Open Doors for the Word
We must see ourselves as Christ’s ambassadors always prepared and looking for opportunities to talk about God’s word and his plan of salvation.
Series: Acts
Verse by Verse
August 25, 2019
• Acts 1-28
Verse by verse exposition of the book of Acts
Imperfect Previews
Acts 13:17-23
Useful ambassadors of Christ need to see earthly blessings as imperfect previews of the forthcoming realities to be graciously granted in God’s eternal kingdom.
Ultimate Realities
Acts 13:24-31
Fruitful ambassadors of Christ are enthralled with their Savior who fulfilled the Scriptures and sacrificed himself to purchase our eternal redemption.
Prepared for Eternity
Acts 13:32-39
We are motivated to boldly proclaim the gospel when we understand the horrendous problem of sin and death, prizing the gracious forgiveness God made possible through the risen Christ.
Undeterred
Acts 13:40-45
God’s effective ambassadors must resolve to definitively call people to respond to Christ and be faithful to respond to their responses.
Whatever Comes Next
Acts 13:46-52
To be useful ambassadors of Christ we cannot be impeded by closed doors, instead we must trust our sovereign God and embrace the opportunities before us whatever they might be.
Midcourse Adjustments
Acts 14:1-7
As God’s called agents in this world we must remain focused on our particular assignments, never fazed by the providential redirections as to how and where he utilizes us.
Leveraging the Detours
Acts 14:8-18
We can expect non-Christians to often misunderstand the gospel message, but that should only motivate us to passionately and strategically clarify the truth.
Tenacious Endurance
Acts 14:19-23
A faithful and fruitful Christian life requires a tenacious endurance, which God supplies those who are resolute in trusting him and serving him.
Aiming for "Well Done"
Acts 14:24-28
Lifelong faithfulness and effectiveness as Christ’s ambassador is aided by both the unsettling thoughts of our coming evaluation as well as the joyful prospects of our eternal home.
A Debate Worth Having
Acts 15:1-5
There are some debates worth having, especially those about the gospel and the central truths of Christianity.
Grace & Works
Acts 15:6-21
The gospel guarantees immediate, full, and unearned forgiveness based on God’s grace alone through faith alone, instructing us to commence with a life of doing good.
Unified by the Truth
Acts 15:22-29
We must be wholeheartedly submissive to God’s word, sincerely calling for unity among God’s people under those truths, along with their wise application.
Strengthened by Our Unity
Acts 15:30-35
Biblical unity is not only a joyful and gratifying reality, it is also an essential component of any strong, vibrant, and fruitful church.
Managing Conflict
Acts 15:36-41
Our decisions about the best use of our Christian stewardship will at times conflict with other Christians; when they do we shouldn’t fret, but instead seek constructive solutions.
Making Strategic Sacrifices
Acts 16:1-5
Knowing God desires to utilize our lives for his purposes, we must be eager to make whatever strategic sacrifices needed to live out and hold out his unchanging truth.
Discerning God’s Will
Acts 16:6-10
God will direct you to do what he specifically plans for you to do, as you are diligent to get to doing what he has written, and are discerning about his undeniable adjustments along the way.
Understanding Women in Ministry
Acts 16:11-15
The complementary roles of men and women in ministry seen in biblical descriptions and prescriptions are good and godly, always to be joyfully observed by his people.
Dealing with Demons
Acts 16:16-18
We must be mindful of the spiritual opposition we face when we attempt to serve Christ so that we might aggressively pray and dependently trust in the Lord to curtail our adversaries.
Enduring Slanderous Attacks
Acts 16:19-26
As messengers and representatives of the gospel we will experience unjust and costly opposition, in which we should continue to entrust ourselves to our powerful Savior.
Saving Lives
Acts 16:27-34
We must be prepared and perceptive enough to capitalize on evangelistic opportunities that God has sovereignly placed before us.
Interacting with Earthly Governments
Acts 16:35-40
We must understand the proclivities of earthly governments, and when given the opportunity we must insist they do what is right for the people’s sake and for the good of the church.
When It Disrupts Our Lives
Acts 17:1-9
We must always regard the gospel’s power to transform lives, even while it elicits bitter rejection and hostility from others.
When It Draws Us In
Acts 17:10-15
We must understand the gravity of our sinful plight to realize how gracious God is to draw us to himself through the means of his word.
When It Intrigues Our Mind
Acts 17:16-21
We would do well to be aware of the prevailing worldly rationale which infects our thinking and threatens to pollute the biblical truths that are presented to us.
When It Puts Everything in Perspective
Acts 17:22-29
Your sovereign omnipotent Creator is knowable; he has revealed himself and requires you to become his lifelong learner.
When It Demands Your Life
Acts 17:30-34
Biblical truth demands a response that should always be seriously pondered, quickly responded to, and never passed off lightly.
When It Sorts Out Relationships
Acts 18:1-8
All of our connections, relationships, and friendships must be evaluated, strengthened, distanced, or dissolved based on the Lordship of Christ.
When It Requires Courage
Acts 18:9-17
We need the courage to faithfully represent Christ and his word in our generation by believing his promises that he will be with us and give us evangelistic success.
When It Motivates Sacrifice
Acts 18:18-22
Love and devotion to Christ motivates serious Christians to sacrifice much in their pursuit of being maximally useful to the Lord.