ACTSACTS

“What was their source of power?”

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Ascension of Jesus

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Pentecost

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Lame Man Walks

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Prison Break

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Death to Ananias

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Apostles Preaching Boldly

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Stephen’s Martyrdom

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Conversion of Paul

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Paul’s Mission Trips

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Riots

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Shipwreck

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Exciting Book

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Answers?

Prayer?Fasting?

Obedience?Faith?

Love?Holy Spirit?Fellowship?

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Doubting & Scared Apostles

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Peter the CEO - Act 1:16-22 ESV

• Act 1:16-22 ESV "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. (17) For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." (18) (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. (19) And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) (20) "For it is written in the Book of Psalms, "'May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it'; and "'Let another take his office.' (21) So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, (22) beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us--one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection."

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Peter @ Pentecost - Act 2:14-40 ESV

• Act 2:14-40 ESV But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. (15) For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. (16) But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: (17) "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; (18) even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. (19) And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; (20) the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. (21) And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' (22) "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-- (23) this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. (24) God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

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Peter @ Pentecost - Act 2:14-40 ESV

• (25) For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; (26) therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. (27) For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. (28) You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.‘ (29) "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. (30) Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, (31) he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. (32) This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. (33) Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. (34) For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, (35) until I make your enemies your footstool.' (36) Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (37) Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." (40) And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

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Peter & John - Act 3:12-26 ESV

• Act 3:12-26 ESV And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? (13) The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. (14) But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, (15) and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. (16) And his name--by faith in his name--has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all. (17) "And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. (18) But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. (19) Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, (20) that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, (21) whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. (22) Moses said, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. (23) And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.' (24) And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. (25) You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.' (26) God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness."

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Common Chinese Saying

“Kingdoms can rise and fall easily, but the character of a man can never be changed.” 

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Clues & Questions

• How could Peter preach such ‘doctrinal’ sermons when he was a mere fisherman?

• How could a scared fisherman be teaching daily to the masses and influence them greatly?

• How could his understanding of the Scriptures changed in 50 days for him to preach so convincingly?

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Apostles’ Teachings

• Act 2:41-42 ESV So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (42) And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

• Act 5:41-42 ESV Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. (42) And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

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Answer – Part 1

• Act 4:13 ESV Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

• The fact of our Lord’s resurrection changed them.

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More Questions!

• But what did Jesus do after the resurrection to enable the apostles to teach and preach so powerfully?

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Answer – Part 2

• Act 1:1-3 ESV In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, (2) until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. (3) He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

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Power of Teachings!

• In other words, Jesus taught the apostles the Scriptures. He taught them doctrines. He gave them theology.

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The Answer!

• Luk 24:44-47 ESV Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." (45) Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, (46) and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

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Teaching Connections

Jesus

Apostles

Disciples

Stephen

Paul

Gentiles

UsScriptures

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Preaching – Signs & Wonders

• Mar 16:20 ESV And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

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Paul’s Advise

• 1Ti 4:6 ESV If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.

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Conclusion

• The Spirit without the Word, we will puff up.

• The Word without the Spirit, we will dry up.

• With the Spirit and the Word, we will grow up.