Acts by Ben Foust (2018)

The book of Acts is about proclaiming the message of salvation, establishment and mission of the church and the power of the Holy Spirit. It was written by Luke as a historical account of what happens after Jesus' resurrection.

Following the ascension of Christ, the Apostles wait expectantly in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus promised would come. Through their example, we can learn practical lessons for those times when we also must wait on God. By waiting well, we can experience God's best for us as we learn to patiently trust Him and take part in his plan of salvation.

The promised Holy Spirit arrives in style. Peter delivers the first major speech in Acts, laying out a scriptural argument for Jesus as the Christ, and an invitation to repent and receive the Holy Spirit and three thousand people respond in faith! The Holy Spirit empowers our speech when we open our mouths in the name of Christ.

Luke describes the first Christian church in Jerusalem following Pentecost. From this description, we can glean principles for healthy fellowship, living a fulfilling life in community as God designed.

As the early church continues, they begin to face challenges from local authorities. In spite of setbacks, the early church leaders act courageously and speak boldly for Christ, confident in His power as they go forth in His name. In the same way, Christians today can have the confidence to boldly proclaim the gospel, knowing that the power of God is at work through us.

In the story of Ananias and Sapphira, we see God protect the church from another serious threat: hypocrisy.\r\nHow do we answer the difficult questions raised by this passage? And how does Christ free us from the pull of hypocrisy?\r\n

The early church in Jerusalem continues to face challenges, this time persecution from religious authorities, including flogging and imprisonment. Yet, as the apostles persevere, the church continues to grow as God provides for them. So we too should have a mind to persevere as we face suffering in our ministry for Christ, or else risk accomplishing little.

The church faces another obstacle: factious disunity. Why is division such a big threat to the church, and what can we do to diligently preserve our unity?\r\n

Just before his stoning by the religious leaders, Stephen answers their charges in an eloquent speech, showing through the scriptures two themes from Israel's history that continue to the present day: that holy ground is wherever God is, and that God's representative is often rejected by His people. We are challenged to examine our own heart before God and not be hardened.

Jesus' followers encounter persecution that results in them being scattered. While all appears hopeless, God actually uses their circumstance to advance the gospel into Samaria, just as Jesus predicted. This passage also covers Philip's encounter with a eunuch, where Philip powerfully shares the gospel, dependent upon the Holy Spirit.

The gospel takes another leap outward, this time to gentiles, as God miraculously orchestrates a meeting between Peter and a Roman centurion named Cornelius. Through this story, we see that God cares about those who are far off and that he wants to use his followers as his messengers, sometimes requiring us to step out of our comfort zone.

The early church once again faces opposition, this time from King Herod, who arrests Peter. In response to prayer, God miraculously releases Peter from prison and puts an end to Herod's reign. We are challenged to pray similarly, in order to take part in the work God continues in the world today.

The early church continues to spread, from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and now to gentiles in Antioch. Sent by the Holy Spirit, Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey, beginning the spread of the gospel to the "remotest parts of the earth." From their story, Christians today can draw principles for doing God's work.

Paul presents the gospel in Pisidian Antioch, where many people respond favorably, while others do not. Using the Old Testament, he gives evidence that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah, and that God always intended to bring salvation, not just to the Jewish people, but to the whole world.

Paul and Barnabas travel to Lystra, where they preach the gospel to gentiles with a Greco-Roman worldview. Paul contextualizes the message, arguing from creation for the existence of a single, personal, all-powerful God. These same arguments hold today and can help us understand the message of the Bible, in a culture saturated with naturalism and postmodernism.

Paul completes his first missionary journey and begins his second, facing many obstacles and tribulations along the way. From his example, we can draw helpful principles for our ministry, which will inevitably involve both high and low points.

Paul travels to three more cities, sharing the message of Jesus with Gentiles. While some accept his message, he is run out of the first two cities by his opponents. He then makes his way to Athens, where he sets an example for us of sharing the Gospel in a way that finds common ground and is respectful, yet is not afraid to critique their worldview and point them to a superior alternative in Christ.

Paul travels to the city of Corinth, known for its wealth, hedonism, education, and spiritual relativism--not unlike our culture today. God reveals to Paul that He has many people in that city, and many come to faith in Christ. Like Paul, we should be ready to share the Gospel with those to whom God leads us, no matter how unlikely their response may seem.

Paul heads to Jerusalem, knowing that the end of his life is near. On the way, he says goodbye to the churches he has founded and shepherded for years. As Paul passes the torch to the new church leaders, he gives invaluable principles for Christian leadership, principles that are just as relevant today as they were then.

After a long ministry, Paul's life ends in imprisonment, just as God had revealed it would. Nevertheless, he faithfully shares his story of how Jesus transformed his life and gives the gospel to anyone who will listen. Paul is an example of a life lived faithfully to the end and of God working in even the hardest of circumstances for the good.