This Sunday, May 31, we’re going to do something we have never done before. We’re going to take up & study a massive section—6 chapters!—of Scripture at once.
Usually, we take up bits of Scripture. However, this Sunday we’re going to unpack the meaning of Acts 21–26 in one sermon. Whew. Should be fun.
If you can, read through Acts 21–26 before Sunday. It will help you get your bearing & follow along.
if you plan to livestream & would like sheets for the kids to take notes, you can download them below.
In the meantime, here is a quote on the book of Acts to whet your appetite.
“This book [of Acts] contains unanswerable evidence of the truth of the Christian religion. It is a record of the early triumphs of Christianity. Within the space of thirty years after the death of Christ, the gospel had been carried to all parts of the civilized, & to no small portion of the uncivilized, world. Its progress & its triumphs were not concealed. Its great transactions were not ‘done in a corner.’ It had been preached in the most splendid, powerful, & corrupt cities; churches were already founded in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and at Rome. The gospel had spread in Arabia, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedon, Italy, & Africa. It had assailed the most mighty existing institutions; it had made its way over the most formidable barriers; it had encountered the most deadly & malignant opposition; it had traveled to the capital [Rome] & had secured such a hold even in the imperial city as to make it certain that it would finally overturn the established religion & seat itself upon the ruins of paganism. Within thirty years, Christianity had settled the point that it would overturn every bloody altar, close every pagan temple, bring under its influence the men of office, rank, & power, & that ‘the banners of the faith would soon stream from the palaces of the Caesars.’ All this would be accomplished by the instrumentality of Jews—of fishermen—of Nazarenes. They had neither wealth, armies, nor allies. With the exception of Paul, they were men without learning. They were taught only by the Holy Spirit, armed only with the power of God, victorious only because Christ was their Captain, & the world acknowledged the presence of the messengers of the Highest & the power of the Christian religion. Its success never has been, & never can be, accounted for by any other supposition than that God attended it. And if the Christian religion is not true, then the change brought about by the twelve apostles is the most inexplicable, mysterious, & wondrous event that has ever been witnessed in this world. Their success will stand until the end of time as an argument for the truth of God’s plan, that shall confound the unbeliever & sustain the Christian with the assured belief that this is a religion which has proceeded from the almighty & infinitely benevolent God.” Albert Barnes (1798–1870)
That’s amazing. All that happened in the book of Acts was for no other reason “than that God attended it.”