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Beaten, Chained, and Free (Acts 16:16-34)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Slide] Beaten, Chained, and Free (Acts 16:16-34)   Paul and Silas in a Philippi Jail Today we continue our study of the Book of Acts with Paul’s second missionary journey. After his first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Syrian Antioch. [Slide] During this time, some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem visited the church in Antioch and told the Gentile Christians, “Unless you are circumcised, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1) Paul and Barnabas strongly opposed them. [Slide] This led to the famous Jerusalem Council recorded in Acts 15. Peter reminded them that God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles just as He had to Jewish followers of Jesus. God made no distinction. “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:11)   The Church acknowledged that salvation was through the grace of Jesus, not the law of Moses. The Jerusalem Church issued a form...
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Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 14:8-20)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Slide] Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 14:8-20)   After today we will be halfway through Acts. We are moving from the ministry centered in Jerusalem and Peter, to the ministry of Paul among the Gentiles. I thought it might be fun to see what we have retained during these summer months. It’s Bible Trivia time! [Slide]   ·        [Slide] How many days after His resurrection did Jesus appear to his disciples before he ascended into heaven? [Slide] Forty   He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God.  (Acts 1:3)   ·        [Slide] How many people came to faith in Christ on the Day of Pentecost? [Slide] Around 3000 (Acts 2:41) ·        [Slide] Who was the first person to die because of their witness for Christ? [Slide] Stephen (Acts 7:59...
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Be Careful What You Pray For (Acts 12:1-18)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Slide] Be Careful What You Pray For ( Acts 12:1-18 )   After the conversion of Saul, the church experienced a time of peace for roughly 8-10 years. That peace ended when King Herod Agrippa I decided to execute the apostle James in 44 A.D.   [Slide] Herod Agrippa was grandson to Herod the Great. Herod the Great tried to kill Jesus when he was a baby. He ordered the slaughter of all boys in Bethlehem, 2 years and younger. Herod Antipas beheaded John the Baptist when the prophet confronted his adulterous marriage to his step-brother Philip’s wife, Herodias. Herodias was sister to Agrippa, making Antipas both his brother-in-law and uncle. Antipas met with Jesus prior to his crucifixion.   Herod the Great executed Agrippa’s father, Aristobulus. From the age of 3, Herod Agrippa lived in the imperial palace in Rome. [Slide] He became friends with the imperial princes, Caligula and Claudius. His close friendshi...
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The First Gentile Christians (Acts 10:25-48)

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 Sermon for Milledgeville and Centenary UMC... [Slide] The First Gentile Christians ( Acts 10:25-48 )   Cornelius has been called the very first Gentile Christian. His conversion takes center stage. Church leadership in Jerusalem were concerned that Peter broke holiness customs by entering the home of a Gentile. Not only that, Peter entered the home of Israel’s oppressor, a Roman centurion. I wonder if Cornelius truly is the first Gentile Christian. There are other contenders like the Samaritans.   [Slide] In Acts 8, Philip, one of the seven men commissioned by the apostles as servant leaders, went to Samaria. He preached the gospel, freed the demon possessed, and healed the paralyzed. Many came to faith in Jesus, including a sorcerer by the name of Simon. The locals called him The Great Power of God. When Peter and John arrived, they discovered none of the Samaritan Christians had received the Holy Spirit. Peter and John laid hands on them and prayed for them ...
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