Sermon Central
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Turning The World Upside Down
Contributed by Freddy Fritz on Jan 7, 2024 (message contributor)
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1. The Most Urgent Question Of Our Day
Contributed on Jan 7, 2024
Acts 1:1-5 teaches us that Jesus is the only hope for our world today.
Introduction What is the most urgent question of our day? I decided to ask my artificial intelligence (AI) application that question. Here is the answer I received: “Determining the most urgent question is subjective, but topics like climate change, healthcare, and social justice often top the ...read more
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2. The Commissioning Of The Apostles
Contributed on Jan 13, 2024
Acts 1:6-8 shows us that the mission that Jesus gave his apostles began with his commissioning of them.
Introduction Luke wrote two books. The first book is called The Gospel According to Luke. His second book is usually called The Acts of the Apostles. The two books together are part one and part two of the same story of Jesus. Luke said in Acts 1:1, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt ...read more
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3. The Ascension Of Jesus
Contributed on Jan 19, 2024
Acts 1:9-11 shows us that the mission that Jesus gave his apostles included his ascension into heaven.
Introduction Edward Lorenz worked as a meteorology professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from 1948 until his retirement in 1987. Lorenz was one of the early pioneers figuring out weather patterns using computers. He worked on computer programs that simulated weather ...read more
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4. Preparing For Growth
Contributed on Jan 26, 2024
Acts 1:12-26 shows us how the apostles prepared for the growth of the church.
Introduction Imagine for a moment that Jesus suddenly appeared in person at the next Session meeting. Stunned by his sudden appearance, one of the elders finally manages to blurt out, “Lord, why are you here? What’s going on?” Jesus replies, “As you know, I am building my church. And I am ...read more
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5. The Significance Of Pentecost
Contributed on Feb 1, 2024
Acts 2:13 shows us the significance of the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Introduction Luke wrote the book of Acts to tell Theophilus about how Jesus turned the world upside down. Jesus commissioned his apostles to take the good news of his resurrection to the entire world, beginning “in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts ...read more
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6. The Gospel For Today
Contributed on Feb 18, 2024
Acts 2:14-41 shows us that the gospel that Peter preached is still the gospel for today.
Introduction First sermons are either memorable or forgettable. My first sermon was forgettable. My pastor in Cape Town knew that I was headed to seminary to prepare for pastoral ministry. He also knew that there was a little church in beautiful Llandudno Bay that needed a preacher for an ...read more
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7. Characteristics Of A Spirit-Filled Church
Contributed on Feb 23, 2024
Acts 2:42-47 gives us the characteristics of a Spirit-filled church.
Introduction We live in deeply troubling times. We have two major wars—in Ukraine and Israel—going on at present that are significant for our country in different ways. Thousands of people are being killed. Billions of dollars are being spent. No end is in sight. Our country is facing a ...read more
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8. A Miraculous Healing
Contributed on Mar 1, 2024
Acts 3:1-10 shows us what Jesus did by a miraculous healing.
Introduction Jim Jones was the founder of the Peoples Temple, a religious movement that began as a progressive and racially integrated community in Indiana. Eventually, Jones and his church moved to San Francisco, CA. However, as Jones's influence grew, the group became increasingly ...read more
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9. Peter's Second Sermon
Contributed on Mar 8, 2024
Acts 3:11-26 shows us four notable features in Peter’s second sermon.
Introduction We continue our study in the Book of Acts in a sermon series called, “Turning the World Upside Down.” Jesus commissioned his apostles to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). After his ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and the other disciples ...read more
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10. The Persecution Of The Church
Contributed on Mar 15, 2024
Acts 4:1-22 shows us how the church handles persecution.
Introduction Open Doors is an organization that monitors the persecution of Christians around the world. According to their 2024 World Watch List, “more than 365 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith” (see ...read more
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11. The Church At Prayer
Contributed on Mar 22, 2024
Acts 4:23-31 gives us several reasons why prayer is relevant.
Introduction Have you ever prayed, and God clearly answered your prayer? In his book Say It With Love, Howard Hendricks has a delightful story about a little boy who saw God answer his simple prayer. Hendricks writes: We had a lovely couple in Dallas several years ago. He sold his business at a ...read more
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12. A Picture Of A Great Church
Contributed on Apr 12, 2024
The picture of a great church in Acts 4:32-37 shows us that the church was faithful in two key areas.
Introduction When you think of a great church, what comes to mind? We live in a day in which there is a lot of confusion over this question. Many churches are a reflection of our society which has become satiated with entertainment. Neil Postman, in his profound book titled, Amusing Ourselves ...read more
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13. The Trouble With Lying
Contributed on Apr 19, 2024
Acts 5:1-11 teaches us about the trouble with lying.
Introduction I asked ChatGPT the following question, “What is the trouble with lying?” Here is the partial answer I received, which is pretty good: The trouble with lying lies in its multiple negative consequences, both for the liar and those around them. Here are some key issues: (1) Erosion of ...read more
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14. Signs And Wonders
Contributed on Apr 26, 2024
Acts 5:12-16 shows us some keys to the accomplishment of the church’s mission.
Introduction John MacArthur wrote these words: A perennial problem the church of Jesus Christ faces is a lack of focus on its mission (John F. MacArthur Jr., Acts, vol. 1, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody Press, 1994], 159). He goes on to note that widespread confusion exists ...read more
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15. Responses To The Gospel
Contributed on May 3, 2024
Acts 5:17-42 shows us different responses to the gospel, responses that we still see today.
Introduction After Pentecost, the message of the resurrection of Jesus Christ spread rapidly in Jerusalem as Spirit-empowered believers shared the gospel with unbelievers. Miraculous signs and wonders accompanied the proclamation of the gospel, and no one could deny that God was at work in a ...read more
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16. Priorities For Ministry
Contributed on May 17, 2024
Acts 6:1-7 teaches us about Satan’s attack of distraction and the church’s priorities for ministry.
Introduction Christians are not immune from trials and difficulties just because they are Christians. Conversion to Christ does not cause our problems to evaporate and disappear. Part of the reason for our continuing trials is that we have an enemy, Satan, who constantly works to cause us to ...read more
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17. The Church's First-Century Martyr
Contributed on Sep 6, 2024
Acts 6:8-7:60 shows us three ways God makes death into the servant of his believers.
Introduction After the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and Satan’s counter-attack, the first-century church is ready to begin its worldwide mission of telling everyone about Jesus. So far, the church has been composed only of Jews and restricted to Jerusalem. However, the ...read more
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18. Persecution And Mission Of The Church
Contributed on Sep 20, 2024
Acts 8:1-8 shows us four encouraging ways God guides the church in accomplishing its mission of making disciples.
Introduction On Sunday, January 8, 1956, on the shore of a lonely river deep in the Ecuadorian jungle, five missionaries were murdered by primitive Auca Indians, known today as the Waorani. News of the massacre shocked the world. To some, their deaths seemed a senseless tragedy. Many decried ...read more
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19. A Faith That Does Not Save
Contributed on Sep 27, 2024
Acts 8:9-25 teaches us about a faith that does not save.
Introduction Years ago, I read a story about the famous outlaw Jesse James (1847-1882). He killed a man in a bank robbery and, shortly after that incident, professed faith in Jesus and was baptized at the Kearney Baptist Church in Kearney, Missouri (the church where his father had once served as ...read more
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20. A Faith That Does Save
Contributed on Oct 5, 2024
Acts 8:26-40 teaches us about a faith that does save.
Introduction John Newton was born in 1725 in England and lived a rebellious life. As a young man, he worked on ships, including slave ships, transporting enslaved people across the Atlantic. He was notorious for his wild behavior, harsh personality, and lack of faith. His life, dominated by ...read more
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21. Grace For The Worst Of Sinners
Contributed on Oct 11, 2024
Acts 9:1-19 shows us how God's grace changes sinners.
Introduction We are studying the Book of Acts. It is an astonishing account of the growth of the Church. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the Church was located in Jerusalem. Thousands of people converted to Jesus in the weeks and months following Jesus’ ascension. However, there was no ...read more
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22. Transformed By Jesus
Contributed on Oct 19, 2024
Acts 9:19b-31 teaches us what happens when Jesus transforms sinners.
Introduction Augustine of Hippo was born in Thagaste, a Roman province of North Africa, in 354 AD. He was raised by a Christian mother, Monica, and a pagan father, Patricius. Augustine’s early life marked by a deep search for meaning and truth, which led him to explore various philosophical and ...read more
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23. Jesus Still Turns Things Around
Contributed on Oct 25, 2024
Acts 9:31-43 shows us how Jesus still turns things around.
Introduction Edmund P. Clowney was the first president of Westminster Theological Seminary from 1966 until he retired in 1984. Many years ago, Dr. Clowney wrote: “Never before has the world been so desperately asking for answers to crucial questions, and never before has the world been so ...read more
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24. The Gospel Is For All People Groups
Contributed on Nov 7, 2024
Acts 10:1-11:18 shows us that the gospel is intended for all people groups.
Introduction According to the Joshua Project, there are 17,259 people groups in the world today (see https://www.joshuaproject.net). The Joshua Project defines a people group as follows: A significantly large group of individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity for one another ...read more
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25. The Grace Of God
Contributed on Nov 15, 2024
Acts 11:19-30 teaches us that God’s grace transforms lives and communities.
Introduction How many of you own an Apple iPhone? The first Apple iPhone was sold in 2007. That was a mere seventeen years ago. As of September 2024, there are an estimated 1.382 billion active iPhone users worldwide. In the third quarter of 2024, Apple’s iPhone had a worldwide market share of ...read more