1. Welcome to the assembly of the 160th Ave. Church of Christ!
We gather Sunday at 9 AM (class), 10 AM, 5 PM, & Wednesday at 7 PM
Check the bulletin for various announcements

2. Pray for Ben Calderon (Conway, Arkansas)
Carlos and Priscila Rodriguez; Oct. 1, 2017
Manuel Choc; Nov. 2, 2017
Antonio Razo; Dec. 24, 2017

3. Pray for Ben Calderon (Conway, Arkansas)

4. …what does the LORD your God require of you…?
Deut. 10:12 NKJV
…what does the LORD your God require of you…?

5. The Grace of God in the Book of Acts

6. Acts 20-- Grace & The Gospel
v24 the gospel of the grace of God v27, 32 whole counsel of God = the word of His grace v32 which is able to . . .
I. The basics of grace, in Acts 20
v24
A. Grace is part of God’s character (Ex. 34:6)
B. nothing teaches us about God’s grace more than the gospel—an unlimited being living in a limited body to teach, suffer, die, arise, and continue His teaching b/c we got ourselves into a problem we could not escape.
v27, 32 grace is a matter of God’s counsel made known to us by words
A. words, esp in a book, are easily undervalued today, but God clearly created man to be dependent on, affected by, and changed by words---are you?
B. Satan promotes man-made ideas/words of grace (our own reasoning, society, or man-made religions)
1. Paul was confronted with false ideas of grace (Rom. 6:1)
2. Peter wanted to ensure the saints knew the true grace of God (1 Pet. 5:12)
v32 the word of God’s grace builds up and sanctifies
A. we must search the word of grace to begin to understand God’s grace
B. we must practice the word of grace to be built up and sanctified (Js. 1:22)
C. The books of Acts shows this grace (A, B) in action
The Grace of God in the Book of Acts

7. Acts 2-- Grace for the Lost
Convince (v4, 16, 32), rebuke (v22-23, 36), exhort (v40)
Still available today
II. Grace was offered to the lost (Pentecost)
A. in His grace, Jews who had appealed Jesus’ death and heard He was raised returned to Jer 50 days later.
B. In Acts 2,
1. Peter and the eleven preached the word of grace when they,
convinced v4 (signs), 16 (prophecy), 36 (eyewitness)--faith is the result of fairly hearing evidence, not blind
rebuked v22-23, 36 They do not know what they do (Jesus); Peter rebukes them b/c they should have known
exhorted v40
2. All the lost had grace offered and 3,000 received it (2:38, 41)
C. Every sin that existed then, exists now and can be forgiven
1. His grace doesn’t categorize sin: murder Christ, pornography, lying all require the same solution
2. His grace is free to us---there is no “fair exchange, purchase, or swap” b/c we have nothing to offer
3. His grace is free to us but not
a. irresistible (v40, alot more than 3,000 resisted the spirit of grace)
b. unconditional (v36 know, v38 repent and be baptized for)
The Grace of God in the Book of Acts

8. Acts 18:24-26; 19:3, 5-- Grace offered to those near the kingdom
These misunderstood some “first principles” of the gospel of grace
Still available today
He who believes and is baptized will be saved
He who is baptized is saved and will believe
He who believes is saved and will be baptized
Mark 16:16
III. Grace offered to people who appear “near the kingdom”
A. Misunderstood some first principles of the gospel of Christ
1. Apollos Acts 18:24-26
2. The twelve Acts 19:3, 5
3. All of these people accepted that God showed, and gave, grace
a. believed they were in His grace
b. appear very devout, probably all preached what they knew of it (publicly or privately)
c. they did not understand the grace and truth Jesus brought (Jn. 1:17).
d. they did not know when or how to receive the grace Jesus brought
4. when Apollos learned that his teaching was inaccurate, he changed his teaching
5. when the twelve realized John’s baptism was not Jesus’ baptism, they were baptized again, but for the first time in the name of the Lord Jesus.
B. God still offers His grace to similar people today, people who---
1. know He is a God of grace and are devoted to Him in some ways
2. like those above, know only some baptism that differs from Jesus’ (for infants [Roman Catholic], for ppl claiming to already be saved [Protestant])
C. Are we practicing the grace of God (like Aquila, Priscilla, Paul) by explaining the way of God more accurately?
The Grace of God in the Book of Acts

9. Acts 24-- Grace offered to those far from the kingdom
The Roman governor, Felix
v25 righteousness, self-control, judgment
The same message is needed today
IV. Offered to ppl who appear “far from the kingdom”
A. Acts 24, the Roman governor Felix
1. If he was like most rulers, he was a Roman pagan—this religion permitted pride, abuse of power, sex imm, and tolerance or acceptance of practically all religions.
2. Josephus (Jewish historian who lived at this time; XX, ch VIII, 2) tells us that Felix was cruel, was corrupt (v26), and persuaded a beautiful but married woman Drusilla (Jewish, v24) to leave her husband and be his wife.
3. Needed to hear the word of the gospel of grace—and did, Acts 24:25
a. Righteousness- source and blessings of right vs emptiness of tolerating all gods, religions, and conduct
b. Self-control- grace demands that cruelty, dishonesty, or sexual immorality be left, abandoned
c. Judgement- heaven or hell, light or outer darkness, joy or gnashing of teeth
B. Our society is growing in people more like Felix (total ignorance) and less like Apollos (understood some things)
a. Tolerance v Righteousness “Josh and Chuck” podcast discussed why human sacr in Incan culture might not have always been wrong (Aug 23,
b. Adultery v Self-Control
i. Mt. 19:9-10 The avg Am would be equally shocked to hear that, contrary to current Am law, no one may leave their spouse and marry another except a spouse whose mate has committed adultery.
ii. It has been said “No one in Scripture was told to leave their spouse in order to obey the gospel,” but the message of grace showed Felix what Herod learned---“It is not lawful for you to have her.”
c. Little thought of judgment, the reality of life after the death of our body, the need for grace v Judgement
C. We must learn from Paul how to offer the true grace of Christ to those whose lives appear “far from the kingdom”?
The Grace of God in the Book of Acts

10. The Grace of God in the Book of Acts
He who believes and is baptized will be saved… Mk. 16:16
Repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray… Acts 8:22
Be steadfast, immoveable,… 1 Cor. 15:58