The Acts of the Apostles

I. Acts 1 Looking Into The Sky

Goal: Convince them of the urgency in sharing Christ now, before He returns.

A. What occurred?

1. Jesus prepares disciples for the Holy Spirit and their witness

2. The ascension

B. Christ will return

1. We don't know exactly when, but we do know He will.

2. 2 Peter 3:3-10. Discuss this passage and work Peter's antithesis hard!

C. Application

1. For Christians: Priority of sharing Christ now, before He comes back

2. For Non-Christians: Priority of coming into that relationship with Christ before it's too late, before He comes back a second time--when it will be too late.

II. Acts 2 Pentecost

Goal: Take your relationship with Christ seriously---Christ does.

A. What occurred?

1. Holy Spirit came and indwelled

2. Witnessing in each other's own language.

3. Peter's sermon

a) Resurrection

b) David's prophecy

4. The ingathering of 3,000 people

5. The churches intensity. Vs 42-47

B. Application

1. For the Christians: Take your relationship with Christ seriously, then your world and those you influence will be radically changed.

2. For the non-Christians: Take Christ's offer seriously.

III. Acts 3-4 Having been with Jesus

Goal: Convince them how cool it is to be seen as "having been with Jesus" (How cool it is to be seen as something different from the world, but attractive)

A. What occurred?

1. Healing of the lame beggar

2. Peter's sermon

a) Peter gave credit to Jesus for the healing

b) This is the prophet spoken of in the OT

c) It's time to repent

3. Peter and John thrown into prison

4. Peter and John Witness to Jewish leaders

a) They recognized the courage and confidence of Peter and John and were astonished and amazed, since they were unlearned.

b) Finally, they recognized them as having been with Jesus

5. Their release

B. Application

1. Who do you want people to see? You or Christ?

2. Do you want change in your life? Do you want to be radically transformed into someone who is extraordinary, but attractive because you are representing God on earth.

a) Even the ordinary person can be transformed into a spiritual powerhouse that virtually everyone respects.

IV. Acts 5, 7, 8 Suffering Disgrace For His Name

Goal: Rattle them! Suffering for Christ is a real honor. By challenging with the idea that a little persecution is actually a good sign.

A. What was happening?

1. 5:17-42 Peter and John held on trial

2. 7:54-60 Stephen put to death

3. 8:1-4 Saul's persecution

B. Suffering can be a good thing.

1. See 5:41 They had a reverence for Christ. Didn't consider themselves worthy to suffer shame for His name.

2. It causes you to depend on the Lord.

C. Application

1. Suffering for Christ is an honor

a) Your reward will be great (Matt 5:10-12) & (Rev 9-17)

b) Tradition has it that Peter refused to be crucified like His Lord. Instead, he made them crucify him upside down.

2. If you're not getting any persecution or rejection, you're probably not sharing Christ with others very much.

a) A little persecution and rejection lights the fire of your faith. It wakes you up from your apathy.

V. Acts 8 The Divine Appointment

Goal: Be bolder with your sharing of Christ because God is creating opportunities and preparing people with whom you are to share. (Divine Appointments)

A. What happened

1. Vs 4-13 Philip became a powerful servant of the Lord

2. Vs 25-40 Philip shares with the Ethiopian because God sovereignty arranged it.

B. The sovereignty of God.

1. He pre-arranges divine appointments

a) People have been prepared personally by God's Holy Spirit. See John 16:8-11

b) God is not an absentee God. He is working, not loafing on the job. See John 5:17

c) God is not weak, He can arrange circumstances and people. He arranges things so that Christians meet up with hearts who have been prepared--Whether at school, sports field, Quicky mart, wherever.

C. Application

1. For Christians

a) Understand the sovereignty of God with outreach

b) Be prepared to share Christ on any occasion. Don't be as timid, thinking that people don't want to know about Christ. They do! We just haven't been able to see how God has been at work in them--how God has been personally preparing them.

c) The question is not, "Is God preparing someone for me to share with?" Instead, the question is, "Who is God preparing in my life?"

2. For non-Christians

a) Did you know God has sovereignly brought you here so that He can make sure you understand His offer of complete, free, forgiveness?

VI. Acts 9 Paul's Conversion

Goal: Convince them of God's grace and forgiveness.

A. What happened?

1. Vs 1-2 Saul breathing threats

2. Do a character sketch of Paul

a) contrast with a spineless person

b) contrast with someone not that convinced of his religion

c) a hater

3. Vs 3-9 His conversion and horror

a) Show how Paul probably processed what happened.

(1) Was it really God? My imagination? The devil?

(2) Ok, it was God…. now I'm toast. I'm history

(3) The horror he must have felt since he was the primary persecutor of the church.

4. Vs 10-19 Annanias

5. Vs 20-22 His witnessing--already!!

B. Grace.

1. God now wants to use this man of hate, this killer, as his instrument

2. He surely is a God of grace

C. Application

1. For Christians, He wants to use you as His instrument, even with all your sins

2. For non-Christians, He wants to forgive you and have a relationship with you.