The book of Acts closes without a true ending. At first glance, one would think that there was a mistake made, but upon further inspection, it is apparent that Luke was using a type of literary device similar to what we would call a cliffhanger. The non-ending is intended to leave us with the feeling that there is more to the story and that is absolutely true. Every generation of believers is tasked with the challenge of continuing that which Jesus began to do and teach just like the first church exemplified. The only way for this to be accomplished is by the powerful infilling of the Holy Spirit granting us boldness to preach the Good News and believe for signs and wonders to follow confirming the Word of God.
This message is part of our series “The Ripple Effect.” The purpose of this series is to learn more about the life of Jesus and the story of the early church through the writings of Luke. Having looked at some of the highlights of the Gospel of Luke earlier this year, we now will turn our attention to his 2nd writing, the book of Acts. This book follows the history of the Holy Spirit’s influence on the early church and the beginning of the spreading of the Gospel to the corners of the earth. The book of Acts ends abruptly because the mission of the church is ongoing and is to be continued in our day and time by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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