Acts: Jesus Still Working Through His Church Today

Sep 12, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Cliffhanger Before the Sequel

The Book of Acts begins with an unfinished story—Jesus ascending, leaving disciples staring at the sky. This isn’t an ending but a divine setup. Like a gripping series finale, Acts becomes the sequel where Jesus keeps working through ordinary people. The disciples’ “what now?” moment mirrors our own: God’s story continues through those willing to be written into it. Transformation begins when we stop waiting for the next episode and join the plot. [24:56]

"In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day he was taken up, after giving commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God." (Acts 1:1–3, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been waiting for God to “finish” a work in your life, rather than stepping into what He’s already begun? How might this week look different if you embraced your role in His ongoing story?

Day 2: Power Before Mission

Jesus insisted the disciples wait for the Holy Spirit’s power before launching their mission. A phone with no charge can’t function, no matter its specs. Likewise, believers risk irrelevance when relying on self-effort instead of Spirit-empowerment. The order is clear: first intimacy, then impact. Zechariah 4:6’s “not by might” rebukes our hustle culture—true change starts with plugged-in dependence. [36:22]

"Then he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.'" (Zechariah 4:6, ESV)

Reflection: What task or relationship have you been approaching in your own strength? What practical step could you take this week to prioritize connection with the Spirit over mere activity?

Day 3: From Stubborn Hearts to Obedient Hands

The early church thrived when “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37)—when information became transformation. Ezekiel’s promise of new hearts replaces stubborn self-rule with pliable surrender. A stubborn heart debates timelines; an obedient heart asks, “What now?” The disciples shifted from demanding kingdom restoration to becoming kingdom agents. Our breakthroughs begin when we trade arguing with God for answering Him. [46:25]

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: Where has stubbornness masqueraded as “discernment” in your life? What one attitude or action might God be asking you to surrender today to align with His heart?

Day 4: Distracted by Tomorrow, Called to Today

The disciples fixated on prophetic timelines and political liberation—distractions Jesus redirected. Ecclesiastes warns that overanalyzing “winds and clouds” paralyzes present obedience. Acts isn’t about waiting for God’s grand finale but participating in His current scene. When we obsess over end-times debates or cultural wars, we risk missing the person in front of us needing hope here, now. [50:38]

"Whoever watches the wind will not sow, and whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." (Ecclesiastes 11:4, ESV)

Reflection: What future-focused anxiety or debate has been diverting your energy from today’s mission? Who in your immediate circle needs to see Christ’s love through you this week?

Day 5: Someone on the Other Side of Your Obedience

Every act of faithfulness has a face attached—a coworker, neighbor, or stranger awaiting your courage. The early church exploded because ordinary people risked awkwardness to share extraordinary hope. Peter’s sermon pierced hearts because he spoke from resurrection conviction, not theoretical theology. Your story, paired with the Spirit’s nudge, could be the cliffhanger someone needs to meet Jesus. [52:16]

"As it is said, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.'" (Hebrews 3:15, ESV)

Reflection: Who has been on your mind repeatedly this week—not as a coincidence, but as a divine prompt? What simple act of obedience (a text, prayer, or conversation) could you initiate today?

Sermon Summary

Acts begins where the Gospels leave off. Luke writes a sequel, not because Jesus has finished and the church has to figure it out alone, but because Jesus is still working. Jesus began to do and teach, and Acts shows that He keeps doing that work through the Holy Spirit and through ordinary people who say yes.

The church that changed the world did not begin as some massive movement. Acts starts with twenty people, then one hundred and twenty, then three thousand, then five thousand. Jesus used that Spirit-filled church to change Rome, nations, and eventually billions of lives. The same Jesus is still at work in lives, in churches, in cities, and in all the places that still look a little messed up.

Jesus keeps working on transgression, missing the mark, rebellion, and the limitations people carry. Sin breaks peace with God, with others, and within a person, but Jesus does not back away from those spaces. Limitations such as fear, anxiety, rejection, lack of confidence, or a sense of not being skilled enough do not disqualify anybody. Moses stuttered, Gideon was afraid, Leah knew rejection, and God still used them. Jesus is in the business of doing something with the very things people keep talking about.

Acts also shows Jesus working through His church. The order matters: power first, mission second. Jesus does not send people out to do a supernatural mission in natural strength. The Holy Spirit empowers, counsels, reveals Jesus, and works in a person before working through that person. Bible knowledge, church routines, and all the flash stuff mean very little if there is no power source. Prayer, meditation, Bible reading, connect group, and life with the saints keep people connected and charged up.

Acts refuses to leave transformation as information only. Peter’s hearers were cut to the heart and asked, “What should we do now?” Repentance changes direction, baptism publicly identifies a person with Jesus, and obedience produces little Christs in workplaces, families, schools, and churches. A stubborn heart says, “I know what I want,” while an obedient heart says, “God, what do You want?”

Jesus finally pulls the disciples away from getting stuck on future prophecy, political discourse, or sitting around waiting for God to move. Acts brings the focus back to right now. Somebody is always on the other side of obedience, and the church changes the world when Jesus works in people, through people, and through people right now.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is still working today Jesus has not stepped away from His church or left people to manage faith by themselves. Acts begins with what Jesus “began” to do, which means His work continues until He returns. Limitations, sin, and unfinished places in a life are not proof that Jesus is absent, but places where He is still at work. [29:26]
2. Power comes before the mission The Holy Spirit does not merely give believers a bit of encouragement for hard days. The Spirit empowers people for a supernatural mission that natural strength cannot carry. A disconnected life may have knowledge, gifting, and good intentions, but it will run flat without staying connected to God’s power source. [36:03]
3. Information must become transformation Acts does not invite the church to become full of facts while remaining unchanged in heart and action. Peter’s listeners were cut to the heart because truth reached deeper than the mind. Repentance turns a person from self-directed living toward an obedient heart that asks God, “What do You want?” [44:49]
4. Obedience makes Jesus visible now Jesus intends His presence to show up in workplaces, families, schools, and everyday conversations through Spirit-filled people. The call is not to wait for the perfect moment, the perfect confidence, or the perfect outcome. Somebody may be on the other side of a simple act of obedience, encouragement, prayer, or testimony.

## [51:54]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:43] - What Has the Most Influence?
[18:30] - Introducing the Book of Acts
[19:50] - The Church That Changed the World
[20:50] - Acts as Luke’s Second Volume
[23:30] - The Gospels End With a Cliffhanger
[27:24] - Jesus Is Still Working
[29:26] - Jesus Works Through Sin and Limitations
[34:35] - Jesus Works Through His Church
[35:42] - Power First, Mission Second
[40:32] - Staying Connected to the Power Source
[43:00] - From Information to Transformation
[48:08] - Jesus Works Through Us Right Now
[49:09] - Distractions From Present Obedience
[55:51] - Three Questions for Response

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 1:1–8
“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” [20:49] [23:33]

Acts 2:37–38
“Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” [44:14] [44:49]

Philippians 1:6
“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” [28:43]

Ephesians 3:20
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” [39:38]

Observation questions

In Acts 1:1–8, what details show that Jesus was still active after His resurrection and before His ascension?
What did Jesus tell the disciples to wait for, and what were they to do after receiving it? [35:42]
What question did the people ask after they were “cut to the heart” in Acts 2, and what two responses did Peter give them? [44:55]
What examples show that limitations such as fear, rejection, disability, or lack of confidence did not stop God from using people? [32:09]

Interpretation questions

Luke says that his first book told what Jesus “began” to do and teach. What does that word “began” suggest about Jesus’ work through the church today? [27:51]
Why does Jesus give the disciples power through the Holy Spirit before sending them out as witnesses? What can go wrong when believers try to carry out God’s mission in natural strength alone? [36:00]
In Acts 2, the crowd does not merely ask for more information; they ask, “What shall we do?” What is the difference between knowing biblical truth and allowing truth to change a person’s direction? [43:42]
The disciples were focused on Israel’s future and restoration, but Jesus redirected them toward being witnesses. How can concern about future events, politics, or waiting for the perfect moment keep believers from present obedience? [49:14]

Application questions

Philippians 1:6 promises that Jesus continues the good work He began. What is one area of sin, hurt, fear, anxiety, or limitation where Jesus may be working in your life right now? Is there a trusted believer with whom you could share that area and ask for prayer or accountability? [56:00]
The Holy Spirit is the power source for the mission Jesus gives. How charged up do you feel spiritually right now? Which simple practice—prayer, Bible reading, meditation, gathering with believers, or encouraging someone—would help you stay connected this week? [41:42]
Repentance means changing direction. Is there a specific attitude, habit, relationship pattern, or decision where God may be inviting you to turn from doing things your own way and ask, “God, what do You want?” [46:43]
Jesus wants to work through His people in ordinary places like workplaces, families, schools, and neighborhoods. Where has God already placed you, and who might need encouragement, prayer, practical care, or a simple word about Jesus there? [47:31]
Fear and a sense of inadequacy can make obedience feel risky. What limitation or excuse most often holds you back from stepping out, and how does remembering that someone may be on the other side of your obedience change that perspective? [51:54]
Is there a person you have felt prompted to contact, pray for, forgive, invite, or encourage but have delayed doing so? What would a small, practical step of obedience look like in the next few days? [52:59]

Sermon Clips

34s

#ActsContinuesJesus

“And this is where Acts kind of becomes the sequel to the gospels. It becomes the sequel to the gospels. Acts is not the closing of Jesus' story. It's actually now the sequel of Jesus' story. Acts is not the closing of what Jesus did, and now it's time of the church. No. Acts is now the beginning of what Jesus is doing within the church. Okay? That's what the book of Acts is all about. So”

36s

#ObedienceBlessesOthers

“I've found that when I'm obedient to God moving through me, there's always somebody on the other side of my obedience. And I found that whenever I've been disobedient to the word of God moving through me, there's always been someone on the other side who missed out. Because God's about people, and there's always somebody on the other side of God speaking to you and say, hey. It's time to move right now.”

33s

#LimitationsDontStopGod

“Moses stuttered, yet God used him. Gideon was afraid, yet God used him. Leah fought with rejection, yet God still used her. Mephibosheth was disabled, and God still used him. Right? God, Jesus is in the business of looking at our limitations and going, hey. Yeah. Great. You can keep talking about it, but I'm here to do something. Are are you ready? Right? Regardless of your limitation. And Jesus still wants to work in your life.”

36s

#JesusAtWorkWithYou

“Is Jesus in your workplace? Okay. Not physically him. But if you are filled with the Holy Ghost, the spirit of Christ, and you're in that workplace, then, yeah, he is. Jesus is there, and Jesus wants to work in your workplace. He wants to do a work in your family. He wants to do a work in your school. Wherever you he wants to do a work in your church. Wherever you are carrying the holy spirit, Jesus wants to do a work in you. He wants to do a work through you so that we all become looking like Jesus.”

37s

#JesusIsStillWorking

“Right? The earth's a little bit messed up. Right? There's still a lot of stuff to do for the church. Jesus hasn't come back yet, which means this, that Jesus is still working. Jesus is still working. He's still working in your life. He's still working in my life. He's still working in this church. He's working in the church down the road. Right? Jesus is still working in our city. Jesus is still working. We're not waiting for God to do something in us, but God is already doing something within us.”

40s

#EmpoweredThenSent

“Notice how Jesus doesn't say, hey, listen. I'm gonna go. So it's up to all of you guys to try your hardest and not screw the church up. Right? He doesn't say that. He doesn't say, hey, listen. I'm I'm going. Good luck. I'll be back when I come back. When's that Jesus? Not talent. Right? That's not how he is. He says he says, listen. Just wait for a moment. Right? Wait for a moment, and then you're gonna be empowered. Right? You're gonna the holy spirit's gonna come empower your life, speak into your life, and then we're gonna go on mission.”

41s

#SpiritPowerMatters

“Right? If it's got no power, it's useless. Right? It doesn't matter how flash you are with all your bible knowledge. It doesn't matter how good you are being able to just recite the liturgy that we have in church. If you have no power, God can't use it. Right? And our job, the book of Acts shows us, our job is to allow the holy spirit to work in our life, and then the spirit wants to work through our life. But the only way the only way for that to happen is that we get connected.”

42s

#MoveForOthers

“Hey, this week, when God says move, don't focus on your limitations. Don't focus on all the reasons why Guy can't use you. And be reminded there's always somebody on the other side of my opinions. Right? Focus on that, and what you'll find is your limitations will start to melt away because you realize, hang on. It's not about me now, actually. It's not about me. It's actually about what god wants to do through me. Takes the pressure off you then. Takes the pressure off you.”

41s

#ActOnGodsCall

“Maybe at the start of the year, God put a new ministry on your heart. Hasn't started yet. Come on, why not? Maybe God, the start of the year, maybe a couple months ago, put someone on your heart and said, hey. You know? Go pray for them. And you didn't. Why not? Come on. It's it's not about us, you. God, when Jesus Jesus wanted to do something, he wanted to do something. It's not too late. Right? Go get it done. But what does Jesus wanna do through you?”

49s

#DoNowNotLater

“They sit there waiting for Jesus to move. There's three things I think that can distract the church. We get too caught up in the prophetic. We get too caught up in political discourse, and we get too caught up thinking, we're just gonna sit here in our little church and wait for God to move in our city. That'll distract us. What Acts is about is this. Jesus says, about the future. No. It's about now, boys. Leave leave the kingdom stuff alone. That's for God to sort out. And by the way, I'm leaving, and you're gonna be empowered to do the work now. That's what acts is about. It's about Jesus still doing a work through us to become more like him right now.”

43s

#ActsChangedNations

“The book of Acts starts with 20. It gets to a 120 quite quickly. Overnight, it gets to 3,000, then it grows to about 5,000. And now in modern times, the church is now 2,300,000,000 people. The church changed Rome. The church changed nations. And the church has changed through the Holy Spirit billions of people since this book. And so what I wanna do this morning is look at what is it about the book of Acts that shaped and shifted people to shape and shift nations.”

41s

#JesusWorksInWeakness

“He's working in our life when it comes to limitations. Right? Maybe you're here, it says it's like, I am I'm I'm kinda fine, Tim. But but, you know, for me, it's just confidence. And I'm just full of full of anxiety. That's my limitation. Right? Or, Tim, you you don't know what they said about me. You don't know what they did to me. And now I've got this this small complex. I've got this limitation. I don't have the skill, Tim. You know, I don't have the skills to for God to use me. There's limitations. I only believe that Jesus wants to work in those spaces in our life.”

40s

#ComeSpiritPowered

“you come to church today? Pray it up. Right? My challenge is, hey. Let's come to church ready just to give a word to someone. Not a weird prophetic word, but just, hey. I'm I'm I'm gonna encourage people today. I'm I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna find anyone who maybe looks a bit down. I'm gonna lift them up. Those who are already high, I'm gonna make them even bigger. Right? Let's come, holy spirit, powered up when we come to church. Connect group. Right? When you're meeting with people, text people throughout the week and say, hey. I'm praying for you. Pray for them. Not just say it. Right? Praying for you. Right? God's got your back. Let's be people that are connected. Yeah?”

40s

#FocusOnKingdomWork

“right, that God wants to do. Then it says this. They said, will you restore and free Israel and restore our kingdom? They get distracted with political discourse. They get distracted with the politics of the time. If we're not careful, we can get distracted with political discourse. And it can make us it can put us into conversations that are irrelevant to what Jesus wants to do in our community right now through the church. We can get distracted with political discourse.”

43s

#ReadToBeTransformed

“Yet how often you know, this is a challenge for myself that I wanted to bring to the church. That's why we're doing this series. But how often are we allowing the bible, the word of God, our foundational sacred text, right, to shift and shape our thinking? Right? How often are we scrolling through the pages, flicking through the pages of the bible, and and coming not just to read, to say, holy spirit, speak to me. Teach me. Train me. Correct me. Move me. Engage with me so that I can become more like Jesus. And so that's the whole purpose of this series. We've been asking, you know, what is the Bible?”

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