The Promise and the Plan Essays - Christology, Prophets Of Islam

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ACTS 1:8: THE PROMISE AND THE PLAN A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. TIMOTHY SWINSON IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR BIBL 364 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY ONLINE BY MACK MARSH MULLINS, SOUTH CAROLINA DECEMBER 16, 2011 OUTLINE Thesis Statement: In Acts 1:8, Jesus reveals His promise of the Holy Spirit and His plan to reach the world with the Gospel to His disciples and to Christ followers today. I. Introduction II. The Promise of the Holy Spirit A. The promise to never leave us is fulfilled through the Holy Spirit. B. The Holy Spirit gives power to all believers. III. The Plan to Reach the World A. Christ?s command to all believers regardless of the consequences. B. Reaching out: Locally and Globally IV. Conclusion INTRODUCTION The Book of Acts has been a source of both inspiration and hope for many Christians over the past two thousands years. It has also been the source of many doctrinal debates over the years as well. Luke wrote the Book of Acts as a follow-up to his Gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke was a Gentile believer from either Antioch or Philippi. It appears that he came from a wealthy family since he was able to train as a doctor. In Colossians 4:14, the Apostle Paul calls him ?the beloved physician,? therefore we can assume that he was an intelligent man who was able to keep precise records. ?Acts begins with a short prologue that connects the book to Luke?s Gospel and introduces the key themes of Acts: (1) Jesus is alive and functioning at God?s right hand; (2) the promised Spirit will come and enable the new mission in fulfillment of divine promise; (3) the message of the kingdom is to go out into all the world, starting from Jerusalem.? The Acts should be seen as the ongoing work of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit through His apostles and followers. The book begins with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the waiting disciples in the Upper Room. From this single room the Gospel reached Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the furthest countries in the world. At the center of this extraordinary story, Luke shows how the Holy Spirit was directly responsible for the successful and forward moving expansion of the Gospel into the gentile world. Luke shows how the empowering of the believers resulted in lives being transformed and communities being changed. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus said that His disciples would become witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Before Jesus left this world, He gave His disciples a commission that is global in nature. Jesus entrusted His disciples with a mission to evangelize the whole world. The commission that was given to them is meant for us as well; both individually and corporately. However, before we get involved in the mission to evangelize the world, we must first take a serious look at the divine promise for missions and the divine plan for missions. In Acts 1:8, Jesus reveals His promise of the Holy Spirit and His plan to reach the world with the Gospel to His disciples and to Christ Followers today. THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ?The Holy Spirit is the only member of the Godhead that has been residentially active on earth during these nineteen hundred years. Shortly before Jesus left this earth He promised to send the Comforter, i.e., the Holy Spirit, to the earth.? Jesus reassured His disciples in Matthew 28:20 of His continued presence with them after He would leave. The other name for Jesus is Emmanuel, which means God with us. He is the one who became flesh and dwelt among us. The promise of the Holy Spirit, however, conveys the constant and continued presence of Jesus with His people. This presence should serve as encouragement for all of us. Whether you are serving as a missionary, a pastor, or just a child trying to do the will of God you are never alone. Jesus is with us always through the Holy Sprit and He promises us in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us or never forsake us. ?The