For example, peter throws down a fantastic spiritinspired sermon in acts 2. Peter is preaching to a jewish audience on the day of pentecost. In this reading, peter and the disciples have been arrested and brought before the jewish sanhedrin, or high court, on charges of preaching the gospel in spite of being ordered not to. The book of acts records the mighty works of god for and through his church in its early years, and clearly connects them to unified, corporate prayer. In terms of central personalities, peter and paul dominate respective halves of the book. Admittedly, book sermons are not easy to preach, but they are generally profitable to both the man in the pulpit and to those in the pews. Wright on the book of acts p23 paul still on trial, loyalty to judaism, n. Acts chapter 4 explained discover the 66 books of the bible. Reading the book of acts, we are enlightened and encouraged by the many miracles that were being performed during this time by the disciples peter, john, and paul. The book of acts has been called the acts of the apostles. The book of acts gives a unique glimpse into the life and practice of the early church. As i was studying peters pentecost sermon in acts 2, i was almost. Rather, the focus is clearly on some of the acts or deeds of mostly peter the key figure in the first half and paul the key figure in the second. This short study will direct the reader to andrew fountains gospel preaching in acts here on the apostle peters sermons in the book of acts.
The emphasis of the book is the importance of the day of pentecost and being empowered to be effective witnesses for jesus. Peter comes to the saints at lydda on his preaching tour. God acts to fulfill his saving purposes and then interprets that act so that we may understand and appropriate it to ourselves. In their defence, peter preaches the second of his two famous sermons as recorded in the book of acts, the first one being preached on the day of pentecost. There is a sustained focus on unity in the book of acts. Because peter was under the control of the spirit, he was able to face persecution and preach the gospel with power luke 12. Believers who were scattered preached the good news about jesus wherever they went acts 8. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. The resurrection of the christ patterns in acts focus. There is a passage in acts 10 that illustrates this point. Check out these helpful resources biblical commentary childrens sermons hymn lists acts 10. What did the council forbid peter and john from doing. There are a number of sermons teachings, messages, and proclamations found in the book of acts. It describes the coming of the holy spirit at pentecost in acts 2, the spread of the gospel outside of jerusalem in acts 8 and to the gentiles in acts 10, how the church made decisions in regards to doctrine acts 15.
By far the most common approach to preaching a book sermon from acts is to track the geographical expansion of the church. The resurrected christ was always the subject of apostolic preaching. We read of the evangelistic methods and message of the early apostles and preachers 3. He appears and disappears in the same bible chapter, acts 10. Peters sermon at pentecost in acts 2 explains passages from joel and the psalms to substantiate his claim that jesus is the prophesied. A list of sermons in the book of acts leadership resources. The rulers have arrested peter and john, who now address the sanhedrin. We see this motif throughout the entire book of acts 3. The full title of the book of acts is the acts of the apostles. The bible is full of examples of effective preaching. Rome is the city of pauls evangelistic enterprise as the book comes to a close.
Wright on the book of acts p25 theology of the cross in acts. The book of acts is filled with gospel preaching including. Peter, apostle to the jews, is the central figure of the first 12 chapters. This title was not given by the author luke and is less than appropriate, for the book speaks of only a few of the apostles and their ministries peter, john briefly, james only in that herod killed him and paul. As a starting point for preaching from acts, a minister might be well advised to preach a book sermon, giving in broad outline the general theme and scope of the book. For assurance of our own salvation, we can compare our own conversion experience with those in acts.
The types of sermons in the book of acts think theology. Todays reading lecturas del dia national bible week readings audio reflections video books of the. Filled with the spirit, peter preaches the pentecostal sermon. Acts 10 narrates a significant change in peters own life but also a massive shift in the. Mickey anders bruce rigdon, a presbyterian pastor in grosse pointe, michigan, tells a remarkable story about.
But peter had not yet been enlightened concerning the extent to which god would save gentiles, or on what basis. Find top church sermons, illustrations, and powerpoints for preaching on acts 1. Peter preached to the gentiles and the spirit fell. The book of acts is filled with gospel preaching, including sermons by peter, stephen, and paul. It is also a valuable resource, instructing preachers and listeners about the content of good preaching. And that many were added to the church daily such as should be saved. Peter preached a text from a jewish book joel to a jewish audience, warning them of impending judgment and offering them salvation in the name of jesus.
How many people repented and got baptized after peter. The book of acts books of acts christian inconnect. Peter s method shows that the proof of christianity always lies in facts barclay 1976. We are not informed when the fact here recorded took place. The incident in joppa that prompted peter to come to this town. The book of acts was written to provide a history of the early church. It might also be called the acts of the holy spirit, as that person of the godhead is very much an active participant throughout the book. The last time we left peter was in the gospel of luke. Stevenson, preaching on the books of the new testament new york.
The holy spirit in the book of acts preaching source. This is evident in the christological focus in peter s inaugural sermon acts 2. So they were accused of having filled jersusalem with. In the sermon at pentecost, peter preaches jesus as lord from psalm 110 and applies it the following way, let all the house of israel therefore know for certain that god has made him both lord and christ. The book of acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of jesus christ. Of course, as wells notes, paul is the missionary preacher par excellence because he preaches to jews in damascus 9. Finding all the resources parents need may require a child psychology manual, a book on basic theology, and one on emergency first aid. Then peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. Luke records many examples of conversion in the book of acts e. Acts of the apostles executable outline study resources. Jesus first sermon ends rather inauspiciously when he reminds his. This gentile soldiers marvelous moral character, and his noble influence, even. Peter and john have just healed a man lame from birth, who is now leaping and praising god.
The book of acts provides great insight into the earliest years of the spread. There are three from peter, one from stephen, and seven from paul. This unity begins with believers of different races e. For those interested in developing such a sermon, the outline is suggested in chapter 1, verse 8. They used saturation evangelism, using every available method at every available time to reach every available person. An insight analysis into the book of acts project topics. The location is the temple, with a jewish audience. The resurrection of the christ patterns in acts focus online. While luke does offer an expanded record of a few of pauls sermons defenses acts. While the definition of what constitutes a sermon and the precise number of them may be open for debate, i put the number at eleven.
Peter was able to quote the old testament several times and offer insight to the. One of the amazing things about the bible is how much truth can be stored in such small places. Peter s activities are described at some length, and john and philip are mentioned, but more than half of the book is about paul and his connection with the christian movement. Acts is significant for chronicling the spread of the gospel. The sermon we read in acts chapter two, delivered by the apostle peter on the day of pentecost, is about jesus christ and the action sinners should take to be saved.
Acts is a transitional book in the sense that it gives us the record of the way god moved in the minds and hearts of men to found and establish the church and begin its great work in the world today. Sermons in the book of acts barnes bible charts speaker audience reference theme peter crowds at pentecost acts 2. Much insight is to be gained from the fact that acts is the second part of the gospel of luke, especially at the point of. Can you better explain peters use of joel in his acts 2. The book of acts church of christ in zion, illinois. The 120 were gathered in an upper room praying in one accord when pentecost comes acts 1. While we could delve into a discussion of sacrament and word in preachingand the role they play in this dual exposure, instead lets use this dual exposure to see how it illumines the effect of several sermons in the gospel of luke s companion text, the book of acts. Though peter finally comes to this insight in the dramatic story of cornelius and. In fact, peter goes on to tie the resurrection of jesus to his ascension acts.
The content of these speeches shows the absence of the fear of human rejection, which paralyzed him earlier and caused him to disown jesusby saying i do not know. Paul, apostle to the gentiles, is the principle of the remainder. The book of acts emphasizes the importance of obedience to gods word and the transformation that occurs as a result of knowing christ. Acts can be neatly divided into two sections, the first dealing primarily with the ministry of peter in jerusalem and samaria acts 112 and the second following paul on his missionary journeys throughout the roman empire acts 28. The title of the book of acts comes from the greek word praxis, a word often. We do not imitate every cultural detail of the church, but we do want to continue the faith and the message of the early church. The book has been called the acts of the apostles, really a misnomer because acts has very little to say concerning most of the original twelve apostles. In acts 2, peter states that this wasiswill be fulfilled in the first christian pentecost, the preaching of the gospel, and possibly certain events just prior to the second coming.
The book of acts does not specifically identify its author. From ideas on sermon topics to how to develop church growth to insight on ministry life, preaching helps pastors develop every area of life and work in ministry. Below are a few tips to help you become a more effective preacher and teacher of the word. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. Peter, by michael morrison the church today is a continuation of firstcentury christianity. Fellow jews and all of you who live in jerusalem, let me explain this to you.
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