Now that summer is over, it’s time for Bible Study Fellowship to begin. I am looking forward to seeing what God has for us as we begin the study of the Acts of the Apostles. For me this will be the second time for this study. The first was in 2011 for which I also have posts. Each time I study I find God has something new for me to learn as I know you will, too. I hope you continue following my weekly posts. Keep in mind that I’m not a Bible scholar, but a Bible follower sharing with you what God has taught me through His Word.
Acts
was written by Luke who also wrote the book of Luke. Luke was a medical doctor and the only New
Testament writer who was identified as a non-Jew. Luke was a Greek who had a close fellowship
with the Jews. He wrote both books
addressing the same person, Theophilus.
He wrote these books so Theophilus would know for certain about
Jesus. Luke wanted to give him a firm
foundation based on the eyewitness testimony given by men who weren’t gaining
anything personal. He shows us how the
Gospel was not only for the Jews but included the Gentiles. (A Gentile is anyone who is not a Jew.)
In the
book of Acts we are taught about the start of the church and how the church
spread from Jerusalem to Rome. We see
how the Jews rejected the Jesus and His Gospel.
We see how God sent the apostles to the Gentiles who accepted the
Gospel. We learn a lot about Peter and
Paul. Peter was central in starting the
church and Paul was a very important missionary. We see how these two men worked together
with many others to do the Lord’s work. We
also see how the early church was treated because of the Gospel.
The
book shows that God is not respecter of persons. He cares about individuals from every walk of
life and background. The main theme of
the book is that the Gospel in not just for Jews, but for all people. It is to God’s glory to save all men and
women. God does not discriminate.
The
message in Acts is centered on the resurrection of Jesus, which authenticates
Jesus is alive and is the Christ. The
apostles were given miraculous power which authenticated them as God’s witness
to Jesus and His resurrection.
Prayer
is prominent in Acts. Luke records
specific prayers in Acts 1:24-25;
4:24-26; 7:59-60. The book shows
that praise is normal and part of the true Christian life. We see people filled with the Holy Spirit.
The
purpose of Acts
To
emphasize the power of Holy Spirit and His work to forgive all who believe
To show
God’s sovereignty
To show
the importance of prayer and teaching God’s Word
To show
the mission to all people and how to evangelize
To show
the life and organization of the church
Acts is
considered one of the most important books of the Bible. Acts 1:8 is the heart of
the study and the Holy Spirit is the main Character.
“But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and
in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8
Who is the
Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is the Third Member of the
Holy Trinity. He is the aspect of God
that lives and empowers and inspires man. The Holy Spirit has a work among those who are
not yet believers, but also a great and significant work in those who believe.
Principle: The growth of the Church rests on the living
resurrected Christ.
Two
great truths in this study:
Christianity
is a faith rooted in history and is God’s revelation of Himself in the person
of Jesus Christ.
God is
at work in history through His church and Jesus is the historical foundation of
our faith. Jesus began the work and His
church continues it.
Are you
committed to God’s work through His church?
Are you
a servant of Jesus Christ and fully committed and obedient to His cause?
Join me
here next week as we begin our study of the book of Acts. -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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