Acts 1 Have you received the Promise of the Father?

Summary: A verse by verse examination on the Book of Acts. This message introduces the book of Acts and specifically examines Acts 1:1-26 including the requirements for apostleship, God’s curse upon Judas Iscariot and a definition of the Promise of the Father.

Bible References:

Acts 1:1-2 ( KJV ) ¹The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ²Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

Luke 1:1-4 ( KJV ) ¹Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, ²Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; ³It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, ⁴That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Acts 1:3 ( KJV ) ³To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

1 Corinthians 15:4-8 ( KJV ) ⁴And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ⁵And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: ⁶After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. ⁷After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. ⁸And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Acts 1:4-8 ( KJV ) ⁴And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ⁵For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. ⁶When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? ⁷And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. ⁸But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 2:32-33 ( KJV ) ³²This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. ³³Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

Ephesians 1:3-4 ( KJV ) ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: ⁴According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

2 Corinthians 3:1-3 ( KJV ) ¹Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? ²Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: ³Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Acts 1:8-20 ( KJV ) ⁸But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. ⁹And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. ¹²Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. ¹³And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. ¹⁴These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. ¹⁵And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) ¹⁶Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. ¹⁷For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. ¹⁸Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take.

Psalms 69:21-28 ( KJV ) ²¹ They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. ²²Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap. ²³ Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. ²⁴ Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them. ²⁵ Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents. ²⁶ For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. ²⁷ Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness. ²⁸ Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Psalms 109:1-19 ( KJV ) ¹ Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; ² For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. ³ They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. ⁴ For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. ⁵ And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love. ⁶Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. ⁷ When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. ⁸ Let his days be few; and let another take his office. ⁹ Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. ¹⁰ Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. ¹¹ Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour. ¹² Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children. ¹³ Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out. ¹⁴ Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. ¹⁵ Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth. ¹⁶ Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart. ¹⁷ As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. ¹⁸ As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones. ¹⁹ Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

Acts 1:21-26 ( KJV ) ²¹Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. ²³And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, ²⁵That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. ²⁶And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.