Acts

UNITY AND ITS FRUIT

 Acts 4:32-37

 I.  The Perils of Protestantism            4:32

 II.  The Internal Evidence of Unity        4:32

 A.  Unanimity in the Congregation

 B.  Heart Unity

 C.  Soul Unity

 D.  Authentic Koinonia

 III.  The External Expression of Unity       4:33

 A.  Great Power

 B.  Faithful Witness

 C.  Abundant Grace

 IV.  The Economics of Unity               4:34-35

 A.  Abundance: Where Does It Come From?

"Golden Age of the Church"

Acts 4:31

Acts 4:23-31

"The Gospel Unleashed"

"The Irresistible Gospel, Part III"

Acts 4:13-22

I.  Confidence and Its Source 

“…they observed the confidence of Peter and John…

and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”   Acts 4:13

A.  The Paradox of Christian Confidence

B.  The Present Availability of Daily Fellowship with the Lord Jesus

“I have just spent five hours with the Most High God.”

                                                                John Knox (1514-1572)

II.  The Gospel and the Intellect

"The Irresistible Gospel, Part II"

Act 4:13-22

I.  The Gospel is Truth                    vv. 13-14 

A.  The Truth about Identity 

B.  The Truth about Transformation

II.  Truth does not always benefit the Wicked    vv. 13-14

A.  Truth is a liability for the unrepentant.

B.  The unrepentant deploy the Truth in the service of lies.

III.  Where the Gospel is Detected, the Gospel is Attacked.    vv. 15-18

A.  Resistance to the Gospel is a Conspiracy.       v. 15

B.  The congregation of Satan at worship

The Irresistible Gospel 

Part 1

Acts 4.13-14 

I. The Lesser and Greater Lights Contrasted      Acts 4:13

       A.  The Light which Comes from Research – Academics

                    agrammatoi kai idiotai

                    unlettered  and  lay people

                    uneducated and untrained

 B.  The Light which Comes from a Relationship – Apprenticeship

 They…began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.   v. 13

THE SCANDAL OF PARTICULARITY

Part 2

Acts 4.12

I.  The Doctrine Preached by Peter has provoked the ‘The Scandal of Particularity’

A.  ‘Scandal’ in this case means the offense caused to unbelievers by the doctrine

B.  ‘Particularity’ refers to biblical claims that Jesus ALONE can save

II.  The Doctrine Opposed by Human Logic

A.  The Impulse to Overrule God

      (The Prejudice which Overestimates Human Capacity)

B.  The Impulse toward Self-Salvation Strategies

     (The Prejudice which Underestimates Human Depravity)

"The Beautiful Miracle, Part II:  What The Miracle Means"

"The Age That Was Golden, Part I"

"The Signs of True Repentance"

The response to Peter's sermon.

"Peter at Pentacost, Part III"

"Peter at Pentacost, Part II"

God's Plan and Human Responsibility

"The Racing Gospel"

"Peter at Pentecost"

"The Christian Pentecost, Part II"

"The Christian Pentecost, Part I"

FINDING THE WILL OF GOD TOGETHER
Acts 1:14-26

I.  The First Agenda of Prayer is Prayer   v. 14

II. The Role of Scripture    vv. 16-20

    A.  Scripture provided the interpretation for what had happened.   
(Psalm 69:25) v. 20a
    B.  Scripture provided the interpretation for what should happen. 
(Psalm 109:8) v. 20b

III.  They Found God’s Will together   vv. 14, 23-24

IV.  They Applied a Biblical Method   (Proverbs 16:33) v. 26

        Should we cast lots today to find God’s will?

FINDING GOD’S WILL THROUGH PRAYER

ACTS 1:14-26

I.  Prayer is the Oxygen of the Church   v. 14

    A.  The Place where we are Connected toGod
    B.  The Place where we are Connected with One Another
    C.  The Place where Questions are Answered
and Issues are Resolved

II.  Judas and his Tragedy   vv.15-20

THE ASCENSION AND THE ASSEMBLY
                               Acts 1:9-14

   I.  Introduction

       A.  The Book of Acts is a Bridge

       B.  An Alliterated Outline

            1.  The Ascension    v. 9

            2.  The Angels          vv. 10-11

            3.  The Apostles       vv. 12-13

            4.  The Assembly     v. 14

 II.  The Necessity of the Ascension   v. 9

       A.  To Adjust Expectations

       B.  To Discourage Rumors

       C.  To Demonstrate the New Theological Reality

THE WITNESS AND THE WORLD 
 
ACTS 1:8        Part 4
 
 
1)       THE JOB IS NEVER FINISHED BEFORE WE BEGIN NEW VENTURES
2)       THE PLACE WE ARE IS NOT A PLACE TO LAND BUT A PLACE TO LAUNCH
3)       THE CHOICE IS NOT BETWEEN GOING OR STAYING;THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN GOING AND SENDING
4)       WE ARE TO BECOME WORLD CHRISTIANS
5)       WE MUST PREPARE FOR RESISTANCE
   A. THE RESISTANCE IS ORCHESTRATED BY A POWERFUL BUT DEFEATED ENEMY
   B. OUR RESOURCES ARE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT
      1. THE RESOURCES ARE PRIMARILY SPIRITUAL