This week we’ll look at two chapters in the book of Acts. Chapter 11 starts with a recap of the conversion of Cornelius the Roman centurian and then goes on to explain the beginnings of the church in Antioch. Chapter 12 begins with Herod Agrippa I harassing the church in Jerusalem and ends with his death in Caesarea.
In Acts 11 we see three types of subject matter that need to be communicated by God’s servants.
11:20 preaching euaggelízō to announce good news, “evangelize”. This is to unbelievers. They really just need to hear the gospel. Until they grasp that nothing else really matters very much.
11:23 encouraging parakaléō to call alongside, exhort, admonish Related to parakletos, a title used of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7 and 1 John 2:1) This is especially to new believers. They need to go beyond the gospel itself and hear about commitment to Christ, growth and perseverance – so that they don’t see trials and fall away. More mature believers also still need this from time to time because, let’s face it, we get discouraged and need motivation.
11:26 teaching didáskō (like “didactic”) to impart instruction, explain or expound a thing, instill doctrine. This is educating Christians about God and the Christian life, communicating all that God has revealed to us – from A to Z, Alpha to Omega, the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation, the Contents to the Maps. Teaching nourishes and matures a church. It is sorely needed in the church today. Many Christians are ignorant of the Scriptures and are therefore weak in their faith (Romans 10:17). We their pastors need to feed it to them.
This week we look at the story of Peter and Cornelius. This conversion of a Roman centurian, his friends and his family signals the entrance of non-Jews into the previously Jewish church.
Here are the notes and audio:
Audio: Acts10.mp3
Notes: Acts10.pdf
This week we look at what is probably the most famous conversion in the history of the church – the conversion of the rabbi Saul of Tarsus – later known as the apostle Paul. This may also be history’s most unlikely conversion and the one to have the greatest impact on church history.
Audio: Acts09.mp3
Notes: Acts09.pdf
Central Reflections 