December 18, 2016
Luke concludes the book of Acts (Chapter 28) by emphasising that the gospel will go out unhindered.
December 11, 2016
Back in Acts 9, Ananias (not the high priest in 24:1) baulked at going to lay hands on Paul immediately after his Damascus Road conversion. Yet Ananias was told, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:15-16). This final unit in the book of Acts shows Paul proclaiming Christ to the Romans and their 'kings', beginning at Jerusalem and moving ultimately to Rome.
December 11, 2016
Back in Acts 9, Ananias (not the high priest in 24:1) baulked at going to lay hands on Paul immediately after his Damascus Road conversion. Yet Ananias was told, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:15-16). This final unit in the book of Acts shows Paul proclaiming Christ to the Romans and their 'kings', beginning at Jerusalem and moving ultimately to Rome.
December 4, 2016
Acts 21 pivots to the next section of Luke's account of the first 30 years of the Christian church. By now, we are used to Paul's miraculous escapes from opposition and persecution. A new kind of pathway now opens up for Paul, the missionary apostle.
November 27, 2016
Paul and his team are now journeying towards Jerusalem, carrying with them a very generous gift of aid for the Christians there. On their way by boat, they make a brief stop at Miletus where they meet with the elders of the churches at Ephesus and surrounding areas. In Acts 20 Luke recounts Paul's specific message of encouragement and direction for these elders.
(Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 20, 2016
Ephesus was a prosperous port city and a centre for trade and commerce. It was also a centre of pagan religion, supporting the famous Temple of Artemis. In the Ephesian world-view, spiritual power was exerted through priests, sorcerers and spells, sacrifices and evil spirits, subjecting many to endless rituals, curses and blessings. And so Paul's proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord of all completely disrupted the established order. As a result, some believed and were saved, others resisted and opposed the gospel at every opportunity. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 20, 2016
Ephesus was a prosperous port city and a centre for trade and commerce. It was also a centre of pagan religion, supporting the famous Temple of Artemis. In the Ephesian world-view, spiritual power was exerted through priests, sorcerers and spells, sacrifices and evil spirits, subjecting many to endless rituals, curses and blessings. And so Pauls proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord of all completely disrupted the established order. As a result, some believed and were saved, others resisted and opposed the gospel at every opportunity. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 13, 2016
Having escaped Philippi, Paul and his team travel to Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia, continuing their mission testifying to Jesus the crucified and resurrected Messiah. We now start to see some patterns emerging in the mission. Our observations of these patterns will inform and shape our own mission and our own expectations of life in the 21st century. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 13, 2016
Having escaped Philippi, Paul and his team travel to Thessalonica, the capital city of Macedonia, continuing their mission testifying to Jesus the crucified and resurrected Messiah. We now start to see some patterns emerging in the mission. Our observations of these patterns will inform and shape our own mission and our own expectations of life in the 21st century. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 6, 2016
In Acts 15 we see how the Christian church embraced the gentile believers, not requiring them to convert to Judaism first of all. It is now clear that the gospel is for everyone: Jew, Samaritan and Gentile. This is a significant development which launches the second half of the book of Acts. We now observe the life-changing proclamation of the gospel in the Roman world. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
November 6, 2016
In Acts 15 we see how the Christian church embraced the gentile believers, not requiring them to convert to Judaism first of all. It is now clear that the gospel is for everyone: Jew, Samaritan and Gentile. This is a significant development which launches the second half of the book of Acts. We now observe the life-changing proclamation of the gospel in the Roman world. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).
October 30, 2016
The book of Acts has so far followed the program established by Jesus' words in Acts 1:8. The apostles had become his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and since Acts 10, had begun a mission to the gentiles which would indeed stretch to the ends of the earth. But this rapid expansion and generous welcome of gentiles into the Christian faith was not without its problems. Soon a faction was demanding that gentiles must become circumcised Jews before they could become Christians. The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) was called to resolve this issue. Both the decision made, and the process followed, profoundly shaped the way in which Christianity changed the world over the following centuries. (Please note, bible study questions relating to the sermon can be accessed by clicking on the paperclip icon, found on the right).