Introduction to Acts of the Apostles

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.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

 

You can also follow this site by clicking "G+ Follow" or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.

Temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Temptations are thoughts, ideas and circumstances that test our trust in God.  Jesus’ temptations came from the devil himself (Matthew 4:1-10).  The devil used similar tactics with Adam and Eve (Genesis    3).  Satan’s tactics failed with Jesus, but not with Adam and Eve.  We can experience temptations from the devil, but we can also experience them from wrong emotions and desires (James 1:14).  The devil’s purpose of temptation is to spoil a person’s trust in God.  But God allows it to prove a Christian’s trust in Him is genuine.  He doesn’t send hardships upon us, but He permits them.  They are opportunities for us to see what is really inside of us – faith or doubt.  When refusing to give in to these temptations, a Christian becomes stronger in his relationship with God.

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13

Paul is talking about specific temptations of sexual immorality and grumbling in the preceding verses.  These are common to all of us.  But he says “no temptation”, which covers all temptation. 

We all know that temptations are very common to every believer.  No one is exempt from the temptations from evil.  We all suffer or will suffer from someone gossiping about us or from lies told about us.  We suffer from worrying about our teenager, when we’re in financial difficulty, or when there is illness of someone we love.  We all have had some kind of grief during our lifetime.  All our troubles are ordinary, because we all go through these types of things.  That’s life.

BUT, God is faithful.  Remember He is in control.  We belong to Him and He is always there to help us through.  We all have limits.  Some can bear the pressure of a trial better than others.  We all have a breaking point.  God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to handle.  He knows our weaknesses, our motives, and our fears.  He knows our level of spiritual maturity or immaturity at any particular moment in our lives.  He knows how much pressure we can take.  He stretches us in these difficult situations and causes us to grow in our faith.

However, we have responsibilities during these temptations.  We are to look for our escape route.  We are to avoid certain situations that would increase our temptation.  “Do not be misled:  bad company corrupts good character.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33.  We are to pray, “Lead us not into temptation” – Matthew 6:13.

Sometimes we get ourselves into temptations.  So be careful of the company you keep and the places you go.  Be discerning as to what is right and wrong.  See how Joseph avoided temptation in Genesis 39:6-23.  He did that by recognizing sin, taking responsibility and running from it.

If we find ourselves in a temptation, there is a way out and God will always provide the resources to help us get out of the temptation.  He will give us the answers we need.   God never tempts us, but He does test us.  Every temptation is a test.  God will constantly test us and the decisions we make.  He designs our spiritual growth in every temptation.  God controls our temptation and will personally provide a way of escape.

The way out is: walk by the Holy Spirit, live in the Word, flee from temptation, pray faithfully, watch your attitudes, live by faith, seek fellowship with other believers, have the right values and priorities, be responsible, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

There are many stories of God’s people who have fallen into sin, but finished well.  The story of Job is a perfect example how God allowed Satan to test Job way beyond the point we would consider reasonable.  But Job kept his faith and God provided him the means to succeed.  He may have doubted God at times, but he never gave up on God.

There is comfort and encouragement in knowing we are not alone and that others have faced similar or even wore temptations, but endured because of God’s strength and faithfulness.

Principles:

We all experience common temptations.

All temptations are under God’s control.

God always provides an escape from temptations.

Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

 

You can also follow this site by clicking "G+ Follow" or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.