Post Pandemic Preaching - To Infinity & Beyond
Acts 28:30-31- this is the last entry written in the Book of Acts
[This is the 24th lesson of this series]
The Book of Acts was written by Luke, a follower of Christ. It was a companion book (a sequel) to the Book of Luke, both of which he wrote to a person named Theophilus (Theophilus is both an actual name and an honorific title), so that Theophilus can be certain of everything he was taught about Jesus of Nazareth.
Luke told him that he have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, and that he decided to write an orderly account for Theophilus. As already mentioned in previous lessons, these letters (these books) have been written for believers.
Ordely Account
The Book of Luke was about the life of Jesus up until the day he was taken up to heaven, and after he appeared to hundreds of people over a period of forty days speaking about the kingdom of God (after He resurrected from the dead).
The Book of Acts continues the narrative on what the followers of Jesus did after that.
From the excerpt above, we read that the Book of Acts closed with Luke saying that Paul was talking about the Kingdom of God.
If you think about it, it's an open ended book.
It never ended. The 28 chapters of the Book Acts listed the acts of the followers of Christ as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
But the story still continues to this day. Followers of Christ are still following the example of Paul, they are still telling the world about Jesus. The Book of Acts is still being written as people who don't know Christ get to know who He is through the acts of Christ followers today.
And did you know, or remember that Christ prayed about this, as John recorded it in the Book of John.
After praying for His disciples, e prayed for all His future disciples.
John 17:20-23
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."
And guess what? 20 centuries later, followers of Christ are still proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Yes, to the ends of the earth, until Christ's return.
Luke told him that he have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, and that he decided to write an orderly account for Theophilus. As already mentioned in previous lessons, these letters (these books) have been written for believers.
Ordely Account
The Book of Luke was about the life of Jesus up until the day he was taken up to heaven, and after he appeared to hundreds of people over a period of forty days speaking about the kingdom of God (after He resurrected from the dead).
The Book of Acts continues the narrative on what the followers of Jesus did after that.
From the excerpt above, we read that the Book of Acts closed with Luke saying that Paul was talking about the Kingdom of God.
If you think about it, it's an open ended book.
It never ended. The 28 chapters of the Book Acts listed the acts of the followers of Christ as they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
But the story still continues to this day. Followers of Christ are still following the example of Paul, they are still telling the world about Jesus. The Book of Acts is still being written as people who don't know Christ get to know who He is through the acts of Christ followers today.
And did you know, or remember that Christ prayed about this, as John recorded it in the Book of John.
After praying for His disciples, e prayed for all His future disciples.
John 17:20-23
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me."
And guess what? 20 centuries later, followers of Christ are still proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Yes, to the ends of the earth, until Christ's return.
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