Ye Shall Be Witnesses
Acts 1:1-11, 2:22-33, John 20:30-31, and 21:25 If you were being tried for being a Christian. I: What is A Witness? 1. “One who gives his Testimony to the truth at the expense of his life.” 2. Witness comes from “Mart Us!” Myrtle. 3. Jewish Law condemned false witness as well as one that held back part of the truth. 4. One that was there when it happened. “Ye are witnesses of these things.” II: They Witnessed to: 1. Immortality of the soul, Resurrection. 2. Vanity of material things. 3. The satisfying nature of Christianity. 4. Guilt and danger of sinners. 5. Love of Christ. 6. Necessity of the New Birth. III: Every Christian is A Witness. “My business.” 1. We are witnesses for good or bad. 2. If the Courts...
Without A Vision
Proverbs 29:18, Acts 26:19, and Amos 8:11-12 The future belongs to men of Vision. There are different types of visions, but a vision reveals the things of God. Where there was a lack of the hearing, the Word of God there was no vision. Napoleon said that Men of Vision ruled the World. I: Without A Vision Life Loses its Drive and Purpose. 1. When the Children of Israel lost their vision of the Promise Land, they grumbled and complained. a. When their Vision of a land of Milk and Honey faded, they lusted for the flesh pots of Egypt. b. The 10 spies looked upon walled Cities and Giants until they lost sight of the Land and of God. c. When there came a growth of the Word of God, they became Captives of Babylon. 2. The Church became weak and helpless when she...
Where is Our Treasure?
Acts 2:1-7, 41-47 In a Hell-bound World, we hear too many trumpets giving an uncertain sound. Too many Churches and too many Christians aren’t sure just where our treasures are. I: Where are the Preacher’s Treasures? 1. The Material World claims many. 2. Sugar coated preaching make many helpless. 3. A message that’s debatable loses its power. 4. Sometimes I wonder if we aren’t as a little child picking up pebbles or building sand-castles on the Beach when Oceans lie before us. II: Where are the Churches Treasures? 1. She has her finest building and greatest incomes of all time. 2. Yet she has hardly tapped God’s tenth of God’s people. 3. Too often she fears opposition and retreats rather than fight. 4. Too often we fail to stop...
Trails and Triumphs
Acts 13:42-52, Luke 12:49-53 Triumphs, trials, prosperity and persecution, acceptance and rejection followed Paul and his company. I: Background: 1. Work on Cyprus completed; they headed for the Southern Coast of Asia Minor. Serge of Pamphylia. 2. About the end of June or the 1st of July. 3. Peria is a Fertile Plain, hot climate subject to Malaria. 4. Mark went home. Paul took sick with Malaria and couldn’t continue preaching there, so they crossed the Taurus Mountains. II: The Synagogue of Antioch. Sick – He Met Luke. 1. Paul and his company. 2. The Greeks who were pleasure mad. 3. The proud Roman rulers. 4. The self-centered Jews and their closed Religion. 5. Paul preached of Divine Grace and Government. 6. He set Jesus before them and his claims...
Things We Have Seen and Heard
I: We have Seen. 1. The Miracles of Christ. 2. The Life and Ministry of Christ. 3. We saw him put to death. 4. We saw him alive. 5. We have witnessed changed lives. II: “And Heard.” 1. We heard him teach and preach. 2. We heard him say “I am the way.” 3. We heard him speak the raging storm to peace and the dead to life. 4. “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I to you.” Ye are my witnesses. III: “We can’t Keep from Telling what We Have Seen and Heard.” 1. The threatening of the Sanhedrin will not stop us. 2. We must give witness in spite of danger. 3. They didn’t allow the opposition to hurt their witnessing. How we Modern Christians need to take a lesson. How often opposition discourages us. How...
These that have Turned the World Upside Down
Acts 17:1-15, Thessolonica 1 1:10 I: The City, the People, and the Gospel. 1. Thessolonica was not a colony like Philippi. a. It was like Antioch of Syria, Tarsus and Athens. b. It was entirely self governed. c. The local magistrates had the power of Life and Death. d. No garrison of Roman soldiers. e. No Insignia of Roman office was displayed in its streets. 2. Therefore the rules of such a city were very anxious to show their loyalty to the Emperor. a. There was quite a number of Jews. b. The Church was mostly made up of Gentiles. II: “These that have Turned the World upside down.” 1. How could they say this about so few? 2. Paul preached in important and well situated cities. 3. Every Christian was a witness. 4. They were willing to sacrifice....
“These are not Drunk.”
Acts 2:14-21, John 14: Peter preached his Sermon on 3 Pronouns: “this” “Him” and “You.” I: The Threefold Impression of Pentecost. 1. They were amazed — they didn’t know — amazement is Mental Arrest. a. They didn’t know the meaning of what they heard and saw but they wondered. b. Where wonder ceases, Worship ceases. c. Wonder isn’t Worship, but is the 1st step toward Worship. d. They were compelled to turn from the ordinary and attend to this matter. 2. They were perplexed: Perplexity is Mental Defeat. Amazement meant that they didn’t know, Perplexity meant that they knew that they didn’t know. 3. Perplexity was followed by Criticism: Criticism is Mental Activity. Some exercise is...
The Good Man
Acts 11:22-24, Romans 5:1, 8:1, and Psalms 1:, 15:, 24:, 112: I: The Only Good Man is A Pardoned Man Character. 1. Nicodemus, rich Young Ruler, and Paul. 2. Only the Pardoned Man is set free from self-centered living. 3. The Pardoned Man has laid aside his own righteousness. 4. He is justified by Faith alone. 5. He is right with God. 6. Leisure – Direction – Company, and Influence. II: The Good Man is A Humble Man. 1. Not Boisterous – Loud or overbearing. 2. Pride and Humility can’t rule the same heart at the same time. 3. Many refuse the Christian way because of self-pride. 4. He knows his own heart and it’s weakness. 5. He knows God and his goodness. 6. He is always conscious of his daily need for God. “Give us this...
The Ghost of Achan
Acts 5:1-16 The sin of Achaean brought disaster to the armies of Israel. The Sin of Ananias and Sapphira could have stopped the Churches witnessing. I: Fellowship at it’s Best: 1. “They went to their own.” Acts 4:23 2. Their only fear was the fear that they might fail. 3. Prayer together as a Church was their source of Power. 4. None said what he had was his own. 5. To them the Spiritual was supreme over the Material. 6. The Apostles were able to preach with Power because of the Spirituality of the Church. 7. The Word was preached with Power because it’s being lived by the Church. 8. Barnabas the Son of encouragement, gave money from land he had sold. II: Fraud at it’s Worst: 1. The Perils without the Church could resist. 2. This was...
Spiritual Warfare
Acts 13:4-12 There is something fascinating about the beginning of great things, Mississippi River, Pilgrims at Plymouth. Here we witness the beginning of Missions to the whole World. I: Cyprus, Barnabas, and Saul. 1. Cyprus is a fitting place to preach, 390 miles long. 2. Barnabas had many friends and families he knew. 3. Barnabas had long recognized Saul’s worth. 4. Saul becomes Paul and Barnabas takes 2nd place. 5. The Holy Spirit knew whom to send with Saul of Tarsus to turn him in to Paul, the beloved. II: Sergius Paulus. 1. A thoughtful man and one of prominence. 2. Dissatisfied with the Religions he knew. 3. He wanted to hear these Missionaries. 4. But Elymas withstood them. a. He deliberately tried to stop the truth. b. He stood too loose Material...
“Simoney”
Acts 8:4- I: “Hearing and Seeing.” 1. The hearing was made to mean more by what they saw. 2. Phillip preached Christ with deep conviction. 3. Miracles were performed, unclean Spirits came out, Palsy cured and Lame were healed. 4. “Great joy in that city!” Where people find full surrender to Christ, there is great joy. II: “But There was A Certain Man.” vs. 9 1. Simon the Sorcerer. 2. Claimed he was some great person. (These Sorcerers were common in the Roman Empire). 3. He was used to the people following him. 4. He enjoyed being like a God to the people. 5. Simon was wise enough to know he was about to lose his power over the people. 6. He joined the crowd but missed the personal contact with Jesus. 7. His motives before and...
