An Overview of the Book of Acts The life of the early church is recorded and preserved for us in the book of Acts and the epistles. This Scripture speaks to us about: 4. Even if youre in another book of the Bible, make a point to come back and connect with Acts. First, hearing from the Lord and leadership are tied directly to how well the Word and prayer are linked together. Expect more help from Heaven (vs. 5-10). Solo interim pastors and preaching teams alike will offer solutions to the church in transition. I learn that Jesus is Lord (vs. 4-5). The Pax Romana, a time of relative peace in the Mediterranean world, began. Obligates us to the highest devotion (vs. 26-29). BACKGROUND: The combination of Gods purpose, power, and presence is vital to our life as a church. Theology, meeting God and having new ideas about God, does not happen in a vacuum. xFSpdz&mF =ry-eYU?| By telling people about the Lord (vs. 12-15;17-26). Take a moment for a macro-view of Acts and how it will change your approach to teaching history.. God will give us a strategy (vs. 20-25). 3. Sermon by Rick Crandall Sermon by Rick Crandall It will help to keep the whole of the book before you as you work your way through each section. Certainly, this type of speculation can go astray, so help your leaders to come back to ideas the Bible teaches. Is your church drifting, on life support, or your people feel disconnected from God? Preaching through Acts naturally leads us to interact with the Pauline Epistles. (view less). God was present with His brand new baby church in Acts teaching, guiding, and growing disciples and leaders. In fact, the longer time frame allows you to go deeper into a single theme, or even better, link themes together and show how God is building the church. 2. Each section study gives your church a deeper understanding of Gods actions in the early church. Grayson Baptist Church - May 19, 2013 Sauls world is changed in chapter 9 and he goes on, as the apostle Paul, to partner with God as a missionary. Spend more time with our Savior (vs. 13). Acts 5:12-29 Recall the radical generosity of the church in Acts 4 and we begin to understand this is the administration of life to those who have no other options. 1. Acts 6:1-8 Luke-Acts; cf. Your people will become more and more familiar with the world of the early church making the Bible easier to understand. Resurrection, Jesus Christ, Worship Christ, Reign Of Christ, Exalting Christ read more, Scripture: An Acts-based sermon series can help your core group embrace empowerment by the Holy Spirit. Rather than escaping the troubles and hardship of the world, their fight with the Lord makes them important ambassadors for Christ. Posted on January 18, 2019 Posted By: Matt Bedzyk Categories: Bible Study, Life at ECC In other words, we want people to know some things about usthe things we like to show to the world, but we keep our deepest ideas hidden. Carry out the Lords commands (vs. 12). . Grayson Baptist Church - July 7, 2013 . It tells God gets my attention (vs. 3-4). He wants to save our souls (vs. 35-37). Prepare a sermon or get inspired with the click of a button. The short answer is yes! The foundation, the core practices of the growing church, is summed up in Acts 2:42. H+0b+$@3g @BF%duQ%4J$:`j+B0.DW%VGEP^. *l_ tk(#E&W8$xdlHh qM. 5. Issues facing a growing church and church movement require leaders to grow and the people of the church to grow as well. Sermon by Rick Crandall The math is pretty simple 28 chapters in 26 weeks. God will give us success (vs. 31). Prisoners might not be released in response to our prayers like Peter was in Acts 12, but we might escape the prisons created by our sin. Sermon by Rick Crandall (Responding to the Spirit) - Acts 2:37-47, Week 5: Get Up! Acts 1:1-11, Tags: If we skip the theme of the resurrection, we are missing what it means to be a witness of Jesus and thus miss His command in Acts 1:8. Acts 3:1-26 (Initial reading vs. 1-9) 2. 1. Smaller congregations need to take heart you are exactly the right size to make and multiply disciples. The comfort (vs. 40-41). I have an funny hobby. Later we will develop these themes and others, but for this moment, consider the fact that Luke deals with serious challenges. What makes the difference? *Here in Acts 7, Stephen has been on trial for his strong faith in Jesus Christ. As such, it provides us with a valuable account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the Roman Empire. Our First and Foremost Message Is Jesus Christ! 3. serve faithfully. Salvation Essentials Here is the first of what we hope will be many theme-based worship series. 1. This is the message that the world needs to hear today. Grayson Baptist Church - July 21, 2013 When Your Government Is Ungodly - Part 3 2. *Think about the answer to this question: "On a scale of 1 to 10, how committed are you to seeing our church grow?" July The early church was multicultural allowing us to find how local churches thrived or died based on how they interacted with local people and their ideas. Jesus leaves the church in Acts 1:8 with a commission to tell the world about Him to be His witnesses. 2. Cross, Jesus Christ, Resurreccion, Day Of Pentecost, Jesus Savior How do I have hope and live my life well? is a deep question for every person in our congregations. Missions are birthed through fasting and prayer of the church in Antioch in Acts 13. God picks out Saul and makes him Pauland somehow Saul yields and chooses the Lord. The church turned to prayer asking for more boldness and the earth shook, the Holy Spirit moved and they practiced boldness. 2: 1-7.pdf Download File 2. Lastly and most importantly, is the under-appreciated theme of the resurrection in the Book of Acts. Audio Podcast. Oct 16, 1988. Sermon by Rick Crandall 21. They seek the Lord to choose another person to replace Judas and then move with 120 into an upper room. 1) The Moment was Typified. Listen again to this awesome promise Jesus makes to His followers in that verse. In fact they are magnified in suffering. Prayer is intimately connected to the previous theme of Gods purpose, presence, and power. Messages Overview Passionately seeking for His people (vs. 22). Combining a theme or character study is a great way to do an overview of the book of Acts in one month. The radical shift from the one persecuting believers to being the one persecuted by those outside of the church is huge. Please contact us or click here to learn more about how to enable JavaScript on your browser. Our sin is serious (vs. 5-10). read more, Scripture: Grayson Baptist Church - July 14, 2013 1. We know the story of the Holy Spirit coming like fire and wind, but how often do we discuss the prayer and fasting of the believers? (view less). We need to be confident of Gods presence at all times especially the difficult times. These are all signs of trusting in the abundance of the Lord rather than working from our own limited pool of resources. The Power of God The apostles portrayed in Acts shine with evangelistic zeal, showing a striking transition from the often misguided disciples of the Gospels. Saul moves from approving the murder of Steven to the chosen witness of Jesus among the gentiles. Acts also reaches back into the Old Testament. (view more) The importance of His witnesses (vs. 8-11). Jesuss words are not ambiguous. Many more places in Acts tell us of Gods power, provision, and presence released through prayer. But as we look into the Word of God tonight, remember that we are Take time to learn about prayer in action through the Book of Acts and you will see a church committed to being in Gods presence in the form of prayer. By standing against the poison of sin (vs. 18-23). Note: For more outlines based on the Book of Acts, check out these series: Various (Gospel Project, August 2013) The Way of the Worshipper. For greater depth and saturation, try preaching a series for a quarter (thirteen weeks). You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. Gods power and His presence are still there in the midst of suffering. [UKo_S8 s9Ie"~,YG Acts 10:1-23 xe0Fh/! Sermon by Rick Crandall Transition teams and interim pastors would be greatly served by the Book of Acts. What do we do with 2,000 new converts? Grayson Baptist Church Aug. 18, 2013 read more, Scripture: Every great movement of discipleship groups labeled Discipleship Making Movements, Four Chairs, or whatever label of the day, have the characteristics of Acts 2:42: When the small groups in your church internalize their heritage as the place where the Lord has always made and multiplied disciples, new energy and expectations will be released. This one is titled I Will: Living Our Baptismal Vows. read more, Scripture: Sermon by Rick Crandall Lukes identification as the author of this work was unquestioned throughout ancient times. Why? (view less). *Don't you love our church? 1. Sermon. *In Acts 6-8, God gives us the story of a Christian named Stephen. Steven is full of the Holy Spirit and chosen by the leaders to put effective systems in place for the care of the widows. Choosing His people (vs.17). By giving for the Lord (vs. 2-15). Acts 1:1-11 Outrages God's enemies (vs. 17-18). BACKGROUND: Seeds of the faith that grew into the worldwide church were planted by God in a turbulent time. God still expects movement and multiplication of His believers to spread around the world. Chapter 4 teaches the churchs first reaction during persecution should be prayer, boldness, and generosity. Honesty, Sinfulness, Godly Fear, Church Problems, Integrity Honesty With the same methods (vs. 23-24). 4. This led Peter to then share the gospel with many Gentiles. Jesus Christ, ending on a high note with Paul on the verge of taking the gospel to the highest government official in the landthe Emperor of Rome. Place this meta-lens over the book and consider the establishment of the church in Acts 2. (view more) Jesus Himself (presence) once again tells the surrounding believers they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and in every part of the earth (purpose) and then is raised into heaven (power). Put your name on God's witness list. By Gods greatness (vs. 1-5). Acts 1:12-26, Tags: Church: We need to be more committed than ever before. . And the ham was very good, but I wouldn't say it was heavenly. They dive deep into the Word and prayer (Acts 6). There are two major ways you could approach six months of preaching. Scripture Acts 1 Sort Bible Verse. 2. Copyright 2010 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Stories of how God moved into bad situations gives us hope, inspiration, and ideas for new actions. God wants His message of hope and salvation to extend to all peoplein Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (1:8). Christian Witness, Book Of Acts, Work Of Christ, Teaching Of Jesus. Read the Book of Acts with this lens and you find groups of people following the Lord together. . A series in Acts allows people and situations to unfold and see God act in their lives. Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Salvation, Cross, All Nations, Healing By Jesus, Peter And Cornelius Seek a radiant relationship with Jesus Christ (vs. 15). Ephesus: Labor without Love - Rev. But in this chapter, he was How do we manage service, prayer, and preaching as leaders? Sermon The Spirit Wants the World for Christ Jun 3, 1984 Scripture: Acts 1:4-8 John Piper Sermon You Shall Receive Power Till Jesus Comes Sep 30, 1990 Scripture: Acts 1:6-14 John Piper Sermon What Judas's Death Teaches Us About the Spirit Oct 7, 1990 Scripture: Acts 1:15-26 John Piper Sermon Tongues of Fire and the Fullness of God Oct 14, 1990 read more, Scripture: A series through Acts allows, even requires, pointed preachingwithout attacking. This sermon series was prepared back in the late 1980's. I was a very young and busy bivocational preacher. Acts is a unique treasure of the Holy Spirit giving us inspired historical and theological context, character rich stories, and important themes for the American church. Product Code: JBACTBK. A year in Acts allows us to appreciate real people making real decisions in real situations. Pastors, when was the last time you saw a problem as the place where your leadership was formed? These tools and other commentaries on the Book of Acts should simplify sermon preparation and help you focus on timely application. Sermon by Rick Crandall A Selected Bibliography For The Book Of Acts. In Acts we see believers in YAHWEH, the Jewish God, change and make an impact on this very complex world in Gods power not the power of people. There are over 700 outlines (with more added each week as they are developed). 1. Acts Series Outlines 11 . 4. The Pauline Epistles as well as the rest of the NT canon can be identified by places introduced in Acts. For example, in Acts 17, you could pick up on the theme of responding to the resurrection in three different ways as presented by three different cities. Staying with Barnabas, his life deals with materialism, serving, leading from the second chair, helping the outcasts (Paul and John Mark), and more. Why? Prayer, being in the presence of God, is the way we seek and find the purpose and power of God. 1. Preaching Resources Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in It is worth noting that in this history of the early Christian church, Luke mentioned neither Pauls death (AD 6468) nor the persecution of Christians that broke out under Nero (AD 64). 2. *"The first Pastors Acts Series #5 . The lesson? Description. Staying with the idea of money and materialism in Acts 5, we can see the principles of honesty, sacrificial giving, and using giving to make ourselves appear good. In this upper room of a house somewhere in Jerusalem, the believers are praying and God shows up. Seek God's help (vs. 24-31). from Jerusalem to Rome. Parents work with babies teaching them to eat, crawl, walk, talk, share toys, and hundreds of other everyday life skills. Priorities, Deacons, Fullness, Problem Solving. Protecting His people (vs. 17). God's world (vs. 4-5). Souls will be saved (vs. 12). Dr. J. Vernon McGee :: Outline for Acts OUTLINE: I. At the club meeting each week, a different member told a little about his job. God is always at work in our world: Grayson Baptist Church - Dec. 29, 2013 A Great Example for Every Christian The early church faced divisions as well, both in the world and within the church. This question should ring through your mind as you page through the book of Acts. The life of the early church is recorded and preserved for us in the book of Acts and the epistles. Offering an overview and then selecting one major lesson to learn gives your people a grasp of the historical context and they walk away with a life lesson. Satan has a strategy (vs. 1-3). Thankfully, the book of Acts is canonized, reminding us that suffering brings about the purpose of God. Grayson Baptist Church - Jan. 19, 2014 In fact, thats how the Book of Acts starts in a prayer room after Jesus ascends to heaven. (view less). In plainspeak the Bible is more accessible. We are blessed to be part of a church where people love God, love His Word, and love each other. The Savior's Next Step for Our Church In communal prayer, as we find through the book of Acts, we are required to depend on God and others. Your browser does not support JavaScript. Because they can have hope for His interaction in their lives and learn how to be more responsive to His leadership. read more, Scripture: Does God really expect the church and disciples to grow when times are difficult and culture is not aligned with the church? Boldness, Church Unity, Unselfish, Encourage Others. Not everyone will remember details, but each person will become more and more familiar with the world of the early church. Only Jesus had the power to come back alive (vs. 24). Yet Steven is killed for his bold generosity and witness just as the apostles will be in the coming years. Because God cares for all people, including the lost. Grace Under Fire . Teaching history can be a drag or a world changing experience for the teacher and the student. It will help to keep the whole of the book before you as you work your way through each section. Opens prison doors (vs. 19-25). Combining cultures is a process that takes time. Mf =ry-eYU? | by telling people about the Lord ( vs. 18-23 ) a house somewhere in,. To be more committed than ever before McGee:: Outline for Outline! His witnesses ( vs. 26-29 ) J. Vernon McGee:: Outline for Outline... Can go astray, so help your leaders to come back and connect with Acts book of acts sermon series outline! 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Can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the Mediterranean world, their fight with the Lord vs....