Acts 1-2
(outline - Wed. Jan. 6)
Tonight I want to cover three areas:
First, I want to share some general introductory material that may help us put Acts in the proper historical context.
Second, I want to give you a brief outline on the first two chapters of Acts.
Third, I want to share a brief devotional challenge from Acts 1:14 that propels us forward toward the kind of commitment required for us to be an effective church.
Part I General introductory remarks:
1. Acts provides a great kickoff to our theme of new connections in 2010.
2. John Stott says Acts gives us a glimpse into the honeymoon period of the early church.
3. Luke 1:1-4 introduces us to Luke who is historian, diplomat, and theologian/evangelist.
4. Most believe the book was written between 60-70 AD. Others more specifically make a case for 63-64 AD.
5. The book of Acts seems to be organized around Acts 1:6-8 commission: Acts 1-8:5, centers around Jerusalem, 8:5 – 13:1 chronicles work in Judea and Samaria, and 13:1-28:31 involves the uttermost part of the earth.
6. Acts is a history book that contains 14 major sermons.
7. Acts 13 and following details 4 missionary journeys of Paul and teammates.
8. Acts includes accounts of spiritual intervention, unlikely conversions, ethical dilemmas, emerging leadership models, missional paradigms, personal transformation, intense persecution, and unexpected deliverance.
9. There are 4 major theological strands in Acts, each proposing a doctrinal framework and each debunking or subverting historical and contemporary myths.
a. soteriology- the doctrine of salvation in Acts is one of diverse encounters but a common experience.
b. pneumatology- the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in which a variety of phenomenon are experienced with common spirit but not common phenomena.
c. ecclesiology- the doctrine of the church as a movement, a network of believers who always stands at risk of legalism and institutionalism.
d. missiology – the doctrine of missional ministry which looks after the enrichment and expansion of the kingdom, a type of serving in Jesus’ name where nothing is expected in return.
Part 2 Outline
Acts 1-2:
1. Acts 1:1-11 Ascension and Commission
2. Acts
3. Acts 2:1-13 Notably grand entrance of the Holy Spirit
4. Acts 2: 14-41 Peter’s Passionate Gospel Sermon
5. Acts 2: 42-47 The New Testament church is born.
Part 3 Devotional: In This for Good
Acts
I Corinthians 15:1 TM “Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time— this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy,that you're in this for good and holding fast.)
Keywords:
1. seriousness: Affirming they were in this for good, indicated the seriousness of their commitment.
2. sacrifice- Acknowledging they were in this for good implies that the believers were beginning to understand the sacrifices that would be required as they would “take up their cross” to follow the way of Jesus.
3. service- Assuring they were in this for good, prepared them to serve with consistency and accountability.
To make us more effective, God is leading us away from wavering commitments, and calling us to live in a way that others know we are “in this for good.”
