Surprised by the God of Acts

I’m putting the final touches on a book about the book of Acts. It’s been my main focus of the last couple of years, but also the outcome of thirty years of investigation into movements.

Looking back, Acts has left me surprised.

I was surprised by how clear and concrete God’s mission is in Acts. Luke covers the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two. The Spirit falls, the Word goes out and the fruit is disciples and the first church to the glory of God. The church in Jerusalem becomes the first of a movement of disciples and churches on their way to the ends of the earth. It’s as simple as that.

Another surprise was that the Acts of the Apostles was not a book primarily about the apostles, or the early church—Acts is a book about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the main character. Acts is the story of how God works in history to pursue his mission. He works as his people proclaim his Word in the power of the Spirit. Acts is the story of the spread, growth and multiplication of God’s living Word resulting in the multiplication of disciples and churches in ever-widening circles.

A third surprise is the trouble the messengers encounter. They are beaten, chased out of town, imprisoned, put on trial, stoned, beheaded, and shipwrecked. Every major breakthrough is preceded and followed by trouble. Yet God is working out his purposes and the Word keeps on advancing, despite the weaknesses of the messengers and the opposition they face.

Another surprise is the lack of central coordination of the mission. Often the apostles are catching up to what God is doing through the people he has chosen. At Pentecost, the Spirit fell on every disciple so they would declare the wonders of God to the world. The apostles have their part to play, but not at the expense of ordinary disciples who spread the Word wherever they go.

Luke wrote Acts because he was convinced the story about Jesus was not over. The risen Lord continues to lead the way through his disciples as they proclaim the Word in the power of the Spirit from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, resulting in disciples and churches to the glory of God among every people and in every place.

To not be surprised by Acts is to assume we’ve got this thing sorted. We’re in charge and we know what to do and how to do it. The God of Acts is a God of surprises.