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* It's good to suffer loss, for it draws me to the Cross where God's loss is more than what anyone ever lost. * We cannot hear what the stories of the Bible are saying until we hear them as stories about ourselves. * Let go of control. * Trust God. Thank God. Think about God. Talk to God. Talk about God.

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Theme of Salvation: Acts 1-28

"For my eyes have seen your salvation" (Lk 2:30). "...which you have prepared in the sight of all people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel" (Lk 2:31-32).
  • Salvation is [entirely] what God does for you + [it is expressed by] what you do [i.e. how you live] that reflects your salvation (Phil 2:12-13).
  • Salvation is not "going to heaven after you die," but it is your life while you are still alive existentially speaking.
  • Salvation in Scripture is communicated not just for the individual but for the entire community/nation (Exo 19:5-6).
  1. Acts 1:1-26. Witnessing Christ Saves You and the World (Ac 1:8). The world mission mandate. Continue what Jesus began.
  2. Acts 2:1-47. The Holy Spirit Saves You (Ac 2:38). Pentecost. The power of Pentecost, of Preaching, of Prayer.
  3. Acts 3:1-26. God's Refreshing Saves You (Ac 3:19). Healing a lame beggar.
  4. Acts 4:1-37. Courage in Christ Saves You (Ac 4:12-13). Before the Sanhedrin.
  5. Acts 5:1-42. Obeying God Saves You. (Ac 5:29). Living Your New Life Saves You (Ac 5:20).
  6. Acts 6:1-15. Attending to Prayer and the Word Saves You (Ac 6:4). Hellenistic and Hebraic Jewish widows dispute.
  7. Acts 7:1-60. Forgiving Others Saves You (Ac 7:60). Stephen's martyrdom. Martyrdom and legacy.
  8. Acts 8:1-40. Scripture Saves You (Ac 8:35). The Ethiopian eunuch.
  9. Acts 9:1-43. Conversion Saves You (Ac 9:15-16). Paul's conversion. The greatest conversion in history.
  10. Acts 10:1-48. Believing in Jesus' Name Saves You (Ac 10:43). Cornelius.
  11. Acts 11:1-30. Being a Christian Saves You (Ac 11:26). The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
  12. Acts 12:1-24. The Lord's Angel Saves You (Ac 12:11). Jerusalem. James was martyred, but Peter was rescued.
  13. Acts 13:1-52. Forgiveness Saves You (Ac 13:38). Pisidian Antioch.  "...through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you."
  14. Acts 14:1-28. Hardships Saves You (Ac 14:22). [To Enter the Kingdom of God].
  15. Acts 15:1-40. Grace Saves You (Ac 15:11). Jerusalem. [Grace Alone Saves, The Way to be Saved is by Grace].
  16. Acts 16:1-40. Faith Saves You (Ac 16:31). Philippi. [Believe and Be Saved]. How does faith express itself?
  17. Acts 17:1-34. Reason Saves You (Ac 17:2-3). Thessalonica, Berea, Athens. Examining Scripture/The Creator saves you (17:11, 24-25).
  18. Acts 18:1-28. Preaching Saves You. Corinth. Keep on speaking (Ac 18:9).
  19. Acts 19:1-41. Daily Bible Study Saves You. Ephesus. [2 Years of Daily Discussions (Ac 19:9)].
  20. Acts 20:1-38. A Profligate Prodigal Life Saves You (Ac 20:35). Miletus. Ephesian elders. 6/11/23.
  21. Acts 21:1-40. Dying for Jesus Saves You (Ac 21:13). Caesarea. Arrival in Jerusalem. 6/18/23.
  22. Acts 22:1-30. Telling Your Story Saves You (Ac 22:15). Jerusalem. Defense speech to the Jewish people. 6/25/23.
  23. Acts 23:1-35. God's Nearness Saves you (Ac 23:11). Before the Sanhedrin. The plot to kill Paul. 7/2/23.
  24. Acts 24:1-27. A Clear Conscience Saves You (Ac 24:16). Caesarea. Felix. Wadas. 7/9/23.
  25. Acts 25:1-27. Not Doing Wrong Saves You (Ac 25:8, 11). Festus. 7/16/23.
  26. Acts 26:1-32. Obeying God's Calling Saves You (Ac 26:19). Paul makes his defence to Jewish King Agrippa. 7/16/23.
  27. Acts 27:1-44. A Hero's Journey Saves You (Ac 27:23-24). 7/23/23.
  28. Acts 28:1-31. Teaching the Bible Saves You (Ac 28:30-31). 7/30/23.

  • AD 33/34: Paul's conversion (Acts 9).
  • AD 36: Paul's 1st Jerusalem visit (Gal 1:18).
  • AD 44: Herod Agrippa 1 died (Ac 12:23).
  • AD 46: Paul's arrival at Antioch (Ac 11:25-26).
  • AD 46: famine (Ac 11:27-30).
  • AD 47: Paul's 2nd Jerusalem visit.
  • AD 48: 1st M. journey (Acts 13-14). 4-10 months. Cyprus, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe.
    • AD 48: From Antioch, before the Jerusalem council, Paul wrote Galatians.
  • AD 48/49: Jerusalem Council (Acts 15).
  • AD 49: 2nd M. journey (Acts 16-18). Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth.
    • AD 49-51: From Corinth, Paul wrote 1,2 Thessalonians. AD 49-Claudius expelled Jews (Ac 18:2). AD 51-52-Gallo proconsul (Ac 18:11-12).
  • AD 51: Paul returned to Antioch (Ac 18:22).
  • AD 52: 3rd M. journey (Acts 19-21). Ephesus. Macedonia [Philippi]. Greece/Achaia [Corinth].
    • AD 53/54: From Ephesus, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians.
    • AD 54: From Macedonia, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians.
    • AD 54/55: From Corinth (Ac 20:2-3), Paul wrote Romans.
  • AD 55: Arrival in Jerusalem (Acts 21). Transferred to Caesarea (Acts 23). In prison for 2 years (Ac 24:27). Felix was governor from AD 52-59, when Festus succeeded him. [?Luke/Acts written during Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea.]
  • AD 57: Sailing to Italy (Ac 27:1-2).
  • AD 58: Arrival in Rome. In prison for 2 years (Ac 28:30). AD 60-62 or 58-60.
    • From Rome (AD 60s), Paul wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colosians, Philemon [1st imprisonment], 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Timothy [2nd imprisonment].
  • AD 64: Paul martyred.
Estimated that Paul travelled 13,400 mi. [in a straight line on a map, so much more. NY-SF 2,565 mi; S'pore-Chgo 9,358 mi]
Paul did not measure his life by comfort or convenience, safety or security. He takes risks, which puts others at risk, and appears reckless/irresponsible.
The Holy Spirit is mentioned 42x in Acts.

  1. AD 47-50: 1st missionary journey (Acts 13–14)
  2. AD 50-53: 2nd missionary journey (Acts 15:36–18:22)
  3. AD 53-57: 3rd missionary journey (Acts 18:23–21:15)
  4. AD 57-62: Imprisonment in Caesarea and Rome (Acts 21:16–28:31)
  5. AD 62-65: Through second Roman imprisonment

Acts 14:1-28. Hardships Saves You (Ac 14:22). [To Enter the Kingdom of God].

  1. God has been so kind to you (Ac 14:17).
  2. Hardships strengthen your faith  (Ac 14:22a).
  3. Our home is the kingdom of God (Ac 14:22b).
Acts 15:1-40. Grace Saves You (Ac 15:11). [Grace Alone Saves, The Way to be Saved is by Grace].
  1. Grace negates the law [circumcision] for salvation (Ac 15:1, 5; Gal 5:6; 6:15).
  2. Grace is all that is needed for salvation (Ac 15:11; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Tim 1:9; Tit 3:5).
  3. Grace is not burdensome (Ac 15:11, 24, 28), but has obligations (Ac 15:20, 29; 14:22).
The Application of Grace
  1. The primacy of grace is God (Rom 1:1b; Eph 2:8-9).
  2. The power of grace is transformative (Tit 2:11-12).
  3. The perseverance of grace is secure (Rom 8:38-39).
  4. The price of grace is costly (1 Pet 1:18-19).
Acts 16:1-40. Faith Saves You (Ac 16:31) [Believe and Be Saved]. How does faith express itself?
  1. Faith rejects/accepts Mark (15:36-40),
  2. Faith circumcises Timothy [Lystra] (16:1-5).
  3. Faith submits/is sensitive to the Holy Spirit's redirection [Troas] (6-10). God guides.
  4. Faith responds to the gospel [Philippi] (11-15). God saves.
  5. Faith drives out demons (16-18). God frees people from the power of demons.
  6. Faith causes an uproar (19-21).
  7. Faith sings after flogging (22-25).
  8. Faith saves families (26-34; 35-40).
Acts 17:1-34. The Creator Saves You (Ac 17:24-25). [Preaching to the Religious and the Unchurched. Mission Saves You and Others]. How do you live a life of mission?
  1. Reason from the Scriptures/Bible [Thessalonica] (Ac 17:3, 1-9).
  2. Examine the Scriptures every day [Berea] (Ac 17:11, 10-15). Analyze. Memorize. Personalize. [Recall, Repeat, Remember, Reflect, Repent.]
  3. Preaching Scripture without using Scripture [Athens] (Ac 17:24-25, 28, 16-34).
  • Use your mind and your reason, even your feelings, but know that it is not full proof and requires help from God and the Holy Spirit.
Acts 18:1-28. Preaching Saves You [Keep on Speaking (Ac 18:9)]. Keep on speaking [Corinth]:
  1. Always reasoning, persuading, preaching, testifying, speaking (1-11): What Paul is doing continually (Ac 17:3).
  2. Expect opposition, jealousy, violence, ridicule, misunderstanding (Ac 18:6; 13:8, 45, 50; 14:2, 5, 19; 16:19-24; 17:5, 13, 18, 20, 32).
  3. Encouragement needed:
    1. From God (Ac 18:9-11).
    2. From outsiders occasionally (12-17): Charges against Paul dismissed by Gallio's speech.
    3. From strategizing (18-23): Paul leaves Corinth, leaves Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus and returns to Syria.
    4. From co-workers, colleagues and comrades (24-28): Priscilla and Aquila explain to Apollos more about Jesus.
Acts 19:1-41. Daily Bible Study Saves You [2 Years of Daily Discussions (Ac 19:9)].

Acts 20:1-38. Working Hard to Help the Weak Saves You (Ac 20:35).

Acts 21:1-40. Dying for Jesus Saves You (Ac 21:13).

Acts 22:1-30. 

Acts 23:1-35.

Acts 24:1-27.

Acts 25:1-27.

Acts 26:1-32.

Acts 27:1-44.

Acts 28:1-31.
Posted by UBF Gospel Musings at 3:07 AM
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