// May 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Agapè, Rafael, sermons, thoughts
Today we closed the sermon series on Acts in our church. Acts is a fascinating book (the 5th one of the New Testament and the second by author Luke) describing the dynamic development of the first-century church.
The series was built around 10 main figures (or groups) in the story of Acts, each one representing a characteristic of the movement. This angle made up for a very diverse and interesting series. Listen to them on the Rafael Almere sermon pages.
The ten figures and the characteristics:
Acts in 10 figures
| Jesus | Vision | You will be my witnesses... |
| Peter | Spirit | Power to change |
| Ananias and Safira | Lifestyle | An example of how not to... |
| Stephen | Worship | It's all about God |
| Philip | Evangelism | Expecting exceptional results |
| Barnabas | Discipleship | Growth and multiplication |
| Paul | Commitment | To live is Christ, to die is gain |
| The people of Athens | Relevance | The gospel for everyone in every context |
| Apollos | Training | The importance of doctrine |
| Agrippa | Momentum | God's plan is for Jew and heathen |
Also for your reading pleasure an article by bishop N.T. Wright on Acts (highly recommended) and the sermon outlines:
Shipwreck and Kingdom - a summary of Acts (62.5 KiB, 38 hits)
Tijdtabel Handelingen (178.9 KiB, 21 hits)
Samenvatting Handelingen (226.6 KiB, 26 hits)
Just imagine for a moment you live in the 1st century. You’ve hung out with this guy called Jesus, seen him do stuff you’ve never seen before and say stuff you’ve never heard before. Imagine you were there in 29 AD, when he was crucified after a hectic and very unfair trial. You probably looked at it from a distance, not knowing what to think or do. Imagine you were there with the other guys, afterwards, just to sit down and talk, when Jesus shows up again – looking differently but unmistakenly Jesus. Imagine hear him breathe over you and say: receive the Holy Spirit. Chances are you hardly know what he’s talking about – one of those Jesus things again. And then. A few days later, another place outside, you and your friends again. Jesus basically repeating what he said, then disappearing in the clouds… What a scene!
