The Timeless Message of Acts

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The Timeless Message of Acts

Introduction: If a person said to you, “Tell me about the book of Acts,” what would you say? Some responses might be:

• It is a history of the first century church
• It shows the growth of the gospel message throughout the world of the first century
• It gives us a picture of how to become a Christian and what Christianity looked like in the early church

There is nothing particularly wrong with these answers. They are all spoken of within Luke’s account. But I would suggest to you that these responses are details that are sub-points in a much larger message and instruction.

That brings us to the second point of introduction. Acts is not “history.” Acts is instruction. It is a message of the doctrine of God. Is there any NT book that does not have the purpose of instruction? Paul said, “All scripture…is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” Acts fills a major need in all four of these purposes.

The purpose of this lesson is to discover the timeless teaching of this letter to Theophilus. In what way does Luke’s second letter instruct us today?

1. The Kingdom of God
   1. As with any NT letter, there is an introduction that proclaims a purpose and a conclusion that summarizes that the purpose has been accomplished.
   2. Luke proclaims his purpose in the first eight verses:
      1. Jesus spent 40 days with his apostles following his resurrection, speaking to them about the kingdom of God.
      2. The apostles recognized that this was the beginning of the restoration of the Kingdom. Jesus therefore proclaimed the method of restoration: You will be my witnesses…” 
   3. From that time on the “kingdom of God” is preached and Jesus is preached as the King. Luke concludes his letter with Paul “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ.” 
   4. So far, so good. Most of you knew that much. Yes, it is preaching the Kingdom is preaching Jesus as King, but Luke goes beyond the preaching and teaches us the expected effect of this preaching. While we read “gospel” as good news, Luke placed great emphasis on the fact for most it was far from good news.
   5. Consider how quickly this happens. In 4:5-6, all the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem gathered a council and demanded that Peter and John stop preaching Jesus as King in spite of a notable healing of a man lame from birth. After being threatened, Luke records the prayer of the apostles in which they quoted Psalm 2.
   6. Psalm 2: declared the battle between the rulers of the world and God over setting Jesus on the throne as King. God is victorious in the battle and the rulers and warned of rejecting King Jesus. The apostles’ prayer announces the beginning of the battle. 
   7. Therefore, we have now been introduced to Luke’s first major message. The preaching of the Kingdom of God is the preaching of a new Lord and King. The rulers of the earth are going to enter into a battle with this King and those who proclaim him.
2. The Battle Revealed in All Its Forms
   1. This brings us to give greater consideration of how Luke records the spreading of the gospel message. You and I both know the unrelenting story of the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome where Paul awaits an audience with Nero. Paul mentions in Colossians 1:23 that in those 30 years the gospel was proclaimed “in all creation under heaven.”
   2. Yes, that’s the “success” story, but did we consider the battle that took place to get to that point? Throughout his letter, Luke screams the story of conflict, social upheaval, beatings, imprisonment, and even death. Oh how easily we pass over this! And yet Luke does not briefly mention it a couple times. It is recorded in chapters 4, 5, 6-7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and then the final imprisonment story of 27-28. That’s 20 of 28 chapters that Luke devotes to the conflicts created by gospel message! 
   3. How do we read these things? We read as if such violence is unusual, an exception to the rule. But if these events are to be understood as exceptional, why does Luke devote so much of his letter to it? What first comes to our mind is what is rather obvious, Luke wanted to show Theophilus that Christians were innocent of the charges brought by both Jew and Gentile. We say, “Yay!” But then we must confront the cold, hard facts: Christians were imprisoned and run out of their homes. The apostles were still killed. Paul was still put to death. Revelation tells us that the Empire became drunk with the blood of the saints. Innocent or not, look at the end result.
   4. We must quit acting like we don’t see the elephant in the room. Luke is shouting a message and lesson from that day until today. When disciples share the gospel, conflict will result! 
   5. Are we surprised?
      1. Jesus: Matthew 10:34-39 (notice especially the significant upheaval in relationships). This isn’t just about political or cultural persecution.
      2. Paul: 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (it is noteworthy that Paul speaks more about suffering and about those who suddenly shrank back in this last letter just six months before his death). Roman persecution was beginning to intensify.
3. Jesus, Lord and King
   1. The conflict at Thessalonica (Acts 17:6-7) gives a summation of the charges brought by Jew and Gentile alike, which gives us a good start on why they were persecuted violently, and why we can expect the same reaction when we are in similar circumstances:
      1. “Saying there is another king, Jesus” is really the foundation of the other two accusations. Obviously, the implied accusation is that Christians are trying to overthrow the emperor and the Empire. If true, this would require the death penalty.
      2. “Acting against the decrees of Caesar” would be the result of proclaiming another king. In other words, their allegiance is not to Caesar but to King Jesus. This is frustrating to any ruler who desires absolute allegiance. When such a ruler announces a “state of emergency,” he expects absolute obedience regardless. “Control” is his god because he, and he alone, is to be given allegiance. This ruler believes the welfare of the Empire or country he controls, depends on it.
      3. “Turned the world upside down” relates to the social upheaval that is often present when any “movement” gets traction. Most rulers would not notice individuals within his rule who quietly lived out of sync with the predominate culture, but when that lifestyle is preached and communities are formed that are counter to the social and economic norms in a community, money and power can be threatened.
   2. The trigger point: Jesus is Lord of all. Acts 10:36, Luke quotes Peter as saying, “As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all.” But in Acts 25:26, Festus tells Herod concerning Paul’s appeal to Caesar: “I have nothing definite to write to my lord (kurios) about him.” Much like the beginning of the book of Mark, there is a clash between who is Lord. A Roman coin states, “Augustus Caesar, Son of God.” Mark writes, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God.” The essence of preaching the gospel is: who is Lord of all? When the ultimate victory is proclaimed in the Christians’ battle with Rome in the book of Revelation, it is said, “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called chosen and faithful” (Rev. 17:14).
   3. We often say, “What’s the matter with these Jews and these Romans having a total melt down about the preaching of Jesus?” But I will suggest to you, their reaction is not abnormal. Consider:
      1. Acts 16 casting out the girl with the demon. Emphasis on how destabilizing the preaching of Christ was to the accepted way of life in the Roman Empire. The effect was the beginning of economic disaster. (Cf. present day abortion centers).
      2. What we see at Athens, Ephesus, Philippi, Lystra, and Thessalonica, “religion” – specifically paganism, is the foundation of and very fabric of each community’s culture and of Rome itself. Therefore to say the religion is false is to attack the culture. If you say my religion is wrong, you are at the same time denigrating my city, my country, and my life.
      3. When Demetrius started a riot at Ephesus, he referred to Paul as the one who has “persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. And there is a danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.” In other words, it is impossible to truly preach Christ without affecting the culture.
      4. In the first century, the culture was pagan and the politics adhere to Caesar as Lord. Paul is not trying to overthrow Rome and he is not suggesting that Jesus as King is in direct competition with Nero or trying to overthrow Nero. But if Christ is King over every part of your life, the Roman culture will change because Christ’s purpose is to shine light in darkness (Acts 26:18). This explains the often violent reactions to the gospel.
      5. Consider: How do you and I feel when we learn that radical Muslims would like to change our system of laws to Sharia Law because they believe that this is the way to world should serve Allah? Their desire to change our “religion,” undermines what we love about our culture and our country. It undermines the freedoms we fought for. We would become livid if Muslims were converting hundreds of thousands of people throughout America, eventually infiltrating our political system.
      6. Acts 24: Tertullus refers to Paul as a plague throughout the whole world. While this lawyer’s words are extreme and extravagant, the point is to understand what can be expected when publicly teaching and confessing Christ comes into conflict with the present culture.
      7. However, take away the hyperbole: what is the argument of Tertullus? It is sedition, inciting people to rise up against the governing authorities and overthrow the state. Paul had no such intent, but that is the way it is characterized. (Woman in London praying in her mind, but never audibly saying a word near an abortion clinic was arrested recently. Why? It is a perceived challenge to the authority of the state.) In America, the groundwork for this very thing is already taking place. Government punishing a bakery for not creating a specialty cake for a gay marriage. The use of “phobia” to refer to those who reject Islam or same-sex relationships. “Labeling” (haters) is a perfect way to shut down dialogue, enabling the one in power to judge, punish, or cancel opposing views.
   4. All of this is an alert to us. We must not think we can preach Christ in a way that does not turn personal lives and culture upside down. This is a primary cause of our hesitance to teach friends and neighbors. We are afraid we are getting too personal, that we are being a meddler, and the result that we will get a bad reputation. (Indeed, in Fayetteville, a neighbor we taught and baptized, later quit as she learned she would have to change her lifestyle more than she desired. The result was to speak evil of us around the neighborhood.) Our actions and preaching of the gospel should and will engage and challenge the present culture. Luke’s message: That is God’s intention. It is the natural result of the gospel message.
   5. Why haven’t we experienced the “Roman reaction” in our country? Our founding fathers understood this battle, and thus the reason for the first amendment and freedom of religion. Our faith in God and service to God supersedes the command of government. During COVID, when some governors and presidents decided to exercise “emergency powers,” they attempted to overthrow both freedom of speech and freedom of religion guaranteed in the First Amendment. Some are still attempting to keep that power even after their emergency powers have ended. 
   6. Therefore, the question Luke is addressing is, Who is Lord of all? This is exactly why gender and sexuality is at the forefront today. The attempt is to make sexuality and gender identity on the same level of racial inequality. To call such sexual practices sinful and to refuse to accept such within a church, religious organization, or private school is being considered the same as racism. Thus the First Amendment is overthrown and the battle of who is Lord is again engaged.
      In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision in favor of same-sex marriage. The basis for the ruling was the 14th amendment’s “Due Process” clause (protection of life and liberty) and the “Equal Protection” clause (both clauses giving African American citizens following the Civil War equal rights in all states). This ruling has laid the groundwork for what we are seeing today – an insistence that the Due Process clause and Equal Protection clause give the right for LGBTQ+ to be hired by religious organizations and their principles taught in grade school.
   7. However, we are reminded of Luke’s message: we are not to think militantly about this clash over who is Lord. Consider how Luke records Paul’s reactions:
      1. Acts 13:50-52 “But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred  up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.” 
      2. Acts 14:19-20 “But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.” 
      3. Acts 17:10 After the incident in Thessalonica where the lives of Paul and Barnabas were threatened, “The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.” Not only did they not further engage the rulers of the city, they departed by night to avoid such engagement. They are seeking peace, not a carnal victory!
4. God’s Apocalypse & How it Affects Every Culture
   1. When Paul explained the Lord’s mission to Agrippa, he said, “…to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (Acts 26:18).
   2. The Christian Mission: the Great Commission is counter-cultural. Simply put, disciples confessed Jesus as Lord of all and Lord of all the earth without compromise and urged others to do the same.
      1. Historian, Robin Lane Fox states, “exactly none of the pagan religions had a strong missionary drive.”
      2. Martin Goodman states, “no pagan seriously dreamed of bringing all humankind to give worship in one body to one deity.”
      3. Therefore, we must be impressed with the shock Christians brought to their communities. Even the Jews did not have a strong evangelistic mission. And today, our culture has a rule of thumb that is intended to keep the peace: Never discuss religion or politics. While we may not agree with that maxim theoretically, we have to admit that it affects us in our conversations.
   3. The Christian Assembly: In Acts 11:19-26, Luke records a great many Gentiles turning to the Lord in Antioch and the surrounding areas. Barnabas was immediately sent to encourage and ground these former pagans. Barnabas sought out Paul and for a whole year they taught.
      1. It is at this time that the disciples were first called Christians. It is evident by the other uses of “Christian” in the NT and by the secular writings of the end of the first century, that this was a derogatory term that was not originated by the disciples, though accepted by them.
      2. The point is, if not for the formation of a Christian community, that is, a church, it is unlikely that the name “Christian” would have ever been coined nor would there have been any significant persecution. There is simply a uniqueness about this community that unites to live so strangely contrary to the present culture. In fact, Luke never uses “Christian” as he narrates his story. Instead, he often uses “the Way” to describe the disciples. Acts 26:28 clearly has Herod using the word “Christian” in a demeaning way.
   4. The Vision of Acts Is Profoundly Intolerant
      1. 14:15 “…we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.” 
      2. 17:30-31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the death.” 
      3. 4:11-12 “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
      4. 26:28-29 “And Agrippa said to Paul, ‘In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?’ And Paul said, ‘Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am – except for these chains.’” 
      5. It is a universal call for conversion to Jesus and a participation with a community of Christians that live out that pattern of life. After all, he is Lord of all.
5. Conclusions
   1. If we do not live this way, we are “in practice” denying Jesus is the Lord of all and contradicting the pattern of life he left for us. We are therefore left with this – our preaching of the gospel message is narrow. It is narrow because truth is narrow. Truth and the gospel message is intolerant of salvation any other way [Jesus is Lord of all!]. The result of our preaching will affect the culture around us, which will often generate persecution and suffering. But we will not coerce and we will not manipulate to bring about a result. We will simply and plainly represent the truth.
   2. To read the book of Acts correctly we see Luke leaving us with one major conclusion. Luke’s intention is proclamation of the gospel. The last word Luke leaves us is,
      “He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance” (28:30-31).
   3. We must ask ourselves a challenging question: have we read Acts in an “encyclopedic” way, as some have called it, the history of the early church? Or do we read it recognizing Luke’s intention to give us a vision of how the Kingdom of God is proclaimed and progresses throughout the world? And therefore as we read, we are seeing ourselves in the same story as we live the same pattern of life with the same purposes of proclamation.
   4. An appropriate conclusion is this quote from Scott Kercheville: “Jesus’ kingdom has not come to merely change some little bits of privately held religion, it has come to reorder the whole cosmos around Jesus’ lordship. Jesus’ lordship is reordering everything from the desires of our hearts to the actions of our bodies, from our dinner tables to Caesar’s throne, from the school to the marketplace. So, we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ (Matt. 6:10). And we long for the day when the trumpet sounds and voices in heaven shout, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.’” (Rev. 11:15)

Berry Kercheville

[Acknowledgement: The foundation for this lesson is a book written by C. Kavin Rowe, World Upside Down, Oxford University Press, 2009]