The Book of Acts2
The Book of Acts-2
August 13, 2003
Review #1 and Weekend message
Acts 1:1-6:7
The Church in Jerusalem
· Jesus taken to heaven
· Matthias chosen to replace Judas
· The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
-There are over a million Jewish “pilgrims” gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost.
-It is the perfect time for the Holy Spirit to be poured out.
-It was very natural to follow Jesus as messiah.
-The had been baptized probably in a mikvah at the temple and in Acts 2:38 Peter makes the point that they should be baptized again only this time in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
-The disciples had 40 days with Jesus before He ascended then 10 days preparing and waiting.
-The question is: if Jesus appeared to over 500 and all of the people knew He had risen; where were they?
-Why were only 120 in the upper room?
-Pentecost was the fiftieth day after the presentation of the first harvested sheaf of the barley harvest.
-Jesus was presented at the right time as the first fruits then the Holy Spirit was poured out on Pentecost.
Read info on the feast of the Lord
(Spring feasts of Passover/unleavened bread/first fruits-Pentecost)
(pages 108-110 Conner)
Peter addresses the crowd
-Apostolic preaching could be categorized in the early church as encompassing 4 areas;
· The age of fulfillment has arrived
· The ministry, death, and triumph of Jesus
· Citation of O.T. Scriptures by which Jesus is proved to be the Messiah
· A Call to repentance
-The early church preaching was an explanation of what God had just done.
-They weren’t trying to get God to act but were running to keep up with Him.
The Fellowship of the Believers
Acts 2
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
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Francis Schaeffer video
What Did the early Church look like?
-It was totally Jewish at first.
-It existed in Jerusalem but was being taken back to the various places by the pilgrims who had been converted at Pentecost.
-It was a radical life change to them even though it was looked at in the beginning as just a sect of Judaism.
-They were totally committed to each other.
-They weren’t forced to live in communism or communes…they lived in community.
-They voluntarily gave up their possessions…nobody coerced or forced them.
Acts 4
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.
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FELLOWSHIP
BREAKING OF BREAD
APOSTLES DOCTRINE
PRAYER
-The people met in the temple precincts but they also had meetings informally in homes.
-The breaking of bread was a meal that included the Lord’s supper.
-The teaching was the Old Testament and the oral teaching of the apostles who had traveled with Jesus.
-It is very exciting and the church seems to encompass the whole city.
-The place is buzzing and the air is electric.
-We know there are at least 3120 of them with new people being added each day.
-There had been no opposition and as of yet not even the Jewish leaders had arisen against them.
-They are having…KOINONIA that is community or sharing in common.
-It is the natural outgrowth of healthy relationship with Jesus.
-As you are united to Jesus you want to be a part of a body. You grow up and then you grow together.
-The natural consequence of that is outreach….growing out.
-In verse 46 they have glad and sincere hearts and in verse 47 the people just keep coming because they want in on what is happening!
Persecution Begins
-The Jewish Christians keep the traditions of Jewish prayer. One of the prayer times was 3 pm.
-Peter and John approach the man who is licensed to beg and heals him.
-It causes a commotion and the whole place is stirred.
-In Acts 3 there is great rejoicing and Peter preaches a sermon; again simply explaining what God had just done.
Acts 4
The Message
While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus. They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening. But many of those who listened had already believed the Message—in round numbers about five thousand!
The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander—everybody who was anybody was there. They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?”
With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it over: “What can we do with these men? By now it’s known all over town that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we can refute that. But so that it doesn’t go any further, let’s silence them with threats so they won’t dare to use Jesus’ name ever again with anyone.”
They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, “Whether it’s right in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there’s no question—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.”
The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn’t come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn’t have stood for it—they were all praising God over what had happened. The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.
As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: “Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David:
‘Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth’s leaders push for position,
Potentates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers!’
“For in fact they did meet—Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!—met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.
“And now they’re at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.
The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.
Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money and made an offering of it to the apostles.
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-John Osteen talked about the attitude of the religious leaders. They couldn’t deny the miracle and that the man had been helped….but that it “spread no further”.
-They made the issue “the name of Jesus”.
Philippians 2
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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-They refuse to yield.
-Order of authority….
· God
· Human authority
Romans 12
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
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-What should the Christians have done in Nazi Germany? In China? In America?
-We don’t really have persecution in America.
-We think persecution is getting stuck in traffic and called stupid by the news commentators.
Ananias and Sapphira
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ac 2:42-47. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[2]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ac 4:32-37. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[3]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Ac 4:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Php 2:9-11. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ro 13:1-7. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.