Acts of the Apostles: An Outline

“They aren’t the same men…the ones, who doubted in Galilee; who argued in Capernaum; who ran for their lives in Gethsemane; they are different.  They have stood face to face with God.  They have sat at the feet of the King….within them dwells a fire not found on earth.  Christ has taught them.  The Father has forgiven them.  The Spirit indwells them…because they are different, so is the world.”  This is how Max Lucado introduces the book of Acts in The Inspirational Study Bible.  Truly the apostolic church today is a continuation of that same new birth process that makes each believer a new creation in Christ; in whom dwells that same fire that changes individual souls and the world with the marvelous light of Jesus Christ.

  

Acts records events than span a period of 32 years and was written by the apostle Luke as a continuation of his Gospel account; probably written about A.D. 61-65.  It records the ascension of Jesus Christ; the outpouring of the Holy Ghost; Peter ministering to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost; then the Gospel going to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius; the start of the Christian Church; the conversion and ministry of Paul.

STORY I Acts chapters 1-9	STORY II Acts chapters 10-28	STORY III Acts chapters 1-28
Events & People: Ministry of the Apostle Peter	Events & People: Ministry of the Apostle Paul	Beginning of the Christian Church	Found in Acts Chapters
Ascension Holy Ghost Gate beautiful In ward Ananias & Sapphira Widows Stephen Philip Saul Dorcas Cornelius Peter expounded Herod	Cyprus Lystra Circumcised Philippi Athens Corinth Ephesus Farewell Girdle Arrest Stairway Conspiracy Felix Festus Agrippa Shipwreck Rome	IS BORN GROWTH/ TESTING IS SCATTERED TO THE GENTILES GOES OVERSEAS LEADERS ON TRIAL	1 & 2 3 - 7 8 & 9 9 through 12 13 through 21 21 through 28

 Three Distinct Stories: One Spirit

      Though the book of Acts is divided into two distinct parts, it tells three main stories; 1) the ministry of Peter, 2) the ministry of Paul and 3) the birth and growth of the church.  It records the Acts of the Apostles, but could be more appropriately called the Acts of the Holy Ghost.

Peter to the Jews in Jerusalem

Part A: Story 1

     Part One comprises chapters 1 through 9, where Peter is prominent and Jerusalem is the center.  It is Peter’s ministry to the Jew, God’s covenant people who had rejected Jesus Christ.  The message was, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  We see the fulfillment of the promised of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit; that Jesus spoke about.  This ministry to the Jews was met with persecution and ultimately, the stoning of Stephen.

Paul to the Gentiles at Antioch

Part B: Story 2

     Part Two comprises chapters 10 through 28, where Paul is prominent.  He emerges from one who persecuted the church to the one who takes the Gospel to the Gentiles and Antioch is established as the center of this ministry.  His story is one of monumental transformation; Paul the persecutor, who gets saved and undergoes instruction.   Paul then goes on three missionary journeys before becoming a prisoner.  There could be no greater testimony to unlimited potential of a Holy Ghost filled Christian than Paul.  His life truly was stretched to opposite extremes; murderer and persecutor to saint and martyr.  Christian tradition says Paul was beheaded in Rome under the Roman ruler Nero. 

The Birth of the Christian Church

Parts A & B:  Story 3

     The greatest story ever told did not stop with the Birth, Ministry, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The work of the Christian Church is very much a continuation of the Gospel Story.  Every aspect of the Gospel is magnified in the book of Acts; a story that is still being written, down through the ages of the Christian era; and is current with true believers today. 

     The greatest of all Heavenly wonders, Apostolic Gifts, Healings, Signs and Miracles, is just ahead.  What has been recorded thus far is only the prelude to the main event; the Day of the Lord.  There will be no greater cataclysmic event since the rebellion of Lucifer; when there was war in heaven.  We are standing on the precipice of an outpouring of the Holy Ghost that has never been witnessed in all of the history of man.  We are the church of the living God; whose founder is Jesus Christ, King of kings, the Mighty God himself!

Profound Impact

     Next to the whole Pentecost story of the birth of the Church in that upper room, there is one story that stood out and pushed the sobriety meter to the limit; the story of Ananias and Sapphira.  Here we see a sobering example of how God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  The wrath of God, that is normally associated with the Old Testament, reveals that God is not kidding around.  Like with Uzzah God shook-up every Christian with Ananias and Sapphira.  The reality that God, the great “I AM,” is to be taken seriously; that it really does matter to God, is a message for us today as well.

The Story Ahead

     Since the book of Acts is currently still being written, we need to learn from the book of Acts while we continue to write its story.  At the same time we need to look at the warnings of events as well as the strengths and weaknesses that lie ahead as revealed by God.  John reveals the messages to the seven churches in the book of Revelation.  The church at Ephesus ties Acts to the book of Revelation and the seven churches in Asia.  The warning to the church there was,

“I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

                                                                                                 Revelation 2:4

Although these seven churches were actual churches that had their strengths and weaknesses; they can be perceived as church eras; with Laodicea being the era that endures the Great Tribulation, just before the return of Jesus Christ.

The weaknesses and strengths of all seven churches also represent the range of attitudes and attributes extent in all churches of every era.  The Christian Church as a whole is very diverse.  Because God has opened our minds to his truth, we can learn from the book of Acts and the ministries of Peter and Paul.  We can apply the same focus and strategy of the New Testament Church to our local church and denomination today.  “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;”

We are going to discuss the messages to the seven churches over the next seven days.  These messages are for our time today as we live in the unfolding of "The End Time Events" prophesied by the prophets, the Apostle John and Jesus Christ.  These messages pointed out both strengths and weakness that are in the Church today and we individually make up the Church.  These messages are for each of us.  You need to read, study and mediate, prayerfully over them; seeking to hear God's voice for your life!

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References

_A  Map of the seven churches of Revelation was taken from:
 http://www.bible-history.com/maps/7_churches_asia.html