Sermon Central
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Book Of Acts
Contributed by Chris Appleby on Feb 3, 2004 (message contributor)
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1. Waiting For Power
Contributed on Feb 3, 2004
As we wait for Jesus to return, let’s keep our eyes focussed on the ministry Jesus has given us, the ministry of sharing the gospel with others, of building his kingdom. Let’s continue to pray for the coming of his kingdom, to strategise about how to see
Today we begin a new series of sermons, looking at the first years of the Christian Church as they’re recorded for us in the book of Acts. We won’t cover the whole book this year, it’s far too long for that, but we will begin this year by looking at the first 11 chapters over the next few months. ...read more
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2. Receiving Power
Contributed on Feb 21, 2004
The Holy Spirit shows himself in power. He purifies them to enable them to speak. He enables them to speak in a way that their hearers will understand. He enables God’s people to understand and interpret the Scriptures. He empowers them to speak the words
We worked out last week that the Acts of the Apostles is really the Continuing Acts of Jesus. Well, if Jesus has risen, has returned to his Father in heaven, how can he continue his work on earth? He needs to be present in and with his apostles doesn’t he? And that’s why he instructs them to wait ...read more
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3. Compulsive Preaching
Contributed on Feb 22, 2004
The Holy Spirit has been poured out. The disciples proclaim God’s word with clarity and boldness. Their proclamation is centred on Jesus Christ as the only way to God. They face opposition, but they’re enabled to stand up against that opposition as the Ho
One of the things I’ve noticed since our last holidays is how often someone will say to us, "What were the highlights of your trip." You do lots of things on a four week holiday but only some of them are highlights. That’s one of the things you realise as you get your photos back from processing. ...read more
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4. If This Is From God ...
Contributed on Mar 14, 2004
How do you respond to the work of God in Christians lives and how will you respond when you face opposition?
It seems to me there are 2 different questions that arise for us in this passage today. The first is this: "How will you respond to the work of God in the lives of his followers? Will you respond with faith, with allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord or will you reject his claims over you as ...read more
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5. Generosity & Holding Back
Contributed on Mar 14, 2004
These verses are an encouragement to see how a Church can behave together when its members are committed to one another as fellow members of the body of Christ and to be generous with our possessions. But they’re also a warning not to hold back what we’ve
We’ve seen a fascinating thing in Australian politics in the past few weeks. John Howard has gone from being the man of steel to being more like a quick change artist. Suddenly he’s on the back foot trying to maintain his popularity against the threat of Mark Latham. And what was the issue that ...read more
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6. Using Gifts Wisely
Contributed on Aug 25, 2004
Ultimately we’re called to service because we’re seeking to follow the steps of our saviour Jesus Christ. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many
Have you ever had one of those really annoying waiters or waitresses that are always there hovering around the table? They’re the ones who come and take your plate almost the second your last mouthful goes in & the cutlery goes down. This can be really annoying because it denies you the chance to ...read more
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7. Stephen - What A Waste?
Contributed on Aug 25, 2004
Although Stephen’s life seems to be wasted from an earthly perspective at least, his martyrdom has long term ramifications for the growth of the church. From this point on the gospel begins to spread.
You’ll gather from the title of this sermon that one question that arises from this passage is, why did God let all this happen? Why allow someone as gifted as Stephen to be wasted like that? I guess it’s the sort of question that we often ask when something like this happens. We asked it 15 years ...read more
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8. Please Explain
Contributed on Aug 25, 2004
The Ethiopian Eunuch didn’t understand the Bible until someone explained it to him. The whole Bible points to Jesus’ life death and resurrection.
In a few minutes we’ll say the creed, as we do most weeks, and we’ll repeat these words almost without thinking: "For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again - in accordance with the Scriptures." I wonder whether we ever stop ...read more
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9. The Light Of Life
Contributed on Aug 25, 2004
the light of the gospel impacted on Saul in a way that would lead in the end to the gospel being proclaimed all the way to Rome, to the centre of the Roman Empire, in fact in the Emperor’s palace itself.
It’s interesting to notice, as we read through these chapters of Acts, from 7 to 10, how there’s a theme of blindness and sight, so reminiscent of the words of Jesus at the end of John 9. [In fact let’s listen to them now.] First Stephen retells the story of the Jewish people and the members of ...read more
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10. Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone
Contributed on Aug 25, 2004
Peter discovers that God has more in mind than just the people of Israel as he’s taken outside his comfort zone to share the gospel with Cornelius
It’s a weird story isn’t it? Peter’s up on the roof of Simon the Tanner’s house in the middle of the day praying and he starts to feel hungry. So he asks the cook to prepare some lunch and while he’s waiting he falls into a trance. Perhaps the heat of the day has got to him. Perhaps he starts to ...read more
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11. The First Missionary Journey
Contributed on Jun 6, 2005
Paul’s first missionary journey is a model for our own missionary endeavours in the modern world. God continues to call us to preach the gospel for thesame reasons as he did Paul.
Why do Mission? One of the questions often asked by Christians over the last 30 or so years has been the question, "Why should we still be sending people out to preach the gospel to other nations and cultures?" Sometimes the question is asked in a slightly more negative way: e.g. "Do we have ...read more
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12. A Flame That Won't Be Quenched
Contributed on Jun 6, 2005
Despite the growing opposition to the gospel, Paul and Barnabas never stopped preachign the gospel, even at therisk of their lives. They also give a good example of mission strategy.
If you were here two weeks ago you’ll remember how, when Paul and Barnabas got to Pisidian Antioch they first went to the synagogue to speak about Jesus as the promised Messiah, but then when their message was rejected by the Jews they turned to the Gentiles. And the Gentiles gladly received this ...read more
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13. The Council At Jerusalem
Contributed on Oct 25, 2005
At the first Council of teh Church, held in Jerusalem it was affirmed that the preaching of the gospel brings freedom because the gospel is all about the grace of God, the freely given forgiveness won by Christ on the cross.
What are we on about as a Church? How do we decide what’s central to our life together? What is there that we must have if we’re to be a truly Christian Church? What are the guiding principles that govern our life together? They’re the sorts of questions that arise out of today’s passage from ...read more
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14. How God Uses Human Weaknes To Bring About His Purposes
Contributed on Oct 25, 2005
GOd used Paul and Barnabas’ disagreement over John Mark to expand the work of the gospel. In his sovereignty he can even use our weaknesses to further his ends.
By Camille Lang Have you noticed the world and people in it are just … well, out of control? A life lived seems messy … even off the rails at times…. However it seems to me that today people seem to be showing even less tolerance … more impatience and more anger and I seem to be coming ...read more
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15. Thessalonica And Berea
Contributed on Oct 25, 2005
Paul centres his message on the historic Jesus, arguing from Scripture that he’s the Messiah. He persuades people by careful argument, opening the Scriptures to allow people to discover the truth for themselves. And he works as a leader of a team, includi
It’s interesting that we think of Paul as someone who stands out on his own. He’s the great apostle to the Gentiles, a man who stands head and shoulders above the rest. Yet in reality he was a man who loved to work as part of a team. He started out with Barnabas, then joined up with Silas, then he ...read more
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16. The Gospel Is Preached At The Areopagus
Contributed on Oct 25, 2005
Paul takes the context of a pagan city and uses their apparent spiritual thirst to tell them about Jesus and his rescue from the judgement to come.
Here’s Paul, left alone in Athens, the cultural capital of the world. How do you think he’d be feeling? Overwhelmed? Excited? Fascinated? Imagine this is you, not in Athens, but in New York or Paris or Rome or Berlin? How would you be feeling? Like you couldn’t wait to get out and start exploring? ...read more
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17. Paul In Corinth
Contributed on Oct 25, 2005
we can be confident in sharing the gospel with our friends and neighbours because we know that God has already called out people to hear and respond when they hear the good news of salvation.
I want to finish this part of our series on Acts by reflecting on the way God continued to encourage and support Paul in his preaching of the gospel, despite the great opposition he faced. God’s empowering was such that many people came to believe in Jesus. Paul was able to keep going despite the ...read more