Peters dream 5th sunday of easter year c april 24th, 2016. Peter continued, friends, i realize that what you and your leaders did to jesus was done in ignorance. Acts is arguably the most exciting book in the new testament. His very willingness to travel to hostile places to preach a better way of life is proof enough of this. Dreams have an entirely different context in the bible. This post will begin to take a look at the initial signs of leadership training development in acts with the. Leadership training in the book of acts founders ministries. What was the role of peter in the early church according to acts. Once cowering from the threat of discovery, peter emerges with renewed conviction as the leader of thousands of new followers in the book of acts. In the book of acts, god blessed the apostles by giving them converts almost every time they preached the gospel. An interesting feature of the narrative is the apparent repentance of the jewish leaders when. He again insists that jesus had been resurrected, and it is through his power that the lame beggar was healed. The leaders in jerusalem highly respect their experience and judgment.
The book of acts gives also special attention to peters other sermons acts 3. Peter laid his hands and bestowed the holy spirit in acts 8. In acts 8 we read about philip, one of the seven leaders called to assist the twelve see acts 6. Solomon in a dream and says, ask for whatever you want me to give you. Peter and john spoke the word of god boldly acts 4. About three oclock one afternoon he saw perfectly clea. Finally, peter comes to himself and realizes the dream like scene is real. Paul s concern for others acts 2028 most of all, pauls leadership is marked by his concern for others. Luke tells this story by focusing primarily on two men, peter and paul.
It is the vision of the blanket filled with unclean animals coupled with a command to accompany soldiers at the door that prompts peter to share the gospel message with the gentile cornelius. Was james, not peter, the head of the church after jesus. Peter then stands on the roof and gives the first recorded sermon by a disciple. Church leadership in acts consisted of deacons but not elders.
Chapter 5 attitudes to jewish and roman power in the gospel and. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. Siesta started after lunch and ended about 1500 hours 3 pm after the heat of the day. A voice from heaven told peter to kill and eat, but since the vessel or sheet, othone contained unclean animals, peter. John 21, to his development as the committed leader of the book of acts. Acts 23 new life version nlv paul speaks to the religious leaders court.
But peter told them he had learned that the gospel of jesus christ is for everyone. Peters elaborate speech on the death of judas a speech which occupies half of the. And this kind of blessing continued throughout the book of acts. As you read the book of acts, you discover that the holy spirit is still interested in helping. Leadership training in the book of acts, part 2 founders. Is the story of the early church after jesuss martyrdom.
In our previous posts, we considered how lukes gospel set forth the practice of our lord in training leaders who would pastor, plant, and revitalize churches. To my knowledge, however, no church growth book with a complete focus on acts has been written. He accepts the burden of leadership not to make his life better, but to make others lives better. Peter as a model for leadership peters breakfast with jesus by the sea of tiberius reflects a turning point for peter as a leader a shepherd of gods flock john 21. According to the acts of the apostles, chapter 10, saint peter had a vision of a vessel greek. In the modern church, christians often turn to the book of acts to explore questions related to the charismatic. Peters dream happened about ad40ad41 or 7 to 8 years after the start of the book of acts. Over the past few weeks my church has been studying the book of. Peters vision about noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, peter went up on the roof to pray. In short, peters speech became another declaration of jesus messiahship. He later became the chief leader of the jerusalem church. Ludlowthe book of acts was written by luke after his gospel as the second part of a great twovolume work on jesus christ and the early christians. Peter hands over the leadership to james the bible journey. So peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to god.
Lukes continuation of his historical sketch of the early christian movement expands in the book of acts. The apostle luke recorded that peter and john, performed a miracle of healing to a lamb man from his mothers womb. On the very night when herod was about to bring him forward, peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. Peters greatest mistakes are recorded and memorialized for all. Once cowering from the threat of discovery, peter emerges with renewed conviction as the leader of. Peter used the most compelling proof, scripture, to reassure the believers that judas defection and the choice of his replacement were both in god. Leadership and decision making in the christian community. Acts 10 peters vision and unclean animals david wilber. Peter interprets this marvelous event as fulfilling joels prop. The majority of the text has survived only in the latin translation of the vercelli manuscript, under the title actus petri cum simone. Whereas the gospel of luke focuses on the life and ministry of jesus christ, the acts of the apostles builds upon what jesus did and taught see acts 1.
In the context of acts 2, peter refers to the book of joel as proof that the day of the lord has come in his sermon at pentecost acts 2. Compared to what we saw of peters faith in the gospels, how surprised andor impressed are you with peters leadership in acts. It is mainly notable for a description of a miracle contest between saint peter and simon magus, and as the first record of the tradition that st. At peters command, the man stood up, leaped, and praised god.
Peter pulls no punches, and he accuses the leaders of being responsible for jesus death. As we have seen, peter s sermon on the day of pentecost expanded the church from about 120 people to over 3,000 people. They communicate carefully about the principles that should guide decisions acts 15. About half of the book of acts consists of speeches, discourses, and letters. It records the establishment of the early church under the leadership of the apostles, and the activity and growth of the church during the middle of the first century. Pauls concern for others acts 2028 bible commentary. It covers the tumultuous early years of christianity and narrates the growth of the church throughout the roman empire. In your opinion, what characteristics or traits are essential to successful leaders. James as leader of the church concludes that the jewish believers. Fellow jews and all you residents of jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words. Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them. What is the connection between the holy spirit and dreams and.
The book of acts, also called the acts of the apostles, is the companion volume to the gospel of luke. Classifying these speeches, we have eight addresses delivered by peter,1 a lengthy sermon of. For an example of one church growth writers use of acts, see c. In earlier lessons we summarized lukes purpose for the book of acts by saying that he. But god was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the messiah that he must suffer these things. Listen to peters explanation in acts chapter 2 verses. How soon after pentecost this occurred is not clear.
Like luke, acts is addressed to the unknown reader theophilus, and in the introduction to acts, it is made clear that it is a continuation of luke. Peter brings the gospel to the gentiles bible gateway blog. Acts acts of the apostles provides an account of the formation of the early church acts 2. Leadership begins with a dream bill winston ministries. Acts 9 recounts the conversion of saul, who would become an apostle and a. The story begins with the indefinite, one day this chapter describes the preaching of the gospel in jerusalem specifically, at the temple by peter and john, two of the. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. God prepared saul paul to bring the gospel to the gentiles but needed to give. While we are familiar with peter and paul in their work of expanding the gospel through church planting, luke also clues us in on others involved in this work, some by inference and others by name. In the first book, theophilus, i wrote about all that jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day he was taken up to heaven 1. Acts 10 peter and salvation of the gentiles reading acts. Lukes gospel and the acts of the apostles are key to the description of the history and.
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