Section 2: "They start to Do" [3]
- Show video clip [3:1-4:31]
- 3:1-10 Miracles and evangelism—what is the relationship?
- 3:11-26 Second recorded message of Peter
- almost the same as the first, but uses the testimony of healing, rather than speaking in tongues
- the offer of forgiveness and blessing (v.19,20) is amazing given what they did to the Son of God
- 4:7 Direct fulfillment of Jesus’ promise in Luke 12:11-12
- notice the response (v.13)
- were they right that the explanation was that they had been with Jesus?
- This gift was evident in Jesus’ life when he was under pressure
- Has it ever happened to you?
- Should we prepare for preaching, or let the Holy Spirit lead us?
- My experience of preaching in the last few years
- example of witness to Muslim student
- 4:25,26 Psalm 2 —total sovereignty of God
- v.28 God has already decided the limits to their power
- Amazing prayer
- for boldness
- signs and wonders
- 4:31 “Re-Filling”
- Are we filled once and for all?
- Ed Piorek: stand every day with Jesus in the Jordan
- 4:32 Should we have all things in common, and no private possessions?
- 5:1-11 Ananias & Sapphira
- 5:19 Why does he sometimes rescue them and sometimes not?
- 5:19 Basically the same outline message for the fourth time
- 5:41 Wow!
- 6:1-6 Were they deacons?
- Word diakonos is used in 6:2
- But this means little, since it is such a common word
- Luke makes no suggestion that they are deacons
- Looks more like an example of the church being flexible and adapting to a need
- note how they are chosen:
- involvement of congregation (but not in other examples in Acts)
- they had relationship with the men and knew them well
- laying on of hands (why?)
- 6:4 What exactly were the leaders devoting themselves to?
Response time
- Do you really want more of God’s presence?
- Let’s pray the prayer of 4:29,30 and ask for:
- boldness
- to be filled with the Spirit
- supernatural wisdom and words when speaking the gospel to people
- God to use signs and wonders to bring people to Christ
