Acts 1:1-11, The Kingdom of God Accomplished by the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:1-11, The Kingdom of God Accomplished by the Holy Spirit

  1-11, 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.
3.After 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.  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.ForJohn baptized with water,but in a few days you will be baptized with theHoly Spirit."    6.So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"  7.He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8.But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;& you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,& in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9.After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.  10.They 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."

<Sermon Summary>
 God created us humans for the kingdom of God (Gn.1:26-28). God gave us life (seed, DNA, Sonship) and made us rule them(Kingship). However, the first humans, Adam and Eve, were expelled from the Garden of Eden, the beginning of God's kingdom, due to their sin of being proud and disobeying God. Satan rules the world and spreads the seeds of lies. Thus, the world was always filled with pride, disobedience, murder and violence, and evil in its hearts, thoughts, and plans. Most of the content from Gn.3 to Rev.20 is about human sin. It shows the collapsed kingdom of God.

1. Jesus came for the work of God’s kingdom (1-3)
  1-3, 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. 3.After 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.
    Thus, Jesus came to restore the fallen kingdom of God. After Jesus was baptized, he began his public life, proclaiming that heaven was at hand (Mt.4:17). And he chose 12 disciples for God’s kingdom. To them he taught the mysteries of that primarily through parables. A representative example is the 7 parables of heaven in Mt.13. That is, the parable of the sower, the tares, the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net. He trained them for three years to spread the kingdom. This is a preparation period for the restoration of heaven. In John 18, in Pilate's court, Jesus answered the governor Pilate's question, “Are you a king?” “Yes, I am the king of the kingdom of truth.” ‘I have come to bear witness to the truth.’ He declared this: The Lord presented the right direction for God’s kingdom through the events of the cross and resurrection. For 40 days after his resurrection, he taught what the kingdom of God was like to his disciples who still did not understand the things of the kingdom of God. Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God until the end, and asked his disciples three requests. They were 1) the work of the kingdom of God, 2) receiving the Holy Spirit, which was his Father's promise, and 3) receiving the power of the Holy Spirit to become a witness of Jesus to the ends of the earth.
 Jesus called us to be workers in the kingdom of God. He trains us for heaven. God wants the kingdom of God to be realized in our hearts, families, churches, and society. Heaven of the heart, heaven of the family, heaven of the church, heaven of society! The Book of Acts is a record of the disciples' ministry as workers in the kingdom of heaven. Philip(8:12) and Paul also preached the kingdom of God(28:23,38, “bearing witness to the kingdom of God... preaching the kingdom of God and teaching boldly and without hesitation all things pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ. ” Let us all live faithfully as workers of heaven, preaching heaven for the rest of our lives.

2. The three elements of the kingdom of God are sovereignty, people, and land.
  1) Sovereignty is a country where Jesus Christ is the Lord and King.
  In Korean history, when Wang Geon was king, the country became Goryeo, and when Lee Seong-gye was king, it became Joseon. The name of the country changes depending on who is king. If Jesus is the Lord and King, then people, communities, and churches are God’s kingdom. Satan’s kingdom, where Satan was the master, becomes God’s kingdom when Jesus is the king. “The kingdom of God has already been established within you.” The Lord bound Satan, rescued us, and made us God’s people. Who is my king? I bless you that Jesus Christ, not Satan, is your king.
2) The people of God’s kingdom are holy people and saints who believe in Jesus.  Ex.6:7, I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. The reason God brought the Israelites out of Egypt was to make them his people. These words are repeated over and over again in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy. Let us take after the holy name of God. Heb.12:28, Let us all serve God happily with gratitude, reverence,&fear as unwavering citizens of God’s kingdom. Let us imitate God’s holy character by obeying &loving God with all our heart & soul.
3) God’s kingdom is a kingdom where the earth is restored.
  God promises us land. Although we live in Satan's kingdom now, God wants us to gradually be restored to heaven. Rom.8:19-21, 19.The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20.For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21.that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
  Doing the will of God leads to the glorious freedom of His children. Of course, completion will occur at the second coming of Jesus. The land is now in the process of being restored. Let us honor Jesus as King and live in obedience to him.

3. The Holy Spirit came to complete heaven.
  4-5,8, 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." 8.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."  When the Holy Spirit comes and governs the saints, the kingdom of God comes. Let us live as witnesses. In Ch.2, the Holy Spirit comes in fullness and the kingdom of God and the church expand. Apostles’ Acts are the Acts of the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit is completing the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit works through Words &prayer. Ch.13, when the Antioch church decides on missionaries to be sent, 15:28,&even when important meetings are held, the Holy Spirit works.

 I bless you all to achieve the kingdom of God together faithfully with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ephe.5:18, “Do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery; but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus came for the kingdom of God, and we who were chosen for the kingdom of God, I pray that you will now, like Philip and Paul, become precious people of God who live to expand the kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus Christ until the end. Amen.