The Book That Changed The World

Text: Acts

America is in trouble

Some say it’s an economic problem

Some say it’s a social problem

But basically it’s a Spiritual problem.

America needs to get back to the values, the principles, and morals that once governed her land.

The Book of Acts doesn’t include all the things the Apostles did.

The Book of Acts was written by Luke in or around 30 AD

Now lets open the Book.

Chapter 1

The key in this chapter is the Ascension of Jesus.

Jesus is about to go to the Father and the Apostles want to know when He was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel.

Jesus relied:

“..it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority.”

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Then Jesus was taken up into heaven by two men in white apparel

We don’t have to gaze up into heaven to see if Jesus is coming; we’ll know when Jesus comes back.

Chapter 2

Pentecost

They was all gathered together with one accord and one place

Suddenly there was a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind.

You talk about excitement; there’s nothing more exciting than working for the Lord.

Prophecy was being fulfilled

The Spirit came down, the Apostles stood up, and the first sermon was preached.

Verse 36 … “Peter said you killed Christ.”

Verse 37 … “They said what shall we do.”

Verse 38 … “Peter said: repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

3000 people were added to the Church that day.

They continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine of fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer.

Chapter 2 is a wonderful chapter; the organization of the Church

Talk about evangelism; there’s the real way to grow when it comes to evangelism.

Chapter 3

The Apostle Peter almost says the same thing in Chapter 3 as he says in Chapter 2 as he continues his preaching.

Chapter 4

Lets look at verse 12

Now this lays down the basic foundation for Apostolic Preaching

Verse 12

“..for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.”

We say no creed but Christ

No book but the Bible

Let’s speak the truth

Speak where the Scriptures say speak

Be silent where the Scriptures are silent.

(Repeat verse 12)

There’s no salvation in Islam, Personal Desires, TM, and Hinduism

There’s only salvation in Christ.

Chapter 5

We read that there was a problem in the Church, and this teaches me that if it doesn’t teach me anything

I better be honest about my stewardship and giving.

Ananias and Sapphira lied

One swore to the same lie

And one after the other, both of them were struck dead for their lying about their giving.

They were taken out and buried and great fear came upon the Church.

Chapter 6

There was a problem in the Church and there were some widows who felt they were being neglected

The Church was doing something to help the elderly

So the Apostles went and got 7 men who were full of the Spirit, and they were to take care of the situation

Now some of these men became powerful preachers.

Chapter 7

Remember Stephen; man what a preacher he was.

He was a man that could quote the Bible forward and backwards

He was very smart when it came to Jewish History.

He preached the truth and people became furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

They picked up stones and stoned him to death.

And before Stephen died, he was like the Lord and said:

“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

You want excitement, go to the Book of Acts

You want to see real evangelism, go to the Book of Acts.

Chapter 8

In this chapter we have 3 accounts of conversion

The Samaritan believed and was baptized.

Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized.

The Ethiopian Eunuch as he was reading from the 53rdChapter of Isaiah and didn’t know it.

He didn’t know he was reading about Jesus

Philip was sent there and began at the same Scriptures and preached unto him Jesus.

The Eunuch said; Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

He believed, made the confession, and was baptized for the remission of sin and went on his way rejoicing.

Chapter 9

Here we see Saul on the road to Damascus

And Christ appears to Saul in a bright light, and Christ tells Saul to go in to the city and how for 3 days Saul prayed and fasted and Ananias came and preached to him and he arose and was baptized and washed away his sins.

Chapter 10

Here we have Cornelius, a devout man, very generous, and a man of prayer

It’s not enough to be moral

You got to be washed in the blood of Christ

You can’t be saved by the 10 commandments, or the Sermon on the Mount.

We read that Cornelius repented, and was baptized into Christ, and arose to walk in a newness of life.

Chapter 11

We have the Apostle Peter going back to Jerusalem to the other Apostles and convincing them that God had allowed the Gentiles to be saved.

They rejoiced and gave glory to God, and God allowed the Gentiles to come in.

Chapter 12

We have a picture of sadness in the Church camp.

It was a time of persecution and bloodshed.

Herod had James killed the brother of John with a sword.

And because it pleased the Jews

Herod locked up Peter and it took a miracle to get Peter turned loosed.

Because God had more work for Peter to do.

All of this encouraged the other Apostles to go forward and to continue preaching the Gospel.

Chapter 13

This is where the great missionary journey began.

The Holy Spirit sent Barnabas and Paul out to preach the Gospel and to organize churches.

And they were successful for God where ever they went.

Paul preached the Gospel heaven high, hell deep, and shotgun barrel straight.

So wherever Paul went, he would either start a revival or a riot

Even though a lot of riots were started, he caused a revival every place he went.

Chapter 14

Paul comes along with a team to Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, and they get Paul and Barnabas all mixed up with Jupiter and Mercury.

Paul and Barnabas told them they were servants of the Lord

They gave glory to God and God blessed them and souls were saved.

Chapter 15

Here we have some division creeping into the Church

So the Apostles go back to Jerusalem

The Elders and the congregation came together and dwelt with a question

There were some of the Jews that were saying that the Christians have to keep the Law of Moses if they were going to be saved.

The conclusion was that the Christians don’t have to keep the Mosaic Laws, the Dietary Laws.

They told them not to hang these Laws around the Christians neck, because it’s been nailed to the cross.

That problem was settled and they went on their evangelistic journey.

Chapter 16

We have 2 accounts of conversion here on the Sabbath

Paul went outside the city and down by the river to pray and there was some women down there to.

Lydia was told how to be saved and was baptized.

On the way back to town, Paul cast the devil out of a girl who was making a lot of people money in fortune telling.

The people had Paul and Silas flogged and thrown into prison, and while Paul and Silas were in prison, they had a revival.

Then there was a earthquake, and the jailer asked Paul

“What must I do to be saved.”

Again we have an example of conversion in the Book of Acts.

Chapter 17

We have the need of a specially trained man for this job

And God always has the right man for the right job

This was no job for one of the fisherman

Nor was this a job for John

John could have been led by the Spirit and handled this job

Paul knew more about Philosophy than the Philosophers did.

He could out quote them

He was bi-lingual

He had the equivalent of 3 PHD Degrees.

He proved that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the true Philosophy and souls were saved.

Chapter 18

Look at verse 8

Here we have the plan of salvation nearly in one verse

Hearing, believed and were baptized.

Chapter 19

This is probably one of the most interesting chapters in the Book of Acts

The Apostle Paul went to Ephesus and he asked the people a question that maybe we should ask when we go into Churches today.

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed.”

“No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

If today somebody would say that they have never heard tell of the Holy Spirit

They would say

Did you pray the sinners prayer hard enough?

Did you stay on your knees long enough to get saved.

We’re you truly sincere.

If you look at verses 3,4,5, you will see that they had to be Scripturally baptized before they were saved and added to the Lord’s Church.

“And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.

Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him, which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Chapter 20

Lets look at verse 7

They came together in the Apostle Doctrine of fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer

Chapter 21

Paul comes to the home Philip the evangelist, and he has 4 virgin daughters that prophesied

“And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Chapter 22

Paul goes into the city and has a chance to re-tell his conversion

Paul was converted in Chapter 9

Retold of his conversion in Chapters 22, 26.

Chapter 23

Things are starting to get hard for Paul

His life is in danger

“And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.”

Remember Paul either had a revival or riot where ever he went

It took a half a army to get Paul out of there.

Chapter 24

Paul is standing before Felix and preached the Gospel.

Chapter 25

Paul stands before Fetus and preaches the Gospel.

Chapter 26

Paul stands before Agrippa and preaches the Gospel

Paul was preaching the Gospel to every high official he had a chance to preach too.

Chapter 27

Paul was sailing to Rome when he encountered a “northeaster”

A hurricane.

After being trapped in this hurricane for 14 days, Paul and the crew had to abandon the ship

And all 276 souls were saved.

Chapter 28

To my knowledge

We have the only example of snake handling in the New Testament.

They say that if you have enough faith to handle a snake, it won’t bite you.

A reporter went down to eastern KY. To talk to a man that collected rattlesnakes for a hobby.

The reporter walked by a barrel and heard the sound of the rattles

The man told the reporter to come up to the porch and sit down

I’d like to tell you a story, a true story.

He said

Did you know that one of those snake-handling preachers came up here the other day, and offered to buy 2 or 3 of my rattlesnakes.

I told him there was a barrel 1/3 full of them down there, just go down there pick out 2 or 3 or what ever you want.

The preacher replied: “Now wait a minute, I can’t do that”

“I’ve got to have the Spirit come over me before I can pick up those snakes.”

The man said: “just go down there and stand by the barrel until the Spirit comes over you and then reach in there and get what ever you want.”

The Spirit never hit him that day.

God never intended for you to handle rattlesnakes or stick your head in a barrel of snakes either.

Paul got on another ship and headed up the coast of Italy and was put to shore.

Some of the Christians from Rome met Paul, took up carriage and went together to Rome rejoicing.

Paul was in his own house for a period of 2 years.

Traditions say he was released and went to Spain where he wanted to go all those years.

Paul was executed for the cause of Christ.

The Book is still in the Bible

The power is still in the Holy Spirit

And salvation is still in the Blood

For those that will obey.