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The Complete Story of the Book of Acts Like You_ve Never Seen Before · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: The Book of Acts is a kind of historical journal
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Speaker 1: that recounts how Christianity began to spread across the world.
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Speaker 1: It was written by Luke, who, besides being a physician,
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Speaker 1: was a close friend of the apostle Paul and accompanied
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Speaker 1: him on his journeys. Luke is also the author of
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Speaker 1: another book of the Bible, the Gospel that bears his name,
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Speaker 1: Written around a d. Sixty three, Acts serves as a
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Speaker 1: continuation of the Gospel of Luke. While the Gospel tells
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Speaker 1: the story of Jesus, Acts narrates what happened after Jesus
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Speaker 1: ascended into heaven. The book is dedicated to someone named Theophilus,
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Speaker 1: who was likely an important Roman citizen interested in learning
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Speaker 1: more about Christianity. Luke wrote during a particularly significant moment
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Speaker 1: in history. The Roman Empire was in control of nearly
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Speaker 1: the entire known world at the time, and there was
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Speaker 1: relative peace among nations. Roman roads were excellent, allowing people
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Speaker 1: to travel more easily. This greatly facilitated the efforts of
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Speaker 1: the early Christians to spread their message to different places.
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Speaker 1: To write the book, Luke conducted thorough research, much like
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Speaker 1: a reporter. He spoke with people who had witnessed the
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Speaker 1: event's first hand, examined documents, and included his own experiences,
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Speaker 1: as he had personally taken part in several missionary journeys
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Speaker 1: with Paul. The Book of Acts covers roughly thirty years
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Speaker 1: of history, starting immediately after Jesus' resurrection around a d.
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Speaker 1: Thirty three and concluding with Paul in Rome around a d.
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Speaker 1: Sixty three. During this period, we see how Christianity grew
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Speaker 1: from being a small group in Jerusalem to becoming a
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Speaker 1: movement that reached diverse peoples and places, from Jews to Gentiles,
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Speaker 1: and from the Middle East to Europe. It is a
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Speaker 1: story filled with dramatic moments, courageous individuals facing persecution, miracles
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Speaker 1: taking place, lives being transformed, and entire communities changing their
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Speaker 1: ways of thinking and living. Through it all, we see
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Speaker 1: how the Holy Spirit guided those early Christians in their
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Speaker 1: mission to spread the message of Jesus to the world.
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Speaker 1: After his resurrection, Jesus spent forty days appearing to his
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Speaker 1: disciples and speaking about the Kingdom of God. These were
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Speaker 1: precious moments during which he not only proved that he
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Speaker 1: was alive, but also prepared his followers for the mission ahead. Luke,
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Speaker 1: the author of Acts tells us in the first chapter
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Speaker 1: that Jesus presented himself alive to the apostles with many
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Speaker 1: convincing proofs. As stated in Acts one to three, after
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Speaker 1: his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many
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Speaker 1: convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them
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Speaker 1: over a period of forty days and spoke about the
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Speaker 1: Kingdom of God. During one of these memorable and caca unters,
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Speaker 1: while sharing a meal with them, Jesus made a promise
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Speaker 1: that would change the course of history. Acts one four
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Speaker 1: five records this promise. On one occasion, while he was
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Speaker 1: eating with them, he gave them this command, do not
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Speaker 1: leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised,
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Speaker 1: which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized
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Speaker 1: with water, but in a few days you will be
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Speaker 1: baptized with the Holy Spirit. This promise reignited an old
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Speaker 1: hope within the disciples. Still thinking in political and national terms,
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Speaker 1: they asked if that would be the time to restore
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Speaker 1: the kingdom to Israel. In Acts one six to seven
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Speaker 1: we read then they gathered around him and asked him, Lord,
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Speaker 1: are you at this time going to restore the kingdom
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Speaker 1: to Israel. He said to them, it is not for
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Speaker 1: you to know the times or dates the Father has
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Speaker 1: set by his own authority. With wisdom, Jesus redirected their
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Speaker 1: focus to something far greater. It was not just about
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Speaker 1: one nation, but a plan to reach the entire world,
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Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts one eight. But you will receive
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Speaker 1: power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you
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Speaker 1: will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
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Speaker 1: and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This
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Speaker 1: was jesus final instruction before his ascension, a road map
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Speaker 1: for the expansion of the Gospel that would unfold in
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Speaker 1: the years to come. Immediately after giving these instructions, something
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Speaker 1: extraordinary happened on the Mount of Olives. The moment of
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Speaker 1: farewell had arrived, but it was unlike any other good bye.
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Speaker 1: Acts one ninety eleven details the event. After he said this,
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Speaker 1: he was taken up before their very eyes, and a
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Speaker 1: cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently
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Speaker 1: up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly
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Speaker 1: two men dressed in white stood beside them, men of Galilee.
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Speaker 1: They said, why do you stand here looking into the sky.
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Speaker 1: This Dame Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven,
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Speaker 1: will come back in the same way you have seen
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Speaker 1: him go into heaven. Following the Master's instructions, the disciples
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Speaker 1: returned to Jerusalem, a short journey of about a kilometer
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Speaker 1: from the Mount of Olives. They went to the Upper Room,
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Speaker 1: a place where they often gathered. Acts one thirteen lists
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Speaker 1: those present when they arrived. They went upstairs to the
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Speaker 1: room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James,
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Speaker 1: and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew James, son
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Speaker 1: of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas, son of James.
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Speaker 1: But it wasn't just the eleven apostles there. Luke also
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Speaker 1: tells us that some women, Mary the mother of Jesus
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Speaker 1: and his brothers were present as well. Acts one fourteen
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Speaker 1: describes their dedication. They all joined together constantly in prayer.
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Speaker 1: Along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus,
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Speaker 1: and with his brother This was a group devoted to prayer,
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Speaker 1: united in purpose and awaiting the Father's promise. During these
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Speaker 1: days of waiting, an important matter had to be addressed. Peter,
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Speaker 1: exercising his leadership, took the initiative to discuss the replacement
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Speaker 1: of Judas Iscariot. Speaking to about one hundred and twenty
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Speaker 1: people gathered, he explained how Scripture had foretold what happened
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Speaker 1: with Judas. Acts one fifteen to seventeen recounts in those days.
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Speaker 1: Peter stood up among the believers, a group numbering about
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Speaker 1: one to twenty, and said, brothers and sisters, the scripture
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Speaker 1: had to be fulfilled, in which the Holy Spirit spoke
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Speaker 1: long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide
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Speaker 1: for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our
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Speaker 1: number and shared in our ministry. Peter cited two psalms
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Speaker 1: that spoke to their situation. The first, from Psalms sixty
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Speaker 1: nine twenty five, referred to Judas's place being deserted. The second,
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Speaker 1: from Psalm one nine to eight, indicated that another should
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Speaker 1: take his position. Based on this, Peter outlined the criteria
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Speaker 1: for choosing the new apostle, as stated in Acts one
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Speaker 1: twenty one twenty two. Therefore, it is necessary to choose
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Speaker 1: one of the men who have been with us the
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Speaker 1: whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning
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Speaker 1: from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken
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Speaker 1: up from us, for one of these must become a
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Speaker 1: witness with us of his resurrection. Two men met these criteria,
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Speaker 1: Joseph called Barsabas, also known as Eustace, and Matthias. The
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Speaker 1: choice was made through prayer and casting lots, a common
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Speaker 1: Old Testament practice for discerning God's will. Acts one twenty four,
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Speaker 1: twenty six records. Then they prayed, Lord, you know everyone's heart,
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Speaker 1: Show us which of these two you have chosen to
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Speaker 1: take over this Apostola ministry, Which Judas left to go
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Speaker 1: where he belongs. Then they cast lots, and the lot
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Speaker 1: fell to Matthias, so he was added to the eleven apostles. Finally,
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Speaker 1: the day of Pentecost arrived, one of the three major
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Speaker 1: Jewish festivals that brought pilgrims from many nations to Jerusalem.
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Speaker 1: While they were all gathered in one place, something supernatural occurred.
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Speaker 1: The promised Holy Spirit descended powerfully and visibly. Acts two
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Speaker 1: point two to four describes Suddenly, a sound like the
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Speaker 1: blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled
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Speaker 1: the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what
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Speaker 1: seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came
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Speaker 1: to rest on each of them. All of them were
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Speaker 1: filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in
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Speaker 1: other tongues as the spirit enabled them. The event was
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Speaker 1: so astonishing that it drew a crowd. Devout Jews from
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Speaker 1: various nations in Jerusalem for the festival were amazed to
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Speaker 1: hear these simple Galileans speaking in their native languages. Acts
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Speaker 1: two Pa nine Toentod eleven lists the diversity of regions
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Speaker 1: represented Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
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Speaker 1: Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts
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Speaker 1: of Libya near Syren, Visitors from Rome, both Jews and
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Speaker 1: converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs. We hear them declaring
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Speaker 1: the wonders of God in our own tongues. Peter, filled
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Speaker 1: with the Holy Spirit, stood up with the eleven and
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Speaker 1: began explaining what was happening with boldness. He proclaimed that
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Speaker 1: this was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and more importantly,
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Speaker 1: that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was the promised Messiah.
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Speaker 1: His message deeply moved the crowd. Acts two thirty seven
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Speaker 1: recounts when the people heard this, they were cut to
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Speaker 1: the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, brothers,
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Speaker 1: what shall we do. Peter's response was clear and power powerful.
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Speaker 1: A scene in Acts two thirty eight thirty nine, Peter replied,
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Speaker 1: repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the
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Speaker 1: name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins,
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Speaker 1: and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,
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Speaker 1: the promises for you and your children, and for all
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Speaker 1: who are far off, for all whom the Lord our
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Speaker 1: God will call. The result was immediate and remarkable. About
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Speaker 1: three thousand people accepted the message that day and were baptized.
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Speaker 1: Thus the Church of Christ was born amid powerful signs
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Speaker 1: and an extraordinary manifestation of the Holy Spirit. It was
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Speaker 1: the beginning of a movement that would transform the world.
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Speaker 1: The Church in Jerusalem grew daily. People gathered in the
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Speaker 1: temple and in homes, shared everything they had, and lived
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Speaker 1: in deep fellowship. Every day God added more people to
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Speaker 1: that community, which lived with joy and simplicity. It was
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Speaker 1: in this context that the first major public miracle after
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Speaker 1: Pentecost occurred. Peter and John were heading to the temple
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Speaker 1: to pray around three in the afternoon when they encountered
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Speaker 1: a man who caught their attention. As recorded in Acts
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Speaker 1: three two two to three, a man who was lame
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Speaker 1: from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful,
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Speaker 1: where he was put every day to beg from those
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Speaker 1: going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and
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Speaker 1: John about to enter, he asked them for money. What
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Speaker 1: happened next forever changed the man's life. Peter looked directly
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Speaker 1: at him and said something astonishing, as recorded in Acts
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Speaker 1: three six. Then Peter said, silver or gold I do
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Speaker 1: not have, But what I do have, I give you
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Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Walk. God's
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Speaker 1: power manifested immediately. Acts three seventy eight recounts. Taking him
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Speaker 1: by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly
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Speaker 1: the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to
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Speaker 1: his feet and began to walk. Then he went with
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Speaker 1: them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God.
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Speaker 1: The healing of this man, whom every one knew as
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Speaker 1: the beggar at the temple gate for so many years
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Speaker 1: caused an uproar. People ran to see the miracle. Gathering
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Speaker 1: at Solomon's Colonnade, Peter seized the opportunity to preach his
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Speaker 1: second public message, explaining that this miracle happened through the
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Speaker 1: power of the same Jesus they had rejected. In his speech,
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Speaker 1: Peter did not hold back, as recorded in Acts three
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Speaker 1: thirteen to fifteen, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
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Speaker 1: the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant, Jesus.
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Speaker 1: You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned
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Speaker 1: him before Pilot, though he had decided to let him go.
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Speaker 1: You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that
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Speaker 1: a murderer be released to you. You killed the author
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Speaker 1: of life, but God raised him from the dead. We
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Speaker 1: are witnesses of this. While Peter was still speaking, the priests,
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Speaker 1: the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees arrived
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Speaker 1: in fury. They could not tolerate the apostles teaching the
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Speaker 1: people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead,
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Speaker 1: as Acts four three four recounts. They seized Peter and John,
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Speaker 1: and because it was evening, they put them in jail
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Speaker 1: until the next day, but many who heard the message believed,
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Speaker 1: so the number of men who believed grew to about
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Speaker 1: five thousand. The next day, Peter and John were brought
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Speaker 1: before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council. Present were the
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Speaker 1: key leaders Annas, the High Priest Caiaphas, John Alexander, and
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Speaker 1: others of the High Priest's family. They demanded to know
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Speaker 1: by what power or in whose name the apostles had
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Speaker 1: performed the miracle. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, responded boldly,
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Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts four ten to twelve, It is
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Speaker 1: by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified,
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Speaker 1: but whom God raised from the dead, that this man
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Speaker 1: stands before you. Healed. Jesus is the stone you builders rejected,
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Speaker 1: which has become the cornerstone. Salvation is found in no
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Speaker 1: one else, for there is no other name under Heaven
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Speaker 1: given to mankind by which we must be saved. The
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Speaker 1: courage of Peter and John astonished the religious leaders. They
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Speaker 1: knew these were unschooled ordinary men, but recognized that they
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Speaker 1: had been with Jesus. Unable to deny the miracle, since
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Speaker 1: the healed man stood before them, they decided only to
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Speaker 1: threaten the apostles forbidding them to speak or teach in
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Speaker 1: Jesus name. The apostles response was unforgettable, as recorded in
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Speaker 1: Acts four, but Peter and John replied, which is right
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Speaker 1: in God's eyes to listen to you or to him.
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Speaker 1: You be the judges. As for us, we can not
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Speaker 1: help speaking about what we have seen and heard. After
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Speaker 1: further threats, they were released. Returning to their community, Peter
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Speaker 1: and John shared everything that had happened. The entire church
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Speaker 1: united in prayer, asking for boldness to keep preaching despite
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Speaker 1: the threats. The result was powerful, as recorded in Acts
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Speaker 1: four thirty one. After they prayed, the place where they
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Speaker 1: were meeting was shaken, and they were all filled with
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Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
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Speaker 1: The church continued to grow, living in extraordinary unity. People
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Speaker 1: sold their possessions and brought the money to the apostles
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Speaker 1: to distribute to anyone in need. It was in this
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Speaker 1: context that a striking episode occurred the case of Anonius
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Speaker 1: and Sapphira. This couple sold a piece of property, but,
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Speaker 1: unlike others, secretly kept part of the money. The problem
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Speaker 1: wasn't withholding some of the proceeds, but lying about it.
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Speaker 1: Peter confronted Ananaius first, as recorded in Acts five three
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Speaker 1: to four. Then Peter said, Anonaeus, how is it that
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Speaker 1: Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied
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Speaker 1: to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some
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Speaker 1: of the money you received for the land? Didn't it
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Speaker 1: belong to you before it was sold? And after it
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Speaker 1: was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made
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Speaker 1: you think of doing such a thing. You have not
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Speaker 1: lied just to human beings, but to God. The outcome
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Speaker 1: was immediate and shocking. Anonaeus fell dead on the spot.
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Speaker 1: About three hours later, his wife, Safier arrived, unaware of
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Speaker 1: what had happened. Peter gave her a chance to tell
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Speaker 1: the truth, but she repeated the same lie as recorded
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Speaker 1: in Acts five nine to ten. Peter said to her,
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Speaker 1: how could you conspire to test the spirit of the Lord? Listen,
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Speaker 1: the feet of the men who buried your husband are
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Speaker 1: at the door, and they will carry you out. Also
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Speaker 1: at that moment, she fell down at his feet and died.
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Speaker 1: This event instilled reverent fear in the entire church and
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Speaker 1: the surrounding community. Meanwhile, many signs and wonders were performed
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Speaker 1: by the Apostles. Acts five fifteen to sixteen recounts. As
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Speaker 1: a result, people brought the sick into the streets and
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Speaker 1: laid them on beds and mats, so that at least
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Speaker 1: Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he
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Speaker 1: passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and
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Speaker 1: all of them were healed. The success of the Christian
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Speaker 1: movement once again provoked the wrath of the religious leaders.
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Speaker 1: The apostles were arrested, but during the night an angel
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Speaker 1: of the Lord opened the prison doors and instructed them
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Speaker 1: to go to the temple and preach. When the guards
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Speaker 1: went to fetch them the next morning, they found the
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Speaker 1: cells locked, the guards at their posts, but the prisoners gone.
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Speaker 1: Soon word came that the Apostles were teaching in the temple.
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Speaker 1: They were brought back before the Sanhedrin. The high priest
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Speaker 1: reprimanded them for disobeying the order not to teach in
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Speaker 1: Jesus name. The apostles reply, recorded in Acts five twenty nine,
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Speaker 1: was resolute, we must obey God rather than human beings.
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Speaker 1: As the leaders debated whether to execute them. A respected
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Speaker 1: pharisee named Gamaliel offered wise counsel, as recorded in Acts
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Speaker 1: five thirty eight thirty nine, leave these men alone. Let
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Speaker 1: them go, for if their purpose or activity is of
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Speaker 1: human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God,
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Speaker 1: you will not be able to stop these men. You
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Speaker 1: will only find yourselves fighting against God. The apostles were
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Speaker 1: flogged and released with the order to cease speaking in
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Speaker 1: Jesus name, but the persecution did not deter them. Acts
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Speaker 1: five forty one forty two recounts the apostles left the
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Speaker 1: Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering
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Speaker 1: disgrace for the name. Day after day in the temple
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Speaker 1: courts and from house to house, they never stop teaching
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Speaker 1: and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
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Speaker 1: As the church grew in Jerusalem, a new crisis emerged.
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Speaker 1: The number of disciples increased so rapidly that practical problems
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Speaker 1: began to arise. The Greeks speaking widows were being overlooked
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Speaker 1: in the daily distribution of food, as described in Acts
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Speaker 1: six two t four. So the twelve gathered all the
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Speaker 1: disciples together and said it would not be right for
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Speaker 1: us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God
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Speaker 1: in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose
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Speaker 1: seven men from among you who are known to be
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Speaker 1: full of the spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
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Speaker 1: responsibility over to them, and will give our attention to
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Speaker 1: prayer and the ministry of the Word. The community elected
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Speaker 1: seven men, Stephen, Philip, Procorus nicanor Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas.
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Speaker 1: The text highlights that Stephen was a man full of
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Speaker 1: faith and the Holy Spirit. He performed great wonders and
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Speaker 1: signs among the people. But this provoked the envy of
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Speaker 1: some religious leaders. Unable to defeat Stephen in debate, these
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Speaker 1: men began spreading lies about him. In Acts six eleven,
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Speaker 1: their strategy is described. Then they secretly persuaded some men
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Speaker 1: to say, we have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against
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Speaker 1: Moses and against God. The accusation was serious. They claimed
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Speaker 1: Stephen spoke against the temple and the law of Moses.
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Speaker 1: Brought before the Sanhedrin, Stephen delivered an impressive speech. Instead
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Speaker 1: of defending himself, he recounted Israel's history, showing how the
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Speaker 1: people had consistently resisted the Holy Spirit and persecuted the prophets,
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Speaker 1: as stated in Acts seven fifty one fifty three. Use
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Speaker 1: stiff necked people. Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised.
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Speaker 1: You are just like your ancestors. You always resist the
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Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet? Your ancestors did
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Speaker 1: not persecute. They even killed those who predicted the coming
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Speaker 1: of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and
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Speaker 1: murdered him, You who have received the law that was
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Speaker 1: given through angels, but have not obeyed it. These words
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Speaker 1: enraged the religious leaders. But Stephen full of the Holy
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Speaker 1: Spirit had an extraordinary vision, as recorded in Acts seven
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Speaker 1: fifty five fifty six. But Stephen full of the Holy
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Speaker 1: Spirit looked up to heaven and saw the glory of
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Speaker 1: God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Look,
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Speaker 1: he said, I see heaven open, and the Son of
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Speaker 1: Man standing at the right hand of God. The reaction
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Speaker 1: was violent. Acts seven fifty seven fifty eight recounts at
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Speaker 1: this they covered their ears and yelling at the top
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Speaker 1: of their voices. They all rushed at him, dragged him
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Speaker 1: out of the city, and began to stone him. Meanwhile,
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Speaker 1: the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a
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Speaker 1: young man named Saul. Even in death, Stephen displayed the
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Speaker 1: spirit of Jesus, as described in Acts seven fifty nine sixty.
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Speaker 1: While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, Lord, Jesus, receive
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Speaker 1: my spirit. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, Lord,
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Speaker 1: do not hold this sin against them. When he had
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Speaker 1: said this, he fell asleep. Stephen's death marked the beginning
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Speaker 1: of severe persecution against the Church in Jerusalem. Saul, the
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Speaker 1: young man who guarded the garments of Stephen's executioners, became
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Speaker 1: a chief persecutor, as noted in Acts eight three. But
22:49
Speaker 1: Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house,
22:53
Speaker 1: he dragged off both men and women and put them
22:56
Speaker 1: in prison. However, this persecution served God's purpose. Christians scattered everywhere,
23:02
Speaker 1: taking the message of the Gospel with them, as recorded
23:06
Speaker 1: in Acts eight four, Those who had been scattered preached
23:10
Speaker 1: the Word wherever they went. One of these scattered individuals
23:14
Speaker 1: was Philip, who went to a city in Samaria and
23:17
Speaker 1: began preaching Christ there. The results were remarkable. Acts eight
23:22
Speaker 1: six eight states. When the crowds heard Philip and saw
23:26
Speaker 1: the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to
23:29
Speaker 1: what he said, for with shrieks, impure spirits came out
23:33
Speaker 1: of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
23:37
Speaker 1: So there was great joy in that city. The success
23:41
Speaker 1: of the ministry in Samaria was so great that the
23:45
Speaker 1: apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to investigate. Upon arrival,
23:50
Speaker 1: they prayed for the new converts to receive the Holy Spirit,
23:54
Speaker 1: as described in Acts eight seventeen. Then Peter and John
23:58
Speaker 1: placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Afterward,
24:03
Speaker 1: while returning to Jerusalem, Peter and John preached in many
24:06
Speaker 1: Samaritan villages. Meanwhile, Philip received a new mission from the Lord.
24:12
Speaker 1: An angel directed him to go south to the road
24:15
Speaker 1: leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. There he encountered an important
24:20
Speaker 1: Ethiopian official returning from Jerusalem. This man, the treasurer of
24:25
Speaker 1: the Queen of Ethiopia, was reading the Book of Isaiah
24:28
Speaker 1: in his chariot. The Spirit instructed Philip to approach the chariot.
24:33
Speaker 1: Acts eight thirty thirty one describes, Then Philip ran up
24:38
Speaker 1: to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.
24:42
Speaker 1: Do you understand what you are reading, Philip asked, how
24:46
Speaker 1: can I He said, unless someone explains it to me.
24:50
Speaker 1: So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
24:54
Speaker 1: The Ethiopian was reading the prophecy about the suffering Messiah
24:58
Speaker 1: in Isaiah fifty three. Philip used this opportunity to proclaim
25:03
Speaker 1: the good news about Jesus. The impact was immediate. When
25:07
Speaker 1: they came to some water, the Ethiopian asked to be baptized.
25:11
Speaker 1: Acts eight thirty six The thirty eight records as they
25:15
Speaker 1: traveled along the road, they came to some water, and
25:18
Speaker 1: the eunuch said, look, here is water. What can stand
25:21
Speaker 1: in the way of my being baptized. Philip said, if
25:25
Speaker 1: you believe with all your heart, you may. The eunuch answered,
25:30
Speaker 1: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
25:33
Speaker 1: and he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both
25:36
Speaker 1: Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and
25:39
Speaker 1: Philip baptized him. Immediately after the baptism, something extraordinary happened.
25:45
Speaker 1: Acts eight thirty nine to forty states when they came
25:48
Speaker 1: up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord
25:51
Speaker 1: suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see
25:54
Speaker 1: him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however,
25:59
Speaker 1: appeared Desotus and traveled about preaching the gospel in all
26:03
Speaker 1: the towns until he reached Caesarea. Meanwhile, Saul continued his
26:08
Speaker 1: furious persecution of Christians. He obtained letters from the high
26:12
Speaker 1: priest authorizing him to arrest Jesus followers in Damascus. But
26:17
Speaker 1: on the road to that city, an event occurred that
26:20
Speaker 1: changed his life forever. Acts nine three to six recounts
26:25
Speaker 1: as he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light
26:28
Speaker 1: from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground
26:32
Speaker 1: and heard a voice say to him, Saul, Saul, why
26:35
Speaker 1: do you persecute me? Who are you? Lord? Saul asked,
26:40
Speaker 1: I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. He replied, Now
26:44
Speaker 1: get up and go into the city, and you will
26:47
Speaker 1: be told what you must do. The men traveling with
26:50
Speaker 1: Saul were speechless. They heard the voice but saw no one.
26:55
Speaker 1: When Saul got up, he was blind. His companions led
26:59
Speaker 1: him by the and into Damascus, where he remained for
27:02
Speaker 1: three days without sight, food, or drink. In Damascus, a
27:07
Speaker 1: disciple named Anonius received a vision from the Lord instructing
27:11
Speaker 1: him to find Saul. Acts nine eleven to twelve says,
27:16
Speaker 1: go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and
27:19
Speaker 1: ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, For he
27:22
Speaker 1: is praying in a vision he has seen a man
27:26
Speaker 1: named Anonius come and place his hands on him to
27:29
Speaker 1: restore his sight. Anonius hesitated, knowing Saul's reputation as a persecutor,
27:35
Speaker 1: but the Lord insisted, revealing his plans for Saul, as
27:39
Speaker 1: recorded in Acts nine fifteen sixteen, go this man is
27:44
Speaker 1: my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles
27:48
Speaker 1: and their kings and to the people of Israel. I
27:51
Speaker 1: will show him how much he must suffer for my name.
27:55
Speaker 1: When Anonius arrived, he laid hands on Saul and said,
27:59
Speaker 1: as noted in Acts nine seventeen, Brother, Saul, the Lord Jesus,
28:03
Speaker 1: who appeared to you on the road as you were
28:05
Speaker 1: coming here, has sent me so that you may see
28:08
Speaker 1: again and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately, something
28:12
Speaker 1: like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again.
28:16
Speaker 1: He got up and was baptized. Saul's transformation was immediate
28:21
Speaker 1: and profound. Acts nine twenty to twenty two narrates. At
28:26
Speaker 1: once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus
28:30
Speaker 1: is the Son of God. All those who heard him
28:32
Speaker 1: were astonished and asked, isn't he the man who raised
28:36
Speaker 1: havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?
28:39
Speaker 1: And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners
28:42
Speaker 1: to the chief priests. Yet Saul grew more and more
28:45
Speaker 1: powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving
28:49
Speaker 1: that Jesus is the Messiah. This powerful testimony enraged the Jews,
28:54
Speaker 1: who plotted to kill Saul. They watched the city gates
28:57
Speaker 1: day and night, but his disciples helped him escape by
29:01
Speaker 1: lowering him in a basket through a window in the
29:03
Speaker 1: city wall. When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to
29:07
Speaker 1: join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. Barnabas, however,
29:12
Speaker 1: vouched for him, recounting how Saul had encountered the Lord
29:15
Speaker 1: on the road and preached boldly in Damascus. Meanwhile, elsewhere,
29:20
Speaker 1: Peter was visiting the Saints in various towns and arrived
29:24
Speaker 1: in Joppa. There through him, God raised a disciple named
29:28
Speaker 1: Tabitha from the dead. This miracle became widely known in Joppa,
29:33
Speaker 1: and many believed in the Lord. It was in Joppa
29:36
Speaker 1: that Peter had a vision that would change the course
29:38
Speaker 1: of the church. Acts ten nine eleven describes about noon
29:43
Speaker 1: the following day, as they were on their journey and
29:46
Speaker 1: approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
29:50
Speaker 1: He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while
29:53
Speaker 1: the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
29:57
Speaker 1: He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet
30:00
Speaker 1: being let down to earth by its four corners. The
30:03
Speaker 1: sheet contained all kinds of animals, reptiles, and birds. A
30:07
Speaker 1: voice said, get up, Peter, kill and eat. Peter objected,
30:12
Speaker 1: saying he had never eaten anything impure. The voice replied,
30:15
Speaker 1: as noted in Acts ten fifteen, do not call anything
30:18
Speaker 1: impure that God has made clean. This happened three times.
30:23
Speaker 1: While Peter was pondering the meaning of the vision, men
30:27
Speaker 1: arrived looking for him. They had been sent by Cornelius,
30:31
Speaker 1: a god fearing Roman centurion, who had been instructed by
30:34
Speaker 1: an angel to summon Peter. The spirit told Peter to
30:38
Speaker 1: go with them without hesitation. When Peter arrived at Cornelius's house,
30:43
Speaker 1: he found a large gathering. He then understood the vision's meaning,
30:47
Speaker 1: as Acts ten thirty four thirty five states. Then Peter
30:50
Speaker 1: began to speak, I now realize how true it is
30:54
Speaker 1: that God does not show favoritism, but except from every
30:58
Speaker 1: nation the one who fears Him and does what is right.
31:03
Speaker 1: While Peter was still speaking, something extraordinary happened. Acts ten
31:07
Speaker 1: forty four to forty six records. While Peter was still
31:11
Speaker 1: speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who
31:15
Speaker 1: heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with
31:18
Speaker 1: Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit
31:21
Speaker 1: had been poured out even on gentiles, for they heard
31:25
Speaker 1: them speaking in tongues and praising God. This was a
31:28
Speaker 1: pivotal moment in the church's history. For the first time
31:32
Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit was poured out on gentiles, making it
31:36
Speaker 1: clear that the Gospel was for all people. As a result,
31:40
Speaker 1: Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of
31:43
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. The wall separating Jews and Gentiles was beginning
31:47
Speaker 1: to crumble. The news that the Gentiles had received the
31:51
Speaker 1: Word of God soon reached the apostles and brothers in Judea.
31:56
Speaker 1: When Peter returned to Jerusalem. Some believers criticized him for
32:00
Speaker 1: entering the house of Gentiles and eating with them. Peter
32:04
Speaker 1: then explained everything from the beginning, recounting his vision and
32:08
Speaker 1: how the Holy Spirit had come upon the Gentiles, just
32:12
Speaker 1: as it had on them at the beginning, as we
32:15
Speaker 1: see in Acts eleven seventeen eighteen. So if God gave
32:19
Speaker 1: them the same gift he gave us, who believed in
32:21
Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that
32:24
Speaker 1: I could stand in God's way. When they heard this,
32:28
Speaker 1: they had no further objections and praised God, saying so then,
32:33
Speaker 1: even to Gentiles, God has granted repentance that leads to life. Meanwhile,
32:40
Speaker 1: those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke
32:42
Speaker 1: out after Stephen's death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus,
32:47
Speaker 1: and Antioch. At first they preached only to Jews, but
32:52
Speaker 1: some men from Cyprus and Syreen began speaking to Greeks
32:55
Speaker 1: in Antioch, proclaiming the Lord Jesus the power of God
32:59
Speaker 1: was with them in a special way, as recorded in
33:03
Speaker 1: Acts eleven twenty one. The Lord's hand was with them,
33:06
Speaker 1: and a great number of people believed and turned to
33:09
Speaker 1: the Lord. News of this growth reached the Church in Jerusalem,
33:13
Speaker 1: and they sent Barnabas to investigate what was happening. Barnabas
33:16
Speaker 1: was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
33:20
Speaker 1: When he arrived and saw the grace of God at work,
33:23
Speaker 1: he was overjoyed and encouraged everyone to remain faithful to
33:27
Speaker 1: the Lord. As Acts eleven twenty four tells us, he
33:31
Speaker 1: was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith,
33:34
Speaker 1: and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
33:39
Speaker 1: Seeing the magnitude of the work in Antioch, Barnabas had
33:42
Speaker 1: an idea to fetch Saul from Tarsus to help him,
33:46
Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts eleven twenty five twenty six. Then
33:50
Speaker 1: Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when
33:53
Speaker 1: he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for
33:57
Speaker 1: a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church
34:00
Speaker 1: and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called
34:04
Speaker 1: Christians first at Antioch. During this time, some prophets came
34:08
Speaker 1: down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus,
34:12
Speaker 1: stood up and through the spirit predicted that a severe
34:16
Speaker 1: famine would spread over the entire Roman world. The disciples
34:20
Speaker 1: in Antioch decided to send aid to the brothers and
34:23
Speaker 1: sisters in Judea, each according to their ability. They sent
34:28
Speaker 1: their gifts through Barnabas and Saul. Around this time, King
34:33
Speaker 1: Herod began persecuting members of the church, as we read
34:37
Speaker 1: in Acts twelve Batum one two. It was about this
34:41
Speaker 1: time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church,
34:45
Speaker 1: intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John,
34:49
Speaker 1: put to death with the sword. Seeing that this pleased
34:52
Speaker 1: the Jews, Herod also had Peter arrested during the festival
34:56
Speaker 1: of unleavened Bread. Peter was imprisoned, guarded by four squads
35:01
Speaker 1: of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out
35:04
Speaker 1: for public trial after the Passover, as recorded in Acts
35:08
Speaker 1: twelve and five. So Peter was kept in prison, but
35:12
Speaker 1: the church was earnestly praying to God for him. On
35:15
Speaker 1: the night before Herod was to bring him to trial,
35:18
Speaker 1: something extraordinary happened. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound
35:23
Speaker 1: with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly,
35:27
Speaker 1: an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone
35:31
Speaker 1: in the cell. As we see an Acts twelve seven
35:33
Speaker 1: to eight. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and
35:37
Speaker 1: a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on
35:40
Speaker 1: the side and woke him up. Quick, get up, he said,
35:43
Speaker 1: and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. Then the angel
35:46
Speaker 1: said to him, put on your clothes and sandals, and
35:49
Speaker 1: Peter did so. Wrap your cloak around you, and follow me,
35:53
Speaker 1: the angel told him. Peter followed the angel, thinking he
35:57
Speaker 1: was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second
36:00
Speaker 1: guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city.
36:04
Speaker 1: The gate opened by itself, as recorded in Acts twelve ten.
36:08
Speaker 1: They passed the first and second guards and came to
36:11
Speaker 1: the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for
36:13
Speaker 1: them by itself, and they went through it. When they
36:16
Speaker 1: had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel
36:20
Speaker 1: left him. Only then did Peter realize it wasn't a vision,
36:26
Speaker 1: as we read in Acts twelve eleven. Then Peter came
36:30
Speaker 1: to himself and said, now I know without a doubt
36:33
Speaker 1: that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me
36:37
Speaker 1: from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were
36:40
Speaker 1: hoping would happen. Peter went to the house of Mary,
36:43
Speaker 1: the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered in prayer.
36:47
Speaker 1: When he knocked at the gate, a servant named Rhoda
36:50
Speaker 1: came to answer. She was so overjoyed to recognize Peter's
36:55
Speaker 1: voice that she ran back inside to tell everyone forgetting
36:58
Speaker 1: to open the gate. No one believed her, insisting it
37:01
Speaker 1: must be Peter's angel, as recorded in Acts twelve sixteen.
37:06
Speaker 1: But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the
37:09
Speaker 1: door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter explained how
37:13
Speaker 1: the Lord had delivered him and asked them to inform
37:16
Speaker 1: James and the other brothers and sisters. Then he left
37:20
Speaker 1: for another place. At dawn, there was great commotion among
37:25
Speaker 1: the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. Herod,
37:29
Speaker 1: after searching for him and not finding him, interrogated the
37:32
Speaker 1: guards and ordered their execution. Shortly afterward, Herod met a
37:37
Speaker 1: terrible end during a public address in Caesarea. The people
37:41
Speaker 1: shouted that his voice was that of a God, not
37:44
Speaker 1: a man, as we read in Acts twelve twenty three. Immediately,
37:49
Speaker 1: because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel
37:53
Speaker 1: of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten
37:55
Speaker 1: by worms and died. Meanwhile, the Word of God continued
38:00
Speaker 1: to spread and flourish. Barnabas and Saul, after completing their
38:05
Speaker 1: mission in Jerusalem, returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.
38:10
Speaker 1: In Antioch there were prominent prophets and teachers Barnabas, Simeon
38:15
Speaker 1: called Niger, Lucius of Syrin Mannion, who had been brought
38:19
Speaker 1: up with Herod and Saul. One day, as they worshiped
38:23
Speaker 1: the Lord and fasted, something remarkable occurred, as recorded in
38:28
Speaker 1: Acts thirteen two to three. While they were worshiping the
38:31
Speaker 1: Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me,
38:35
Speaker 1: Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have
38:38
Speaker 1: called them. So after they had fasted and prayed, they
38:41
Speaker 1: placed their hands on them and sent them off. This
38:45
Speaker 1: marked a pivotal moment in the history of the Church.
38:48
Speaker 1: For the first time, missionaries were officially sent out to
38:51
Speaker 1: preach the Gospel in other lands. The Holy Spirit was
38:55
Speaker 1: initiating a new phase in the expansion of Christianity, using
39:00
Speaker 1: Barnabas and Saul as his chosen instruments. The two sent
39:04
Speaker 1: by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia and sailed
39:08
Speaker 1: from there to Cyprus. Upon reaching Salamis, they began proclaiming
39:12
Speaker 1: the Word of God in the Jewish synagogues with John
39:16
Speaker 1: as their helper. As we see in Acts thirteen five,
39:20
Speaker 1: when they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the Word of
39:23
Speaker 1: God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as
39:26
Speaker 1: their helper. This first missionary journey would mark the beginning
39:30
Speaker 1: of a new era in the spread of the Gospel.
39:33
Speaker 1: From there, the message of Jesus would begin to systematically
39:38
Speaker 1: and strategically reach different regions of the Roman Empire. Fulfilling
39:43
Speaker 1: jesus command to take the Gospel to the ends of
39:47
Speaker 1: the earth. Barnabas and Saul traveled across the entire island
39:50
Speaker 1: of Cyprus until they reached Paphos. There they encountered a
39:55
Speaker 1: Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named ba Jesus, also known
39:59
Speaker 1: as Elimas. He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an
40:04
Speaker 1: intelligent man who wanted to hear the word of God. However,
40:08
Speaker 1: Elimas tried to prevent the proconsul from believing. Then Saul,
40:12
Speaker 1: who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,
40:16
Speaker 1: confronted Elimus, as recorded in Acts thirteen ten to eleven,
40:21
Speaker 1: You are a child of the devil and an enemy
40:24
Speaker 1: of everything that is right. You are full of all
40:27
Speaker 1: kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting
40:30
Speaker 1: the right ways of the Lord. Now the hand of
40:33
Speaker 1: the Lord is against you. You are going to be
40:35
Speaker 1: blind for a time, not even able to see the
40:38
Speaker 1: light of the sun. Immediately, mist and darkness came over him,
40:42
Speaker 1: and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by
40:45
Speaker 1: the hand. The Proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being
40:50
Speaker 1: amazed at the teaching about the Lord. Paul and his
40:54
Speaker 1: companions then sailed from Paphos to Perga in Pamphylia. It
40:59
Speaker 1: was there that John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
41:03
Speaker 1: They continued on to Antioch in Pisidia, where they entered
41:06
Speaker 1: the synagogue on the Sabbath. After the reading of the
41:10
Speaker 1: Law and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders invited them to speak.
41:15
Speaker 1: Paul stood up and delivered an impressive speech, recounting Israel's
41:19
Speaker 1: history from Egypt to Jesus. He demonstrated how the prophecies
41:24
Speaker 1: had been fulfilled and proclaimed the forgiveness of sins through Jesus,
41:29
Speaker 1: as stated in Acts thirteen thirty eight to thirty nine. Therefore,
41:33
Speaker 1: my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus,
41:36
Speaker 1: the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through Him,
41:40
Speaker 1: every one who believes is set free from every sin,
41:43
Speaker 1: a justification you were not able to obtain under the
41:46
Speaker 1: law of Moses. The following Sabbath, almost the entire city
41:51
Speaker 1: gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when
41:53
Speaker 1: the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with envy
41:57
Speaker 1: and began to contradict what Paul was saying. Then Paul
42:00
Speaker 1: and Barnabas spoke boldly, as recorded in Acts thirteen forty
42:04
Speaker 1: six to forty seven. We had to speak the word
42:07
Speaker 1: of God to you first, since you reject it and
42:10
Speaker 1: do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life. We now
42:13
Speaker 1: turn to the gentiles. For this is what the Lord
42:16
Speaker 1: has commanded us. I have made you a light for
42:19
Speaker 1: the gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends
42:23
Speaker 1: of the earth. The Gentiles were glad to hear this,
42:27
Speaker 1: and many believed the word of the Lord spread throughout
42:31
Speaker 1: the region, But the Jews incited persecution against Paul and
42:35
Speaker 1: Barnabas and expelled them. They then went to Iconium, as
42:40
Speaker 1: noted in Acts thirteen fifty two, and the disciples were
42:44
Speaker 1: filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. In Iconium,
42:49
Speaker 1: they preached in the synagogue, and many Jews and Greeks believed. However,
42:54
Speaker 1: the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles against them. Despite this,
43:00
Speaker 1: Paul and Barnabas stayed for a long time, speaking boldly,
43:05
Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts fourteen three. So Paul and Barnabas
43:09
Speaker 1: spent considerable time there speaking boldly for the Lord, who
43:13
Speaker 1: confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to
43:17
Speaker 1: perform signs and wonders. The city became divided. Some sided
43:22
Speaker 1: with the Jews, others with the Apostles. When they learned
43:26
Speaker 1: of a plot to stone them, they fled to the
43:28
Speaker 1: cities of Listra and Derbey in Lycaonia. In Listra, something
43:34
Speaker 1: extraordinary happened. There was a man crippled from birth who
43:39
Speaker 1: had never walked. He listened to Paul speak, as recorded
43:42
Speaker 1: in Acts fourteen nine to ten. He listened to Paul
43:46
Speaker 1: as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw
43:50
Speaker 1: that he had faith to be healed, and called out,
43:52
Speaker 1: stand up on your feet. At that, the man jumped
43:56
Speaker 1: up and began to walk. The crowd, seeing this miracle,
44:00
Speaker 1: began shouting in the Lycaonian language that the gods had
44:04
Speaker 1: come down in human form. They called Barnabas, Zeus and Paul. Hermes,
44:09
Speaker 1: the priest of Zeus, brought bulls and wreaths, intending to
44:12
Speaker 1: offer sacrifices to them, but Paul and Barnabas tore their
44:16
Speaker 1: clothes in dismay, as recorded in Acts fourteen fifteen. Friends,
44:21
Speaker 1: why are you doing this? We too are only human
44:24
Speaker 1: like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you
44:27
Speaker 1: to turn from these worthless things to the living God,
44:31
Speaker 1: who made the heavens and the earth, and the sea
44:33
Speaker 1: and everything in them. Even so, it was difficult to
44:37
Speaker 1: stop the people from offering sacrifices to them. Soon, some
44:41
Speaker 1: Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrived and turned the crowd
44:45
Speaker 1: against them. Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city,
44:50
Speaker 1: presumed dead, but when the disciples gathered around him, he
44:54
Speaker 1: got up and went back into the city. The next day,
44:57
Speaker 1: Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe, were they made many disciples.
45:01
Speaker 1: Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the
45:05
Speaker 1: disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith,
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Speaker 1: as recorded in Acts fourteen twenty two, strengthening the disciples
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Speaker 1: and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. We
45:20
Speaker 1: must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
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Speaker 1: In each church they appointed elders, and with prayer and fasting,
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Speaker 1: committed them to the Lord. Passing through Pisidia, they came
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Speaker 1: to Pamphylia, preached in Perga, and went down to Italia.
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Speaker 1: From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had
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Speaker 1: been sent out, as noted in Acts fourteen twenty seven.
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Speaker 1: On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported
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Speaker 1: all that God had done through them, and how He
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Speaker 1: had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. After
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Speaker 1: some time in Antioch, a major controversy arose. Some men
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Speaker 1: from Judea taught that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Paul
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Speaker 1: and Barnabas had sharp disputes with them. The church decided
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Speaker 1: to send Paul, Barnabas and others to Jerusalem to discuss
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Speaker 1: this with the apostles and elders. On their way to Jerusalem,
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Speaker 1: they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, sharing the news of
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Speaker 1: Gentile conversions, bringing great joy to the Brothers and Sisters
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Speaker 1: in Jerusalem. They were welcomed by the church, apostles and elders. However,
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Speaker 1: some Pharisees who had believed insisted that gentiles must be
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Speaker 1: circumcised and follow the law of Moses. After much debate,
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Speaker 1: Peter reminded them how God had used him to bring
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Speaker 1: the Gospel to the gentiles. James proposed a solution that
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Speaker 1: was accepted by all, as recorded in Acts fifteen nineteen twenty.
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Speaker 1: It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make
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Speaker 1: it difficult for the gentiles who are turning to God. Instead,
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Speaker 1: we should write to them, telling them to abstain from
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Speaker 1: food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat
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Speaker 1: of strangled animals, and from blood. The entire church agreed.
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Speaker 1: They chose Judas called Barsabas and Silas to accompany Paul
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Speaker 1: and Barnabas back to Antioch with a letter explaining their decision,
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Speaker 1: as noted in Acts fifteen thirty one. The people rid
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Speaker 1: it and were glad for its encouraging message. After this,
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Speaker 1: Paul suggested to Barnabas that they revisit the brothers and
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Speaker 1: sisters in every city where they had preached the word
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Speaker 1: of the Lord. Barnabas wanted to take john Mark, but
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Speaker 1: Paul disagreed because john Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia.
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Speaker 1: Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas
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Speaker 1: took Mark and went to Cyprus, while Paul chose Silas
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Speaker 1: and set out. Commended by the believers to the grace
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Speaker 1: of the Lord. Paul and Silas traveled through Syria and Cilicia,
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Speaker 1: strengthening the churches. In Durbe and Lystra, they met a
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Speaker 1: young man named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman
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Speaker 1: and a Greek father. The believers spoke well of him,
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Speaker 1: so Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. As recorded in
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Speaker 1: Acts sixteen three, Paul wanted to take him along on
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Speaker 1: the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews
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Speaker 1: who lived in that area, for they all knew that
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Speaker 1: his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town
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Speaker 1: to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles
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Speaker 1: and elders in Jerusalem. The churches were strengthened in faith
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Speaker 1: and grew daily in numbers. They passed through Phrygia and Galicia,
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Speaker 1: but were kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the
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Speaker 1: word in Asia. When they tried to enter Bithynia, the
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Speaker 1: spirit of Jesus would not allow them to, so they
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Speaker 1: passed by Misia and went down to Troas. During the night,
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Speaker 1: Paul had a vision, as recorded in Acts sixteen nine.
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Speaker 1: During the night, Paul had a vision of a man
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Speaker 1: of Macedonia standing and begging him come over to Macedonia
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Speaker 1: and help us. Concluding that God had called them to
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Speaker 1: preach the gospel in Macedonia, they set out immediately. From Troas,
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Speaker 1: they sailed to Samothrace, then to Neapolis, and finally to Philippi,
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Speaker 1: a leading city in Macedonia. The gospel was now reaching Europe.
49:32
Speaker 1: In Philippi, Paul and his companions encountered a seller of
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Speaker 1: purple cloth named Lydia. As recorded in Acts sixteen fourteen,
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Speaker 1: a woman named Lydia from the city of Thiatera, a
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Speaker 1: seller of purple cloth who was a worshiper of God,
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Speaker 1: was listening the Lord opened her heart to pay attention
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Speaker 1: to what was said by Paul. She and her household
49:56
Speaker 1: were baptized, and she insisted that the missionaries stay at
49:59
Speaker 1: her house during their time in Philippi. Paul and Silas
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Speaker 1: were unjustly imprisoned after freeing a young slave girl from
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Speaker 1: a spirit of divination. At midnight, while they were praying
50:12
Speaker 1: and singing hymns to God, something extraordinary happened. Act sixteen
50:18
Speaker 1: twenty six records Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake
50:23
Speaker 1: that the foundations of the prison were shaken at once.
50:26
Speaker 1: All the doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose.
50:31
Speaker 1: The jailer, witnessing this, was converted along with his entire household.
50:35
Speaker 1: After Philippi, they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving
50:40
Speaker 1: in Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
50:45
Speaker 1: As was his custom, Paul went there and for three
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Speaker 1: sabbaths he reasoned with them from the scriptures. Some were persuaded,
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Speaker 1: along with many God fearing Greeks and several prominent women. However,
50:58
Speaker 1: the Jews, out of jealousy, incited a riot in the city.
51:02
Speaker 1: The brothers quickly sent Paul and Silas to Berea. There
51:06
Speaker 1: they found Jews who were more noble, as stated in
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Speaker 1: Acts seventeen eleven. Now these Jews were more noble than
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Speaker 1: those in Thessalonica. They received the Word with all eagerness,
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Speaker 1: examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
51:22
Speaker 1: But when the Jews from Thessalonica heard about this, they
51:25
Speaker 1: went to Berea to stir up trouble. The brothers immediately
51:29
Speaker 1: sent Paul to Athens, while Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
51:33
Speaker 1: In Athens, Paul was deeply distressed to see the city
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Speaker 1: full of idols. He debated in the synagogue with Jews
51:41
Speaker 1: and god fearing gentiles, as well as in the market
51:44
Speaker 1: place daily with those who happened to be there. Some
51:48
Speaker 1: Epicurean and Stoic philosophers brought him to the Areopagus to
51:52
Speaker 1: hear his ideas. At the Areopagus, Paul delivered a memorable speech,
51:57
Speaker 1: beginning with an altar he had seen in scrib with
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Speaker 1: to an unknown God, as recorded in Acts seventeen twenty three.
52:06
Speaker 1: For as I walked around and looked carefully at your
52:08
Speaker 1: objects of worship, I even found an altar with this
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Speaker 1: inscription to an unknown God. So you are ignorant of
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Speaker 1: the very thing you worship, And this is what I
52:18
Speaker 1: am going to proclaim to you. From Athens, Paul traveled
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Speaker 1: to Corinth, where he met a quilla and Priscilla, a
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Speaker 1: Jewish couple who had been expelled from Italy due to
52:29
Speaker 1: Claudius's decree banishing all Jews from Rome. Since they were
52:33
Speaker 1: also tent makers, Paul worked with them on the Sabbaths.
52:38
Speaker 1: He preached in the synagogue. When Silas and Timothy arrived
52:42
Speaker 1: from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself entirely to preaching. However, he
52:47
Speaker 1: faced strong opposition from the Jews. Acts eighteen six states
52:52
Speaker 1: but when they opposed and insulted him, he shook out
52:55
Speaker 1: his clothes in protest and said to them, your blood
52:58
Speaker 1: be on your own heads. I am innocent of it.
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Speaker 1: From now on I will go to the Gentiles. Paul
53:05
Speaker 1: stayed in Corinth for a year and a half teaching
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Speaker 1: the word of God. The Lord encouraged him through a
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Speaker 1: night time vision, as recorded in Acts eighteen nine to ten.
53:15
Speaker 1: One night, the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision,
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Speaker 1: do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent,
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Speaker 1: for I am with you, and no one is going
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Speaker 1: to attack and harm you, because I have many people
53:27
Speaker 1: in this city. After Corinth, Paul set sail for Syria,
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Speaker 1: taking Priscilla and a quilla with him. In Ephesus, he
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Speaker 1: entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Though they
53:39
Speaker 1: asked him to stay longer, he declined, promising to return
53:42
Speaker 1: if God willed. Leaving Priscilla and a quiller in Ephesus,
53:47
Speaker 1: Paul continued to Sesarrea, then went up to Jerusalem to
53:50
Speaker 1: greet the church, and finally traveled to Antioch. After spending
53:54
Speaker 1: some time in Antioch, Paul set out again, traveling through
53:58
Speaker 1: the regions of Galatia and Phrygia to strengthen all the disciples. Meanwhile,
54:04
Speaker 1: in Ephesus, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent man well
54:09
Speaker 1: versed in the scriptures, began teaching fervently about Jesus. Though
54:13
Speaker 1: he knew only the baptism of John. Priscilla and a
54:16
Speaker 1: queler taught him more accurately. When Paul returned to Ephesus,
54:21
Speaker 1: he encountered some disciples who only knew the baptism of John.
54:25
Speaker 1: After explaining about Jesus, they were baptized Acts nineteen six records.
54:31
Speaker 1: When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit
54:34
Speaker 1: came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
54:38
Speaker 1: Paul spent two years in Ephesus, teaching daily in the
54:41
Speaker 1: lecture hall of Tyrannus. God's power was evident through extraordinary
54:46
Speaker 1: miracles performed by Paul. Acts nineteen eleven twelve states God
54:52
Speaker 1: did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and
54:57
Speaker 1: aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick,
55:01
Speaker 1: and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
55:06
Speaker 1: The impact of the gospel was so great that artisans
55:09
Speaker 1: who made images of the goddess Diana began losing business.
55:14
Speaker 1: A silversmith named Demetrius incited a riot that lasted about
55:18
Speaker 1: two hours, with the crowd shouting Great is Diana of
55:22
Speaker 1: the Ephesians. After the riot subsided, Paul encouraged the disciples
55:27
Speaker 1: and departed for Macedonia. He traveled through the region, exhorting
55:31
Speaker 1: the brothers with many words, and arrived in Greece, where
55:35
Speaker 1: he stayed for three months. When he was about to
55:39
Speaker 1: sail to Syria, he discovered a Jewish plot against him
55:43
Speaker 1: and decided to return through Macedonia. In Troas, during a
55:47
Speaker 1: meeting that lasted until midnight, a young man named Eutychus,
55:51
Speaker 1: sitting on a window, fell asleep during Paul's long speech
55:56
Speaker 1: he fell from the third floor and was picked up dead.
56:00
Speaker 1: Twenty nine to ten recounts. Seated in a window was
56:04
Speaker 1: a young man named Eutychus who was sinking into a
56:07
Speaker 1: deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he
56:10
Speaker 1: was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the
56:13
Speaker 1: third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down,
56:17
Speaker 1: threw himself on the young man and put his arms
56:19
Speaker 1: around him. Don't be alarmed, he said, he's alive. Before leaving,
56:24
Speaker 1: Paul gathered the elders of the Ephesian Church in Miletus
56:27
Speaker 1: for an emotional farewell. He knew he would not see
56:31
Speaker 1: them again. Acts twenty twenty two twenty four records his
56:35
Speaker 1: words and now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going
56:39
Speaker 1: to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
56:43
Speaker 1: I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit
56:46
Speaker 1: warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However,
56:50
Speaker 1: I consider my life worth nothing to me. My only
56:53
Speaker 1: aim is to finish the race and complete the task
56:56
Speaker 1: the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying
57:00
Speaker 1: to the good news of God's grace. Despite warnings about
57:04
Speaker 1: imprisonment and suffering, in Jerusalem, Paul was determined to go
57:09
Speaker 1: in Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus took Paul's belt and
57:14
Speaker 1: tied his own hands and feet, saying this was how
57:17
Speaker 1: the Jews in Jerusalem would bind the owner of the
57:19
Speaker 1: belt Acts twenty one thirteen states. Then Paul answered, why
57:24
Speaker 1: are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready
57:27
Speaker 1: not only to be bound, but also to die in
57:29
Speaker 1: Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Upon arriving
57:34
Speaker 1: in Jerusalem, Paul met with James and the elders, reporting
57:38
Speaker 1: what God had done among the Gentiles. To avoid conflict,
57:42
Speaker 1: they suggested Paul take part in a purification ritual in
57:45
Speaker 1: the temple with four men who had taken a vow. However,
57:49
Speaker 1: Jews from Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up
57:52
Speaker 1: the crowd and tried to kill him. The uproar became
57:56
Speaker 1: so intense that the Roman commander had to intervene to
57:59
Speaker 1: say Paul. He allowed Paul to speak to the crowd,
58:03
Speaker 1: where Paul shared his conversion story, but when he mentioned
58:07
Speaker 1: his mission to the Gentiles, the crowd irrupted in fury. Again.
58:12
Speaker 1: Paul was taken into the barracks and nearly flogged, but
58:15
Speaker 1: he revealed his Roman citizenship, preventing the punishment. The next day,
58:21
Speaker 1: Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin. Realizing there were Pharisees
58:26
Speaker 1: and Sadducees present, he raised the issue of the resurrection,
58:30
Speaker 1: causing a sharp dispute between the two groups. The conflict
58:34
Speaker 1: became so violent that the commander removed him. That night,
58:39
Speaker 1: the Lord appeared to Paul and said, as recorded in
58:41
Speaker 1: Acts twenty three eleven, take courage. As you have testified
58:45
Speaker 1: about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.
58:49
Speaker 1: More than forty Jews vowed not to eat or drink
58:53
Speaker 1: until they had killed Paul. Paul's nephew learned of the
58:57
Speaker 1: plot and informed the commander, who transferred Paul to Caesarea
59:01
Speaker 1: under heavy guard two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two
59:06
Speaker 1: hundred spearmen. In Caesarea, Paul remained imprisoned for two years,
59:11
Speaker 1: defending himself before Governor Felix and his successor Festus. When
59:17
Speaker 1: King Agrippa visited Festus, Paul had the opportunity to present
59:20
Speaker 1: his defense Acts twenty six twenty eight to twenty nine states.
59:24
Speaker 1: Then Agrippa said to Paul, do you think that in
59:27
Speaker 1: such a short time you can persuade me to be
59:30
Speaker 1: a Christian, Paul replied, short time or long, I pray
59:35
Speaker 1: to God that not only you, but all who are
59:38
Speaker 1: listening to me to day may become what I am
59:41
Speaker 1: except for these chains. Since Paul had appealed to Caesar,
59:46
Speaker 1: he was sent to Rome on a perilous voyage. The
59:49
Speaker 1: journey was fraught with danger from the start. Paul warned
59:53
Speaker 1: of impending disaster, but his advice was ignored. A violent
59:57
Speaker 1: storm battered the ship for days. When all hope seemed lost,
1:00:01
Speaker 1: Paul encouraged the crew, sharing a vision he had received
1:00:06
Speaker 1: Acts twenty seven, twenty three, twenty four records Last night,
1:00:10
Speaker 1: an angel of the God to whom I belong and
1:00:13
Speaker 1: whom I serve, stood beside me and said, do not
1:00:16
Speaker 1: be afraid. Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar, and
1:00:20
Speaker 1: God has graciously given you the lives of all who
1:00:23
Speaker 1: sail with you. The ship wrecked on Malta, but all
1:00:27
Speaker 1: on board were saved. As Paul had said. During their
1:00:30
Speaker 1: three months stay on the island, many miracles were performed
1:00:34
Speaker 1: through Paul. Finally they reached Rome, where Paul spent two
1:00:39
Speaker 1: years under house arrest, welcoming all who came to see him.
1:00:43
Speaker 1: The book concludes with Acts twenty eight thirty thirty one.
1:00:47
Speaker 1: For two whole years, Paul stayed there in his own
1:00:50
Speaker 1: rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.
1:00:54
Speaker 1: He proclaimed the Kingdom of God and taught about the
1:00:56
Speaker 1: Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and death without hindrance.
1:01:02
Speaker 1: What did you think about this incredible journey through the
1:01:04
Speaker 1: Book of Acts. Isn't it amazing how God used ordinary
1:01:08
Speaker 1: people to spread a message that changed the world. The
1:01:12
Speaker 1: story of the early Church shows us that with faith, courage,
1:01:15
Speaker 1: and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, simple people can
1:01:19
Speaker 1: accomplish extraordinary things. Have you ever stopped to think that
1:01:22
Speaker 1: you're also part of this story? The same mission given
1:01:26
Speaker 1: to the apostles is still alive to day. Just as
1:01:30
Speaker 1: they faced challenges and persecution, we also encounter obstacles, but
1:01:35
Speaker 1: the same Holy Spirit who guided them is with us.
1:01:39
Speaker 1: Let me know in the comments which part of this
1:01:41
Speaker 1: story touched your heart the most. Was it the courage
1:01:45
Speaker 1: of the apostles, Paul's dramatic conversion, or maybe the impressive
1:01:49
Speaker 1: miracles that took place. If this content blessed your life,
1:01:53
Speaker 1: don't keep it to yourself, Share this video with your
1:01:56
Speaker 1: friends and family. Let's spread this powerful message together. And
1:02:00
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1:02:07
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1:02:11
Speaker 1: the Word of God. Don't forget to like this video,
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