Fighting for the Gospel
After the wondrous joys of their first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch where they soon encounter a new group of teachers who have begun to spread a nuanced gospel. Upon hearing their message Paul & Barnabas are quick to refute their teaching to the point where they head off to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and elders of the church in order to sort the matter out once and for all. Pastor Joe takes us through…
The Gospel Goes Out
The church in Antioch was seriously passionate about spreading the good news of Jesus. So they send Paul & Barnabas out into the Gentile lands to share the message of the gospel. But as the gospel goes out into the world we will see that there are highs and lows in this mission. In this message Pastor Joe highlights what happens when the gospel goes out into the world and what it teaches us about both the gospel and the…
The Need for Gospel Church
Many Christians treat church like an option. Attendance and commitment is really dependent on how they feel on any given day. We know that we don’t need to attend church in order to be saved… but in Acts wherever the new believers have travelled and carried the gospel churches have sprung up. As we look at the first real expression of church in the Gentile world we will see some of the essential marks of gospel community and more importantly,…
The Gospel Severs the Root of Racism
As we have been following the new community of Jesus followers we have seen a theme developing. The further the gospel expands the further the disciples are pulled out of their comfort zones. This is the unique wonder of the gospel; it simultaneously saves sinners and sanctifies saints. Well as we come to chapter 10 we find that God is going to confront Peter with one of the most ingrained attitudes of the human heart… racism. And as this attitude…
The Gospel Does the Impossible
In chapters 7 and 8 Luke beautifully weaves the story of Saul of Tarsus in with the story of the church to show how these two rapidly rising forces were set on an inevitable course for collision. IN chapter 9 we see them collide in stunning fashion as the risen Christ confronts His greatest enemy on the road to Damascus. As we look at this encounter we will see the power of God in salvation and the ramifications this has…
Sharing the Christ
Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he said to the apostles present, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the world. In his encounter with Ethiopian eunuch, Phillip is fulfilling this command as the eunuch represents the ends of the earth. These words of Christ apply to his followers today and while the ends of the earth maybe a far away land it could also be those in a local…
The Gospel Advances
Up to this point in Acts, the church has remained in Jerusalem. As we reach chapter 8, the gospel begins to advance out of the city into the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria. The gospel advances by the disruption caused by persecution, among unlikely audiences, and despite the messiness of sinful agendas. Jesus continues to advance his gospel and grow his church despite the obstacles that we encounter in the mission.
The Gospel Won’t Be Killed
We have seen tensions brewing around the new and rapidly growing movement of Jesus followers. The religious authorities in Jerusalem have tried to squash the impact of the church: they threatened them with a muzzle, but the church kept talking; and they imprisoned them and beat them, but the church broke free! Now as the church is coming to terms with their own growth and the complications that brought, a man named Stephen will be set apart for ministry only…
The Gospel Won’t Be Stopped
The passion, power & and generosity of the church was winning the favour of so many people in Jerusalem that it was growing exponentially. It seemed as though everybody was captivated by this new movement. Well everybody it seems except the High Priest and the leaders of Israel. Instead of being captivated by the new church and their gospel, they were filled with jealousy. This morning we see this jealousy overflow to action… and as it does we will learn…
The Gospel Won’t be Corrupted
Riding high on a wave of excitement, joy, and gospel zeal the Apostles and the community of Jesus were growing in both number and unity. But as things seem to be going better than ever a new threat would arise that had the potential to derail the whole movement. As Pastor Joe examines this confronting event we will see the heart of God for His community and how our hearts need to be brought in line with His.