01 Introduction To Acts Sermon by Ralph Andrus, Acts 1:1-3

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01 Introduction To Acts Series

Contributed by Ralph Andrus on Jan 10, 2012 (message contributor)

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Scripture: Acts 1:1-3

Denomination: Baptist

Summary: Giving a brief background on Acts: It's Title, Author, & Content

Introduction to Acts

- What do you know about your family’s sp. history?

- What is one way your family’s Sp. past has contributed to your Sp. present

+ Billy Graham going to a major crusade / a liberal in area didn’t want him to come / went to cmte. and said, we don’t want him here, he’s too old fashioned…he’ll set evangelism back 50 years in this city! / when Graham heard that, he said, I apologize for misrepresenting my intentions…I don’t want to send it back 50 years, but 2,000!

We need to get back to doing things the way they did in the early NT church…the one that turned the world upside down!

Acts 17:6 (AV)

6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Title

Acts of the Apostles

- Not the dreams, theories or speculations

- Pivotal book of the NT

Gospels Last Chapters

Mt. refers tp the Resurrection

Mk. refers to the Ascension

Lk refers to the Promise of the HS

Jn refers to the 2nd coming

All four facts found in Acts 1:1-11

All four gospels gives the great commission

Author Luke

Luke 1:1–4 (AV)

1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word;

3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

4 That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.

Acts 1:1–3 (AV)

1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:

- Lk is writing to Theophilus, a senior Roman official

- Symbolically the entire Gentile Church;

- He travelled with Paul through various countries

Note “WE”

Acts 16:10 (AV)

10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Acts 20:6 (AV)

6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.

Colossians 4:14 (AV)

14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you

- Supposed to have been hanged on an olive tree, by the idolatrous priests of Greece.

Content

Time Covered

- About 33 yr.

- Christ was on earth about 33 yr.

- Average length of a generation is about 33 yr.

- In one generation the gospel given almost to the entire inhabited earth

Key Verse

Acts 1:8 (AV)

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Key Word – Witness – used over 30x

1-7 Jerusalem

8-12 Judea & Samaria

3-28 Uttermost Parts

1-12 Peter

13-28 Paul

PETER

1st Sermon - 2

Lame man healed - 3

Influence of shadow - 5

Simon the sorcerer - 8

Laying on of hands - 8