Word Of Victory Outreach Center

God is infinite. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-capable.  Yet despite this, to their own harm many of His followers tend to limit the power of God by erroneous thinking.  This attitude of “limitation” is not something unique to this generation of believers. All one has to do is go back to God’s own children, Israel, to discover that this is an age old problem.

• Ps 78:40-43- 40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wasteland! 41 Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed (LIMITED) the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember his power — the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, 43 the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. NIV The word “limited”, is rendered differently in various translations. However, the verses surrounding verse 41 certainly make a good case for the use of “limited” in this context. Israel diminished their expectations of our unlimited God. [42f] “They did not remember His power... [43] His miraculous signs in Egypt, His wonders...” In effect, they put their own limits on God’s intervention in their lives by failing to remember His historically demonstrated power, signs, and wonders. Like Israel of old, we too often “limit [God]”.  

Truth #3 - ACTS IS NOT ABOUT A “JESUS FAN CLUB”

Because the story of Jesus is so impressive…God among us! God speaking a language we can understand! God acting in ways that heal and help and save us! There is a danger that we will be impressed, but only impressed. As the spectacular dimensions of this story slowly (or suddenly) dawn upon us, we could easily become enthusiastic spectators, and then let it go at that. We just become admirers of Jesus, generous with our “oohs and ahs”, and in our better moments inspired to imitate him.

It is Luke’s task to prevent that. To prevent us from becoming mere spectators to Jesus, fans of the Message. Of the original quarter of writers on Jesus, Luke alone continues to tell the story as the apostles and disciples live it into the next generation. The remarkable thing is that it continues to be essentially the same story for us today in our generation of 2012!

As you read the book of Luke (vol. 1) and then read the book of Acts (vol.2), you’ll wonder…are these the same guys in the book of Acts that were in the book of Luke?

You know…

The ones who doubted in Galilee? The ones who argued in Capernaum? The ones who ran for their lives in Gethsemane?

As you read you’ll wonder…are these the same men? The answer is NO!

It is not the same men. They are different. They have stood face-to-face with God. They have sat at the feet of the resurrected King. They are different.

Within these men and women dwells a fire not found on earth. Christ has taught them. The Father has forgiven them. The Spirit indwells them.

THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!!!

And because they are different, so is the world!!!

We are going to read about their adventures in 2012. We are going to be encouraged. We are going to listen to the Holy Spirit for our own lives.

And what God did to them…he longs to do for you!!!

These people in Acts have not formed the “Jesus Fan Club.” They are not impressed with what He has done or said to the point of ooh and aahh.

They are not spectators…they are participators!!

Truth #2 - ACTS IS A BOOK OF “ACTION”

Notice it is called “Acts,” not “Reacts.”

It is about the initiative and action of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the followers (disciples) who were once cowardly, unsure, and ignorant. Those men, who had learned to follow Jesus for three years, were now learning to lead!

In this sequel to his Gospel, Luke reports that those early disciples mobilized the church so effectively that they reached entire cities and saturated whole countries with the gospel (19:10).

The action described in this book shows God empowering men and women who decide to stand for God with the Holy Spirit. They determine to be influencers. Despite their lack of human qualifications, they begin to penetrate their society.

God accomplished this primarily through ordinary people with little in the way of education, political clout or prestige.

Next…Truth #3