The Trails Church

The flow of thought that begins in Acts 6:8 stretches all the way to 8:3. It describes a disciple named Steven, records the sermon he delivered to a hostile Jewish council, chronicles his martyrdom, and concludes with the mention of Saul of Tarsus. This epic contains all the characteristics of one remarkable story. That being the case, we will spend the next two weeks exploring, “A Servant, A Sermon, A Stone, and a Seed.” This morning we will just focus on the first two parts under these headings: 1. A Servant of Jesus Christ, and 2. A Sermon on Jesus Christ. For all who are able, would you stand with me as we read Acts 6:8-15.

In Acts 6:1-7, we encounter a pivotal moment in the life of the church, where dissention and distraction threatened to disrupt its unity and mission. Our passage illustrates what happens when local churches are filled with people who understand the important part each person plays in order for the congregation to experience “Flourishing Gospel Ministry.” The three lessons we can learn from are 1. The Blessing and Threat of Church Growth, 2. The Grace and Good of Shared Ministry, and 3. The Joy and Reward of Gospel Priorities.

There are 105 verses in First Peter, and we are going to look together at 3 of them this morning. We won't come close to capturing the breadth of what Peter has to say in this letter, but in this small window that we’re focusing in on, we will see the full picture of the gospel, how we are born again to a living hope.

The main theme of Ephesians 2:4–7 is bracketed off from the rest of our text drawing our eyes and our attention to one glorious truth: by grace you have been saved. This summary of the gospel message shows us that it is the grace of God, his unmerited favor, that has saved us from first to last. There are three brief truths I would like to call to your attention this morning: 1. The God of Grace 2. The Gifts of Grace 3. The Glory of Grace.

Luke 24:1-12 proclaims the greatest news ever told. These verses bridge the darkest night in history to its brightest morning. On Good Friday, the disciples' hopes were buried in the tomb with the Lord himself, On Easter Sunday their hope sprang eternal with the good news of his resurrection. This Easter morning we will look not only at the reality of the resurrection of Jesus, but also what it means. I want to shape our sermon with three truths that might fill our hearts and lives with “Resurrection Hope.” Those truths are: 1. The Tomb is Empty, 2. The Promises are True, 3. The Work is Done.

Acts 5:27–42 begins and ends with the apostles proclaiming the name of Jesus, yet the space between details the most severe persecution we have seen so far in our study. Despite their message being rejected, and their bodies beaten, the apostles rejoice in suffering and praise God that they were “Counted Worthy to Suffer.” With our bibles open and Judson’s letter ringing in our ears, let see how the apostles were willing to suffer: 1. For the Sake of the Name (27-32), 2. For the Sake of Souls (33-39), and 3. For the Joy of Being Counted Worthy (40-42).

In Acts 5:12-32 we read a report of how the Lord is at work in a local church planted in a city of vast lostness, and real threats, yet a steadfast commitment to proclaim Christ. Our verses cover a wide range of elements: days of church growth, a night in prison, a mini-sermon, and opposition. Through it all we find a thread of what might be described simply as, “Authentic Ministry.” Yet, in this update provided by Luke, we find patterns that are not only meant to be true of the ancient church, or global churches, but our church right here right now. We will think about this kind of Authentic Ministry with three signs to look for (three things to pray for): 1. Gospel Transformation, 2. Gospel Persecution, and 3. Gospel Proclamation.

In Acts 5:1-11, we are met with the first recorded sin in the New Testament church. After witnessing what seemed like ever-increasing unity and joy over the first four chapters of the book, from now on what we'll see is not only external persecution, but internal corruption. At the heart of this story, what we see most clearly is God's passion for, and His commitment to, the purity of the church. There are three lessons in this passage that instruct us on how a local church can pursue purity and fight hypocrisy: 1. Stand in the Truth, 2. Walk in the Light, and 3. Live in the Fear of the Lord.

The grace-filled description of the Jerusalem Church in Acts 4:32-37 contains a compelling picture of how the gospel recalibrates the very heart and soul of a local church. The picture we witness is one of authentic Christianity that moves us from living with self and our own agenda at the center, to a new way of living with Christ and his kingdom at the center. While this passage may seem foreign to us in some ways, it is certainly meant to feel like home in others. We will observe our passage under two headings that serve as windows through which we study this church marked with “Great Grace:” 1. Gospel Unity and 2. Gospel Generosity.

In Acts 4:23-31, we have the privilege of walking into a prayer meeting of the early church. As these believers experience their first taste of persecution, their reflex is to fly to God in prayer. In what may have been “Only A Prayer Meeting,” the description of this occasion contains helpful lessons on prayer itself and its role in the life of each local church. Here we learn something of: 1. The Practice of Prayer, 2. The Posture of Prayer, and 3. The Power of Prayer.