Acts 1. | Thru the Bible Devo. The Book of Acts.

Hello Mercy Church family, happy 2024.

Welcome to the first week of our new study for our Pray 365.

If you're new to Mercy Church, our Pray 365 is a program we put together to read the Bible together daily in our own individual quiet time set aside for God.

But corporately, as a body, we are reading, studying and praying over the same scriptures together.

Each week throughout 2024, we will read and study one chapter of the Bible.

If you go to our website, wwwmercychurch and click on the Pray 365 button, you will find a calendar of how the passage is divided up into seven parts for daily reading throughout the week.

Also, you can find us on our social media under Mercy Church, colorado.

Once a week, on Mondays, we will post the readings for the entire week and we will also send it out in our weekly emails.

The full year calendar is found on our website.

In addition to the passage reading, there will be a weekly podcast going over this week's reading.

The podcast will be one podcast, but there will be seven chapter markers and, if you like, you may divide it up into seven days worth of listening Each day or chapter marker.

I'm going to talk about a different topic this particular chapter covers to give you a more in-depth understanding.

At Mercy Church, we are trying to do church differently.

Our mission is to help people find and follow Jesus.

Nowhere, nowhere, is our mission more prevalent than the Book of Acts, which is the exact mission of the early church and the entire mission of the Book of Acts.

We help people find and follow Jesus through our core principles, the first of which is to be rooted in prayer and scripture, and we do this through our Pray 365.

Our goal is to transition you from weekly acts of corporate worship to daily moments of personal fellowship with Him.

Welcome to week one, our first topic for day one.

I'm going to give you an introduction to the Book of Acts.

We are beginning this study in the New Testament, in the Book of Acts.

For the purpose of understanding, I would like to divide up Bible history into four parts.

The first the Old Testament, pre-jesus.

The second the Gospels, the time when Jesus physically walked the earth.

Number three the church period.

This is the time after Jesus ascended into heaven.

This is the period we are still in.

This is the period that begins in the Book of Acts.

The last period is the time after Christ returns.

This is the future and many of the prophecies of what will happen are scattered throughout the Bible.

This also includes the Book of Revelation.

The official title of this book is the Acts of the Apostles.

There are no frills to this book.

It tells simple stories of normal, everyday people who believe and were powered by God to go to the ends of the earth.

These people are no different than you and I.

Acts shows us what the Big C Church not a specific church, but the corporate church body would and could accomplish if done properly.

And just a span of 30 years, from 33 AD, which marks the death of Jesus, to 64 AD.

In those 30 years, a movement was born and turned into the largest religion that the world has ever seen.

Today, over 2 billion people claim to be Christian, beginning with 12 people.

They revolutionize the world.

This is what the good news of Jesus Christ can do when it's powered by the Holy Spirit and placed in human hands.

This is the entire point of the Church to love Jesus so much and be so thankful for what he has done in our lives that we can't help but share it with every person that we know.

And even further, it makes us want to go out and tell people we don't know.

Like the Lady in the Well, she told everybody in the entire city when she realized that Jesus was the Messiah.

Let me ask you today what has Jesus done for you?

Do you know it in your heart of hearts?

Have you made Jesus the Lord of your life?

If you haven't turn to our podcast Basic under Mercy Church, colorado, listen to the episode number one, made in his image.

It will help you understand God and Jesus and what it means to make him Lord of your life.

Don't start 2024 off without him.

Jesus gave all of us a mission when he ascended into heaven.

All of us who are called by his name should be actively helping people find and follow Jesus.

It's not just the job for the disciples.

It's not only a job for pastors or chants and I or people who go to Bible college.

Somehow today in our modern American Christianity, we have forgotten our true mission is to evangelize the world.

God doesn't want anyone to be lost, left behind.

He wants everyone to know we walk this earth predestined with a purpose to go into all the world and share him.

The book of Acts is essential to the Bible as a whole.

It stands as a bridge between the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and what's next for those who call him Lord.

Within the pages of Acts, the disciples, who had sat at his feet and learned from Jesus Christ for three years, had to learn to live without him.

Now Jesus didn't leave him alone.

Within the pages of Acts, jesus sends the Holy Spirit to his followers, and this is the pivotal moment that God's followers had been waiting for for thousands of years.

Moses bargained with God.

He told God that he would rather have his presence than all the riches of the promised land.

Exodus 33, starting in verse 12.

Moses said to the Lord you have been telling me, lead these people, but you have not let me know whom.

You will sin with me.

You have said I know you by name and you have found favor with me.

If you're pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.

Remember that this nation is your people.

The Lord replied my presence will go with you and I will give you rest.

Then Moses said to him if your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.

How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us, what else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?

And the Lord said to Moses I will do the very thing that you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.

Moses said I would rather remain in the wilderness with you than go to the promised land without you.

If you haven't had a chance to listen to our Holy Spirit series, go back and listen on our podcast.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, the Holy Spirit would only come upon certain people for certain jobs and only for specific times.

David begged God not to take his presence away.

Psalm 5111 says do not cast me away from your presence and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.

In Acts, the Holy Spirit came to dwell in his people permanently, and not just specific people, but all his followers.

It is here that we begin to get a full understanding of the deity of the Holy Spirit and the fullness of the Trinity Father, son and Spirit.

All God, but separate.

In persons.

The Holy Spirit arrives with power and in fire and he activates a boldness within the believers and does not hold back.

The early church welcomes him in all his manifestations and gifts and fruits and miracles and signs and wonders.

There is nothing he can't do and he burns through all of them.

He lights the disciples on fire and they evangelize to the ends of the entire earth.

Without the Book of Acts we would have no idea how the Holy Spirit came to first dwell within the believers and what it means.

Within the Book of Acts we see the catalyst of the Holy Spirit and the mission of Jesus Christ, transition the disciples from passive students and witnesses of the life of Jesus to the active revolution and new movements of faith that will conquer the world, the light that came into the darkness, settled into the heart of man and set the world on fire.

Within these chapters the early church is founded and built in one place, and then another, and another, and another and another.

Without the Book of Acts we would never know how the early church began and how it was built.

Acts introduces us to the apostle Paul, who began as Christ's worst enemy and ended up as his staunchest follower.

Without the Book of Acts we would have a bunch of letters from Paul but no idea who he is or how he came to be a Christian and apostle.

The Book of Acts also shows the process of how the kingdom of God spread from being the faith of one culture, one nation the Israelites to the Gentiles, to the entire world.

What began as faith of one race the children of Abraham, isaac and Jacob spread to all people of faith.

Now any person who believes in Jesus will be saved.

Without the Book of Acts it would have been really difficult for the Jewish Christians to accept the Gentile believers.

Thanks to the events that happened in Acts, all Christians now understand that Jesus Christ's sacrifice is for all people who believe.

The Book of Acts connects the Gospels with the rest of the books of the Bible.

Without the Book of Acts, we would have the Gospels and a bunch of letters from churches.

We would have no idea how they connect, no idea how they got from one place to another.

There would be a great big gap in our understanding.

The Book of Acts is one of the most crucial foundational books of the Bible and it is the foundational book of the church.

It is the fifth book of the New Testament.

The first four books of the New Testament are known as the Gospels Matthew, mark, luke and John.

They are the eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus.

Acts is the first book of the New Testament that follows the Gospels.

It is the first book of the Bible after Jesus ascends into heaven and the disciples and early Christians have to do life without him.

The setting for the Book of Acts begins in Israel but later follows Paul on his travels all the way to Rome.

It spans a period of time of about 30 years.

Let's begin in chapter one and we can discuss more as we go.

Acts, chapter one, starting in verse one.

In my former book, theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven after giving instructions to the Holy Spirit, to the apostles he had chosen.

So the Book of Acts is written by Luke, who is also the author of the Gospel of Luke.

Luke is a physician and a Gentile.

Gentile just means non-Jew.

Luke was a companion of Paul.

Paul talks about him in his letter to the Colossians, colossians 4, starting in 14.

Our dear friend Luke the doctor, and Damas sends greetings.

Paul also talks about traveling with Luke in 2 Timothy and Philemon.

Throughout this book you will see that Luke often says we, we got ready to leave from Macedonia.

We sailed from Philippi.

We would sail from Italy.

Luke was with Paul on these journeys.

Luke is an eyewitness for much of Acts.

The Gospel of Luke is a different case.

The Gospel of Luke is actually a compilation of eyewitness accounts telling the story of Jesus and the miracles he had done.

Luke provides this account to Theophilus as well.

Besides, dr Luke was also a historian.

The Book of Acts is the only historical account we have of the events that happened on the day of Pentecost and much of the early church.

There are four books of the Bible that tell the same story of Jesus.

We, however, only have one that meets out the early events of the church.

Luke writes both of his books with incredible accuracy.

About a hundred years ago there was a man by the name of Sir Michael William Ramsey who set out to disprove the Book of Acts historically by going place to place, as stated by Luke in Acts.

He thought the Book of Acts was ludicrous.

But guess what?

The man could not disprove Luke's accounts.

Everything he found was historically accurate.

Michael himself actually became a believer.

He called Luke one of the greatest historians to ever live.

Luke was also called an evangelist, a beloved doctor.

He was believed to be a Gentile from Syria.

He was not one of the original apostles.

He was taught about Jesus by those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ.

Let's look real quick at Luke, chapter one, luke one starting in verse one.

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who, from the first, were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

So the point of Luke's research for the gospel of Luke is to prove by firsthand accounts that Jesus is who he says.

He is To prove the certainty of the things that have been taught, and Luke presents his evidence.

So then, what's the point of the book of Acts of the apostles?

To let theophilus know what happens next.

The book of Acts is the bridge from the works of Jesus to the church.

So who is Luke writing to?

Who is theophilus?

No one knows.

There are people, it could be in the Bible, but no one is really certain.

Luke was believed to have resided in the city of Antioch in Syria, because Luke uses the term most excellent, theophilus.

He is believed to be a high-ranking Roman official in the city of Antioch.

What we do know is that Luke wrote to a well-educated, higher-ranking, influential Gentile believer.

The books of the Bible began as letters written on long scroll-like paper, and this means the book of Acts would have been close to 35 feet long.

These letters and books would have been passed on from church to church and read at each.

If you are breaking up the study by days, this marks the end of day one, part two, the ascension.

Luke begins the book of Acts at the same spot where he ends the book of Luke, which is the ending of Jesus' ministry.

He wants to show theophilus, us, what happened at the end of Jesus' ministry, and the goal throughout the book of Acts is to show how Jesus' ministry is expanded and continued throughout the world.

First let's take a look at the last scene of the Gospel of Luke.

Turn in your Bibles to Luke 24, starting in verse 50.

When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, jesus lifted up his hands and blessed them.

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they stayed continually at the temple praising God.

The ascension is when Jesus is raised up into heaven.

Jesus had been preparing his disciples for this moment for quite some time.

In John 3, verse 13, he says no one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.

John 3:13

In John 7.33, he said I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me?

In John 14.12, he says truly, truly, I say to you whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

And then in John 16.28, he says I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.

Over and over again, jesus tells his disciples I am going to the Father.

He will be separated from his followers for a definitive amount of time, to only be ended upon his return to this earth.

John 14, starting in verse 1, let not your hearts be troubled.

Believe in God, believe also in me and my Father's house, or many rooms.

If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you myself, and where I am, you may be also, and you know the way to where I am going.

Thomas said to him Lord, we do not know where you are going.

How can we know the way?

And Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me.

If you had known me, you would have known my Father also.

From now on, you do know him and have seen him.

Now let's turn to Acts, chapter 1.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

Luke again tells the story of Jesus' ascension, but has some new information for Theophilus s, not found in the first letter, acts 1,.

Let's start again in verse 1.

In my former book, theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up into heaven.

After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen after his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave this command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Then they gathered around him and asked Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

He said to them it is not for you to know the times or the dates.

The Father is set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight.

They were looking intently up at the sky as he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood behind them, men of Galilee.

They said why do you stand looking up into the sky?

The same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

After his resurrection, jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days until he ascended into heaven.

Luke isn't the only person to record the Lord's ascension.

Mark also talks about Jesus' ascension in his gospel, mark 16, verse 19.

Mark 16:19

After the Lord Jesus has spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.

Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his words by the signs that accompanied it.

So Jesus was taken up into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God.

The book of John says this John 16, starting in verse 11,.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb and as she wept she stopped to look into the tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.

They said to her woman why are you weeping?

She said to them they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him.

After this, she turned down and saw Jesus standing, but did not know that it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her woman why are you weeping?

Whom are you seeking, supposing him to be the gardener?

She said to him sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you have laid him and I will take him away.

Jesus said to her.

Mary, she turned and said to him an Aramaic, rabboni, which means teacher.

Jesus said to her do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father, but go to my brothers and say to them I'm ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your God.

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples I've seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

It is very important that after the resurrection, jesus appears to many people.

To prove his resurrection.

He did this over a series of 40 days.

Paul provides us with the list of whom Jesus appears to.

First, corinthians 15, starting in verse three.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised again on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles and, last of all, he appeared to me also as to one abnormally born.

After Jesus appeared and proved his resurrection to his followers, it was time for him to go.

But why?

Why is it important that he go?

In John 16, he tells us this starting in five.

But now I'm going to him.

Who sent me?

And none of you asked me where are you going?

But because I've said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart and taken complete possession of them.

But I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, counselor, strength and her standby will not come to you.

But if I go, I will send him the Holy Spirit to you to be in close fellowship with you and he, when he comes, will convict the world about the guilt of sin and the need of a Savior, and about righteousness and about judgment, about sin and the true nature of it, because they do not believe in me and my message.

About righteousness, because I'm going to my Father and you will no longer see me.

About judgment and the certainty of it, because the ruler of this world, satan, has been judged and condemned.

I have more things to say to you, but you cannot bear to hear them now.

But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth, full and complete truth, for he will not speak on his own initiative, but he will speak whatever he hears from the Father, the message regarding the Son, and he will disclose to you what is to come in the future.

He will glorify and honor me because he, the Holy Spirit, will take from what is mine and disclose it to you, all things that the Father have our mind.

Because of this, I said that he, the Spirit, will take from what is mine and will reveal it to you.

So it's important to understand that Jesus died, was buried, was resurrected and all of this was witnessed.

Then the Father raised him up.

Paul explains it like this 1 Corinthians 3, 14,.

I hope to come to you soon, but I'm writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of truth.

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness he has manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by the angels, proclaimed among the nations believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

And Peter explains it like this 1 Peter 3, 18,.

For indeed, christ died for sins once and for all, the just and righteous for the unjust and the unrighteous, the innocent for the guilty, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in flesh but made alive in the Spirit, in which he also went and preached to the spirits now in prison who were disobedient, when the great patience of God was waiting, in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons Noah's family were brought safely through the water corresponding to that rescue through the flood.

Baptism, which is an expression of a believer's new life in Christ, now saves you, not by removing the dirt from the body, but by an appeal to God for a good, clear conscience, demonstrating what you believe to be yours through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God.

That is the place of honor and authority, with all angels and authority and powers made subservient to him.

I want to emphasize that Jesus did not raise himself up.

God raises Jesus up in glory.

God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, raises Jesus from the dead and then raises him up in glory into heaven at his ascension and seats him at his right hand and gives him all power and authority over all things.

Hebrews 9.24 says for Christ has entered not into holy places made with hands, which are the copies of the true things, but into heaven itself.

Now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf, jesus goes to prepare a place for us and intercedes to the Father on our behalf.

He is our door to the Father.

Once Jesus is gone, he plans to send, as does the Father and advocate, the Holy Spirit to convict the world of sin and to guide us and reveal to us through the things of God, and to dwell within us.

Now God and all three persons reside within us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This marks the end of day 2.3, the Kingdom of God.

Let's go back to Acts 1, starting in verse 1.

In my former book Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven.

After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen after his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

I want to touch really quickly on the Kingdom of God.

Jesus speaks a lot about the Kingdom of God.

The very first thing he began to teach was this Matthew 3.2,.

Jesus says repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.

In fact, the entire point of all his teachings and his life, his death, his burial, his resurrection is so that we might join him one day in the Kingdom of God.

Remember Jesus said previously I go to prepare a place for you.

My Father's house has many rooms.

That is the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of heaven, and Jesus is king.

Luke 4.43,.

But he said I must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God to other towns also, because that is why I was sent.

What is the Kingdom of God, or, as Jesus called it, the Kingdom of heaven?

Let's turn to Daniel 2.44,.

And in the day of those kings, the Kingdom of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.

Nor shall the kingdom be left to another people.

It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.

The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of heaven that will never be destroyed and will last forever.

Jesus tells us this in a conversation with Pilate, matthew 18.

Let's begin in 33.

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him Are you the king of the Jews?

Jesus answered Do you say this of your own accord or did others say this to you about me?

Jesus answered Am I a Jew?

Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me.

What have you done?

So Jesus answered my kingdom is not of this world.

If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

But my kingdom is not from the world.

Then Pilate said to him so you are a king?

And Jesus answered you say that I am a king.

For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth.

One who is of the truth listens to my voice.

The kingdom of God is not physically located in this world.

In Luke 17, 20, being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, jesus answered them the kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed.

Nor will they say look here it is, or there, for behold.

The kingdom of God is in the midst of you.

The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom and we must be born again to become part of his kingdom.

Jesus tells Nicodemus in John, chapter 3, starting in 3,.

John 3 · chapter mention

Jesus replied I tell you the truth unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.

What do you mean, exclaimed Nicodemus?

How could an old man go into his mother's womb and be born again?

Jesus replied I assure you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and spirit.

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

So don't be surprised when I say you must be born again.

The wind blows wherever it wants, just as you can hear the wind, but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going.

So you can't explain how people are born of the spirit.

How are these things possible, nicodemus asked?

Jesus replied you are a respected Jewish teacher and yet you don't understand these things.

I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony.

But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

No one has ever gone to heaven and returned.

But the Son of man has come down from heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of man must be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

For this is how God loved the world.

He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world.

Through him, we have to be reborn spiritually to be able to enter the spiritual kingdom of heaven.

Jesus is the door to the kingdom, daniel 727.

And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most high.

His kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

In order to enter into the kingdom of heaven, we have to make Jesus the Lord of our life.

Making Jesus the Lord of your life is more than just saying a few words and we are done.

We have to become his followers.

We have to put him first.

His salvation is a gift.

Jesus says this, luke 1232, fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Through our actions, we prove that we have made him Lord and Savior.

Matthew 633 says but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

There will be people who will not inherit the kingdom of God and will mourn on the day that Jesus returns, because they did not truly make him Lord of their life.

They said the words, but they continued living for themselves and their desires.

Jesus explains it like this in Matthew 7, 21,.

Not everyone who says to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one that does the will of my father, who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day Lord, lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?

Then I will tell them plainly I never knew you.

Away from me, you evildoers.

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down and the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The rain came down, the streams rose and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell with a great crash.

I am going to finish the kingdom of God with what Jesus says in Matthew 25.

Let's start in 31.

When the said of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep on his right but the goats on the left.

And the king will say to those on his right Come, you are blessed by my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food.

I was thirsty and you gave me drink.

I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

I was naked and you clothed me.

I was sick and you visited me.

I was in prison and you came to me.

Then the righteous will answer him saying, lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and didn't give you drink, and when did we see a stranger and welcome you, or naked and cloth you, and when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?

And the king will answer them Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these of my brothers, you did it to me.

Then he will say to those on the left depart from me.

You cursed into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry and you gave me no food.

I was thirsty and you gave me no drink.

I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.

Then they will also answer saying, lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?

Then he will answer them saying truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me, and these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

This is the end of day three, point number four a preview of the Holy Spirit.

Let's keep reading.

Let's go back to Acts.

Let's start in verse one.

In my former book, theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up into heaven.

After giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen after his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them a command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

I know that we have talked a lot about the Holy Spirit over the past year.

I think we spent 16 weeks on the topic.

I'm going to touch briefly on this.

First, let's see what Jesus has to say about the Holy Spirit Luke 11, 13,.

If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.

This is the moment that Moses and David and the people of Israel had been waiting for for thousands of years, the moment when God would dwell within his people.

As Jesus prepares for his death, burial and resurrection, he says this, john 14, starting in 15, if you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another hope, or to be with you forever, even the spirit of the truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him.

You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Let's move down to verse 25.

These things I've spoken to you while I'm still with you.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

All three parts of the Trinity have a role in salvation.

The Father sets destiny in motion for us.

Before the beginning of time.

He came up with the plan and sent his son, jesus, to die on the cross for us.

Jesus dies on the cross for us and conquers sin and death in our place.

The Father offers us his gift of grace and mercy.

Now is our part.

Once we accept his gift, we are saved and given eternal life and, as a guarantee of our future salvation, the Holy Spirit is deposited within us.

The Holy Spirit guides us through our life until our physical bodies die and our spirits and souls receive our reward.

John 15, 26 says but when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

The Holy Spirit guides us through this life.

He lives inside of us.

He doesn't just come in a moment or for a period of time.

Jesus told his disciples that it was for their benefit that he go away so that we can receive the Holy Spirit.

In John 16, starting in verse 4, jesus says this I did not say these things to you from the beginning because I was with you, but now I am going to him who sent me?

And none of you asked me where are you going?

But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I go.

I will send him to you and when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.

Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me.

Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will no longer see me.

And concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

All that the Father has is mine.

Therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit comes to reveal the truth to us.

How does Jesus phrase it?

In Acts 1?

He says in verse 5, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Let's turn to Matthew 5 and look at what John has to say about it.

He says this, beginning in verse 11, I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

John baptized with water.

What does baptism mean?

It means to submerge, dunk, immerse, to cleanse.

So John baptized with water and his baptism symbolized repentance and the washing away of sin.

Water baptism, as a Christian, is a symbolic act.

Water baptism is a believer's public confession of their inward decision to accept Jesus' free gift of salvation and place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Acts 22, 16,.

And now, what are you waiting for?

Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away.

Calling on his name, during baptism, a believer is ceremonially dunked under the water to symbolize the end of their old, sin filled lives and raised up out of the water in celebration of their new life in Christ.

Galatians 3, 25,.

So, in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.

So what does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?

Just like it sounds, we are submerged, dipped, immersed in the Holy Spirit.

This is a second baptism.

When we make Jesus Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell inside of us.

This is called the indwelling.

The next step is water baptism.

We have declared our faith before man and God and the next step is to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

If you want to know more about the Holy Spirit, go to our podcast under Mercy Church, colorado.

There's 16 weeks, I believe, of sermons on the Holy Spirit.

There is one that's called indwelling.

There's one that's called baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what the disciples have been waiting for.

We will continue talking about it.

As we read, jesus tells them, after he ascends, to go and wait for the gift the Father promised.

So let's look at the timeline real quick.

Jesus died on the cross and after three days, rose from the dead.

He spent 40 days appearing to the people before he ascends into heaven.

So at this moment in Acts, they are in a period of waiting.

He told them not to leave Jerusalem.

They didn't go home, they didn't go out to share the gospel, they stayed put.

They stayed in an attitude of prayer and worship.

We know that they had to wait 10 days from his ascension to when God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

This marks the end for day four.

Point number five Messiah expectations.

Let's keep reading.

Let's go back to Acts.

Let's start at the top.

In my former book, theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up into heaven.

After giving instructions, through the Holy Spirit, to the apostles he had chosen After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.

He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

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, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Then they gathered around him and asked him Lord, are you, at this time, going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

I want to talk a little bit about the Messiah that the Jews expected versus the Messiah that God sent.

If you look at the span of thousands of years, the Israelites were enslaved by people after people after people, just by the Egyptians, then by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Romans.

The Jewish people are expecting a Messiah king that will vanquish their enemies.

God promised David a son who will rule forever and give them rest from their persecution.

This is what they think of when they think of a Messiah.

Turn to Isaiah 11, starting in verse 1.

You'll be familiar with this passage because we used it a lot in our 7 series.

Isaiah 11 1,.

Then a shoot.

The Messiah will spring from the stock of Jesse, david's father and a branch from his roots will bear fruit and the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and a fear of the Lord.

And he will delight in the fear of the Lord and he will not judge by what his eye sees, nor make decisions by what his ears hear, but with righteousness and justice he will judge the poor and decide with fairness for the downtrodden of the earth.

And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips.

He shall slay the wicked.

If you continue to read Isaiah 11 and talks about how the Christ, which is the Messiah, will vanquish their enemies but rescue the Israelites and bring them out of hiding, and everyone will know that he is the Lord and that the Israelites are his people.

One day this will happen.

This is a messianic prophecy about the Messiah.

Part of it has happened the Messiah has been born.

The Messiah will spring from the stock of Jesse David's father and a branch from his roots will bear fruit and the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him.

And the Spirit of the Lord rested on Jesus in all its forms.

But the rest of it has not happened yet.

This will happen when Jesus returns.

When Jesus comes to the earth, the Jews expect him to immediately and only be this ruler king who is going to take charge and rid them of all their enemies.

He is the king God sent.

He should be born in the best place, only receive the best service, walk with the best people.

He is the king of kings.

One day, jesus will return and vanquish all his enemies.

This will happen at judgment one day.

But the Messiah that came is so much more than that.

He was a suffering servant king who was beaten and mocked and slain for his people, and he dies a humiliating death on the cross with the weight of the world's sin on his shoulders.

This is something that the Jews can't understand for their Messiah, even though, over and over again, these aspects of his personality are spoken of through his word and his prophets.

Let's look at the picture of that Isaiah paints of the suffering servant, isaiah 53.

Let's begin at the top.

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot and like a root out of the dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind.

A man of suffering and familiar with pain, like one from whom people hide their faces.

He was despised and we held him in low self-esteem.

Surely he took our pain and bore our suffering.

Yet we condemned him, punished by God, stricken by him and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities.

The punishment that brought us peace was on him and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to our own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of his all.

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth.

He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before it sheers is silent.

So he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested For he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people.

He was punished.

He was assigned to grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer.

And though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied by his knowledge.

My righteous servant will justify many and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life into death and was numbered with the transgressors, for he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.

Jesus' mission when he came into the world was not to vanquish the Jews, physical, worldly enemies.

In Matthew 10,28 he says Rather fear him, who can destroy the body and soul.

In hell, people have a bigger enemy out there than any physical person or force on this earth.

Romans 6,23 says the punishment of sin and death and our spiritual enemy, satan, is much greater than any human force out there.

Hebrews 2,14.

Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, jesus himself likewise partook the same things, that through death he might destroy the one thing who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who, through the fear of death, were subject to lifelong slavery.

In order to vanquish sin and death, jesus couldn't come in with a blazing force.

Like the king that he is, he had to humble himself and take our sin upon him and die for it.

Sinless repayment of our sin.

It was the only way to free us from the bondage of sin.

In Philippians 2,5, it says Something to be used to his own advantage.

Rather, he had made himself nothing.

By taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Therefore, god exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue and knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

And one day every knee will bow before Jesus.

But that time has not yet come, definitely not at the time of the book of Acts.

But we are getting closer and closer and it could be in our time or in our children's time.

This marks the end of day 5.

Part 6, jesus' Return.

Let's start in Acts 1, verse 6.

Acts 1:6

Then they gathered around him and asked Jesus Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

He said to them it is not for you to know the time or dates.

The Father is set by his own authority.

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.

After he had said this, he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid them from their sight.

They were looking intently up into the sky and he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood before them, men of Galilee.

They said why do you stand here looking into the sky.

This is the same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven.

We'll come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

One day Jesus will return.

He will return as the king the Jews have been expecting.

I want to look a little bit about what Jesus tells his disciples about his return.

We just read how he ascended into heaven.

One day he will return for us, just like these angels told his disciples, in the same way the disciples saw him go into heaven.

I want to briefly look at the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, where Jesus talks about his return.

Turn to Luke 21.

Let's begin in verse 7.

Teacher, they asked when will these things happen and what will be the sign that they are about to take place?

He replied Watch out that you are not deceived, for many will come in my name claiming I am he, and the time is near.

Do not follow them.

When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened.

These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.

Then he said to them Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you.

They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, all on account of my name.

And so you will bear testimony to me.

But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourself, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

You will be betrayed, even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.

Everyone will hate you because of me, but not a hair of your head will perish.

Stand firm and you will win life.

When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near.

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out and let those in the country not enter the city, for this is the time of punishment and fulfillment of all that has been written.

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

There will be great distress in the land and wrath against his people.

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prison to all the nations.

Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles.

Until the time of the Gentiles are fulfilled, there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars On the earth.

Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is to come for the world.

The heavenly bodies will be shaken At that time.

They will see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Jesus told them this parable.

Look at the fig tree and all the trees when they sprout leaves.

You can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.

Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away.

Until all of these things have happened, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and anxieties of life.

And that day will close on you suddenly like a trap, for it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth, be always on the watch and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen and that you may be able to stand before the Son of man.

Did you notice that it said that the Son of man, jesus, will come on the cloud just like he left?

Can you see some of these signs in the world we live in today?

Wars and rumors of wars, disasters, earthquakes and wars against Israel?

I want us to read his warning here, because it's very important.

Look at the fig tree and all its leaves.

We know that when a tree begins to bloom, that it means it's springtime.

When it has its leaves, it's summer.

When they begin to fall, it's fall.

Like Jesus says, we can see by the sign of the times that the kingdom of God is near.

It's coming.

We must get ready.

We must be prepared.

We don't want to be wasting our time partying here on earth, living out our best life, and then Jesus returns without us being ready.

He tells us to stand firm and you will win life.

One condition of our Christianity is that we must hold firm to our faith.

Now let's turn to what Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, matthew 24, 27,.

For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be coming of the Son of man.

Wherever the corpse is there, the vultures will gather.

Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken.

Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and he will send out his angels, allow, trumpet, call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, as quick as lightning.

Jesus will return.

For all his people, for all those who aren't ready, it'll be too late.

They will mourn because it's too late for them.

Let's continue.

32.

From the fig tree, learn its lesson.

As soon as its branch become tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.

So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.

Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But concerning the day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of man.

For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving and marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them away, so will be the coming of the Son of man.

Then, two men will be in the field, one will be taken and one will be left.

Two women will be grinding at the mill, and one will be taken and one left.

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming, but know this that if the Master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house been broken into.

Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant whom his Master has set over his household to give them their food at the proper time.

Blessed is that servant whom the Master will find so doing.

When he comes.

Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

But if that wicked servant says to himself, my Master is delayed, and he begins to beat his fellow servants and eat and drink with drunkards, the Master of the servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.

In that place there will be a weeping and gnashing of teeth.

No one knows the days or the hours, but we can see the signs of the times it's coming.

The wise servant prepares for what is to come.

Let's continue in Matthew 25.

Start at the top.

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet their bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five of them were wise, for when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry here is the bridegroom, come out to meet him.

Then all the virgins rose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said that a wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

But the wise answered, saying since there will be not enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast and the door was shut.

Afterwards the other virgins came also saying Lord, lord, open to us.

But he answered.

Truly, I say to you, I do not know.

You Watch, therefore, for you neither know the day or the hour.

The point is, he will come when we least expect it.

Are you prepared or are you busy enjoying yourself and shirking your responsibilities?

Let's continue in 14.

For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

To one he gave five talents and to other two another one to each according to his ability.

Then he went away.

He who had received the five talents went out at once and traded with him, and he made five talents more.

So also, he who had the two talents, made two talents more, but he had received the one talent, went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

Now, after a long time, the master of those servants and the settled accounts with them and he had received the five talents came forward bringing five talents more, saying master, you delivered to me five talents, here I've made five talents more.

And his master said to him well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over little.

I will set you over much.

Enter into the joy of your master.

And he also, who had the two talents, came forward saying master, you delivered me two talents, here I have made two talents more.

His master said to him well done, good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over little, and I will put you over much.

Enter into the joy of your master.

He also had received the one talent, came forward saying master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not so and gathering where you scattered no seed.

So I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground.

Here you have what is yours.

But his master answered him you, wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed, then you ought to have invested my money with bankers and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

So take the talent from him and give it to the man who has 10 talents, for everyone who has, more will be given and he will have an abundance.

But from the one who has not even what he has taken away and cast the worthless servant into outer darkness, in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Making Jesus Lord of our life is more than just saying words.

He gives us commands.

He tells us to obey him, to abide in his word, to go out and tell people about Jesus, to love people.

More than that, he gives us gifts, talents, money, blessings to help share the gospel, to scatter seed, to further his kingdom.

If we really love the Lord and we are truly his servant, we should be doing what he asks of us.

If we aren't, we are not truly his followers.

By our actions, we prove that he is Lord of our life.

What gifts and talents has he given to you?

How are you using them to share his kingdom?

There are a lot of passages written in the Bible about Jesus' return.

The main point is that one day he will return and we are getting closer and closer and we must be ready.

We don't want to be left behind.

This marks the end of day six, part seven the Disciples.

I want to end this chapter by talking about the people of the story and what is physically happening to them.

Let's go back to Acts.

Let's start Acts one, verse two, verse 12.

Then the disciples returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city.

When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.

Those present were Peter, john, james and Andrew, philip and Thomas, bartholomew and Matthew James, son of Alpheus, and Simon the zealot, and Judas, son of James.

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and married the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.

So Jesus had 12 disciples that followed him closely Peter, andrew, james, john Philip, nathaniel Thaddeus, james, simon the zealot, thomas, matthew and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus.

Let's look at the few of the disciples and how they came to follow Jesus.

First, peter and Andrew, let's go to Matthew four, starting in 18.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net in the lake, for they were fishermen.

Come, follow me, jesus said, and I will send you out to fish for people.

At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat with their father, zebedee, preparing the nets.

Jesus called them and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Next, matthew, matthew, chapter nine, verse nine.

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth.

Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

Then Philip and Nathaniel.

John 1, 43.

The next day, jesus decided to leave for Galilee.

Finding Philip, he said to him follow me.

Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethesda.

Philip found Nathaniel and told him we have found the one Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph Nazareth.

Can anything good come from there?

Nathaniel asked.

Come and see, said Philip.

When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him hear, truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.

How do you know me?

Nathaniel asked.

Jesus answered I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.

Then Nathaniel declared Rabbi, you are the son of God, you are the king of Israel.

Jesus said you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree.

You will see greater things than that.

He then added, very truly I tell you you will see heaven open in the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man.

We don't know how Jesus called the other disciples, but Matthew lists them out for us.

He says this in Matthew 10.

Let's start at the top.

Jesus called his 12 disciples to him and gave him the authority to drive out in pure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the 12 apostles First, simon, who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew.

James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

Philip and Bartholomew.

Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector.

James, son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus.

Simon, the zealot and Judas.

Iscariot, who betrayed him.

If you haven't seen the series chosen, I would highly recommend it.

It really brings the disciples to life.

The show takes liberties, which means not everything comes straight from the Bible.

We don't know how the other disciples were called, but it gets the main things right.

The gospel sum up the life of Jesus.

We don't know everything they said to each other or how some of the things happened, so the chosen had to fill in the blanks on certain parts.

I like it because it helps you know them and picture them as more than just names in the Bible.

You see their story and understand who they are and what Jesus has done in their lives and what he meant to them.

Jesus appeared to all the disciples minus Judas, and then the eleven of them were present at the beginning of the book of Acts, when Jesus told them to wait and then ascended into heaven.

The disciples were Jesus' witnesses, witnesses of his life, his miracles, his powers, his death, his burial, his resurrection and his ascension.

Now they are doing what Jesus asks.

They are waiting.

They are waiting on the Holy Spirit.

They wait like we should be waiting, joining constantly in prayer.

They also met with all the women that followed Jesus, and there were a lot of them.

They were Mary Magdalene, joanna, wife of Chusa, susanna, salome, the mother of James and John, mary of Clopis, and many more.

Luke 8.1 tells us this After this, jesus traveled about from one town and village to another proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.

The twelver with him and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases.

Mary called Magdalene, from whom the seven demons had come out, joanna, the wife of Chusa, the manager of Herod's household, susanna and many others.

These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

Also waiting with the disciples and the women were Mary, jesus' mother and Jesus' brothers.

Did you know Jesus had brothers?

Mark 3.

Let's start in 31.

Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived Standing outside.

They sent someone in to call him.

A crowd was sending around him and they told him your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.

Who are my mother and my brothers?

He asked.

Then he looked at those seated in the circle around him and said here are my mother and my brothers.

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.

Let's see what the Gospels have to say about Jesus' brothers John 2.

, verse 11.

What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory and his disciples believed in him.

After this, he went down to Capernaum and his mother and brothers and his disciples there.

They stayed for a few days.

The brothers gave Jesus a hard time, as brothers do.

Matthew 13.

Starting in 53.

When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there.

Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue and they were amazed.

Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?

They asked Isn't this the carpenter's son?

Isn't his mother named Mary?

And aren't his brothers James, joseph, simon and Judas?

Aren't all his sisters with us?

Where, then, did this man get all these things?

And they took offense at him.

But Jesus said to them a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own home, and he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

Jesus had several brothers James, joseph, simon, judas, and he even had sisters, john 7.

Start in verse 1.

After Jesus went around in Galilee, he did not want to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him.

But when the Jewish festival of Tabernacles was near, jesus's brother said to him leave Galilee and go to Judea so that your disciples there may see the works you do.

No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret.

Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.

For even his own brothers did not believe him.

Therefore, jesus told them my time is not yet here For you.

Any time will do.

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.

You go to the festival.

I'm not going up to this festival because my time has not yet fully come.

After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.

However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went, also not publicly, but in secret.

So Jesus had brothers and sisters.

The brothers were with Jesus's mother and the disciples at the beginning of Acts.

What do we know about his brothers?

Luke 2.6.

While we were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.

Jesus's brothers were younger than Jesus.

They did not believe in him.

They had to be younger In order for Jesus to be the heir of David.

He had to be the firstborn in line.

If you look at Matthew 1, the genealogy of Jesus, the Messiah.

Matthew 1.1 says this is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

This genealogy is the genealogy of Joseph.

Abraham was the father of Isaac, isaac the father of Jacob, jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.

And it goes on and on until it gets to Jesse, the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife, solomon the father of Rehoboam.

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, abijah the father of Asa, asa the father of Jehoshaphat, jehoshaphat the father of Jeroram, and Jacob the father of Joseph.

This is verse 16.

The husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus, who was called the Messiah.

Thus there were 14 generations in all, from Abraham to David, 14 from David to the exile to Babylon, and 14 from the exile to the Messiah.

In order for Jesus to be heir, he had to be the firstborn, not just of Mary, but also of Joseph.

We know that Jesus is Mary's firstborn son.

She was a virgin.

In the passage we just read, mary wrapped her firstborn son in swaddling clothes.

But Matthew also proves to us that Jesus is heir to David's throne through Joseph's line, and that would mean, in order to be heir, that Jesus has to be the firstborn son of Joseph.

So therefore, all of Jesus's brothers and sisters were younger and the children of both Mary and Joseph.

I know you may be thinking if Jesus had brothers, why did Jesus say to John what he did at the cross?

John 1925,.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, mary, the wife of Clopis and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother there and disciple, whom he loved, standing nearby, he said to her woman here is your son.

And to the disciple here is your mother.

From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

If Jesus had brothers, why did Jesus do this?

Why did he say this?

We'll turn back again to Mark 3, verse 33.

Mark 3:33

Who are my mother and my brothers, he asked.

Then he looked at those seated in the circle around him and he said here are my mother and my brothers.

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother.

When Jesus dies on the cross, his brothers do not believe.

So that's why he says what he says to Mary and John.

So the question is do his brothers ever believe?

Let's look really quick at Jesus' appearance to the disciples after the cross, verse Corinthians 15.

For what I received I passed on to you as a first importance the cross died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas and then to the twelve After that, he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some of them have fallen asleep.

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles and, last of all, he appeared to me also as to one abnormally born.

So after the resurrection, jesus appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.

After that, he appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at the same time.

Then he appeared to James.

The James he is talking about here is Jesus' brother James.

When we were reading about Jesus' mother and brothers, they said isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, joseph, simon and Judas?

It was James, the Lord's brother, that wrote the book of James.

Paul talks about meeting James in Galatians, galatians 1.

Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him for 15 days.

Cephas is Peter.

I saw none of the other apostles, only James, the Lord's brother.

Paul also talks about him.

Later in Acts, james becomes an important apostle and the head of the Christian church in Jerusalem.

Jesus' other brother, judas, wrote the book of Jude, jude one one Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.

To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ, mercy, peace and love be to yours in abundance.

Jude shows his respect to Jesus as his Lord instead of his brother.

That's why he says the brother of James.

So as the disciples and the 120 believers and the women and the brothers of Jesus and his mother Mary waited, peter spoke.

Let's continue in Acts, chapter one, verse 15.

In those days, peter stood up among the believers, a group numbering of about 120, and said brothers and sisters, the scriptures had to be fulfilled, in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David, concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.

Let's talk a little bit about what the gospels say about the disciple who was not there, judas.

First, jesus knew Judas was going to betray him John 6, 60.

On hearing it, many of the disciples said this is a hard teaching.

Who can accept it?

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, jesus said to them does this offend you?

Then what if you see the Son of man to sin to where he was before?

The Spirit gives life.

The flesh counts for nothing.

The words I've spoken to you are full of spirit and life.

Yet there are some of you who do not believe, for Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.

He went on to say this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.

From this time, many of the disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

You don't want to leave too, do you, jesus, asked the twelve.

Simon Peter answered him Lord, to whom shall we go?

You have the words of eternal life.

We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.

Then Jesus replied have I not chosen you, the twelve, yet one of you, as a devil?

He meant Judas, the son of Iscariot, who, though one of the twelve, was later to betray him.

He spoke about the betrayal several times over the course of his ministry Luke 22, 20.

In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup, saying this is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you, but the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table.

The son of man will go, as it has been decreed, but woe to the man who betrays him.

They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

Jesus even calls him out at the last supper, matthew 26.

When evening came, jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve and while they were eating he said truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.

They were very sad and began to say to him one after another surely you don't mean me, lord?

Jesus replied the one who has dipped his hand in the bowl will betray me.

The son of man will go, just as it is written about him.

But woe to the man who betrays the son of man.

It would be better for him if he had not been born.

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said surely you don't mean me, rabbi?

And Jesus answered you have said so.

So we know what happens.

Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss in the Garden of Gethsemane to the Romans for thirty pieces of silver.

Exodus 21.32 says if an ox gores a male or female servant, the owner shall give to the servant's master thirty shekels of silver the purchase price for a slave and the ox shall be stoned.

Thirty pieces of silver is the price paid for a slave.

Judas sold Jesus for the price of a slave.

Did you know that God foretold that Jesus would be betrayed?

Let's turn to Zachariah, chapter 11.12.

I told them if you think it best, give me my pay, but if not, keep it.

So they paid me thirty pieces of silver and the Lord said to me throw it to the potter.

The hands and price at which they valued me.

So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord.

Psalm 41.9 says even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.

I want to look real quick at what happens in Matthew 27 after Judas betrays Jesus.

Matthew 27.1.

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed.

So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders.

I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood.

What is that to us?

They replied that's your responsibility.

So Judas threw the money into the temple and left.

Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said it is against the law to put this money back in the treasury, since it is blood money.

So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners.

That is why it's been called the field of blood to this day.

Then what was spoken by Jeremiah, the prophet, was fulfilled.

They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.

Now let's look at what Peter's going to say in Acts 1, verse 17.

Acts 1:17

He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.

With the payment Judas received for his wickedness, he bought a field there.

He fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.

Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this.

So they called the field, in their language, aquedama, field of blood.

For, said Peter, it is written in the book of Psalms May his place be deserted, that there be no one to dwell in it, and may another take his place of leadership.

Therefore, it is necessary to choose one of the men who had been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us, for one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.

So they nominated two men Joseph, called Bersabbas, also known as Justice, and Matthias.

Then they prayed Lord, you know everyone's heart.

Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.

Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias, so he was added to the 11 apostles.

While the disciples are waiting, peter gets down to business and focuses on practical matters.

They need 12 disciples to head up Jesus's ministry, so they need to appoint someone to Judas's place.

They nominated two people that fit the criteria and cast lots.

Matthias was added to the 12.

We're going to stop here this week.

Each week, on Monday, the new reading and podcast will be up through our website, and you will find the entire year's reading schedule on our Pray 365 tab under wwwwearemercych.

I'm going to close in prayer.

Let's pray, dear Lord.

We thank you.

We thank you for 2024.

We thank you for a new year.

We a new day.

We choose you.

This year, lord, we choose to put you first.

We thank you, lord, for your word.

We ask you, lord, to open our ears and our eyes to reveal your word and your truth to us as we study the Bible together.

We ask Lord to help us seek and follow you to be who you have designed us to be.

Help us to step on the right path and lead us and guide us.

In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.

If you have prayer requests or want to find out how to make Jesus Lord of your life, send us a private message on Facebook under Mercy Church, colorado, or you can send us an email at info at wearemercych.

We love you, mercy Church Family, and we hope that you have a wonderful week.