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- Preaching the Living WORD through
the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4;:2 - |
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THE PROLOGUE OF
ACTS Acts 1:1-3 (3/10/13) Grace Bible Church,
Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert THE OUTLINE OF ACTS THE SPIRIT-EMPOWERED
WITNESS OF THE APOSTLES I. THE APOSTLES’ WITNESS IN JERUSALEM (1:1-7:60) A. The Prologue
(1:1–8) B. The Promise of the Spirit (1:9-26) C. The Procreation of the Church (2:1-47) D. The Proliferation of the Church (3:1-6:7) E. The Persecution of the Church (6:8-7:60) II. THE APOSTLES’ WITNESS IN JUDEA AND SAMARIA
(8:1-12:25) A. The Gospel to the Samaritans (8:4-25) B. The Gospel to Gaza (8:26-40) C. The Gospel to Saul/Paul (9:1–31) D. The Gospel to Judea (9:32–43) E. The Gospel to the Gentiles (10:1–11:30) F. The Gospel Under Fire (12:1–25) III. THE APOSTLES’ WITNESS IN THE REMOTEST PART
OF THE EARTH (13:1-28:31) A. Paul’s First Missionary Journey
(13:1–14:28) B. The Jerusalem Council (15:1–35) C. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
(15:36–18:22) D. Paul’s Third Missionary Journey
(18:23–21:16) E. Paul’s Jerusalem and Caesarean Trials
(21:17–26:32) F. Paul’s Journey to Rome (27:1–28:31) I. LUKE’S PREFACE (1-2) A. Luke, the “beloved physician” as Paul
called him (Col 4:14), was the first known medical missionary. He was a
Gentile (Co 4:11-13) who was converted to Christianity, possibly by Paul previous to Ac 16:10. Luke records that
he began his partnership (”we”) with Paul in that same passage. Luke
was an educated man, deduced by his medical training as well his detailed
style of Greek writing. It is very evident of his fondness for medical terms
in his writings. B. He begins by mentioning his “first”
composition of the Gospel of Luke. He is writing to the same person by the
name of Theophilus as in his first composition. Since “Theophilus” means
“friend of God,” some have speculated that it was a cryptic name for a
Christian audience. However, it was also common for an author to include the
name of the patron sponsoring his writing. If that is the case, then
Theophilus was a Roman official (“most excellent,” Lk 1:3),
who was being discipled (katēcheō - instructed or taught, Lk 1:4
cf. Ac 18:25) by Luke and his writings. C. Luke’s Gospel covered “all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day
when He was taken up to heaven” (cf. Lk 24:51). However, before that,
He had “given orders” (entellomai - assign a task or commanded, Mt 17:9;
Mk 13:34) to his “chosen” (eklegō - to select, cf. Ac 10:41)
disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49-53 cf. Ac 1:4)
and to be His witnesses (Lk 24:45-48 cf. Ac 1:8). D. Acts mentions the last details in the
Gospel of Luke and then begins to record the events following the Gospel. II. THE APOSTLES’ REVELATION (3) A. The Lord did not want His apostles accused
of preaching
a myth or legend, so He “presented” (paristēmi - place alongside,
stand beside, show) Himself “alive” (resurrection) after “his suffering”
(crucifixion). B. In fact, the resurrected Lord gave His
apostles many “convincing proofs” (tekmērion - evidence that removes
doubt). 1. He showed them His hands and feet (Lk
24:39-40; 1Jn 1:1) 2. He did the same exclusively for Thomas
(Jn 20:26-27) 3. He ate (Lk 24:41-43 cf. Jn 21:13) 4. He related past and future events (Jn
21:15-23) 5. He taught them (Lk 24:27, 44-48; Ac 1:3). C. In addition, He “appeared to them over a period of forty days.” These “appearances” (optanomai from oraō - to
be seen) were in intervals and not a continuous dwelling with them. His
“appearances” possibly suggest that they were more in number than the five
recorded appearances with the group of disciples: 1. Disciples without Thomas (Jn
20:19-25) 2. Disciples with Thomas (Jn 20:26-31) 3. Disciples at Sea of Galilee (Jn 21:1-25) 4. Disciples on mountain at Galilee (Mt
28:16-20) 5. Disciples at Jerusalem (Lk 24:44-49; Ac
1:3-8) D. And the some five appearances to other
groups or individuals, including the “five hundred brethren” (1Co 15:6). 1. Mary
Magdalene (Jn 20:11-18) 2. The other women (Mt 28:9-10) 3. Two traveling to Emmaus (Lk 24:13-32) 4. Peter (Lk 24:33-35 cf. 1Co 15:5a) 5. James (1Co 15:7) E. At the same time, the risen Lord spoke to
them about the “kingdom of God.” This term primarily means the rule and reign
of God but it also has multiple aspects. 1. It is
associated with the power and authority of God (Mt 6:13; 12:28; Mk 9:1ff) 2. It is associated with eternal life (Mt
19:24; 21:31; Mk 9:47; 10:23-25; Jn 3:3, 5 ) 3. It is associated with redemptive program
of God (Mt 8:11-12; 21:43; Mk 4:11) 4. It is associated with preaching the
gospel (Mt 4:23; 9:35; Mk 10:15; Lk 4:43; 9:60). 5. It is associated with the dispensation of
grace (Mt 3:2; 4:17; Mk 1:15; Lk 16:16). 6. It is associated with the present and
future realm in heaven (Mk 14:25; Jn 18:36). 7. It is associated with Christ’s reign in
the Millennium (Lk 1:32; 17:20; 19:11; 21:20-31) 8. A large portion of references to the
kingdom in the Gospels refer to preaching the gospel (Ac 8:12; 19:8; 20:25;
28:23). Jesus would have taught concerning the apostle’s commission to preach
the gospel as His witnesses. But He also would have taught them concerning
other aspects of the kingdom such as: a) Entrance into the kingdom (1Co 6:9b-10; 15:50; Ga 5:21; 2Ti 4:18; 2Pe 1:11). b) Inheritance of the kingdom in Christ (1Co 6:9a; Ep 5:5; Col 1:13; 1Th 2:12; Jm 2:5) c) Tribulation associated with the kingdom
(Ac 14:22; 2Th 1:5; Re 1:9). d) Dispensations of the
kingdom (Ac 28:31; 1Co 15:24; 2Ti 4:1;
He 1:8; Re 12:10). III. OBSERVATIONS AND
APPLICATIONS A. Entering into the Kingdom B. Preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom C. Learning of the Kingdom D. Submitting to the Kingdom (rule and reign
of Christ in the believer’s life) |
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