The Endless Summer Sermon Series

 The Endless Summer Sermon Series

The book of Acts picks up the story of Jesus and his followers, where Luke leaves off. As the curtain of heaven opened, right before Jesus ascended, Jesus gave his final instructions to his disciples, saying: "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In the next chapter of Acts, the power source arrived. The Holy Spirit would fall upon Jesus' followers, filling them with the power and the courage to take the life-changing message of Jesus to the world. 

As the book follows the Apostles, we begin to see the commitment and devotion of "the Way," which would eventually become the first Christian church. Peter, Stephen, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, and Silas are just a few of those risking their lives to carry the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the known world in the first century.  

A good part of the narrative is following Saul(Paul), a zealous Pharisee who violently opposes the Christian Way. We will see his dramatic conversion, his long and arduous process to be included in the church's leadership as he takes the message of Jesus to the world, especially the Gentiles: the non-Jewish population. Paul's three recorded journeys show us how the Christian community grows through newly established churches. Paul's continued correspondence, found in the book of Acts alongside his letters (the Epistles), helps guide and encourage them in their new beginnings. 

The book of Acts ends with Paul under house arrest in Rome, waiting for his appearance before the Emperor. Though he was directly chained to one of Caesar's bodyguards, he was still preaching the message of Christ Jesus, and the gospel was slowly making its way into the heart of the Roman Empire, and then the book just abruptly ended. Luke's second volume leaves us hanging. As if to say it is our turn now. We are called to continue the story of the Holy Spirit at work in the world. 

This summer, in Bible study and on Sunday mornings, we will be exploring the book of Acts. Because the book ends open-ended, I am titling the sermon series; The Endless Summer. In the 1960s documentary of the same name, Bruce Brown follows two young American surfers traveling the world searching for the perfect wave. 

This documentary is still considered one of the most quintessential surfer movies. "The Endless Summer planted an adventure seed in millions of young people's minds." Plus, it marked a turning point in the American Documentary tradition; it was "the first surf film to transcend the the-niche sports audience to win over the masses. It was one of the first commercially successful Cinéma vérité films in the United States. With its cult-like following, even today, this film still inspires generations of young people to continue the search. 

Maybe in a way, the book of Acts can plant a seed within us, young and old, to continue the mission that the Apostles started. It is now our turn to offer the life-changing message of the gospel to a world that is constantly searching. The love of Jesus is a never-ending gift that requires us to share. 

Bibliography

Acts 1:8

How Does Iconic Surf Film "The Endless Summer" Fit Into the Documentary Tradition? by Meghan Gilligan The Take Website 2016

The Secret History of the Endless Summer, The Most Influential Surf Movies Ever. Keith Plocek. Feb 22, 2016, LA Weekly 

The Endless Summer planted an adventure seed in millions of young people's minds. - Jess Ponting (The Center of Surf Research) 

cinéma vérité, (French: "truth cinema") French film movement of the 1960s that showed people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue and naturalness of action.