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Sermon Notes of Rev.Dr.I.J.W.Oakley (23-1-1994 Guisborough Evangelical Church)
Acts 1 deals with several important subjects before the story of Peter commences in chapter 2. Luke begins with the resurrection of Jesus, a vast subject with many facets. Here, two main points are made – firstly the strong evidence for the resurrection, and secondly the fact that His resurrection is the foundation of all He continues to do in the book of Acts.
After His suffering, Jesus showed Himself to these men
and gave many convincing proofs, or infallible proofs, that He was alive. He
appeared to them over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3). The Greek word pollois
tekmhriois translated “convincing”
or “infallible” is used nowhere else in the New Testament, and only in few
places in Greek literature. It means there were sure signs, positive proof,
convincing and decisive. Luke was certain Jesus had risen bodily from the grave.
There is nothing in his story to countenance the idea of some modern theologians
that this was merely “the spirit of Jesus” living on, or the influence of
Jesus still being felt by the disciples, or that the disciples were seeing
visions of Jesus. No, it was a bodily resurrection. They had seen him, He had
shown them His hands and His feet, and invited them to touch Him. A ghost does
not have flesh and bone. He even ate broiled fish in front of them.
We have reason to make that claim even more emphatically
than Luke in light of the total evidence – the living witnesses who saw Jesus,
at one time, more than 500 together in one place, from a variety of people and
temperaments and backgrounds, including some who were doubters at first. How
could they all have been suffering from hallucination?
The tomb was empty. If the Jews could have produced His
body, they would have done so, to stop the disciples from preaching the
resurrection. And it is unlikely His disciples stole the body, for men do not
normally give their lives for something they know to be a lie.
There was also the evidence of the remarkable change in
the disciples. They were not expecting the resurrection, and they thought Jesus
death was the end. The resurrection was a complete surprise, and it would have
needed strong evidence to convince them. Once convinced, what a change. Their
fear and despair went, and they went on to preach boldly and fearlessly. Their
cowardice turned to courage, their fear to faith, the doubters became believers.
They went on to turn the world upside down with their preaching. Peter who had
denied Jesus, and others who had deserted Him, were now willing to give their
lives for the Gospel.
Saul of Tarsus was the archenemy and chief persecutor,
yet he was remarkably changed when he became convinced of the risen Jesus. Later
he went on to say that his one desire was to know Christ and the power of His
resurrection (Philippians 3:10). It pleased God to reveal His Son in me (Galatians
1:15,16).
The existence of the Christian church is further
evidence. It arose and grew supremely because of the preaching of the
resurrection. This belief has produced the most outstanding men the world has
ever seen. Could that be based on deceit and lie? Or what caused the hardened
Jews to alter the day of worship from the seventh to the first day of the week?
The New Testament is the most remarkable and influential
book in the world. It is based on belief in the resurrection. Could it be based
on a lie and delusion?
Then there is the evidence of personal experience. The
proof of the resurrection is accessible to any man. It is powerful to invade and
change lives. Christ has revolutionized thousands now living. It is possible to
be indwelt by the living Lord, to feel the pressure of His greater will, and to
experience a complete change in outlook and values through His power. Christ
lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
The evidence is impressive, outstanding, and
immeasurable. It is the best-attested fact in history. The former Kings Counsel,
Sir Edward Clarke, said “As a lawyer I have given myself to a prolonged study
of the evidences. The evidence to me is conclusive. Over and over again in the
High Court I have secured a verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling.”
Another British lawyer in the early 1930’s, Frank
Morrison, was sure the resurrection was a fable and fantasy. He was sure he
would do the world a favour by once and for all exposing the fraud and
superstition. He studied the evidence and discovered his case was not as good as
he thought. He ended up writing a book very different from the one he had
planned, “Who moved the stone?” The first chapter is entitled, “The
book that refused to be written.” He confessed how, because of the evidence,
he was persuaded against his will about the bodily resurrection.
The resurrection is the very heart of our faith. It is vital and central. If this is false, all else is. If it is true, all else is. Christ is alive. The Gospel is true. His promises are reliable. He can be known. We can have new life now and a sure and certain hope of life beyond the grave. The evidence for this claim is overwhelming. Luke tells us there are many convincing proofs. “Amen”, adds Christian knowledge and experience.
The Acts of the Apostles has to be interpreted in the
light of the resurrection. Luke tells us that his former book (our third Gospel)
told of all Jesus began to do and to teach. He implies that the present
book tells of all Jesus continues to do and teach. That is possible only
because the one who died and rose continues, in His resurrection power, to
direct and guide His church and govern the affairs of the world.
The risen Lord is the chief actor; hence some prefer the
title, “The Acts of the Risen Christ”. Everyone else in the book is purely
an instrument in His hands, and a pawn He moves about the board. There is
nothing more obvious and remarkable than the way in which, at every turn, all is
referred to Jesus Christ Himself. For example, when the Apostles had to select
someone to take Judas’s place, Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us
which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry (Acts
1:24,25). When Peter was called on to explain events at Pentecost, This Jesus
has poured out what you now see and hear (Acts 2:33). He is the reason given
for the large increase in the church; The Lord added to their number daily
those who were being saved (Acts 2:47). When Peter and John healed the lame
man at the Temple Gate, they were dismayed that people thought it was they who
had holiness and power. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man was made
strong (Acts 3:16).
Paul on the road to Damascus suddenly had a light shine
on him, he fell to the ground blinded, and hears the voice, I am Jesus whom
you are persecuting (Acts 9:5). Ananias is sent to Paul to give him back his
sight because The Lord told him in a vision (Acts 9:8). Aeneas, who had
been bed-ridden for 8 years, and was paralysed, Peter’s words, Aeneas,
Jesus Christ heals you (Acts 9:34). When Paul and Silas arrived in Mysia and
tried to go to Bithynia, the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to (Acts
16:7). On the second missionary journey, when Paul, Silas and Luke were in
Philippi, Lydia was converted; The Lord opened her heart to heed the things
spoken by Paul (Acts 16:14).
When Paul was in Corinth, he was encouraged by the Lord
in a vision, Do not be afraid but speak…. for I am with you… for I have
many people in this city (Acts 18:9,10). When he was in prison in Jerusalem,
the Lord stood by and said, ‘Be of good cheer Paul, for as you have
testified for me in Jerusalem, so must also bear witness at Rome’ (Acts
23:11).
So at every turn in the narrative we see the risen Christ
totally in control, guiding the decisions and movements of the church, pouring
out the Holy Spirit, working miracles, converting people, adding people to His
church, encouraging and drawing near in times of trouble and persecution,
overruling events and decisions of men to ensure His purposes are carried out
and His apostle arrives at the capital of the Empire itself.
Christ is the actor. He alone is the actor. The men are
His implements and instruments. Consider the way in which this story picks up
men and drops them, as they are merely instruments of Christ’s power. Seem so
many loose ends. What happened to Philip after he left the Ethiopian eunuch? Or
to Peter after the Council of Jerusalem? Why does the story end with Paul in
lodgings in Rome? Why not mention his subsequent work or his future martyrdom?
Why not leave out some of the details and tell us more about the ends of these
great men? Human interest prompts us to ask these questions. But Luke is not
interested in satisfying our human interest. He mentions these men, not for
their own sake, but merely to show us how the actor in the story – the unseen
risen Christ – used them and went on to use someone else.
While the Lord was using a man in a special way, he was
of interest to Luke. Then the spotlight falls on someone else, and the first one
is set aside. The concern and interest is not in the men and their doings, but
on the risen Christ and His activity through men. Our eyes are to be turned on
Him, and not on them. Luke’s main concern is the Acts of the Risen Christ.
The risen Christ raises up His men, saves them and gifts
them, and gives them certain tasks to do. Then He raises up another. This is the
same in every generation. Men may come and may go, but He goes on forever.
Everyone inherits an unfinished task, and leaves behind an unfinished task.
Paul puts men in their place, and helps us to see things in their true perspective: Who is Paul and who is Apollos but ministers or servants through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:5-7).
Acts begins with the assertion of the truth and
truthfulness of the Resurrection. Acts is to be interpreted in the light of the
Resurrection. What does this mean to us?
We need to take heart, and
realize the very solid and historical foundations of our faith. We live among
people who are ignorant of even the elementary facts of the Christian faith and
who know nothing of the strength of the case. They think the matter is not even
worth considering. The media do not give it any publicity. Much more important
is the latest Whitehall scandal or escapade of the celebrity. The world’s only
interest in Christian things is to highlight blasphemous denials of the way-out
ecclesiastic who rejects the basics of the Gospel he is paid to defend.
Therefore as Christians we may
well feel rejection, discouragement, inferiority complex. Take heart. At the
centre of our faith is the risen Lord, the same yesterday, today and forever.
The case for Him is built on infallible and convincing proofs, and our own
experience confirms the validity of His claims and promises.
We need to get the right
perspective on our Christian work and witness. We tend to make ourselves too
central, it’s all about our Christian work, and our Christian service.
Instead, the Lord ought to be central, His plans and purposes, and we are just
His pawns and instruments. “It is not what I do for God, but whether I ask Him
to do His own work in me and through me.” (F.B.Meyer). Our usefulness in His
service is affected by the question whether we are working for God, or if we are
allowing God by His Spirit to work through us. Christ ought to occupy centre
stage. We must submit self to be under His mighty hand, to be a pawn that is
moved about by Him and an instrument used by Him.
Hudson Taylor, intrepid missionary to China, explained
his whole missionary service: “One day the Lord said to me, ‘I am going to
evangelise China. And I’ll do it through you if you will walk with me.’”.
Another of his memorable sayings: “There are several ways of working for God.
(a) We may make the best plans and then carry them out to the best of our
ability. (b) Or having carefully laid our plans and determined to carry them
through, we may ask God to help us. (c) There is yet another mode of working; to
begin with God, to ask His plans, and to offer ourselves to carry out His
purposes.”
This challenge comes to us all.
Think of our own lives, where they are going, what they are achieving. Think of
the church. How can we reach out into our town? The words of the Lord are so
true – The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few (Matthew 9:37).
How easy to say, “I think….” , “I believe the best way forward is…”.
Instead we need to begin with the Lord, put Him in the centre of the picture.
What we think, and our bright ideas, is irrelevant.
What are His plans? How does He
want us to go forward? Are we prepared to go His way and not our own? Am I
prepared to crucify self, and submit to the Lord? Wait on the Lord. Offer
yourself for His service and do His will.
“How
I praise Thee, precious Saviour,
That
Thy love laid hold of me.
Thou
hast saved and cleansed and filled me
That
I might Thy channel be.
Channels
only, blessed Master,
But
with all Thy wondrous power
Flowing
through us, Thou canst use us
Every
day and every hour.”
