Life in the Church of Acts

Turn the World Upside Down

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Sermon 6 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

This riot occurred because the citizens of Ephesus could not argue against the Gospel message. It was not so much the logic of the argument, but the transformed lives of the Christians that were the death-knell for the idol makers. In everything, we must remember that if Christ is not changing our lives, we are not the kind of Christians we need to be. It is an ever-changing process in our lives, and it is something that cannot be argued against by a hostile world.

Turn the World Upside Down [ 25:48 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (34)
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Use Whatever You Can

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Sermon 5 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

This is the only place in the New Testament where pagan philosophers are qouted. Paul used what he could to get the message across of who Jesus is and what he has done. Everywhere else, Paul spoke to Jews or God-fearing Gentiles, so he reasoned from the Hebrew scriptures (Old Testament). Here he is speaking to a cosmopolitan makeup of Greco-Roman society, so he uses texts with which they would be familiar. We need to use what we can to reach people without compromising the core message of who Jesus is.

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The World’s Response

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Sermon 4 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

Paul and Silas perform a miracle, and the persecution ensues. The world does not like the message of the cross. It will do anything it can to silence it. And yet, neither Paul nor Silas wallow in self-pity or rage against the injustice of the event. Instead, they turn to God all the more and another miracle happens. Then, in one of the most beautiful events in Acts, the jailer washes them, and they wash him and his family in baptism. What the world intended for evil, God used for good because Paul and Silas were willing to be used by God.

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Obeying God

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Sermon 3 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

It is difficult to obey God, especially when it seems absurd—Saul going to Damascus. It is difficult to obey God, especially when it seems dangerous—Ananias sent to the Church’s archenemy. It is difficult to obey God when it seems trivial—Paul being baptized after such a conversion experience. But it we are going to live the life of the Church, we need to be prepared to obey God no matter what.

Obeying God [ 25:21 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (32)
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Family Life

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Sermon 2 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

The Church grew rapidly and there were growing pains. At this point there are no Gentiles; everyone was Jewish. However, there were those that lived in the immediate area that spoke Aramaic and those that were Hellenized and lived elsewhere in the Empire. They settled as a part of the community in Jerusalem after Pentecost and disagreements began because of a perceived discrimination between the locals and transplants. The believers wanted the Apostles to fix the situation, and they clearly defined their role as leading. New leadership was chosen to supplement the Twelve and the squabble was fixed. It was a family disagreement and everyone reconciled after it was done.

Family Life [ 21:23 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (33)
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Miracles Abound!

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Sermon 1 from Life in the Church of Acts by Dr. Steven D. Bruns.

This is the first healing story in Acts performed by God through the Apostles. There will be many, many more. But the miracles themselves are never stand-alone events. They are always coupled with an opportunity to proclaim the truth that Jesus is the Savior of the world and that is was Jesus who performed the miracle through the Apostles. The miracles are always done to create the opportunity to share the good news. This is why the Church grew; not because of miraculous healing, but because the first Christians took every opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Miracles Abound! [ 22:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (32)
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