Adventures in Acts

The book of Acts is often lost between two giants of the New Testament – John’s Gospel and Romans. At times it is neglected, seen as a hotbed of schism and disunity between Christians. We look on it as a church manual, telling us how we should govern churches, or how to apply the sacraments, or what our experience of the Holy Spirit should be.

Nonetheless, to paraphrase Dr Martin Lloyd Jones, there is no greater tonic in the realm of the Spirit, than a thorough reading of the book of Acts.

The writer of the book of Acts was called Luke. He was an educated man and a physician. He was widely travelled, and we discover in some later chapters in Acts that Luke accompanied the apostle Paul for a while on one of his missions.

Under the oversight of God’s Spirit, Luke tells us why he wrote his two-volume work: the Gospel of Luke and Acts:

‘Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.’ (Luke 1:1-4, N.I.V)

It's likely that Theophilus was Luke’s patron. Luke wants Theophilus to come from the realm of doubt and confusion into the area of certainty, based on careful investigation, reliable evidence, and the things that have been fulfilled.

What does Luke want Theophilus to be certain about? Turning over to the last chapter in Luke’s Gospel, we read:

‘Then [Jesus] opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’ (Luke 24v45-47, N.I.V.)

I think verse 46 is a good summary of Luke’s Gospel, and verse 47 is a good summary of Acts.

It is as much the purpose of God that his Son should suffer, die and rise, as it is that the gospel of Jesus Christ should reach the ends of the earth.

And this is what Luke wants Theophilus, and us, to be certain about as we read the Gospel of Luke and Acts.

For Luke, the subject of his Gospel is Jesus, and the subject of Acts is also Jesus. Some think that the Gospel of Luke is about Jesus, and Acts is about the church. The contrast is not between Jesus and his church, but between two different phases of Jesus’ ministry.

The first phase in Luke’s Gospel is the earthly ministry of Jesus until the day that he was taken up into heaven. And now there is a second phase of Jesus ministry, in Acts, where Jesus still teaches and works from heaven through his Spirit and the apostles.

This is important for us. Jesus didn’t go back into heaven and forget about everything. He spent three years creating the church and now in Acts, Jesus sends his Holy Spirit on the church. And Jesus continues his work through his Spirit, the Word of God and his church today.

When the founder of a world religion dies, the followers of that new religion try to do what the founder taught because the founder is now absent. But this is not the case with Christ’s church. We are not trying to do our best because Jesus is gone. We are a Christian church precisely because Jesus is with us today.

In Acts, we are clear that Jesus Christ remains Lord of the church and that he is with us and active today. He is very much engaged with us.  

I wonder what our local churches would look like if we truly believed that. Well, the book of Acts will show us what it looks like to believe it.

And so I am absolutely thrilled to present “Adventures in Acts” for children, aged seven to eleven years old. Beautifully illustrated by Silvana Di Marcello, “Adventures in Acts” is all about what Jesus did after he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. In “Adventures in Acts”, we learn of the continued acts of Jesus, as his gospel spread throughout God’s world.

This amazing adventure is retold in simple language, and then carefully explained, with a question at the end of each chapter to help the reader think about how the Word of God applies to his or her life.

Ok…who’s up for an Adventure in Acts?!