Sermon Notes-Acts: Past or Present? based on Acts 1:1-5
Introduction: Today we are starting a new series on the book of Acts. So, as we begin, I have one question for you to think and discuss with the person beside you. This question and how you answer it will inform how you read the book of Acts. Do you see Acts as a book about the past or present? Is it possible that what God did in the book of Acts He wants to be happening in the church today? It might look different, but what does a church look like that loves God and loves others empowered by the Holy Spirit today? I also want to draw your attention to the title of the book. In my Bible (ESV), it says “The Acts of the Apostles”. I want to share a quote from the book that I lead an adult class on several years ago, Jesus, Continued by J.D. Greear. Greear writes, “New Testament scholars have pointed out that when later Christians gave a name to the book of Acts, they probably chose the wrong title. Rather than “The Acts of the Apostles,” many say it should instead be “Th