Made For Mission: Revolution: Turning The World Right-Side Up

The Book of Acts takes us on a whirlwind journey of how the Spirit infiltrated the world via an unlikely band of disciples. And this is still His mission. By indwelling people like you and me, the Spirit of Jesus will use each of us to reach the world with His love. The advent of the Spirit for individuals is the turning point of God’s great plan.

Some would argue that the book of Acts is primarily about the Church - its formation, persecution, and growth. But, the Bible tells us that there is a Force that undergirds the formation of the Church and all of her activity, a Power that is thrilling and indispensable. This non-negotiable element is the Spirit of God. The Eternal Spirit empowers both then and now and helps Christians live out our purpose, as individuals, as a church, and as the Church until Jesus Christ comes again. 

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

The overarching theme for this section in the book of Acts is the importance Jesus placed on preparing His followers to receive the promised Holy Spirit. This passage shows us the importance of the Spirit for the accomplishment of God’s mission.

Read Acts 1:1-11.

Where was the group when Jesus said goodbye and promised the coming of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1:12)? Luke records that Jesus typically spent the night at this place (Luke 21:37; 22:39). What other significant event happened in the area (see John 18)? 

Who was to be the recipient of Luke’s writing in Acts 1:1? What material was contained in Luke’s “former book” (the Gospel of Luke), according to Acts 1:1-5? Make a list of the things that Luke mentions in his summary to bring his audience up to date. Now fact-check what you find in Luke 24. What new information does Luke give in Acts 1:1-5? Look at Luke 3:16 for the prophecy about to be fulfilled in Acts 2. Luke puts this prophecy in Jesus’ voice.

With Acts 1:6, Luke brings us to the beginning of his narrative. How does Luke set the scene in verse 6, and what is the question that the disciples ask? What is Jesus’ answer in verse 7 and His great promise in verse 8? Verse 8 is often referred to as a commissioning. Why do you think this is an apt descriptor for this verse?

What happens next is pretty amazing. Take a moment to imagine it. Look at Luke’s account in Luke 24:50-51. What was Jesus doing as He ascended into heaven? What do you think He was saying? 

But, the story is not over. What happened next, according to Acts 1:10-11? There is a sense of urgency in what the two figures have to say. What is their question? What is their charge? 

What do these passages mean?

Most scholars believe the Book of Acts was written some 50 years after Jesus’ ascension into heaven. This would have given its author, Luke, time to interview and record what happened from eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life. Luke also met and served alongside the Apostle Paul, who died in 57CE. Luke-Acts is considered to be a two-volume work, albeit different in style. Reading these two books of the Bible together shows the important themes that Luke weaves together throughout the life of Christ and the spread of the Gospel to gentiles through Paul. Luke, a gentile himself, has a particular viewpoint and emphasis on the Spirit in both works. Try reading them back to back and see what you find!

In Colossians 4:14, Paul notes that his friend Luke was a physician. It is interesting to note that throughout the book, Luke switches from “they” pronouns to “we” pronouns (outside of others’ quotations that he recounts) to signify the times when he was there in person. We realize that Luke is giving a personal account for the first time in Acts 16:10. Luke appears during the Apostle Paul’s Second Missionary Journey when he was in a town called Troas on the Aegean Sea near the northern tip of modern-day Turkey’s western coast. From there, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and now Luke sailed to Philippi. Luke was also with Paul at the end of his life in Rome. Paul wrote about this in 2 Timothy 4:11: “Only Luke is with me.” How fitting it is that Luke would write about his friend Paul’s beginnings as a Christ-follower (Acts 9) and also do his part to make sure that Paul’s death in Rome was not the last word on his efforts.

The location where Jesus gave His last words and commission was the Mount of Olives. This is where the disciples saw His rising into the heavens with their own eyes. From before Jesus’ time, during, and even up to today, the Mount of Olives is a place where Jewish people are buried. From its height, a person could see the entire Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Think of the significance of Jesus’ exit. His resurrection meant that death had no hold on Him. Even though He was laid in a tomb and left for dead, the Holy Spirit brought Him back to life and set Him free from His tomb. When Jesus gathered His followers again at this important spot, He was perhaps reminding them that He was not leaving this life as a dead person but as a living one. The way Jesus was lifted into the sky will be mirrored by His return in the same way sometime in the future. 

What do these passages mean for me?

Famous last words. People are sometimes known for the last thing they say before leaving a place. Many times it’s the people who will gather and remember the last time they saw a person and talk about what they said and why. 

How about you? What would you say to your loved ones if you knew it would be the last time you spoke with them? Of course, Jesus had the advantage of knowing exactly what would happen. However, did you notice that His disciples were not on the same wavelength? These men wanted to know if Jesus was going to take over and set up His earthly kingdom at that time. This tells us that Jesus’ disciples still did not understand Jesus’ mission to save the world. His victory was not going to happen by human might or force. It was going to happen as a result of the coming of His Spirit. When the Spirit came, the Christ-followers would understand Jesus’ agenda and that He was going to fulfill it through THEM. 

There are times when all of us miss the main point because we are focused on what we think should happen. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the perspective that we desperately need. Notice that Jesus Himself did not worry about whether the disciples understood what was to come. Even Jesus relied upon the Spirit to bring clarity and direction to others. He didn’t even attempt to describe what was going to happen. 

After the advent of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, throughout the rest of the book of Acts, Jesus’ followers never again wished for power to come by force. They thrived in their work despite still being under the thumb of a terrible regime, Rome. The leaders of this empire may have killed some of the early leaders of the Church, such as Paul, but no power, no kingdom, and no leader can kill the Spirit who leads His people in spreading the Gospel to the world. What’s more, anyone reading these words has a part to play in God’s kingdom work.

Luke wrote to a man named “Theophilus.” This name means “friend of God.” It is not too much of a stretch to think that any person who knows Jesus and thus is a friend of God can take Luke’s Gospel and the Book of Acts as written to them. This is true of the whole Bible. We must read the Bible as words from a loving God that help us know Him, His plan for all that He has created, and our part in it. 

As you study the Bible, try keeping a diary of what God has to say to you through His word and as you hear others preach from its text. Jewish tradition sees Scripture not as static teaching but as something more dynamic. Rather than passively receiving God’s word, we can learn from the Jewish heritage and think about engaging with the Bible as if we were in a dialogue with God. It is acceptable to ask questions about the text you are reading. Know that the Holy Spirit is your Guide into all Truth. You may not get all the answers you want immediately, but in time, you will come to know God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as you continue to study and pray. You could start with these tips and resources for studying the Bible. 

Prayer

Thank You, God, for Your plan to save and redeem the whole world. It is humbling to think that I might play a part, but I want to. Fill me with Your Spirit, who brings true wisdom, understanding, knowledge, insight, and discernment. Strengthen my heart with courage and obedience. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.

Small Group Discussion Questions

1. Discuss the idea of the world’s need for a Gospel Revolution. How do you see the Church’s work today reflecting the activities we see in the book of Acts?
2. The main point of the sermon last weekend was this:

God’s Gospel Revolution meets our deepest dissatisfactions, transforms us into the most powerful distribution force, and reorients us towards the most glorious destination.

Do you agree that God’s Gospel Revolution meets the deepest dissatisfactions of the world? How so?

Do you believe that God’s Gospel Revolution transforms Christians into the most powerful distribution force? What evidence can you give to back up your opinion?

When you look at the culture around you, how do their goals line up with their beliefs of an afterlife? What is the ultimate glorious destination of the Christian’s hope? What does it mean to be oriented toward heaven? What difference does this focus make in the Christian’s everyday life?

3. What is your favorite quality of the Holy Spirit? Where in your life do you need to rely more upon Him? Take some time to pray for the people in your life who do not (yet) know God.