12/02/08

The Acts of the Apostles-Week 11

From Beginning To Now

Weeks 1-10

1.      It all began with The Great Commission.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

2.       The Resurrected Christ.    

3.      The Coming of the Holy Spirit-Pentecost. Chapter 2:1-4

4.      Peter’s first sermon. Chapter 2:14-40 He explains the Holy Spirit and the actions of those receiving the Spirit.

5.      Christianity is not much more than a Jewish sect at the beginning of Chapter 3.

·         Peter heals the lame man. Chapter 3:2-11

·         Peter’s second sermon Chapter 3:11-26 Peter tool advantage of the crowd gathered from the healing of the lame man.

6.      The arrest of Peter and John and the “trial”. Chapter 4:1-3

·         Church grows to 5000

·         They are “warned” not to teach in the name of Jesus.

·         The Apostles stay of one mind and heart.

7.      Ananias and Sapphira Chapter 5:1-11. Why lie when the truth will do? The first sin within the church and the penalty was VERY severe.

8.      The work expands where it is not only Peter and John that are doing wondrous things in Chapter 5:12-16.

9.      Peter and the Apostles are arrested and jail again but this time are released by an angel. Chapter 5:17-25.  Remember the contrast between the prison being locked and the guards awake and the tomb of Jesus.

·         There was no hesitation to resume the spreading of the Gospel as soon as they were released.

10.  Again they are all arrested with Peter asking is it better to obey man or God? The Priests and such want the death of the Apostles but heed a warning by Gamaliel in Chapter 5:26-41.

11.  The rise of the Grecian Jews in Chapter 6:1-7. We don’t know the time that has passed between the end of Chapter 5 and the beginning of 6 but appears to be considerable. The Greek widows were not being cared for in the daily food rations.

·         Peter immediately addressed the problem.

·         The electing of the 7 the “wait tables”.

·         The laying on of hands.

12.  In Chapter 6:8-10 we meet and read about Stephen who was a Greek Jew and was…” a man full of God’s grace and power.”

·         Stephen was the first mention by name of a specific person that was doing “signs and wonders”.

·         The Synagogue of the Freedmen begin to stir up trouble for Stephen in Chapter 6:9.

·         In verse 10 is the argument between Stephen and the Freedmen. There was little arguing in that the Freedmen could not stand up to the wisdom of Stephen and the Spirit by which he spoke.

13.  The “arrest” and of Stephen by a mob and taken before the Council in Chapter 6:9-15. The Freedmen bought witnesses in any way that they could and even coached what they were to say.

·         Here we see Stephen, a Greek, being accepted by both Greek and Jew but set upon by the Freedmen which were mostly Greek.

·         Here also is an example of someone (the Freedmen) of taking the words of Jesus out of context to suite their own needs.

·         When Stephen was questioned, even those that wanted to kill him saw in him the face of an angel.