Serving God by Serving Others
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Introduction
Introduction
Acts is the primary window into the world of the first Christians.
The first believers to live under the indwelling of the Holy Spirit
Acts was written by Luke and it is the 2nd Volume of the Gospel of Luke, written to Theophilus
Event timeline: btwn crucifixion (30AD) and the end of Paul’s ministry (late 60’s AD)
deals with the preparation for Pentecost
documents Pentecost. How a group of 120 followers were assembled in a house 10 days after Jesus’ ascension when they heard a mighty wind as from the OT. They were turned into mighty preachers expressing the gospel in the streets of Jerusalem
This fulfills Israel’s original charge
English Standard Version Chapter 42
6 “I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
The most important themes are introduced in the first chapter; mission of the church, power of the HS, importance of prayer.
English Standard Version Chapter 1
Ac 1:1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
The implication is that Acts records what Jesus continued to do through his Spirit after his ascension.
At the beginning of the 120 receive the Holy Spirit and onlookers thought they were drunk
Peter then begins to preach in verse 14 by preaching
MAIN POINT: We do not live for ourselves; we serve God by serving others
MAIN POINT: We do not live for ourselves; we serve God by serving others
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Ac2
Why is it important that we lead others to faith and growth in Christ?
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
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We: Respond, Repent, and Receive
We: Respond, Repent, and Receive
Respond to God’s calling by believing (faith)
Repent of our sins to Christ
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
This is where our desire to serve others begins
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
ac2
Note the 4 things specifically mentioned:
teaching
fellowship
communion
prayer
Fellowship: Gr koinonia (coy-no-nee-ah)
this is the only place Luke uses this word it is a special type of “fellowship”. To the point of selling their own possessions to benefit others. The original revival
How has your church family equipped you to serve others?
Community projects
Comittees
After Sunday events, Weds night youth, outside ministries
46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
How do we serve God and what does it look like?
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
from the pericope of the final judgement
As Christians we should have no fear of the final judgement.
Did Paul have any fear of judgement???? No, not at all
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
Phili
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
phili1 21-25
Baptism: bonus topic
Baptism: bonus topic
25
Is water baptism important?
It is the first act of obedience
The water represents the grave of Jesus, while emerging from the water represents the resurrection of Christ. Baptism is a public confession of faith showing obedience to Christ.
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
jn
"upon your profession of faith and in accordance with the Lord's command, I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Buried in the likeness of His death and raised to walk in a newness of life"
Is sprinkling the same as baptism?
In 1099 when the crusades started mass sprinkling was used to "baptize" the crusaders. This was done by using a palm tree bent over in tension. When the tree was released the water of the leaves was sprinkled over the crusaders. This was done mainly bc it would have been very difficult to baptize 50k crusaders.