Move Jesus’ Rule Forward! Acts 1:1-5

Mustang GTS are made to move forward! I sold them for just short of 14 years and really loved to drive them.

In about 2010 I got a customer who wanted to buy a Mustang GT with a standard transmission. I found out he was 26 years old and was a businessman making good money and wanted to buy a Mustang GT with the standard transmission. Why? He wanted the power and the class of the Mustang GT.

We found the perfect car, a California Special! He loved it. I got the keys for a test drive. When I met the young man at the car he said, “by the way, I don’t drive a standard transmission, so why don’t you drive, and I’ll watch.”

So, I drove for his test drive. I semi-dropped the clutch and kicked the car just a bit to show him what it would do. He was sold. He agreed to buy the car, but asked if I could teach him to drive it. I agreed and we went to work on the paperwork and financing.

He bought it and I taught him to drive it, giving him the tools to move that bad boy forward. Jesus has a kingdom He moves forward and today He has given His people the tools to move it forward. That’s really what the book of Acts is about.

We’re going to look at Acts 1:1-5 and ask and answer four questions.

Acts 1:1-2. “(1) In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach (2) until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” (NIV)

QUESTION NO. 1: WHAT FORMER BOOK?

Acts is the second volume of a two-volume work written by Luke the physician. In the first four verses of Luke’s gospel, he addresses the book to Theophilus and makes the case he was giving him an orderly account of the things Jesus began to do and teach.

We don’t know who Theophilus was, though he could have been some official of some sort and his name means “friend of God.”

The first four verses of Luke are known as Luke’s preface, and the first five verses of Acts are known as the resumed preface. They make up two volumes of one book, Luke/acts.

The first volume covers the 33 years of Jesus’ life on earth, or Jesus’ rule moving through the 33 years of His life on earth, including His ministry, death on the cross, burial and resurrection and ascension.

The book of Acts covers the first 33 years of Jesus’ life moving through His chosen people the church.

Why two books? These books were written on parchments. They were read as the parchment was unrolled in one hand and rolled again in the other hand. When it got too big to hold in one hand it had to be written in two books so it could be held and read in one hand, thus two books know as Luke/acts.

The big thing to understand is the books are about Jesus moving His Kingdom forward personally in His ministry and then Jesus empowering His church to move His Kingdom forward through His people.

Acts 1:3A, “After his suffering he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.” (NIV)

QUESTION NO. 2: WHY WAS JESUS PROVING HE WAS ALIVE?

In John chapter 20 Jesus appeared to His disciples, except Thomas to prove He was alive after he had been killed and buried for three days.

Those disciples, some of whom were apostles had a mission to testify to Jesus and it included the reality that He was living after having been killed and buried.

The apostles testified to Thomas that they had seen Jesus alive and that He had been raised from the dead. You may have heard the phrase, doubting Thomas. That is because Thomas doubted what they were telling him.

In fact, Thomas said that he would have to see the nail holes in Jesus’ hands and put his finger in them, and that he would need to see the hole in Jesus’s side and put his hand in it.

A week after Jesus appeared to the other apostles He appeared again to them with Thomas present.

Jesus told Thomas to reach out his hand and put his finger in the nail holes in his hand and to go ahead and put his hand in the hole in his side.

How did Thomas respond? He exclaimed, “My Lord and my God.” He affirmed Jesus is God in the flesh and He’s alive and is the Messiah, the only way for us to be saved and get off planet earth alive.

Jesus proved to the apostles to include Thomas that He was alive. Why was that a big deal?

Jesus was about to empower the apostles, and all disciples of His from then on to be His witness so He could move His kingdom forward through them, like He moved it forward in the 33 years of His ministry on earth.

Dead people can’t move anything forward! Jesus isn’t dead but is alive and moves His kingdom forward today through His people the church. It was necessary His people then and now believe He lives so He can move in them and move His Kingdom forward.

Acts 1:3B, “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke to them about the Kingdom of God. (NIV)

QUESTION NO. 3: Why did He speak to them about the Kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of God is a concept that moves through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. That kingdom is asserted in Psalm 103:19, “The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all the earth.” (NIV)

The Lord’s kingdom rules even now and can demonstrate His sovereign rule of peoples and nations.

Jesus talked about His kingdom through all four gospels, for instance in Luke 12:31, “But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.” (NIV)

How do I seek Jesus’ kingdom or the kingdom of God now? I seek to be ruled over by Him. His rule over me is His kingdom now, and I can volunteer for that kingdom in my life, surrendering to Jesus now!

The kingdom of God was included in the preaching of the gospel in the book of Acts and beyond. Acts 8:12, “But when they believed Phillip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (NIV)

Phillip preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. The good news of Jesus, that’s his life, death and resurrection is always about people surrendering to His rule as Lord and entering the Kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God goes even further. Revelation 11: 15B, “The Kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.” (NIV)

Ultimately Jesus will establish His eternal kingdom at the day of the Lord and He will rule forever and ever.

Jesus moved the Kingdom of God forward through the 33 years of His life and ministry and moved it forward during the 33 years recorded in the book of Acts by Him moving through His people, the church.

We can’t forget the power to move the kingdom forward. He comes next!

Acts 1:4-5. “(4) On 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. (5) For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (NIV)

QUESTION NO. 4: WHY WERE THE DISCIPLES TO WAIT FOR THE GIFT?

The gift was the power source for them to witness to the good news and take the good news of the Kingdom forward.

In Acts 1:8A Jesus told them, “But you will receive power

Holy Spirit you.” (NIV)

In a few days the disciples would receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and God would have empowered them with His power to witness to the world about the rule of Jesus as Lord, or the Kingdom of God.

After a 10-day prayer meeting God would deliver the gift to the disciples and they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. From then on they were empowered to bear witness to the good news about Jesus and His kingdom to move His rule forward in their time.

Everyone who comes to Christ today receives that same Holy Spirit power to bear witness to Jesus and move His Kingdom forward.

Remember the 26-year-old who bought the Mustang GT with the standard transmission. He did learn to drive it on the back lot at Sanderson Ford. He dropped the clutch and kicked in with the power and drove that car home that day.

He moved the Mustang forward under V-8 power! Today, we’re called to move the Kingdom forward under Holy Spirit power as we witness to Christ.

Drop the clutch on Holy Spirit power and move Jesus’ rule forward today.

Tom West works in advanced planning at Myers Funeral Service in Porterville. He can be reached for funeral and cremation insurance and help with funerals or guest preaching. You can see Tom’s daily messages on his Youtube channel at Christian Ministry Central. when the comes on