Acts

The Story of a Witnessing Church

1. Jesus’ ascension and commission (1:1-26)
2. Witnessing in Jerusalem (2:1-7:60)
   1. Pentecost and Peter’s first sermon (2:1-47)
   2. The first apostolic miracle: witnessing lessons (3:1-11)
   3. Peter’s second sermon: points for preaching (3:12-26)
   4. The first persecution: lesson for service (4:1-22)
   5. The church triumphant: victory (4:23-31)
   6. The believer’s life in the first church (4:32-37)
   7. The first sin and trouble in the church (5:1-11)
   8. The church’s second persecution: attack (5:12-25)
   9. The church’s second persecution: affirmation (5:26-42)
   10. The first administrative problem: first deacons (6:1-7)
   11. The first martyr: a model man (6:8-15)
   12. The first martyr: a tragic history (7:1-53)
   13. The first martyr: a study of martyrdom (7:54-60)
3. Witnessing in Judea and Samaria (8:1-40)
   1. How God uses persecution (8:1-4)
   2. The great Samaritan revival: a study on renewal (8:5-25)
   3. The Ethiopian: a study in witnessing (8:26-40)
4. Witnessing in the lives of Saul and Peter (9:1-13:3)
5. Paul’s conversion (9:1-9)
   1. The preparation of Saul: the needs of a new convert (9:10-18)
   2. Paul as a witness: life and testimony (9:19-22)
   3. The foretaste of great suffering: faithfulness (9:23-30)
   4. The state of the church: what it should be (9:31)
   5. The broader ministry in Lydda making men whole (9:32-35)
   6. The broader ministry in Joppa conquering death (9:36-43)
   7. Peter in Caesarea: breaking down prejudice (10:1-33)
   8. Peter in Caesarea: preaching peace (10:34-43)
   9. Peter in Caesarea: receiving the Holy Spirit (10:44-48)
   10. Peter in Caesarea: a world-wide vision (11:1-18)
   11. The first Gentile church: God’s pattern (11:19-30)
   12. The first Jerusalem church protected (12:1-25)
   13. The first missionaries: a challenging call (13:1-3)
6. Witnessing to the ends of the earth (13:4-28:31)
7. The first missionary journey (13:4-15:35)
   1. Cyprus: the beginning of missions (13:4-13)
   2. Pisidian Antioch: the preaching of Paul (13:14-41)
   3. Pisidian Antioch: response to the Gospel (13:42-52)
   4. Iconium: God’s pattern for witnessing (14:1-7)
   5. Lystra: heathen and superstitious people (14:6-20)
   6. Derbe: how churches are made strong (14:21-28)
   7. The Jerusalem Council: (15:1-35)
8. The second missionary journey (15:36-18:22)
9. The third missionary journey (18:23-21:16)
   1. Ephesus: Apollos preparing the way (18:23-28)
   2. Ephesus: salvation and renewal (19:1-20)
   3. Ephesus: God’s way disturbs people (19:21-41)
   4. Europe and Asia Minor: (20:1-38)
   5. Paul in Jerusalem: compelled to preach (21:1-16)
10. Paul’s experiences in Jerusalem (21:17-23:11)
    1. Paul’s decision: a picture of compromise (21:17-40)
    2. Paul’s defense: message for upset people (22:1-21)
    3. Paul’s direction through trials (22:22-23:11)
    4. Paul’s final journey: Rome (23:12-28:31)
       1. Man’s deception, God’s providence (23:12-35)
       2. Before Felix: what real worship is (24:1-21)
       3. Before Felix: a man who knew better (24:22-27)
       4. Before Festus: an appeasing visit (25:1-22)
       5. Before Agrippa: formal injustice (25:23-27)
       6. Before Agrippa: life conversion (26:1-18)
       7. Before Agrippa: a needed testimony (26:19-32)
       8. Paul sails to Rome: trust/care (27:1-44)
       9. Paul sails to Rome: shipwrecked (28:1-15)
       10. Paul in Rome: outreach strategy (28:16-31)

THE MESSAGE

1. The church waits for and receives the power of the Holy Spirit
   1. The Great Commission repeated – Acts 1:8
   2. The risen Lord – Acts 1:9
   3. The disciples pray – Acts 1:14
   4. The promise of the Spirit – Acts 2:4
   5. The preaching with power – Acts 2:37
2. The church demonstrates Christian fellowship
   1. Communal living – Acts 2:44, 4:32
   2. Corporate worship – Acts 2:46
3. The church experiences triumphs and tragedies
   1. The healing of the cripple – Acts 3:2
   2. The deception of Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:1
4. The first officers of the church – Acts 6:3
5. The first martyr of the church – Acts 7:60
6. The most notable convert in the church – Acts 9:1-19
7. The church proves the power of prayer – Acts 12:5
8. The conference where Gentile liberty is guarded – Acts 15:19

KEY THEMES

1. Witnessing – Greek “martyr”
   1. Life – Stephen and James
   2. Freedom – Paul and Peter
2. Conversion – some of the more notable
   1. The Ethiopian – Acts 8:30
   2. Saul of Tarsus – Acts 9:1-19
   3. Lydia – Acts 16:14
   4. Philippian jailer – Acts 16:29-30
3. Team evangelism – a pattern for missionary work
   1. Set up strategic centers
   2. Spread through surrounding areas
   3. Associates to take over after the missionary moved on