Untitled Sermon (3)

The Birth of the Church

Acts 2:1-2 “On the day Pentecost was being fulfilled, all the disciples were gathered in one place. Suddenly they heard the sound of a violent blast of wind rushing into the house from out of the heavenly realm. The roar of the wind was so overpowering it was all anyone could bear!”

The birth of the church was ushered in by the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ resurrection and the replacement of the disciple Judas.

Luke the doctor/physician is the author of the Book of Acts. He traveled with the apostle Paul on some of his missionary endeavors. Acts 16:10-17 “After Paul had this vision, we immediately prepared to cross over to Macedonia, convinced that God himself was calling us to go and preach the wonderful news of the gospel to them. From Troas we sailed a straight course to the island of Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. Finally we reached Philippi, a major city in the Roman colony of Macedonia, and we remained there for a number of days. When the Sabbath day came, we went outside the gates of the city to the nearby river, for there appeared to be a house of prayer and worship there. Sitting on the riverbank we struck up a conversation with some of the women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia, a businesswoman from the city of Thyatira who was a dealer of exquisite purple cloth and a Jewish convert. While Paul shared the good news with her, God opened her heart to receive Paul’s message. She devoted herself to the Lord, and we baptized her and her entire family. Afterward she urged us to stay in her home, “saying, and abide there. And she constrained us.” KJV