3 themes in Acts:
1. Everywhere they went, the disciples witnessed about their faith in Jesus.
2. They were persecuted, jailed, mobbed, killed.
3. The Holy Spirit gave the disciples power to spread the gospel.
Major theme: the triumph of the church.
Despite severe persecution, the church triumphed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the witness of courageous disciples.
Chapter 7 - Stephen was martyred.
Acts 8:1-3
What hope is there in the face of such opposition?
The Jewish leaders were willing to kill to stop Christianity from spreading.
The encouragement and boldness that the disciples had from being all together was gone.
What would happen to this fledgling movement?
What hope was there that it would continue?
Remember what the disciples did the very first time they were persecuted?
Acts 4:29-30
They prayed for boldness and for the Lord's power in the face of opposition.
What hope did they have now in the midst of such harsh persecution?
Their hope was that God would answer their prayer and give them the boldness to speak and to perform signs and wonders in Jesus' name.
Their hope was God's power.
Acts 8:4-8
The disciples were scattered, but everywhere they went, they boldly told of the hope they found in Jesus Christ.
And God's power was sufficient to overcome timidity within and persecution without.
The gospel spread not despite opposition, but because of it.
The gospel spread to Samaria by Philip, then to a eunuch from Ethiopia.
It could not be stopped.
Chapter 9 - the conversion of Saul
Acts 9:1-2
Here was a man willing to kill or imprison men and women to demonstrate his devotion to Judaism.
What hope is there in the midst of hatred?
The greatest enemy of the church found himself confronted by her founder.
God's power was sufficient to change him.
He became the greatest missionary the church has ever known.
Acts 13:1-5
This is the first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas - and a guy named John.
This isn't John the apostle, but John Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Acts 13:13
There is no reason given, but Mark left Paul and Barnabas in Perga to go home.
People have attempted to explain why:
1. He was homesick.
2. He resented the change of leadership from Barnabas, who was his cousin, to Paul.
3. He became ill.
4. He couldn't withstand the rigors of the journey.
5. Clay points out: He wasn't called to this trip like Paul and Barnabas, so he lacked the determination or God's strength.
Whatever the reason, it was bad.
Bad enough that Paul refuses to take Mark on the second missionary journey and the writer of Acts, Luke, says that Mark had deserted them.
Acts 15:36-38
This may not be the first time that Mark is mentioned in the scriptures.
In Mark's Gospel a young man who fled in such fear during Jesus' arrest that he left his clothes behind. He ran away naked.
Many scholars believe Mark was telling about himself.
John Mark had a tendency to run.
Do you?
Have you had times when you could have said something to testify about your faith but didn't?
Have you had times when you were in the midst of people who were talking or doing something you knew you shouldn't be a part of, but you just went along with it because you were afraid to stand out?
What hope is ther for a deserter?
What hope do we have when we lack courage to speak about our faith?
Let me tell you what happens to John Mark.
Acts 15:39-41
He and Barnabas returned to Cyprus to build the church.
Mark's Gospel appears to have come primarily from Peter.
He had heard Peter's accounts of Jesus' ministry and was one of the first to write them down.
In later years Paul would mention John Mark in at least 3 letters, and in 1Peter.
Near the end of Paul's life, he would write about John Mark.
2 Timothy 4:11
Whatever God did in the life of John Mark, Paul recognized his usefulness in ministry.
Maybe he was timid. Maybe he was afraid. Maybe he was a deserter.
That's not the end of John Mark's story.
God was not through with him.
What hope is ther for a deserter?
What hope is ther for a guy who runs away in the face of adversity?
God's power was sufficient to change him into a valuable instrument in building God's kingdom.
What hope do you have in tHe midst of fear?
What hope do you have in the midst of your own failures?
God's power through his Holy Spirit can overcome your fear, timidity, your failures.
It does not matter how you started the race, it matters that you know the One Who can help you finish it.
We were never intended to do the work of the kingdom on our own.
God's people were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak boldly about their faith in Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is still available to empower believers today.
Ask God for His Spirit's help for strenghth, courage, and wisdom to do God's will.