(Through the Bible) Acts - Part 1 — Zac Poonen

Acts as the Continuation of Jesus’ Work

Let's turn today to Acts of the Apostles. In the Acts of the Apostles we begin with these words which are very significant. It's written by Luke continuation of Luke's gospel and He says the first account which is Luke's gospel verse chapter 1 verse 1 I composed theophilus of all that Jesus began to do and teach.

So what is the subject of Luke's gospel. All that Jesus began to do and teach. What is the subject of Acts of the Apostles? All that Jesus continued to do and teach through his disciples and That has continued now through 2 ,000 years.

The Acts of the Apostles is not finished. It's continuing. The last word of the Acts of the Apostles is Unhindered the Lord. It says about the Apostle Paul that he preached and taught Concerning the Lord Jesus with all openness unhindered.

And there is no I'm in there. It goes on and on and on for 2 ,000 years so that first verse is very significant and Also, though it's referring to Jesus actions and words, I believe there's a principle involved in Acts 1 1.

Which we must bear in mind that Jesus first did then taught. He did not just teach he did and taught. And that is the principle of the new covenant. Samson could You know not live the life. But will still be a leader.

But not in the new covenant. Gideon could ultimately end up worship. I am worshiping idols. Be a leader, but not in the new covenant. Even a man like David would disqualify to continue as a leader under the new covenant.

Because he had so many wives and there's a leader and he fell into adultery and once a leader falls into adultery. My personal conviction is though he can be restored to fellowship with the Lord. He cannot be restored to leadership.

It's a very high standard of leadership in the new covenant so it's Important that we follow this principle. Jesus began to do and teach and Jesus continues to do and teach through us if we want to understand the acts of the Apostles this new covenant that God is established and Verse 5 I told you is again the promise that you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit just like John the Baptist said and then They asked him this question when he said you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

They immediately thought of an earthly kingdom. You see the mind of old covenant people is always on earthly things. God blessed me means he's given me money. God blessed me means he's given me many children.

God blessed me means he's given me a house. Or God blessed me means he's given me a wife. This is characteristic of old covenant people and Whenever your thinking is like that It shows you are an old covenant Christian.

No matter how much you understand about the New Testament. If automatically you think that earthly blessing is God's blessing just stop for a moment and think of the millions of people who don't worship God who have got much more blessing than you in that case and you'll see the folly of that type of thinking the mark of New covenant blessing is heavenly.

Okay, so immediately they said you mean we are going to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. That means you're going to restore the kingdom to Israel. We are all going to be kings and prime ministers and defense ministers and all that here.

And the Lord said no Sorry to disappoint you. That's not what I meant. It's not for you to know. It's not for you to know the times or the seasons. Which the Lord has put in his own power. That's a very important verse verse 7.

It's not for us to know about times and seasons. That's in God's hand when Jesus is going to come. I don't know that's not for me to know but what I do need to know is The power of the Holy Spirit. Now there are a lot of Christians today.

For example when they study Revelation the book of Revelation. They're always interested in times and seasons the very thing which it says in verse 7. You should not be interested in. What we need is the power of the Holy Spirit so if you're seeking God for something don't seek for an understanding of times and seasons and Prophetic details but for the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

What is the mark the identifying mark of being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 1 8 power. Jesus never said you shall receive tongues when you Are empowered with the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit comes upon you you shall receive power.

Now I believe there are many many godly men through the centuries who never spoke in tongues. But who received the power of the Holy Spirit and that's the main thing. God may also give the gift of tongues.

But it's not necessarily given to everybody even to the church in Corinth. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14 I wish you all spoke in tongues, which proves they did not all speak in tongues. So we must accept that fact.

That they did not all speak in tongues even in the first century. Some people make us believe as though every first century believer spoke in tongues. It's not true. But it was it is God's will that every Christian should have power.

Tongues is one gift. It's not the most important certainly, but every Christian should have power. And Power does not mean that you'll become an evangelist. Just because you hear the testimony of somebody like Moody or Finney that when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit suddenly Moody says I preach the same sermons after I was baptized the Holy Spirit and hundreds were converted and You think that if you get baptized in the Holy Spirit hundreds will be converted.

No if you're an evangelist perhaps. See the best illustration I can use is from the human body for a Member to be a member of this body. One sign is that the blood must flow through that member. If the blood flows through a part of this body, that's part of my body.

If I have an artificial hand that's not part of the body because the blood does not flow in it. But this little finger the blood flows in it, so it's part of the body. That's a picture of the blood of Christ which determines whether I'm part of Christ's body or not.

But even when the blood flows in my hand my hand may be paralyzed. So I am a member of the body. This hand is a member of the body, but it's a useless member. What does this hand need? Power. And When it gets power will it become a mouth or a tongue?

No. It'll become a powerful hand. If the tongue is paralyzed when it gets power, what will it become. Won't become a hand it'll become a powerful tongue. So if God has called you to be a mother and you get filled with the spirit.

What will you be. You won't be a evangelist you'll be a powerful spiritful mother. And If your calling is to be a teacher and God fills you with the spirit. You'll be a powerful teacher not a powerful evangelist.

There's a wrong conception that many people have. That power means we'll suddenly all become like tongues or all become like eyes. No. You will be powerful in that particular ministry. That God has called you for and don't ever compare yourself with somebody else.

Waiting for Power and Witnessing the Resurrection

Verse 15. It says here that a hundred and twenty people were gathered together in the upper room on the day of Pentecost. Now I don't know whether you remember if you have read 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 6 it says after the resurrection of Jesus 500 believers saw him and Jesus said wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

Out of 500 only a hundred and twenty waited. Not every believer is interested in the power of the Holy Spirit. Not even in the first century not even the very first time. They all believed they were all born again.

They were happy that Jesus rose from the dead. But he said when he said wait for the Holy Spirit less than one-third less than one-fourth. We're waiting that's just in passing. And Verse 22 when they are looking for a replacement for Judas Iscariot.

Notice what they say we need somebody Who should become with us a witness of Jesus resurrection. Not a witness of Jesus crucifixion. But a witness of Jesus resurrection. Now if you read you take a concordance and look through the acts of the Apostles you'll find that very frequently.

I Didn't get time to count it up myself. But you can do that. Very frequently you find this phrase witness of his resurrection. You never find the phrase witness of his crucifixion. Why is that? Because if you stop at the crucifixion you have not completed the gospel.

The gospel is Christ died and rose again from the dead. Otherwise, it's a very sorrowful gospel the Christ died for our sins. Now if you listen to average preaching of the gospel today. Most evangelists do not preach the resurrection they preach crucifixion and even many of you when you have gone out preaching you have preached the cross, but you have not preached the resurrection and that's the big difference between you and the Apostles.

The Apostles preach the resurrection and now let's get our focus right and Say Lord make me a witness of your resurrection a witness who proclaims to the world. Not just that Jesus died. But that Jesus rose up from the dead.

Very very important distinction. The reason a lot of Christians are gloomy is because they don't believe that Jesus rose up from the dead. I mean they believe it in their heart, but they're not always confessing it.

You know it's like Jesus died, and he was buried and then we are like those disciples who are walking to Emmaus gloomy long face. What a difference there was when they were? When they realized Jesus rose up from the dead so we are called in this world to be witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Pentecost, Tongues, and the Gift of Power

Chapter 2. It says here that when they were waiting there the day of Pentecost came and these people did not know when they were waiting. That in 10 days they would receive. If they had known it would be 10 days it would be easy to wait when God keeps us waiting.

He never tells us. What is the last day. It may be 10 days it may be 10 years. In waiting we have to wait in faith. Watch and pray waiting in faith, and there is no faith if you know the end of that waiting period.

So when you pray for something God does not tell you when the end of that waiting period is going to be. Afterwards when you look back you say yeah, I had to wait for that for three days or for the other thing I had to wait for three years.

But faith means I don't know when the end is going to be when they were waiting on the Lord in Jerusalem. They did not know it was 10 days. They didn't know whether to be 10 years. They knew they had to wait until they were endued with power from on high.

When you wait on the Lord for the power of the Holy Spirit. Wait until you are endued with power from on high. Is this important. It's absolutely important, and if you had gone to those disciples when they were waiting and asked them How will you know?

Whether you're baptized in the Holy Spirit. What would the answer be that they would give you? They would not say we would speak in tongues like people say today. They would say Jesus said we will receive power.

That's how we will know and then people say how do you know you've got power. Well. In some way God will assure us just like God assures us that our sins are forgiven. Can you explain to an unbeliever how you are so sure that your sins are forgiven and Yet, you know deep down in your heart your sins are forgiven in exactly the same way the Holy Spirit who bears witness with your spirit.

That your sins are forgiven can also give you a witness that you have been endued with power. That's how we know. So they were expecting power, but when they got power they also got tongues. Now the tragedy today is a lot of people have got tongues without power.

It's like if you go to the marketplace and go to buy bottle of Nescafe instant coffee and when you go there the Shopkeeper says you can also get a free mug along with that. You didn't go for the mug you went for the Nescafe you went for the power and along with the power then God says you can also have the tongues.

That's good and You're so happy you went for Nescafe, but you got Nescafe plus the free mug. You went for power, but you got power plus tongues. Now I find two extremes among Christians today. Some people they go to the shop and they say I don't like mugs.

I've got I don't like mugs. I just want the Nescafe. Okay, the shopkeeper says then don't take the mug. Just take the Nescafe and go. And that's what God says. Some people say I don't like speaking in tongue.

Okay, don't take it take the power and go. But the more foolish people are the ones who leave the bottle of Nescafe behind and come back with just the mug. Say I got the mug. Brother you spent hundred rupees to get this mug.

That's the folly of today. They've got tongues without power so we'll see that power is the identifying mark and never forget that. The important thing is not the noise and the wind and all those things.

No, it's the reality of power. You see the it's like getting a gift. Supposing you get a diamond very expensive diamond costing many. Say hundreds of thousands of rupees and It's wrapped up in nice blue paper with red ribbon or it's wrapped up in newspaper.

What different does it make do you keep the ribbon or do you keep the diamond? Somebody got it in a newspaper. Somebody got it in a nice package. It doesn't make a difference. The important thing is the gift inside.

Babies are taken up with the wrappings. Babies are taken up with the external Aspects or the wind the fire the excitement the electric shock the the sound something like that but the Mature people are taken up with the gift, which is a diamond the power of the Holy Spirit.

That's what they that's what you need to be taken up with the external wrappings of wind fire so many other things like that. But let God give it in any wrapping he wants so long as you get the power.

It says here the tongues of fire. Sat on everybody's heads, which means that the Lord was saying from this day onwards. The most important part of this body. Which I'm going to be using in this new covenant age is the tongue.

It has to be set on fire by the Holy Spirit. And therefore your tongue must be completely under the control of the Holy Spirit all the time your mother tongue, especially or whatever language you speak in and.

Then they also spoke in other tongues in verse 4. But it's the control of the tongue that is emphasized in verse 3. The tongue under the control of the Holy Spirit 24 hours a day. Do you want your tongue to be used by God in the pulpit.

Give your tongue to God 24 hours a day seven days a week 52 weeks a year and God will test you on that for some time and when he sees that you're faithful with that He will use your tongue when you stand up in the pulpit.

But if you don't give your tongue to God Every day of the week and you suddenly expect God to use your tongue when you stand up in the pulpit. I'm sorry. He's not going to use it. Because he does not take your tongue on loan as a rent.

You rent you loan out your tongue to God for a few hours and the rest of the time you give it to the devil. No, it must be God's all the time. Okay, we move on to verse 17 this is the fulfillment Peter says of the prophecy of Joel.

Verse 22 and 23. It says about Jesus men of Israel. Listen Jesus the Nazarene a man attested to you by God. With miracles and wonders and signs. It's very interesting that the spirit-filled Peter calls Jesus still a man a Man.

Do you know that even today Jesus is a man? He is God, but he's not given up his humanity. 1 Timothy 2 4 5 says there is one mediator between God and man. The man Christ Jesus we use the phrase the God man.

He is God and man true the Bible never uses the phrase God man, it says the man Christ Jesus and Peter was not hesitant to call him the man at the right hand of the father a man attested by the father.

Because he has identified himself with our humanity totally. It's not only when he came to earth even after his ascension. He is still the man Christ Jesus at the right hand of the father. This man, this is a beautiful verse verse 23.

Delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. You nailed to a cross and put him to death and God raised him up again. That means even though you are the fellows who put him to death.

It was according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. That's a tremendous verse. Predetermined plan. For knowledge that means he knew it in advance and You fellows did not know that but God already knew what you're going to do.

He had already determined a plan. Knowing that you're going to kill Jesus. He was going to use it for the salvation of the world. Now the same thing applies to us when people harm you remember acts 2 23.

They're harming you when you go to preach the gospel is according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. Yeah, that cannot happen to you without the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God.

He permits it and that's why he allows somebody to harm you and Therefore you can be assured that God's purpose will be fulfilled even in what those people do and Just like I've often quoted Romans 8 28 all things work together for good even the evil that other people do in this way.

What is the worst thing that ever happened in this world the worst sin that was ever committed on this earth? You know that was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The worst sin That was ever committed on this earth was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Now next question What is the best thing that ever happened on this earth. Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, that's how our sins are forgiven. So what do we learn from that that the worst thing that the devil did God converted into the very best thing and The worst that the devil can do to you.

God can also convert into the very best thing because it is according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God. Okay verse 38 the first time the gospel was preached. This is how Peter preached it.

Repent be baptized and You shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit today. People do not when they preach the gospel. They do not preach repentance. They do not preach water baptism. They do not preach baptism the Holy Spirit.

What do they preach believe? Yeah, Peter included believe if you didn't believe you don't get baptized, but Unfortunately and a lot of evangelistic preaching today. There is no mention of repentance. Because you won't get so many people if you preach repentance, but you'll get genuine people.

There's no mention of water baptism because you don't want to offend the people who believe in child baptism. There's no mention of baptism in the Holy Spirit because you don't want to offend the people who don't believe in that.

Thank God Peter was free from all that He preached repent. Be baptized and you'll receive the Holy Spirit. That's the first time the gospel was preached. They preached the whole counsel of God. Peter was not a diplomat like today's evangelists trying to please everybody.

He only wanted to please God be like him and Verse 40 he not only preached the gospel when people responded to the gospel. He told them something more with many words he told them you've got to be saved from this wretched world.

That's the next thing you tell people when they are converted be saved from this wretched world system verse 42 and After that these people who are saved continued in the Apostles teaching fellowship breaking of bread and prayer.

It's no use having breaking of bread if you don't have fellowship verse 47. The Lord added to their number every day those who are saved. It's the Lord who adds to the church. I don't have to worry about that part.

My part is to proclaim the gospel the Lord will add to the church. I can never save souls and my job is to proclaim the word the Lord adds to the church chapter 3 verse 1. This is the thing which Jesus could never accomplish in his lifetime because the Holy Spirit was not there.

Peter and John Could never work together in the Gospels. John would always be with his brother James. In fact, they were trying to get the seats on either side of Jesus in there in the resurrection. But things have all changed now.

The Holy Spirit has come. Nobody is seeking their own nobody is trying to Promote himself. In fact in Acts 2 verse 11, it says sorry not to 11. It says in Acts chapter 2 verse 14 that when Peter stood up to speak The leaven were with him.

They did not speak. They did not say Peter after you speak. We also want to speak. No. They said Peter you speak that's enough and we are hundred percent behind you. Look at that spirit. Greater works than Jesus did as soon as the Holy Spirit came.

They were not interested in seeing who's going to get the honor to speak. Now, let Peter speak we are solidly behind him and Peter and John who never sought a fellowship together like this before now go together To the hour of prayer and in that unity there is power.

Healing, the Leading of the Spirit, and God’s Purposes

Because they find this lame man. And he asked for some. He was laid at his from the mother's womb. He was lame it says and he used to be set down every day verse 2 at the gate of the temple called beautiful and There's another verse in chapter 4 22, which tells us this man was more than 40 years old.

Okay, so this man was brought To sit at the temple probably for 20 years every day was brought there to collect arms and go away. Now my question is If he was sitting at the beautiful gate of the temple for 20 years did Jesus ever see him.

I'm sure Jesus saw him every time he went to the temple. He saw this man Asking for arms and what did Jesus give him? Money every time. He gave him money see him next week money see him after three years.

He gave him money. Why didn't he heal him? Because he had no leading from the father to heal him. Some people say Jesus just went around healing everybody. He didn't he didn't heal this man. He saw him for three and a half years at the temple.

He never healed him and That teaches us that We're not called to do what the father never called us to do if Jesus had healed him. You know what would have happened this revival that broke out here in chapter 3 and 4 would not have broken out.

Because that fellow would not be at the temple anymore. He'd have been healed long before that there was a time for that man to be healed and that was not through Jesus, but through Peter and So Jesus was in touch with the Holy Spirit like most believers are not in touch with the Holy Spirit.

They live by rules. Everybody must be healed or nobody must be healed. Jesus did not live by rules. Those who live by rules are legalistic can never fulfill the will of God. We we have to live by the leading of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Was in touch with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit said don't heal him.

He left him give him money every time he passed him he gave him money and Thus fulfilled the will of God so that later on when Peter came Peter said when he asked Peter for money Peter said I Don't have money to give you but in the name of Jesus stand up, and it says there was such a revival.

5 ,000 people Came to faith. Chapter 5 verse 4. Chapter 4 verse 4. 5 ,000 people Came to salvation because Jesus obeyed the Holy Spirit for three and a half years and did not heal somebody. Wonderful, that's a tremendous challenge to me that how I can hinder God's work.

If I go and do something which the Holy Spirit never told me to do it may be a good work. Healing a man is a very good work a lot of good works that people do. Hinder God's purposes. God's ways are not our ways.

The clever man the man who lives by rules will be a hindrance to God's Purposes. If Jesus had healed that man He would have hindered God's purposes. A lot of Christians today Who listen to principles and rules and live by them are the biggest hindrance to God's purposes?

Who is the man who is? Useful in God's purposes. The man who does not live by rules. But listens to the Holy Spirit who may work in one way at one time and a totally different way at another time. It's more difficult to live like this.

But that is a spiritual man a legalistic man lives by rules and regulations. Everybody must be healed or nobody must be healed. Everybody must be healed at the first opportunity. This is all rules. God's purposes are different.

Repeated Filling and Unity in the Early Church

Chapter 4. We read in verse 8. Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit so we see that there was more than once that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and Again at the end of the chapter we read they were praying together and Verse 31 they were filled with the Spirit again.

So between acts 2 and acts 4 Peter was filled with the Spirit three times at least. Which teaches us? That the fullness of the Holy Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. You have to keep on being filled filled filled filled filled for every ministry.

You've got to keep on being filled. Yesterday's fullness is not good enough for today. Just like people say I was born again on so-and-so date. I've met lots of people Who say I was baptized in the Holy Spirit on sudden such a date, but I look at their life today.

There's not a drop of water in their vessel. It's all leaked out ages ago. But they got a date. Oh that date. I Feel sorry for all people who caught a quarter date. What's he was coding a date our rivers flowing today?

Otherwise their date is useless. Maybe you started speaking in tongues today. You got the mug that day. Where's the bottle of Nescafe? Where's the power missing? That's the situation with lots of people today and the devil's fooled them left right and center.

Don't be like them. Don't go around quoting dates. Be filled of the Spirit and everybody will know it. Acts chapter 4 verse 32 it says the congregation of those who believed. Before that verse 28 again.

He uses that expression we found in Acts 2 to do Whatever Lord thy hand and thy purpose predestined to occur. He was talking again about the crucifixion of Jesus. The Apostles got a great revelation that the crucifixion of Jesus was according to the Predestined plan of God and that affected all their life and they said it to encourage themselves when they were beaten up it says here they were beaten and Sent and when they got beaten and they said Lord.

This is all according to your predetermined plan. Praise the Lord and Verse 32 the congregation of those who believed were a one heart and one soul. This is how the early church was the secret of their power was not only the fullness of the Spirit.

The secret of their power was they were a one heart and one soul. They submitted to their leaders. They submitted to the Apostles and they were completely united. They were not a bunch of gossipers and critics like a lot of Christians today and They did not claim that anything belonging to them was their own.

This does not necessarily mean that they sold all their property. But they did not say this is mine. You want it you need it brother here and you can have it all things were common property to them means you can borrow my Scooter you can have it.

You want a place to stay come and stay in my house. It doesn't mean that they sold their houses. Some people did that and they were free to do it but It was not followed right through to the end of New Testament times.

There was a time when people felt how we should sell our houses and do it. But the principle of being one heart and one soul and making sure that not a needy person is there. There was no needy person Among them verse 34 not even one needy person because those who are houses owners of lands and houses would sell them and bring the proceeds to their apostles and.

So nobody remained in need because those who had excess would help those who had less. This is how the early church lived and that power laid there and in that type of situation. You can imagine how some people would like to take advantage of it and Ananias and Sapphira we read in chapter 5 try to take advantage of it.

Ananias, Sapphira, and Integrity in the Church

They said this is good. We can belong to this group. I mean a lot of people come to our churches also like that. Because they say oh, there are a lot of hospitable people here. There are a lot of generous people here.

I'd like to be a part of this church and receive all the generosity of other people and all the hospitality of other people. Now we got to be very careful. If we start giving out money like that in India.

You know how your church will grow in size in no time and will get corrupt in no time also. Because you'll get the wrong type of people you'll get people who are not interested in righteousness, but who are interested in money.

Like they talked about the rice Christians in those days in the old days when people came to the Church to get free rice got converted for free education got converted for free medical treatment. Got converted so that they get get a free trip to the United States.

Something like that. It hasn't completely gone even today. There are people who come to Christian churches for some benefit for themselves, which they would not have got if they were in a secular job.

You need to always ask yourself when you come to the church. Have you profited financially? By coming to the church. Then you're probably not in the will of God. The church is not a place to make financial profit to make business contacts.

Through the church here and there a lot of people who do that and I've always found that they lose out spiritually. So don't take advantage of the church for your own profit. The church is a place to give.

Businessmen will all be driven out of the church one day those who try to make profit out of the church. Who try to make contacts for their own benefit and gain. The church is a place where we are to give sacrifice not gain.

Unfortunately in India today There are many people in Christian work who are earning five to ten times. What they would have earned if they were doing a secular job so Christian work has become profitable for them and.

So all the non-christians look and say oh these fellows become Christians for the sake of money. How shall we? Shut their mouths. By showing them. I'm not doing this for money. I could have made more money in a secular job.

I Didn't come here for money. I'm earning less than half of what I could have got in my secular job. Then their mouths are shut. But if you are earning five or ten times what you would have got in a secular job, how can you shut their mouths?