Step By Step Through the New Testament
(Part II)
Lessons 2 & 3:
Acts: Pentecost, Early Church Life,
Witnessing for Jesus
Rev. Christopher J. Respass
Antioch Bible Institute
Spring 2014
Acts: Pentecost & Early Church
Life
I.The Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13)
A. Feasts—Passover & Pentecost
1. Passover
2. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks): 50 days
after Passover
B. Significance
1. Passover = Jesus is the sacrifice
2. Pentecost= Holy Spirit indwells
Acts: Pentecost & Early Church
Life
C. Sounds & Sights of Pentecost
1. Sound: Wind (pneuma)
--the Spirit (pneuma) of God
2. Sights: Fire
--“Divine presence”
--Exodus 3:2-5
Acts: Pentecost & Early Church
Life
D. Filling of the Spirit
1. Each believer was “filled” receiving
as much of the Spirit as they could hold.
2. The Holy Spirit filled them with
power.
3. The believers spoke in tongues
(languages) unknown to them, but
known and understandable by others.
Acts: Pentecost & Early Church
Life
E. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
“The event of Pentecost brought the Spirit’s
presence into the life of all Christians. The
Holy Spirit now teaches, leads, and produces
Christian character in all believers.”
(Lea & Hudson, 114).
Acts: Pentecost & Early Church
Life
II.Peter’s Sermon (Acts 2:12-40)
A. Rebuts the charge of Drunkenness (v.14-15)
B. Explained the significance of the Sounds, Sight
and Speaking in Tongues (v.16-21)(see, Joel 2:2832).
C. Presented Jesus’ life, death and resurrection as
the apex of God’s divine plan for the salvation and
redemption of mankind (v.22-36)
Acts: Pentecost
D. Made and appeal to the people for
repentance, faith and baptism (v.37-39).
“[Peter’s] appeal in Acts 2:38 promised the
gift of the Holy Spirit to those who expressed
repentance and faith as symbolized by
baptism.”
(Lea & Hudson)
Acts: Pentecost
“Peter did not link the gift of the Holy Spirit
merely with the act of baptism, but with
baptism as a visible sign of repentance and
faith. Christians receive the Holy Spirit by
repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, and
baptism is the outward sign of this
conversion.”
(Lea & Hudson, 114-15)
Acts: Early Church Life
III.Characteristics of a Spiritual Church (2:42-47)
A. Doctrine—learning about Jesus and the Word
B. Fellowship—commemorating the death of Jesus
and hoping in his return.
C. Prayer—praise and fervent intercession.
Evangelism, Discipleship, Ministry, Fellowship,
Worship
Acts: Early Church Life
IV.The Church at Prayer (Acts 4:23-31)
Q: How do the prayers of this church compare
to the prayers of contemporary churches you
have attended?
Similarities?
Differences?
Acts: Early Church Life
IV.The Problem of Sin in the Church (Acts 5)
A. When Satan attacks the church he:
1. brings persecution from without
2. deception and division from within
B. Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)
1. God takes hypocrisy seriously
2. They lied to God
3. Endured a drastic punishment--Death
Acts: Early Church Life
V.Caring for Needs of Others (Acts 6:1-7)
A. The Problem—Grecian widows were being
overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
B. The Solution—Deacons.
The apostles refused to leave the preaching of the
gospel in order to make ministry to widows a fulltime task. So, they appointed seven men full of the
Holy Spirit and wisdom as deacons.
Acts: Early Church Life
C. The Result—God’s word increased
Because the Apostles were now able to focus
on preaching the word and prayer, God’s
word increased and the number of believers
grew rapidly.
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
VI. Witnessing By Martyrdom (Acts 6:8-7:60)
A. Stephen: The First Martyr of the Early
Church.
1. Steven is seized (Acts 8:8-15)
2. Steven preaches (Acts 7:1-53)
3. Steven is stoned (Acts 7:54-60)
B. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of
the church"--Tertullian, early church father
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
C. There may come a time when you will be
an actual martyr or a symbolic "martyr." (Rev.
6:9-11).
Are you Ready to be a Witness for Jesus?
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
VII. Witnessing and Worldliness (Acts 8:5-24)
A. Simon the Magician: Talk v. Walk
1. Came from a pagan faith system--used
magic (v.9-10)
2. Believed and became a companion of
Phillip and, eventually, Peter and John.
3. Did not fully understand and offered to
pay for the power to impart the Holy Spirit
(v.18-19)
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
B. Peter rebuked Simon (v.20-23)
1. Did not understand spiritual matters (v.20)
2. Could not share in the spiritual ministry
(v21).
3. Had a heart not right before God (v.21)
4. Had committed wickedness (v.22)
5. Was full of bitterness (v.22)
6. Was captive to sin (v.23)
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
C. What do we learn from this?
1. Discipleship is important.
2. Those from other faith systems may
require more time to learn and "unlearn"
some behaviors.
3. A person's talk and walk must match.
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
VIII. Witnessing One-on-one (Acts 8:26-40)
A. Ethiopian Eunuch: "religion" is not "salvation"
1. Phillip leaves a powerful Samaritan
ministry to travel down to a desert road (v. 48, 26).
2. A powerful, Ethiopian leader in the court of
Queen Candace was returning from worship
in Jerusalem and was reading the OT.
Acts: Witnessing For Jesus
B. What do we learn from this?
1. Jesus Christ died for people--all
people.
2. Sharing the gospel requires sacrifice.
3. Sharing the gospel takes time and
patience
4. People are searching for answers, often
without the guidance they need.
5. Saints must be prepared to meet people
where they are spiritually.
6. Being "religious" is not the same as being
"saved."
Questions