WEBVTT 00:00:00.699 --> 00:00:07.714 Today we launch a brand new sermon series in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. 00:00:07.714 --> 00:00:14.862 If you'd like a sermon outline, if you didn't get one, or would like to borrow a Bible as we go through this, just raise your hand. 00:00:14.862 --> 00:00:16.809 Our ushers would be happy to help you with that. 00:00:16.809 --> 00:00:23.147 I'm really looking forward to this series. 00:00:23.147 --> 00:00:27.678 I'm really looking forward to this series. 00:00:27.678 --> 00:00:37.225 As all my sermon series, I usually take my time, so just prepare for a long journey, okay, but it's going to be good. 00:00:37.225 --> 00:00:39.247 I'm telling you I'm excited about this one. 00:00:39.247 --> 00:00:51.134 We're going to learn about the birth of the New Testament church and, I think, gain a lot of insights about what things can help our church today. 00:00:51.134 --> 00:01:00.969 To properly understand what's going on in the book of Acts, we need to begin with every series with a little background. 00:01:00.969 --> 00:01:01.972 Who wrote it? 00:01:01.972 --> 00:01:05.950 To whom was the book of Acts written and why was it written? 00:01:07.021 --> 00:01:16.165 Most scholars agree that Luke wrote the book of Acts and the gospel of Luke, although the author never identifies himself in either book. 00:01:16.165 --> 00:01:20.474 Luke, we know, was a Gentile, believer, follower of Jesus. 00:01:20.474 --> 00:01:32.552 He was not an original eyewitness to Jesus' resurrection, but he came to believe in him through the testimony of those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. 00:01:32.552 --> 00:01:38.891 The New Testament refers to this person, luke, as the beloved physician. 00:01:38.891 --> 00:01:42.743 Apparently, he was a doctor by profession. 00:01:42.743 --> 00:01:47.774 He was also a companion of the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys. 00:01:48.659 --> 00:01:58.055 Luke wrote both his gospel and the book of Acts to a man named Theophilus, who was Theophilus. 00:01:58.055 --> 00:02:00.841 Well, I thought about this. 00:02:00.841 --> 00:02:11.792 I'm thinking, wow, perhaps his mother named him Theophilus because when he was born she looked at him and said that's Theophilus baby I've ever seen. 00:02:11.792 --> 00:02:15.665 I'm just kidding. 00:02:15.665 --> 00:02:16.288 I'm kidding. 00:02:16.288 --> 00:02:43.969 Theophilus is a Greek name, meaning lover of God, and from the way Luke addresses him, theophilus was probably a very wealthy man, a person of some nobility, because at the beginning of Luke's gospel, he refers to him as, oh excellent Theophilus, which is a title of some rank or position. 00:02:43.969 --> 00:02:57.610 He was probably a very intelligent, educated man because, unlike other books of the Bible, luke begins with what we call a preamble, the gospel. 00:02:57.610 --> 00:03:05.826 That is like other works of literature and education in ancient times works of literature and education in ancient times. 00:03:05.826 --> 00:03:10.354 Luke 1 is a preamble, then, of both his gospel and the book of Acts. 00:03:10.354 --> 00:03:51.370 I want to read it because it ties into what he's continuing to write to the same person in the book of Acts, luke 1, 1-4, he says Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who were, from the beginning, were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order. 00:03:51.370 --> 00:04:01.240 Most excellent Theophilus In his gospel, luke takes great pains to research the life ministry and death and resurrection of Jesus. 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:05.467 From living eyewitnesses to all of it, of Jesus from living eyewitnesses to all of it. 00:04:05.467 --> 00:04:21.329 And because of how Luke writes, theophilus we get the impression was probably a curious skeptic of Christianity, but he wondered, he was very curious, wondered about what was going on, what is happening here. 00:04:21.329 --> 00:04:35.351 And Luke then is writing both his gospel and Acts to Theophilus to make a case that Christianity is true, which is one reason we want to study the book of Acts. 00:04:35.351 --> 00:04:40.449 I'm going to read just the first few verses to start us. 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:43.067 Acts 1, verse 1. 00:04:43.067 --> 00:04:59.404 The first account, I composedophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after he had been, after he had, by the Holy Spirit, given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen. 00:04:59.404 --> 00:05:14.452 To these he presented himself alive after his suffering, by many convincing proofs appearing to them over a period of 40 days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 00:05:15.701 --> 00:05:17.788 Why do we believe Christianity is true? 00:05:17.788 --> 00:05:25.754 Most people in our culture fall into perhaps one or two categories when it comes to the claims of Christianity. 00:05:25.754 --> 00:05:34.384 Some people believe it's true but are always struggling to try to understand why we believe and how we know it's true. 00:05:34.384 --> 00:05:39.293 Other people just simply don't think it's true, don't believe it at all. 00:05:39.293 --> 00:05:49.855 So Luke begins the book of Acts by giving Theophilus the crux of why we believe Christianity is true. 00:05:49.855 --> 00:06:02.899 He's writing to Theophilus to give him the empirical evidence about the truth of Jesus and the reason and what accounts for in the book of Acts the explosive growth of Christianity. 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:09.379 Book of Acts the explosive growth of Christianity. 00:06:12.579 --> 00:06:21.146 Luke recounts that he faithfully relayed the facts to Theophilus in his gospel, but now he states that the life-changing truth of the gospel is found in the eyewitness testimony of what happened to Jesus. 00:06:21.146 --> 00:06:24.930 He died and was raised from the dead. 00:06:24.930 --> 00:06:29.201 Happened to Jesus. 00:06:29.201 --> 00:06:39.764 He died and was raised from the dead To those also presented himself alive after his suffering, by many convincing proofs appearing to them over a period of 40 days, speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 00:06:39.764 --> 00:06:46.514 This is the crux of Christianity Jesus rose bodily from the dead. 00:06:47.180 --> 00:07:01.411 If this is not true, then Apostle Paul says that Christianity is ludicrous, it's false, and Christians just need to be pitied for this kind of belief. 00:07:01.411 --> 00:07:05.449 1 Corinthians 15, 16 to 19,. 00:07:05.449 --> 00:07:15.149 The Apostle Paul says for if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless. 00:07:15.149 --> 00:07:21.387 You're still in your sins Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 00:07:21.387 --> 00:07:28.408 If we have hope in Christ in this life only, we are, of all men, most to be pitied. 00:07:30.341 --> 00:07:39.810 People really have always had a hard time believing that Jesus rose from the dead, especially in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world. 00:07:39.810 --> 00:07:51.247 At the time this all happened, such a claim that somebody rose from the dead was considered impossible, absurd and crazy. 00:07:51.247 --> 00:07:55.495 Guess what? 00:07:55.495 --> 00:07:57.947 It's the same today. 00:07:57.947 --> 00:08:02.646 It's the same today. 00:08:02.646 --> 00:08:04.026 It's the one I want to talk about today. 00:08:04.026 --> 00:08:07.295 But if that's the same today, it's the one I want to talk about today. 00:08:07.314 --> 00:08:15.187 But if that's the case and here's what Luke's going to attempt to show Theophilus why did people believe it? 00:08:15.187 --> 00:08:29.331 Luke tells us, after Jesus' suffering and death, he presented himself alive listen to me by many convincing proofs. 00:08:29.331 --> 00:08:32.086 That's what we want to look at today. 00:08:32.086 --> 00:08:34.947 What were these convincing proofs? 00:08:34.947 --> 00:08:44.047 Apostle Paul explains it to some extent in 1 Corinthians 15, where we were, where he tells the Corinthians. 00:08:44.047 --> 00:08:49.624 I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins. 00:08:49.683 --> 00:08:55.105 According to the Scripture, he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day, according to the Scripture. 00:08:55.105 --> 00:09:11.610 By the way, just keep in mind, the person writing this was the Apostle Paul, who was Saul, who literally was one of the most vehement persecutors of the early Christian church. 00:09:11.610 --> 00:09:19.350 And when we get to chapter 9, we'll see his absolute, unbelievable conversion. 00:09:19.350 --> 00:09:21.907 And I'll tell you why. 00:09:21.907 --> 00:09:24.609 Because he understood too. 00:09:24.609 --> 00:09:26.344 He's alive. 00:09:26.344 --> 00:09:28.429 Jesus is alive. 00:09:28.429 --> 00:09:30.647 Oh, okay, changes the whole thing. 00:09:30.647 --> 00:09:32.745 Anyway, where was I? 00:09:32.745 --> 00:09:43.544 In the third day he rose again, and then he appeared to Cephas, then to 12, then he appeared to more than 500 brethren at one time, most of whom will remain until now. 00:09:43.544 --> 00:09:44.990 Some have fallen asleep. 00:09:44.990 --> 00:09:47.926 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 00:09:47.926 --> 00:09:55.691 Last of all, he appeared to me First after Jesus' death was certified. 00:09:55.691 --> 00:10:00.067 He appeared alive to many people over a period of 40 days. 00:10:00.067 --> 00:10:14.556 You've got to think through this with me because it's a very powerful argument and presentation of why Christianity is true and how we explain its explosive growth in the first century and beyond. 00:10:14.556 --> 00:10:21.611 See, people saw him alive over a period of 40 days. 00:10:21.611 --> 00:10:26.788 They didn't hallucinate, it wasn't wishful thinking. 00:10:26.788 --> 00:10:30.080 He didn't appear in somebody's vision or a dream. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.071 He appeared in his actual physical presence. 00:10:34.071 --> 00:10:47.792 He appeared to Peter, then the 12, then to 500 people at once, then James, the Lord's brother, then to all the apostles and to Paul. 00:10:55.645 --> 00:10:56.248 In Luke 24,. 00:10:56.248 --> 00:10:59.198 Luke tells us also, there were two other disciples who saw him than the ones mentioned by Paul. 00:10:59.198 --> 00:11:01.464 And behold two of them Luke 24, 13 to 20,. 00:11:01.464 --> 00:11:11.432 Two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which is about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about the things which had taken place. 00:11:11.432 --> 00:11:27.595 And while they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached, began traveling with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him and he said to them what are these words you're exchanging with one another as you're walking? 00:11:27.595 --> 00:11:29.100 Now get this. 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:42.948 And they stood still, looking sad, and one of them, named Cleopas, said really, are you the only one visiting Jerusalem unaware of the things which have happened in these days. 00:11:42.948 --> 00:11:45.186 And he said to him what things. 00:11:45.186 --> 00:11:57.005 And they said to him things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, how the chief priests and rulers delivered him over to the sentence of death that crucified him. 00:11:57.005 --> 00:12:04.547 The story goes on where he eventually reveals himself to them. 00:12:05.489 --> 00:12:18.927 But if you put Acts, chapter 1, luke 24, 1 Corinthians 15 together, what strikes you and here's what I want to show you today what strikes you is how many appearances of Jesus there are. 00:12:18.927 --> 00:12:21.091 Luke 24,. 00:12:21.091 --> 00:12:24.639 Jesus first appears to the women disciples, then he appears to the apostles, then the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:28.028 Jesus first appears to the women disciples, then he appears to the apostles, then the two disciples on the way to Emmaus. 00:12:28.028 --> 00:12:33.493 And you begin to recognize that once was not enough. 00:12:33.493 --> 00:12:37.451 One appearance was not enough. 00:12:37.451 --> 00:12:38.899 One appearance was not enough. 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:47.688 You don't see anybody there saying to Jesus oh, at last, we've been waiting for you. 00:12:47.688 --> 00:12:50.928 No, nobody says that. 00:12:50.928 --> 00:13:00.847 Why is it that Jesus appeared over and over throughout 40 days? 00:13:00.847 --> 00:13:03.105 I'll tell you why. 00:13:03.379 --> 00:13:04.686 Because they couldn't believe it. 00:13:04.686 --> 00:13:07.567 They literally could not believe. 00:13:07.567 --> 00:13:08.229 It's true. 00:13:08.229 --> 00:13:16.869 They didn't believe it when Jesus told them about it, predicted it before he died Mark 10, 34,. 00:13:16.869 --> 00:13:19.441 The Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests scribes. 00:13:19.441 --> 00:13:24.846 They'll mock, spit on him, scourge him and kill him, but three days later he'll rise from the dead. 00:13:24.846 --> 00:13:26.750 He'll rise again. 00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:40.091 They don't believe it when someone who saw Jesus alive told them Luke 24, 10-11, the women were telling these things to the apostles, but these words appeared to them as nonsense. 00:13:40.091 --> 00:13:43.086 They would not believe them. 00:13:43.086 --> 00:13:47.227 They didn't believe it before he died. 00:13:47.227 --> 00:13:50.966 They didn't believe it when the witnesses told them he's alive. 00:13:50.966 --> 00:13:58.491 And they don't even believe it when they actually see him Luke 24, 36, 37. 00:13:58.491 --> 00:14:03.368 When they were telling this, he himself stood in their midst and said to them peace be to you. 00:14:03.368 --> 00:14:09.211 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a ghost, a spirit. 00:14:09.211 --> 00:14:21.888 And then, later on, in Luke 24, 41, 43, while they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, he said to them Okay, do you have anything to eat? 00:14:21.888 --> 00:14:27.710 And he chomps down some broiled fish. 00:14:27.710 --> 00:14:30.066 Now do you believe it? 00:14:30.066 --> 00:14:37.875 What has he got to do For them to believe? 00:14:37.875 --> 00:14:38.499 It's true? 00:14:38.499 --> 00:14:42.159 He actually rose from the dead bodily. 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:49.817 Actually rose from the dead bodily. 00:14:49.817 --> 00:14:55.302 They have these guys who knew Jesus have a hard time believing it over and over and over again. 00:14:55.302 --> 00:14:58.585 Don't you think people today are going to have a problem too? 00:14:58.585 --> 00:15:04.947 Yeah, why couldn't they believe it? 00:15:04.947 --> 00:15:15.192 They couldn't believe Jesus rose from the dead because their worldview wouldn't allow it. 00:15:15.192 --> 00:15:21.090 Their worldview would not allow them to believe it. 00:15:22.481 --> 00:15:23.346 What's a worldview? 00:15:23.346 --> 00:15:28.782 Worldview is a kind of mental picture in our head, in our mind. 00:15:28.782 --> 00:15:33.149 That's a map of how the world is supposed to operate. 00:15:33.149 --> 00:15:56.315 This is how we view reality, how we view truth and falsehood, what's real and not real, what's good and evil a mental map we learn over time. 00:15:56.315 --> 00:15:57.278 Here's how the world works. 00:15:57.278 --> 00:16:08.240 And when someone says they used to believe in miracles but they don't now, that is a worldview change. 00:16:11.282 --> 00:16:12.827 How do you change a worldview? 00:16:12.827 --> 00:16:16.105 Through many convincing proofs. 00:16:16.105 --> 00:16:20.953 That's how I'm telling you. 00:16:20.953 --> 00:16:22.465 In the Middle Ages. 00:16:22.465 --> 00:16:28.231 Those of you who lived at that time will know what I'm talking about. 00:16:28.231 --> 00:16:48.721 In the Middle Ages, people in the West Western world believed that the Earth was a fixed point in heaven and everything else revolved around the Earth, revolved around the Earth For years. 00:16:48.721 --> 00:16:50.913 Astronomers who were studying the motions of the planets and stars. 00:16:50.913 --> 00:16:58.230 They ran into all kinds of information that didn't fit that worldview. 00:16:58.230 --> 00:17:08.605 It didn't fit it at all but they kept it anyway, not going to jettison it. 00:17:08.605 --> 00:17:09.209 Why? 00:17:09.209 --> 00:17:13.130 Because a worldview stabilizes your life. 00:17:13.130 --> 00:17:17.631 It's a stabilizing feature in a culture. 00:17:17.631 --> 00:17:20.548 You don't just change that by the whim. 00:17:20.548 --> 00:17:37.048 And, what's interesting, it took years and years debate, discussion to change that, that idea, that map of how the world works. 00:17:37.048 --> 00:17:44.907 Because the worldview is very powerful, very, very hard to change. 00:17:44.907 --> 00:17:49.830 You need many convincing proofs. 00:17:49.830 --> 00:17:53.922 Nothing, you see. 00:17:53.981 --> 00:18:04.696 The disciples had been taught, prepared them for the physical body of the resurrected Jesus Christ In their map of reality. 00:18:04.696 --> 00:18:11.827 Look, they knew enough about science to realize people die and they're not coming up again. 00:18:11.827 --> 00:18:21.527 The scientific principle of observation, universal principle. 00:18:21.527 --> 00:18:32.569 That does not fit In their cultural worldview. 00:18:32.569 --> 00:18:39.373 It kept everybody from thinking this could happen. 00:18:39.373 --> 00:18:56.647 Now listen to me, this is one of the most powerful things I think you see After what I've just explained. 00:19:00.923 --> 00:19:13.269 And yet, immediately after the death of Jesus, unanimously across the board, all the disciples began to say he rose from the dead, we saw him. 00:19:13.269 --> 00:19:20.287 That doesn't happen. 00:19:20.287 --> 00:19:26.211 A worldview change like that does not happen like that. 00:19:26.211 --> 00:19:30.230 Something convinced them utterly. 00:19:30.230 --> 00:19:35.107 He has his physical body. 00:19:35.107 --> 00:19:39.945 He can go through walls, he can go through locked doors, he can even eat a fish. 00:19:39.945 --> 00:19:41.365 We saw him. 00:19:41.365 --> 00:19:52.819 Listen to me. 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:56.865 Jesus had to appear to them over and over and over again in order to smash their existing worldview. 00:19:56.865 --> 00:20:06.016 That's the only way and finally and finally convinced them that he did rise from the dead. 00:20:06.016 --> 00:20:09.468 You need a new worldview. 00:20:09.468 --> 00:20:18.608 So here is the objective truth in the crux of Christianity they saw him alive. 00:20:18.608 --> 00:20:22.407 That's what it's all based on. 00:20:22.407 --> 00:20:25.410 If that's not true, we got nothing. 00:20:29.730 --> 00:20:33.440 This, especially at the time, was unprecedented. 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:38.500 It was unique, and yet it happened, and it happened immediately. 00:20:38.500 --> 00:20:42.269 There was no long debate over time. 00:20:42.269 --> 00:20:42.832 Well then he? 00:20:42.832 --> 00:20:43.545 No, no, no. 00:20:43.545 --> 00:20:44.713 There's no long debate over time. 00:20:44.713 --> 00:20:45.116 Well, didn't he rise? 00:20:45.116 --> 00:20:45.480 No, no, no. 00:20:45.480 --> 00:20:47.786 We saw him. 00:20:47.786 --> 00:20:56.146 There's no indication, no indication anywhere in the earliest Christian writings of any debate going on about the resurrection of Jesus. 00:20:56.146 --> 00:20:56.847 None, none. 00:21:00.537 --> 00:21:08.260 Jesus literally shattered their worldview through his repeated appearances to them. 00:21:08.260 --> 00:21:11.076 Why did he do that? 00:21:11.076 --> 00:21:16.299 So we, hearing their testimony, will believe it. 00:21:16.299 --> 00:21:23.892 It's true, which is interesting, see. 00:21:23.892 --> 00:21:37.823 I think this is helpful because we've got to understand, in reaching our own culture, we're up against worldviews that in that map, it's not going to compute. 00:21:41.551 --> 00:21:43.278 People still have a hard time believing it. 00:21:43.278 --> 00:21:54.479 Well, what's the worldview of our own culture that hinders people from believing that Jesus literally rose from the dead. 00:21:54.479 --> 00:21:58.099 Well, I could tell you one aspect of people I've talked to. 00:21:58.099 --> 00:22:03.643 Most people believe that there's a natural cause for everything. 00:22:03.643 --> 00:22:10.962 We'll find out what it is for everything. 00:22:10.962 --> 00:22:14.159 You know what Science has all the answers. 00:22:14.159 --> 00:22:16.157 Eventually they'll figure it out. 00:22:16.157 --> 00:22:19.589 That's our worldview. 00:22:19.589 --> 00:22:29.192 That's our worldview and our Western world also believes. 00:22:29.211 --> 00:22:32.960 Part of our worldview is that we believe in the truth of individual freedom and choice. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:35.044 How does that translate? 00:22:35.044 --> 00:22:41.123 It means well, that may be true for you, but it's not true for me. 00:22:41.123 --> 00:22:49.817 You can, if you think I mean you're just being narrow and arrogant if you say that's true for everybody. 00:22:49.817 --> 00:22:51.596 That's part of our worldview. 00:22:51.596 --> 00:22:56.259 Everybody gets to decide what's true. 00:22:58.730 --> 00:23:03.342 These are tough obstacles, by the way, that the early church had to face. 00:23:03.342 --> 00:23:16.000 I'm telling you, imagine what they're facing of trying to share their testimony that Jesus literally, physically rose from the dead. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:21.476 But here's the thing. 00:23:21.476 --> 00:23:27.301 But what if Jesus did really rise from the dead? 00:23:27.301 --> 00:23:32.381 What are the implications for us of that? 00:23:32.381 --> 00:23:38.196 Well, it's interesting. 00:23:38.196 --> 00:23:48.721 The founders of all the other religions died and they left their teachings behind for their followers. 00:23:48.721 --> 00:23:55.042 Do these things and you will live and be okay. 00:23:55.042 --> 00:24:02.238 But Jesus not only left us his teachings, he left us himself. 00:24:02.238 --> 00:24:05.248 He left us his teachings. 00:24:05.248 --> 00:24:08.938 He left us himself, which is going to be a powerful theme throughout the book of Acts. 00:24:08.938 --> 00:24:22.461 He left us himself and since he's alive, he's still teaching his followers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and God's alive. 00:24:22.461 --> 00:24:27.019 He's still teaching his followers through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and God's word. 00:24:27.910 --> 00:24:32.981 I want you to see how Luke phrases what he says here in Acts, chapter 1.1. 00:24:32.981 --> 00:24:42.500 Referring to his gospel, he says the first account I composed, theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:24:42.500 --> 00:24:47.269 Theophilus about all that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:24:47.269 --> 00:24:53.623 Well, in this gospel, luke's recording for Theophilus all the things that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:24:53.623 --> 00:24:55.336 He's not done. 00:24:55.336 --> 00:25:03.355 He didn't just leave us with teachings in the past, he's just beginning. 00:25:03.355 --> 00:25:15.340 He's still teaching and doing through his disciples, through us. 00:25:15.340 --> 00:25:27.805 He still is, and the book of Acts is Luke's record and history of how Jesus was doing that in the early church and is still doing it today. 00:25:31.010 --> 00:25:34.821 If Jesus is alive, then you can know him. 00:25:34.821 --> 00:25:40.116 That's what's shouting at us in the gospel. 00:25:40.116 --> 00:25:56.598 You can know him, he can be in you, with you, he can continue to teach you and it all begins when we believe in him as our savior died for our sins and rose from the dead. 00:25:56.598 --> 00:26:07.461 If you've never done so, I invite you to open your heart to believe in Jesus so you can know him, like countless others. 00:26:07.461 --> 00:26:17.880 When he enters your life he will begin teaching you, comforting you, strengthening you, and in him the scripture says you can do all things. 00:26:17.880 --> 00:26:23.520 Next time we'll talk about how that happens. 00:26:23.520 --> 00:26:26.710 Hope you can be with us in this series. 00:26:26.710 --> 00:26:32.650 It's going to be exciting to go through it as a church together. 00:26:33.151 --> 00:26:39.739 The book of Acts begins where the gospel of Luke left off, with the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. 00:26:39.739 --> 00:26:41.596 Do you believe he rose from the dead? 00:26:41.596 --> 00:27:01.526 After Jesus died, not a single one of his followers ever even imagined, hinted at or entertained the possibility that their dead Messiah would be raised from the dead. 00:27:01.526 --> 00:27:02.727 Not one. 00:27:02.727 --> 00:27:07.376 That's the power of a worldview. 00:27:07.376 --> 00:27:13.777 In the first century, if you thought that someone could rise from the dead, you would be laughed out of town. 00:27:13.777 --> 00:27:32.493 Worldviews don't change easily, but they do change, and most worldviews change when there's a lot of debate over time. 00:27:32.493 --> 00:27:34.199 A spectrum of belief. 00:27:34.199 --> 00:27:41.549 Discussion like the fixed earth theory Didn't happen overnight, didn't change that overnight. 00:27:41.549 --> 00:27:59.286 But with Jesus we have belief in his resurrection immediately After his death no debate, no spectrum of belief, no other worldview came out of it. 00:27:59.286 --> 00:28:02.241 Unique came out of it. 00:28:02.241 --> 00:28:02.583 Unique. 00:28:02.583 --> 00:28:07.420 It was sudden, unanimous, explosive. 00:28:11.530 --> 00:28:13.717 Hundreds and hundreds of people saw Jesus alive. 00:28:13.717 --> 00:28:14.861 Their lives were changed. 00:28:14.861 --> 00:28:19.563 They're willing to die for it. 00:28:19.563 --> 00:28:25.808 How do we account for that? 00:28:25.808 --> 00:28:28.551 They said. 00:28:28.551 --> 00:28:28.872 We saw him. 00:28:28.872 --> 00:28:31.737 Let's pray, father. 00:28:31.737 --> 00:28:49.695 Thank you that you raised your son, jesus, from the dead and, as a testimony to those who knew him, you allowed him to stay around for 40 days, repeatedly showing himself alive to his disciples. 00:28:49.695 --> 00:28:58.093 And thank you, lord, that because he's alive, he enters the hearts of everyone who believes in him. 00:28:58.093 --> 00:29:19.741 Would you please help us, father, to draw close to him, to listen to him, trust him as we continue to go through life and help us to be good ambassadors as we encounter our friends and neighbors and family worldviews that view this as impossible. 00:29:19.741 --> 00:29:25.561 Help us to know what to say and how to say it to help them believe. 00:29:25.561 --> 00:29:29.480 We pray in Jesus' name, amen.