THE BOOK OF ACTS IS… A continuation of Luke’s gospel Unfinished because it continues today A record of church plantings and growth Gives examples of salvation received and how Demonstrates a contagious faith

Already considered… Multitudes on top of thousands saved Boldness prayed for and exercised Rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer Singing in prison and challenging authorities Lord had MANY people in an immoral city Expensive book burning demonstrated All tied to the choices being made

Already Considered 3 Choices to Energize Your Faith Trusting in God’s Help Loving God’s Word Being Devoted to God’s People

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, …” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ESV)

Choices to Energize Your Faith Part 2

Genuinely give self to worship And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2:42 ESV) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47 ESV) Sharing, fellowship, and subsequent growth

Genuinely give self to worship When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God… 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 4:23-31 ESV) Prayed for and spoke with boldness

Genuinely give self to worship And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship (Acts 8:27 ESV) Treasurer had been worshipping

Genuinely give self to worship So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (Acts 12:5 ESV) Lord sent an angel to serve the saints

Genuinely give self to worship Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:1-2 ESV) Holy Spirit spoke for Paul & Barnabus to go

Genuine singing, praying, real study, and eating the Lord’s Supper energizes faith… But it is our choice

Generously give And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. (Acts 2:44-45 ESV) Ready to start up the garage sales?

Generously give Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. (Acts 4:32-35 ESV) Generous spirit continued

Generously give Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:1-4 ESV) Generous spirit a source of division AND growth

Generously give Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world. So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30 ESV) Assisted Judea in time of famine

Generously give At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25-26 ESV) Assisted poor saints in Jerusalem

Generously give John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Acts 20:35 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV)

Share what you know But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand. (Acts 4:4 ESV) And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1 ESV) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. (Acts 8:4 ESV) But the word of God increased and multiplied. (Acts 12:24 ESV)

Share what you know And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:11-12 ESV) Takes choosing to participate, join in, step out

Share what you know for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14 ESV) Takes choosing solid food, choosing practice

These 6 Choices Will Energize Your Faith Trusting in God’s Help Loving God’s Word Being Devoted to God’s People Giving self to worship Generously giving Sharing what you know

…choose this day whom you will serve, …But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15 ESV)