Luke, the writer not just of the Gospel of Luke, but also the book commonly known as the Acts of the Apostles. Not only did he write around a quarter of the New Testament, but he was the only Gentile (non-Jewish) contributor. He was also an educated man, who undertook a great deal of research prior to writing his books; he had to, since he did not have the Jewish background that the other writers did. I also admire him because, like me, he was an historian. He set out to write his Gospel and Acts in order that those of us who love God, (Theophilus, to whom the book is dedicated, literally means “lover of God”) “may know the certainty of the things [we] have been taught.” He used crucial historical details to prove the truth of the gospel. It was through studying the history that I became a Christian, and Luke played no small part in this. Over the coming months, we will take a close look at the Acts to establish how Jesus’ mission on earth was continued, and how the early church was established.

Christianity has always had a sense of expectation. As Christians, we all wait with expectation for the return of Jesus Christ. We also wait with great expectation for God’s new creation, that we will experience after death. That sense of expectation leaps off the page in this first chapter of Acts. Reading it, one can almost sense the excitement that the apostles felt. They had seen Jesus rise from the dead, and, as Luke describes both in his gospel and in Acts, they had seen him ascend into heaven. Before he departed, however, Jesus told them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait because, in a few days, they would be “baptised with the Holy Spirit.” This “Holy Spirit,” Jesus tells them, will imbue them with the power that they will need to continue his earthly mission. The Spirit wil enable them to be witnesses to what Christ has done for mankind “to the ends of the earth.” His message is not just for the Jews of Jerusalem, but is for the whole human race – and it is the mission of the apostles to spread this message across the globe. This is an ongoing mission which we are all called to as Christians. We share that responsibility for spreading the gospel around the world, and what with our modern communication tools, and cheap air travel, we are in a much better position than the apostles were in to do this. How often do we undertake this activity though? Do we take our role in this mission seriously, or do we neglect it?

It is not just the arrival of the Holy Spirit that the apostles wait with a sense of expecation; they are also eagerly awaiting the return of their friend, master and Messiah, namely Jesus. After telling them to stay in Jerusalem, Jesus ascends into heaven before their very eyes. Luke describes how the apostles looked intently into the sky after him. No doubt they were shocked at what they had seen; someone ascending to heaven is not a common, daily sight! After all they had seen him do, though, not least raising from the dead, there was surely nothing that would surprise them anymore about Jesus! No doubt they were also worrying about how they would cope without their leader. They had been promised the Holy Spirit, but what they really wanted was Jesus to continue to dwell amongst them. They are seen by two angels in human form gazing into the sky, who assure them that one day Jesus would return in the same way that he had ascended into heaven. That expectation that had been growing in them at the promise of the Holy Spirit must have heightened amongst them, as they hoped that one day they would see Jesus amongst them once more. That did not happen during their life times, but it is an expectation that we can share with those apostles. Maybe Jesus will return in our life times! What a great privilege it would be to be in that generation, that gets to witness the return of Christ! It could happen any day! Do we share the sense of expectation that the apostles felt, or do we go for days, or weeks, or months or even years without even thinking about the return of Christ? He will return, perhaps today!

The apostles are so excited about what God has in store for them that they ask him to bring about his plan. They have been greatly affected by what Jesus has said and done, particularly his promise that the Spirit will come upon them. They meet together and they pray “constantly,” willing God to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus has promised it, they are expecting it, and they are champing at the bit waiting to continue their mission. I’m sure you’ve inspired at some point to undertake a task, and have been so excited at the prospect that you are desperate to begin. The apostles feel exactly the same. It’s not just the apostles themselves who are meeting to pray; they are joined by Jesus’ brothers, his mother, Mary, and “the women,” recognising that women are continuing to play an important role in Jesus’ mission. I wonder if we pray with the same passion as the apostles did in those days? Do we pray constantly, asking God to bring about his plan, and to help and equip us to serve him in this? Prayer is something that many of us find very difficult, and yet it played such an important role in the early church that surely it is something that we should try harder to undertake. If we could recapture some of that excitement and expectation felt by the apostles as they met together on that day, maybe we could also recapture some of their passion for prayer!

It is not just the spiritual aspect that they concentrate on in those early days, however. It is all well and good praying for the Holy Spirit to come, but the apostles also needed to ensure that they had all the practical necessities in place if they were to serve Christ. The burning issue for the apostles, and for Peter in particular, is to build the apostles up to their full number. Peter, having been described by Jesus as the rock on whom he will build his church (Matthew 16:18), takes the lead at the meeting. Since the betrayal and death of Judas, the apostles have numbered only eleven, and Peter is keen to see him replaced. He knows his scripture, and identifies two psalms that could be seen as a prophecy of the situation they find themselves in. He also recognises the importance of the apostles being eyewitnesses and close followers of Christ if they are to effectively communicate the gospel with the passion that would be needed in those early days of the church. Barsabbas and Matthias are identified as potential candidates, and Matthias is chosen by lot. With his appointment, the apostles are once again complete, and ready and eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Just as the apostles made sure that they were prepared for the answering of their prayers, the arrival of the Holy Spirit, and the mission that Jesus had given them, we also need to ensure that we are prepared for whatever Christ asks us to do. We share in the responsibility of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. We might pray that the Holy Spirit will support us as we carry out this mission, but do we ensure that we are properly prepared? Do we study the Bible day by day to familiarise ourselves with God’s word? Do we listen carefully to what God tells us? Do we ensure that we are ready for whatever God asks us to do?

Those early days of the church must have been so exciting as the apostles waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit and the return of Christ. The expectation and the urgency with which the apostles faced their tasks jumps off the page at us as we read it. Do we feel as excited about our faith, and the prospect of continuing Jesus’ ministry, making him known to the ends of the earth? Do we feel the same excitement at having the Holy Spirit with us today? In many places around the world, particularly in more traditionally Christian countries, that excitement seems to have been lost. Worship often seems to be something that we do out of habit, without really thinking about it. Our faith, though, should be living and vibrant, full of expectation at what is to come, and imbued with excitement! I pray today that the church will once again feel that great sense of expectation and excitement felt by those early Christians!