New Testament walkthru - Acts of the Apostles

1. The Gospels
Acts of the Apostles
Paul’s Letters
Other Letters
Revelation
A Walkthru’ of the New Testament
Lesson 6: Acts - Extreme Opposition Extreme Impact

2.  Intoduction
 Extreme Impact
 Extreme Power
 Extreme Unity
 Extreme Discipline
 Extreme Boldness
 Extreme Focus
 Extreme Opposition
 Extreme Risk
 Discussion

3. EVENT TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

4. Written by Dr. Luke, a Gentile. The book covers key
events such as
 Birth of the Church, Pentecost
 Peter rising as key leader
 His vision to spread gospel to Gentiles
 Conversion of Saul (Paul)
 Gospel extending beyond Jerusalem, Paul’s first
and second missionary Journeys.
 Gospel reaches farther West to European regions.
Third missionary journey.
 Paul’s travel to Jerusalem, his arrest, difficult
travel to Rome for trial. [1]

5. The book of Acts shows the
transition of:
 Fearful disciples to bold
apostles
 Focus on Jews to Gentiles
 God’s temple at Jerusalem
to international church
 Access to God through
priests, to unlimited
access
 Jews as people of God to
Christians across nations,
languages, cultures.

6.  And you shall
receive power ..
 And you shall be my
witness
 And reach the world
Acts 1:8

7. The apostles’
teaching spread
throughout the
world like wild fire.
What caused this
high impact?

8. The early church had
extreme:
 Power through God’s
presence
 Unity
 Discipline
 Boldness
 Focus
 Opposition
 Risk
Which resulted in extreme
impact – Story of Acts

9. With great power the
apostles continued to
testify to the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus. And
God's grace was so
powerfully at work in
them all – Acts 4:33

10. And the congregation of
those who believed were
of one heart and soul;
and not one of them
claimed that anything
belonging to him was his
own, but all things were
common property to
them. Acts 4:32 NASB

11.  These all with one mind
were continually devoting
themselves to prayer….
Acts 1:14 NASB
 Day by day continuing
with one mind in the
temple, and breaking
bread from house to
house, they were taking
their meals together with
gladness and sincerity of
heart Acts 2:46 NASB

12. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but
also for those who will believe in me
through their word, 21 that they
may all be one, just as you,
Father, are in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us, so that
the world may believe that you
have sent me. 22 The glory that you
have given me I have given to
them, that they may be one
even as we are one, 23 I in them
and you in me, that they may
become perfectly one, so that
the world may know that you
sent me and loved them even
as you loved me – John 17

13.  What was the
importance of unity
among believers from
the passage in John?
 Was Christ’s prayer for
unity among believers
answered?
 In a divided global
church, how can we
work together for
unity?

14. “Why is it that you have
contrived this deed in
your heart? You have
not lied to man but to
God.” 5 When Ananias
heard these words,
he fell down and
breathed his last, Acts
5

15. 9 But Peter said to her,
“How is it that you have
agreed together to
test the Spirit of the Lord?
Behold, the feet of those
who have buried your
husband are at the door,
and they will carry you
out.” 10 Immediately she
fell down at his feet
and breathed her last.
Acts 5

16. 29 ”And now, Lord, look
upon their threats and
grant to your
servants to continue to
speak your word
with all boldness.
Acts 4

17. 31 And when they had
prayed, the place in
which they were
gathered together was
shaken, and they were
all filled with the Holy
Spirit and continued
to speak the word of
God with boldness.
Acts 4

18. 19But Peter and John
answered them,
“Whether it is right in the
sight of God to listen to
you rather than to God,
you must judge, 20for
we cannot but speak
of what we have
seen and heard.” Acts
4

19.  Day after day, in the temple
courts and from house to
house, they never stopped
teaching and proclaiming the
good news that Jesus is the
Messiah. Acts 5:42
 2So the twelve summoned
the congregation of the
disciples and said, "It is not
desirable for us to neglect
the word of God in order to
serve tables Acts 6:3
 And they devoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching and
the fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the
prayers. Acts 2:42

20. What was the focus of the
apostles? Why?

21. A Story of transportation of codfish in US.

22.  Freezing didn’t work
 Transporting them alive in tanks had worse
results

23.  Finally catfish, codfish’s greatest enemy
were introduced in the tanks

24.  Catfish chased and kept them better than
before

25. 3-4 And Saul just went
wild, devastating the
church, entering house
after house after house,
dragging men and
women off to jail.
Forced to leave home
base, the followers of
Jesus all became
missionaries. Acts 8
The Message

26. Opposition
enhanced
mission

27. “You are doing just as
your fathers did. Which
one of the prophets did
your fathers not
persecute? And they
killed those who had
previously announced
the coming of the
Righteous One, whose
betrayers and
murderers you have
now become” (Acts
7:51-52) - Stephen

28. 5But when Silas and Timothy
came down from Macedonia,
Paul began devoting himself
completely to the word,
solemnly testifying to the
Jews that Jesus was the
Christ. 6But when they
resisted and blasphemed, he
shook out his garments and
said to them, "Your blood
be on your own heads! I
am clean. From now on I will
go to the Gentiles.“ Acts
18:5,6

29. “A slave is not greater
than his master.” If they
persecuted Me, they
will also persecute
you; if they kept My
word, they will keep
yours also. …. They will
make you outcasts from
the synagogues..; but an
hour is coming for
everyone who kills you to
think that he is offering
service to God (John
15:20; 16:1-2). - Jesus

30.  At times miraculous
escapes, at times
flogging,
imprisonment, death
 Paul could have been
saved by Agrippa but
was sentenced to Rome
 Seeds were planted for
global evangelism
 God is always in
control
Where there is high risk
there is high gain

31.  “men who have risked
their lives for the
name of our Lord
Jesus Christ”. Acts
15:26 NIV
 Most of the
disciples/apostles died
martyr’s deaths.
History has it that 8
out of 12 of Jesus’
own disciples died
martyrs…

32. Paul used his
prison as a
powerhouse

33.  What other extremes do you observe in the
lives of the apostles causing impact?
 What do you think is most diluting the
church’s impact today? Lack of power?
Impact? Unity? Boldness? Sharing? discipline?
Focus? Inability to face opposition? Risk? Any
other?
 What changes do you feel you need to make
to your personal goals and lifestyle to
improve your impact for Christ?

34. 1. biblehub.com