WORD From The Woods
As we begin our journey through the book of Acts in our devotions, it's worth noting that this is one of the longer books in the New Testament. It will likely take some time to work through. As we dive into specific passages, we’ll need to keep the larger narrative in view, remembering the forest as we examine the trees. While we’ll be zooming in on individual texts, we don’t want to lose sight of the big picture. So, let’s set the pace by identifying the overarching message of Acts, something we can keep returning to throughout this series.
So, what is Acts really about? What is its core message?
At its most basic level, Acts is the story of how the Church was born. It picks up where the Gospels leave off, with the ascension of Christ to His throne, and tells the story of how the gospel spreads from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Acts is a record of how Christianity moved from a small group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem to a global faith. More than just a history, Acts shows that the Church’s mission is rooted in God’s sovereign plan and carried forward by ordinary men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s a book that not only tells what happened, it calls every generation to take up the same mission: to be Christ’s witnesses in their time and place. In another sense, Acts is a continuation of the dominion mandate from Genesis. It shows how the early Church began to reclaim the world for Christ, offering us a model to follow.
Genesis 1:28 – “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…’”
Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Kingdom of God expands—not by swords or empires—but through Spirit-empowered witness, worship, and obedience.
Now, it’s important to address a common view about Acts. Many say it is purely “descriptive, not prescriptive”, meaning that it tells us what happened, but not necessarily what we should do. There’s some truth in that distinction. Acts describes the formation of the early Church and how the gospel advanced across the Roman world, but that doesn’t mean the book has no doctrinal value or practical application. On the contrary, there’s a wealth of theology in these pages. Some passages carry direct doctrinal weight; others offer examples we can learn from, even if they aren’t commands to follow. We must remember that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”.
If we stay anchored to the big idea, we’ll find tremendous value here. Acts shows us the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who now dwells in us. It shows how the Gentiles (that’s us!) are being grafted into God’s covenant people. It calls us to boldness, a boldness that doesn’t come from within, but from Christ Himself.
We were once like those frightened fishermen who fled at Christ’s crucifixion. But in Acts, we see those same men transformed—made new and bold through the power of the risen Christ. And through that same power, we too are being made new. We are being sent out to reclaim a world ravaged by sin and to raise Christ’s standard in its place. We are setting up bulwarks against the enemy, not in our own strength, but in the strength of the King who reigns on high. This should stir confidence in our hearts. That’s one of the central messages of Acts. God takes weak, fearful men—fishermen, tentmakers, even loggers—and turns them into bold witnesses who reclaim lost ground for the Kingdom. By His Spirit, we are being built into strongholds of truth, standing firm in a hostile world.
So my encouragement to you this week and into perpetuity is to be strong in the Lord, remember who Christ is, remember who lives within us, and remember that our goal as men, even in the workplace and on the landing, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are men transformed, by God's graciousness and goodness, from feeble, fearful men into men of power and confidence who share the gospel with all the earth through the power of the Spirit that resides in our hearts.
The book of Acts calls us to live a life confident in Christ, and I call you to the same.
God bless and have a great week! -Ethan-
As we begin our journey through the book of Acts in our devotions, it's worth noting that this is one of the longer books in the New Testament. It will likely take some time to work through. As we dive into specific passages, we’ll need to keep the larger narrative in view, remembering the forest as we examine the trees. While we’ll be zooming in on individual texts, we don’t want to lose sight of the big picture. So, let’s set the pace by identifying the overarching message of Acts, something we can keep returning to throughout this series.
So, what is Acts really about? What is its core message?
At its most basic level, Acts is the story of how the Church was born. It picks up where the Gospels leave off, with the ascension of Christ to His throne, and tells the story of how the gospel spreads from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Acts is a record of how Christianity moved from a small group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem to a global faith. More than just a history, Acts shows that the Church’s mission is rooted in God’s sovereign plan and carried forward by ordinary men and women empowered by the Holy Spirit. It’s a book that not only tells what happened, it calls every generation to take up the same mission: to be Christ’s witnesses in their time and place. In another sense, Acts is a continuation of the dominion mandate from Genesis. It shows how the early Church began to reclaim the world for Christ, offering us a model to follow.
Genesis 1:28 – “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it…’”
Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
The Kingdom of God expands—not by swords or empires—but through Spirit-empowered witness, worship, and obedience.
Now, it’s important to address a common view about Acts. Many say it is purely “descriptive, not prescriptive”, meaning that it tells us what happened, but not necessarily what we should do. There’s some truth in that distinction. Acts describes the formation of the early Church and how the gospel advanced across the Roman world, but that doesn’t mean the book has no doctrinal value or practical application. On the contrary, there’s a wealth of theology in these pages. Some passages carry direct doctrinal weight; others offer examples we can learn from, even if they aren’t commands to follow. We must remember that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”.
If we stay anchored to the big idea, we’ll find tremendous value here. Acts shows us the power of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who now dwells in us. It shows how the Gentiles (that’s us!) are being grafted into God’s covenant people. It calls us to boldness, a boldness that doesn’t come from within, but from Christ Himself.
We were once like those frightened fishermen who fled at Christ’s crucifixion. But in Acts, we see those same men transformed—made new and bold through the power of the risen Christ. And through that same power, we too are being made new. We are being sent out to reclaim a world ravaged by sin and to raise Christ’s standard in its place. We are setting up bulwarks against the enemy, not in our own strength, but in the strength of the King who reigns on high. This should stir confidence in our hearts. That’s one of the central messages of Acts. God takes weak, fearful men—fishermen, tentmakers, even loggers—and turns them into bold witnesses who reclaim lost ground for the Kingdom. By His Spirit, we are being built into strongholds of truth, standing firm in a hostile world.
So my encouragement to you this week and into perpetuity is to be strong in the Lord, remember who Christ is, remember who lives within us, and remember that our goal as men, even in the workplace and on the landing, is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We are men transformed, by God's graciousness and goodness, from feeble, fearful men into men of power and confidence who share the gospel with all the earth through the power of the Spirit that resides in our hearts.
The book of Acts calls us to live a life confident in Christ, and I call you to the same.
God bless and have a great week! -Ethan-