Pastor Matt and Pastor Chris are back with a leftovers episode unfortunately filled with another "fart vs burp" discussion and of course some more substantive conversation about Peter's sermon in Acts, chapter 2.

Pastor Chris delves into Peter's Spirit-filled sermon as the early church begins to multiply, and what it means for us as the church today.

Pastor Matt and Pastor Chris debate whether they'd rather be time-traveled or teleported and discuss the appointment of Matthias as the 12th Apostle as recorded in Acts 1.

Pastor Matt continues our series in Acts, talking about how the Disciples were clothed with the power of the Holy Spirit, to carry out the challenging task ahead of them.

Pastor Matt and Pastor Chris reflect on Easter weekend, peel back the curtain on building the Easter Worship setlist, and dive into more of the details contained in the first 5 verses of Acts.

***SHOW NOTES***

Who is Theophilus?

The name Theophilus appears in only two places in the Bible, Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-3. Luke wrote these two books around 61-63 AD which is during the time that the Apostle Paul was a prisoner in Rome and Luke was with him. (See 2 Timothy 4:11).

The name Theophilus is from the Greek word “theophilos” and means “friend of God” or “loved by God.” The most common theory is that Theophilus was of high social standing who was a friend of Luke. In his Gospel, Luke addressed Theophilus as “most excellent”, which is a Roman title of respect and possibly of official importance.

OR…An Honorary title

Some people think that Theophilus was not a person at all. According to this view the word “theophilo” (“friend of God”) is just a title Luke uses referring to the people who will read his books. According to this idea, Luke simply meant that they were all loved by God.

-Bibleinfo.com

The Importance of Christianity Adopting a Written Form (Michael Joseph Brown)

“The movement is at the point of leaving the realm of ordinary people (that is, oral tradition) and entering the world of literature. This is one of the few explicit indications in the NT that at least some Christians wanted to move beyond the confines of a largely Palestinian Jewish—largely oral—world into the expansive environment of the Greco-Roman World. Additionally, this literature signals the intent in the life of the church to fix the form of Jesus tradition for all time. We are moving then from the realm of anecdote and oral exchange into one of doctrine and emerging theology.”

V1:

Luke wrote his account(s) to help people have a historically reliable account about Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity…

Luke is associating what Jesus began to do during His ministry with what He continued to do after His ascension; the ministry of Jesus was the beginning of Christianity…

Tyndale Commentary

“All that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach”…

It seems clear then that Jesus’ death was always a part of God’s plan and that God knew that at some point we would have to do the mission without Jesus physically present. However, God did not leave us to our own devices, He gave us His Holy Spirit. The work of Jesus continues through His ambassadors, and that’s us!

V2:

The time from from Easter to the ascension had two important characteristics: 1) It provided evidence that Jesus was alive 2) it was the time when Jesus gave His marching order to the Apostles.

Tyndale Commentary

“If he had but once appeared unto them, it might have been somewhat suspicious, but in showing himself so often unto them, he dissolveth all doubts which might arise in their minds, and by this means, also, he putteth away the reproach of the ignorance which he said was in the apostles, lest it discredit their preaching…

Therefore, we may properly set the world, the flesh, and whatsoever is in man’s nature against the kingdom of God, as contrary to it. For the natural man is wholly occupied about the things of this world, and he seeketh felicity here; in the mean season, we are as it were banished from God, and he likewise from us; but Christ, by the preaching of the gospel, doth lift us up unto the meditation of the life to come…Therefore, God will reign in and amongst us now, that He may at length make us partakers of His kingdom.”

John Calvin

V4:

wait for The proper attitude of the faithful in both testaments

“Again, he suffered them to rest a while, that he might the better set forth the greatness of that business which he was about to commit unto them. And thereby is the truth of the gospel confirmed, because the Apostles were forbidden to address themselves to preach the same, until they should be well prepared in succession of time.”

John Calvin

Pastor Chris delivers an Easter Sunday message that kicks off our series in the book of Acts!

Pastor Matt and Pastor Chris review the conclusion to the series on Revelation, and debate whether they'd rather preserve their mind or their body.

***SHOW NOTES***

Chapter 21

In contrast to Greek dualism in which salvation consists of the flight of the soul away from the earthly and transitory to the spiritual and eternal—“always places man on a redeemed earth, not in a heavenly realm removed from earthly existence.”

V1: Paul spoke of the whole creation groaning in travail while it waits with eager longing its emancipation from decay (Rom 8:19-22). The new order of things is probably not to be thought of primarily as a physical transformation. The entire presentation stretches the limits of human vocabulary and thought to emphasize the reality of God dwelling among His people.

V2: The concept of a New Jerusalem unveiled at the advent of the Messiah is common in Jewish apocalyptic. This Jerusalem comes from above whose architect and builder is none other than God (Heb 11:10; 12:22; 13:14; Phil 3:20)

The point is that Jerusalem is the site of the temple, the place where the presence of God dwells. But of course there is no need for a physical temple because God is directly there with His people…

…It comes down from God, that is to say, the church is not a voluntary organization created by human beings but a fellowship initiated and given by God (Matt 16:18)

V3: In the John’s Gospel, he writes that the Word became flesh and tabernacled among people so that they saw His glory, the glory of the One and only Son (John 1:14)…

It is the redeemed peoples (notice the plural) of all races and nationalities that God will dwell in glory.

V4: Timothy Keller wrote, “The Biblical view of things is resurrection—not a future that is just a consolation for the life we never had, but a restoration of the life you always wanted. This means that every horrible thing that ever happened will not only be undone and repaired but will in some way make the eventual glory and joy even greater”

V5: It is from God’s position of power that He breaks His silence and pronounces “I am making everything new.”

V6-7: That God is the Beginning refers not only to the fact that He was first in point of time, but also that He is the source and origin of all things. He is the end in the sense that he constitutes their goal or aim

11 WAYS JESUS GIVES US HEAVEN:

1. He allowed Himself to be conquered so that you can be more than a conquerer through Christ.

2. God rejected His only Son so that you could be called a son and a daughter and be fully accepted as His beloved child.

3. Jesus was drug outside of the city gates and walls so that you could come into God’s perfect city.

4. Jesus lost His glory so that you and I could become glorious and righteous in God’s sight.

5. Jesus was crucified in spiritual and literal darkness as the the light of the glory of God was taken away from Him; all so you could bask in the warmth and glory of God’s light forever and ever.

6. Jesus thirst on the cross with a spiritual thirst of absolute emptiness. God drained Him completely so that you can have access to the water of life without payment for all of eternity.

7. Jesus laid Himself down on the tree of death, having His feet and hands secured by the nails of our sins so that we could have access to the tree of life.

8. Jesus was whipped, beaten and tortured so that you can be healed!

9. The curse of sin was fully and perfectly laid on Jesus’ shoulders. He took upon Himself the wrath of every sin that has (and ever will be) committed so that there is no curse upon you.

10. God turned His face away from Jesus so that you can look upon your Fathers face without shame or guilt!

11. Jesus had a crown of thorns forced down upon his forehead so that you can wear the name of God on your forehead, marking you forever as His!

Pastor Chris concludes our series in Revelation!