Listen to this sermon!
Luke introduces Acts as the sequel to his gospel, with the extraordinary implication that all that Jesus began to do in his earthly body up through his ascension he now continues to do in his extended body (the church). The upshot of this is that we must recast our often meager vision of the church and its mission in light of the fact that we are called together (bearing the life of Jesus) to be his agent of the gospel in meeting the needs of the world, just as he did in his earthly life. Of course, this calling is impossible in our own strength, and so we are commanded to receive and act in the power of the Spirit of Jesus - the Holy Spirit.
