“. . . if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.” Acts 5:38–39
Last year, we began studying the book of Acts together as a church. It’s a sizable chunk of Bible—one of the longest books in the New Testament—so we decided to take it on in sections over the course of a few years.
The story so far
Besides the length, reading through Acts is a great way to introduce the church to returning Easter visitors and regroup as a congregation. It’s our family history: a book all about how the church began, what the church is supposed to do, and why we exist to this day.
I’m looking forward to this new tradition as we dive into part two of the Acts sermon series this month. If you want to catch up on the story so far, read the first five chapters of the book and check out part one of the sermon series, available online. We’ll pick it up in chapter 5, verse 12.
Meet the main character
Just before he ascended into heaven, the resurrected Jesus left his followers with a promise: You will receive power (Acts 1:8). The book of Acts records the true story of this power unleashed through people by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity, equal to God the Father and God the Son, Jesus. He is the main character in the book of Acts and the primary agent in all of history to this day. He is active in the world and alive in hearts, providing wisdom, courage, hope, and peace that transcend circumstances for all who trust in Jesus.
In the upcoming section of Acts we’ll be working through next, we see the variety of ways in which the Holy Spirit accomplishes the will of God. From miraculous displays of supernatural glory (e.g., 9:17–18, 40–42) to tragic events redeemed for good (e.g., 8:4–8), nothing can stop the power of God and the mission he means to fulfill.
The church continues forever
Before Christianity was the world’s largest religion, it was a small movement birthed out of traditional Judaism. As we learn in Acts, however, it did not stay small for long. Jesus’ initial followers faithfully proclaimed the good news of salvation, and the Holy Spirit surged to fill new people from different races, cultures, and nations, far exceeding any human expectations.
The book of Acts describes a unique moment in history, but not an isolated moment. The same Holy Spirit that changed the world 2,000 years ago is still changing it today. The same mission that brought salvation from Jerusalem to Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond oceans is still our mission today. The same power that carried the church of God through insurmountable obstacles is still a source of strength and joy for us today.
Jesus’ power through the Holy Spirit has, does, and will prevail over all other powers. This is of God—just as Christianity’s early opponents even suspected (5:38–39). Nothing could stop it in the first century, and nothing can stop it in the 21st century.
May the Holy Spirit bless you with great confidence in him as you study his work and then go do the acts he is leading you to accomplish for the glory of Jesus, good of his church, joy of your heart, and for the salvation of others.
