Acts by Ryan Lowery (2013)

The author of Acts, Luke, is widely considered to be a historian of the highest class. We learn from his recordings of the accounts of the disciples as they were taught by Jesus after his resurrection. They are told to go to Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit. Our community of Christians today is only possible due to this moment in history. The beginning of the spreading of the Gospel is about to begin.

The first Christian community starts in Jerusalem with the disciples and crowds receiving the Holy Spirit. There are instances of speaking in tongues after the disciples receive the Holy Spirit. The Bible lays out very clear measures of speaking in tongues including that an interpreter must be present. We all say that we want to see a miracle but either we will be perplexed or create a cynical explanation to write it off. Peter stands up and rebukes the cynics of the crowd and gives glory to God who has revealed the second part of His plan which involves His Holy Spirit and of Jesus' fulfillment of the work on the cross.

The church of Acts bursts onto the scene in Jerusalem preaching the teachings of Jesus and sharing the Good News. The church was living alongside each other, steeped in prayer, and devoted to the teachings of Jesus. Gratefulness to God was the driving force in their community. God's grace is the motivating force that changes even the worst of us into loving self-giving workers for God.

Persecution is a tactic used by God's enemies to halt authentic Christian movements. When Peter and John are faced with persecution, they choose to proclaim the good news about Jesus. Fear of rejection and idolizing comfort can hold us back from speaking, but like Peter we can choose to trust God and proclaim the gospel. For a variety of reasons, persecuted Christians often are more effective at sharing the gospel.

While the early church was extremely generous, Ananias and Sapphira were disciplined by God for holding back money. The real problem that the couple had was the spiritual posturing and deceptive practice known as hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is a direct threat to the witness of the church because of how grossly it misrepresents God and because of how quickly in can spread. We can fight hypocrisy by striving to love others authentically and by being honest about failures.

In the early church, Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews were culturally at odds in the diverse city of Jerusalem. They overcame cultural prejudice in four ways: 1) The leaders acknowledge the problem publically; 2) they delegated authority to a trustworthy group; 3) they didn't overreact; and 4) both sides trusted in the leadership of the church. In order to fight division, we must understand the basis for our unity in Christ, be on the lookout for division, and be a community of the Word that also serves each other.

When argument failed, the enemies of the early church turned to lies and perjury when they accused Stephen of attacking the God of Israel. In Stephen's defense, he makes the argument that God is much more than just the God of Israel. Those who murdered Stephen had idolized ritual practices and were blind to the fact that God wants a relationship rather than religious acts.\r\n\r\n

Saul was a Jewish leader who harshly persecuted Christians. In his encounter with Jesus, it is obvious that his passion to persecute the church was fueled by an emotional rebellion against the evidence. Once he saw the truth of Christ, he immediately chose to live out the implications for his life. Ananias was also willing to take a step of faith toward Saul despite his fears.

Though the early church saw growth among the Jews, for years they had ignored Christ's instructions to preach to the Gentiles. God helps Peter to overcome his deep cultural prejudices against Gentiles and lead a Roman Centurion named Cornelius to faith. Four principles are seen in this passage: 1) God goes to amazing lengths to reach all people; 2) all people have prejudices that can be very powerful; 3) God's love and forgiveness is for everyone; and 4) even God's people are imperfect and can be slow to change.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "how can I know God's will for my life?" While there are clear boundaries set forth in the Bible, often important decisions can fall in a morally neutral gray area. As Peter defends the idea that God's will is to preach to the gentiles, he suggests a variety of principles that can be used together to discern God's will.

When Peter is arrested and put on death row, God miraculously saves him as an answer to prayer. There are four principles about prayer to be learned: 1) God does not always answer prayer; 2) persistence in prayer is important; 3) corporate prayer is important; and 4) it is important not to miss answered prayers.

The history of missions is split between the harmful and the helpful, but if the claims of the Bible are true then missionaries are essential. Luke's historical account of Paul's first missionary journey shows what missions look like when done correctly. All of us should seek to be missionaries in our own culture or another.

In Paul's second missionary journey, five principles about ministry can be observed: 1) Christians are immediately qualified to share their faith with those around them; 2) ministry should include mentoring; 3) ministry must be led by the Holy Spirit; 4) ministry is war with a sophisticated enemy; and 5) successful ministry requires the right attitude.

In the time of Acts, Athens was the center of philosophy and culture. When Paul traveled there, his strategy was to go to the synagogue and the public square to defend Jesus and His resurrection. From this story, we learn that Paul identified with his audience and described God as a the personal creator, who is both the judge and the resurrected savior of humanity.

In the ancient world, Corinth was a city known for immorality. As Paul goes there to preach the gospel, there are several lessons that we can learn: 1) Paul paid his own way to avoid accusation; 2) some people will be offended at the message; 3) many will respond to the message; 4) even Paul had great fear; and 5) you never know who will respond. Those that are willing to tell others about Christ will experience the same adventure that Paul did, and will see that God is just as active today as he was in the early church.

Though many at Ephesus claimed to be followers of Christ, it isn't until Paul came to them that they received the Holy Spirit. This passage isn't teaching a Pentecostal theology, but indicates that not all who think they are believers have received Christ. Several points about the Holy Spirit can be gleaned from this passage: 1) the Holy Spirit is God's pledge of our spiritual life; 2) the Holy Spirit is what empowers change; 3) the Holy Spirit is what empowers us to be used by God in others' lives; 4) empowerment by the Spirit may include God working supernaturally; 5) it is dangerous to do God's work without His power; and 6) the Holy Spirit can free us from fear.

Paul's farewell to Ephesus contains a unique look into his relationships. It demonstrates how serving God is relational, dynamic, and unpredictable. It requires endurance and care for those one is serving. It is also about entrusting yourself to Him in order to give to others with integrity. Ultimately, a life of serving God results in real friendship.

When Paul makes his way to Jerusalem, he must give a defense to a variety of different parties. At the core of his defense is that he is a Christian by reason as he explains that Jesus fulfills the Old Testament. We should seek out evidence and be willing to respond to what we see. Believers should be prepared to boldly make a defense through personal testimony and through Scripture.