However...

A conversation on the book of Acts

February 23, 2022

Acts starts off with the resurrected Jesus commissioning His disciples:

“Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8b)

But this call was not a demand without help. This was not a call without equipping or without God’s involvement.

“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.” (Acts 1:8)

Acts is a narrative of living this out. But it is not simply a story of extraordinary people. It is a story of people empowered by the Holy Spirit.

What does that mean–empowered by the Holy Spirit? Did that mean perfection, easy, possessed by God, overpowering all obstacles, super successful, never difficult?

Well… It started out in Jerusalem with some beautiful moments of unity and transformation. It got complicated with people twisting the truth (Ananias and Sapphira). It blew up with the stoning of Stephen. It grew because of their being scattered in fear. It kept focus on the initial call to Jerusalem as they repeatedly went to the Jews first in communities. It opened to all people, as being (or becoming) a Jew was not needed.

Jesus was kept as the Messiah. Many were transformed as the movement grew. Many hated and persecuted them as the movement grew. Its complexity and beauty are summarized in chapter 12, where in the midst of all the challenges:

But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. (Acts 12:24)

So, what is empowerment by the Holy Spirit? It’s a difficult but important question. Let me put some different words to it:

What does it tell us that the people in Acts, while being empowered by the Holy Spirit, had great success and faced overwhelming struggles?

We are coming to the end of a section of the book of Acts. From chapter 21 through the end of the book, Paul goes into a huge, unexpected, not-hoped-for U-turn. Paul is about to go to prison for the rest of his life.

He was planning (hoping) to live out the commissioning of Jesus for the rest of his life by going, going, going: traveling, planting, teaching, and traveling more. But then he was arrested, which was maybe not ideal…

But because of his writing in prison (as opposed to just going-going-going), we are still being impacted personally by Paul’s work today.

I think Paul had perspective that everything he did was important, no matter the situation. Was he with people who don’t know Jesus? Cool, opportunity. Was he in prison indefinitely? Cool, more opportunity. Was he shipwrecked? Cool, another opportunity.

We will be processing this in the weeks to come. But today Paul makes a new declaration here in chapter 20 while he is still in the usual routine that he has been living in.

He is teaching, discipling, living out the commission. He is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Many believe. He is still facing persecution and resistance, still on the move, and people are still being connected to the Way–becoming followers of Jesus.

He is even causing some pain in the process. In chapter 20 there is a painful moment. Paul is teaching and teaching and teaching–there is the sense that he is feeling pressure to get it all out, that he could feel the impending change coming–and while he doing that in a packed out house:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (Acts 20:7-12)

A few verses later, Paul declares:

“My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” (Acts 20:24)

This now becomes a theme in Paul’s life and his discipling process:

You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? (Galatians 5:7)

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Process this–Acts is this narrative of the followers of Jesus living out the commissioning of Jesus. They’re not just commissioned by God but empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We’ve already talked about how isolation and persistence are available. Today we see that intentional effort is available. Let’s jump right into this.

What are some of the risks and results of thinking that God’s empowerment is all a person needs to live out Jesus’ commissioning?

What are some of the risks and results of thinking that personal intentional efforts are all a person needs to live out Jesus’ commissioning?

We see in Paul’s life a pretty clear picture of partnership lived out. It’s not just God’s empowerment, and not just Paul’s intentional efforts. It’s both together.

Paul sees and feels his imminent and permanent departure:

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.” (Acts 20:22-23)

Paul has seen hardship. He has lived hardship. He has risen above it and been crushed by it. Paul has faced it alone and also with dear friends. He has been miraculously spared in hardship, and he has deep scars from the hardship he has faced.

Now he sees it coming, probably because it is obvious and because of what his friends are telling him and reminding him and warning him about, but also because he feels it being said to him through the Holy Spirit.

Take a minute and just imagine being Paul. Imagine living the life you’ve had, facing the things you have, knowing that what’s to come is only hardship. How would you respond? What are some of the variety of responses that any of us could have? Paul is at a Y in the road now.

What were some options that Paul would have had at this moment?

I love the next word in Acts 20: However.

Paul had options: running, hiding, quitting, turning it down, stepping back, letting things be, not caring anymore. These were real options. However…

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)

We’ve said many times that the goal of our time together is not to learn to emulate people but to see the story of God through their lives. But what on earth is living like this like? I would imagine most of us haven’t gotten to this point. I could be wrong. But I’ve never been to the point of considering my own life worth nothing to me. I value my life very highly. So Paul must have been onto something.

Previously, we have talked about how isolation is available, and how persistence is available. Today, intentional effort is available. Intentional effort to do what?

With Paul’s words in front of you–he trusting the call of Jesus–and bringing this to your life:

How can we learn to trust God even when it seems He’s leading us into potential calamity?

Paul is in a transition. He can see and feel that life change is just around the corner. But that life change is not distracting him from what is most important, but rather it is bringing it into clearer focus.

The Y in the road was there. And Paul is taking the road of intentional focused effort. Not for a moment, but until the end. This was his focus.

As I process this, I can feel the pressure to try harder: “It is all up to me. Don’t fail, don’t stop, don’t mess up. It all is depending on you.” But that is not the call.

It is intentional effort, but coupled together with the continuing theme of Acts:

“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.” (Acts 1:8)

It is coupled together with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Here are Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians:

This is not all about being like Paul. This is all about you and me being empowered by the Holy Spirit in our calling, bringing our efforts and the power of God together.

So, here are two final questions:

How do God’s help and our intentional efforts work together?

How do you know when that combination is happening?

Take It Deeper Questions

Read Acts 20.
How do you tend to say goodbye to people you love?
How does the duration until the next visit impact your goodbye?
How do you see Paul’s tone and demeanor change as he comes to this farewell moment?
How did Paul get to a point where he saw his value in life primarily in his living out the commissioning of Jesus?
How are you challenged, encouraged, confused, and/or frustrated by Paul’s declaration in Acts 20:24?

Bible Reading Plan

Joshua 15
Joshua 16
Joshua 17
Acts 27
Acts 28
Acts 1