EVER NOTICED THE BOOK OF ACTS DOES NOT HAVE AN ENDING?
“Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him”
(last verse in Acts)
Ever noticed this inspired book is not called ‘nice ideas’ or ‘prayers of the Apostles’ not even the book of ‘nice loving conversations.’
This book of ACTS is filled with preaching, persecution, healing, demons, cities in an uproar and saints in prison..….and those acts should still be going on today.
Ever noticed the Holy Ghost did not inspire Luke to write the book of ‘act’ but “Acts” as in many works?
Maybe it should have been named the ‘book of grace’ because acts are clearly works and we are saved by grace not works. Besides the modern Church hates that ‘W’ word.
“And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him”
Ever noticed within this book we find examples on how to preach:
“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words”
(Did you read ‘lifting up his voice’ and that was on the day of Pentecost as they were all filled with the Holy Ghost)
“Crying out, Men of Israel”
Where the words ‘repent’ is used often:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out”
“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness”
“but now commandeth all men every where to repent”
“preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven”
“they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance”
We find examples of what happened when people heard this type of preaching and just what was their reaction:
“they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them”
“And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes”
“And set up false witnesses”
“This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place,and the law”
“cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him”
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth”
“breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord”
“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him”
“when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming”
“the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts”
“unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren”
“certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead”
“the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people”
“For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears”
“And the same time there arose no small stir about that way”
“when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out”
“they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.
“And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar”
“Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live”
We do not find one place where they preached ‘Jesus loves you” or quote John 3:16 anywhere within those 28 chapters.
We do not find a scheduled baptism as we have today inside a building with dry clean towels:
“And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said,
See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
We do find ‘name calling’ when they preached in Acts:
“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye”
“I wot that through ignorance ye did it”
“Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you”
“O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”
“ye despisers, and wonder, and perish”
“God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law”
We do find these men being persecuted for their faith:
“when they had called the apostles, and beaten them”
“they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name”
“there was a great persecution against the church”
“they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen
travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch”
“Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
“assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people”
We do find these men jailed for preaching outdoors:
“were filled with indignation, And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison”
“Peter therefore was kept in prison”
“made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison”
“and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks”
We do find these men preaching against the religious people of their day:
”And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees”
“Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law”
“all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat”
“And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue”
“he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months”
We don’t find one ‘sinners prayer’ used but when asked what to do to be saved Peter and Paul gives an answer:
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house”
They called sin out when they preached:
“whom ye crucified”
“why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost”
“Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted?”
“Thy money perish with thee”
“Repent therefore of this thy wickedness”
“I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity”
“I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious”
These men did not preach scripture as our Lord preached more with parables than scripture and of course this type of preaching will only manifest the legalist.
Paul preaching on Mars’ hill:
“I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”
We find ‘acts’ were those men were not moved by love for the sinner:
“But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit”
“Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry”
“Paul was pressed in the spirit”
“And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean”
These men debated and argued:
“Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him”
“Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them”
“there had been much disputing”
“and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures”
“Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily”
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks”
“but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews”
“For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ”
“disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God”
“disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus”
“this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people”
“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”
They had mockers oppose them:
“Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine”
“And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked”
“And some said, What will this babbler say?”
“some mocked”
They even caused confusion when they preached in public:
“the multitude came together, and were confounded”
“But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles”
“saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city”
“These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also”
“the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar”
“And the whole city was filled with confusion”
“Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together”
“And after the uproar was ceased”
“And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul”
“there arose a great dissension”
“the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves”
We find ‘fear’ in the book of Acts?
“And fear came upon every soul”
“And great fear came upon all the church”
“were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord”
“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him”
“Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that
fear God, give audience”
Exhorting their listeners to live holy:
“having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities”
These men were not educated:
“perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they
took knowledge of them”
The Holy Ghost gave them boldness to do these acts:
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness”
“And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus”
They had issues with the law of the land:
“And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus”
“Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?”
“they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go”
“Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also”
“he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him”
“They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily?”
“And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans”
“they troubled the people and the rulers of the city”
“and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there
is another king, one Jesus”
“Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul”
They disobeyed the law of the land to advance the Gospel:
“We ought to obey God rather than men”
“there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter”
We find verses and chapters of these men of God were before courts from their preaching.
We find these saints sitting in jail rejoicing for being jailed for the faith. They were chained and beaten for the sake of the Gospel. Unlike today where we find ministers jailed for stealing money from their Church or for having sexual relations with someone from their Church.
ALL those verses were taken from the book of Acts and those ACTS should continue today.
