2008

"The Incarnation"

"The Angels in Bethlehem"

"The Reality of Christmas"

1.  Christmas is a personal reality for us

2.  Christmas demonstrates a reality in the heart of God

3.  Christmas is a personal reality for God

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

THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL IN THE WORLD
Part 3: The Witness and the World
Acts 1:8

 
  I.  The Authority of Vision

“…YOU SHALL BE…”

     Jesus proves time and again that He see what no one else sees.

     A.  He sees under the tree.

     “…when you were under the fig tree I saw you.”   John 1:48

     B.  He sees under the sea.

     “…let down your nets…”   Luke 5:4

     C.  He sees invisible spirits in invisible places.

     “…I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning.”   Luke 10:18

"The Progress of the Gospel in the World, Part II"

I. Acts 1:8 is a Reversal

"You will all fall away because it is written, 'I will strike down
the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered.'" Mark 14:27

"...you will...deny Me three times." Mark 14:30

II. The Authorization of the Gentile Mission

A. Previous Restrictions:

"Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans,
but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 10:5-6

"The Progression of the Gospel in the World"

A Christian will be a witness.  He or she may be a good witness or a bad witness, but he will be a witness.  A witness take the likeness of his or her teacher and belongs to him. THE PROGRESS OF THE GOSPEL IN THE WORLD

ACTS 1:8

I. We will inevitably be one kind of witness or another.

The greatest witness for Jesus is likeness to Jesus.
Luke 6:40

II. We may understand the passage in either of two senses:

A. We shall be witnesses who belong to Jesus.

"The Kingdom and the Power, Part II"

What God's Promise of Power Is and Isn't

I THE CHRISTIAN TO BE A WITNESS
NOT A PROPHET vv.7-8

A. THE VIRTUE OF SELECTIVE AGNOSTICISM v.7

B. THE CHRONOS AND KAIROS V.7

CHRONOS AND KAIROS ARE THE ORIGINAL GREEK
WORDS TRANSLATED TIMES AND SEASONS

CHRONOS = THE QUANITY OF TIME TO PASS UNTIL
THE KINGDOM IS ESTABLISHED

KAIROS=THE QUALITY (CHARACTER) OF THE TIME
IN WHICH THE KINGDOM WILL BE ESTABLISHED

II THE PROMISE OF POWER v.8

A. ANTECEDENTS TO THE PROMISE

"The Kingdom and the Power"

Regarding God's exact plan for Israel, Jesus encouraged "selective agnosticism."  Knowing the exact times and epochs not a priority for Christians.

I. The Obsession with Time Tables Rebuked vv. 6-7

II. The Prospect of Israel's Redemption Established vv. 7-8

A. The Redemption of Israel will be Different from the past

B. The Redemption of Israel will be Spiritual

C. The Redemption of Israel will be

1. The Emphasis of Jesus' Teaching v. 3

"God's Faithfulness in History, God's Faithfulness to History, Part 3"

The book of Acts challenges the emerging popular notion that truth is personal and it doesn't matter.

I.  Apologetics in the Book of Acts

          "...many convincing proofs..."   v. 3

            By apologetics we don't mean "apology."

"God's Faithfulness in History, God's Faithfulness to History, Part 2"

In this passage of the book of Acts, the Trinitarian witness emerges and apologetics is prominent

FIVE LEADING THEMES

1. The Recording of History 1:1-2

2. The Discipling of Nations 1:1-5

3. The Importance of Doctrine 1:1-5

The Holy Spirit as Teacher Acts 2:42
The Emerging Trinitarian Witness 1:1-5
The Father vv. 3, 4
The Son vv. 1, 2, 3, 4
The Holy Spirit vv. 2, 5

C. H. Spurgeon (1834 - 1892)

"God's Faithfulness in History, God's Faithfulness to History"

The book of Acts is Luke's pious, but historical account of the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of new believers.

FIVE LEADING THEMES

1. The Recording of History 1:1-2

The Promise of the Gospel

Will the Judge of the Whole Earth Do Right? Part 3