Sermon Tone Analysis

1. Prayer Request

2. Scripture Reading

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What are the 5 cycles of discipline for a client nation?

(Hint Leviticus)

Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;

And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

Let my teaching [doctrine] drop as the rain,

My speech distill as the dew,

As raindrops on the tender herb,

And as showers on the grass.

(Deuteronomy 32:1–2)

Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,

And give attention to know understanding;

For I give you good doctrine.

(Proverbs 4:1–2)

But as for you, speak the things, which are proper for sound doctrine.

(Titus 2:1)1

Hebrews 6:1 Wherefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on unto perfection; not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, 2of the teaching of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3And this will we do, if God permit2

The verb translated “let us press on” (pherometha) is in the passive voice.

We could render it, “Let us be carried on” (i.e., by God’s Spirit).

Spiritual maturity does not come by our striving in self-effort but by our cooperating with God as we do His will depending on His help.

It comes as we follow the Holy Spirit who leads us (Rom.

8:14; Gal.

5:16).

33.

Review

(Recap foundations of the faith, ask what a covenant is?

What a dispensation is?

Why are we not under the law?

What was the purpose of Tongues?

What is one verse that predicts Jesus Christ’s crucifixion?

What is the concept of Reaping and sowing in the spiritual realm, What are the five cycles of discipline and where can we find it?

First cycle (Lev 26:14-17) Loss of health, combat loss, decline of agricultural prosperity, loss of personal freedoms.

Second cycle (Lev 26:18-20 Economic recession,

Third cycle (Lev 26:21-22 Violence and breakdown of law and order

Fourth cycle (Lev 26:23-26 Foreign conquest, or military occupation of a nation

Fifth cycle (Lev 26:27:39) Destruction of nation.

Dispensation is defined as a stage in the progressive revelation of God constituting a distinctive stewardship (stewardship was responsibilities given to household servants) and rule of life

Ages are mentioned in the bible in Eph 2:7, Heb 1:2.

Ages are also distinguished in the bible.

(John 1:17, matt 5:21-22, 2 Cor 3:11, Heb 7:11-12) Example the Child of God under Grace is not situated the same as Adam, or Abraham, or the Israelite under the Law nor is the Child of God now required to follow that peculiar manner of life when the King shall return to set up his Kingdom.

Outline of the Book of Acts

The last recorded fact about Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew is the Resurrection, which is recorded in Acts 1.

In the Gospel of Mark, the last recorded act of Jesus is the Ascension, which is also recorded in Acts 1.

In the Gospel of Luke, the last recorded fact is the promise of the Holy Spirit.

That is also in Acts 1.

And in the Gospel of John the last recorded fact is the second coming of Christ.

You guessed it—that is also in Acts 1.

It is as if the four Gospels had been poured into a funnel, and they all come down into this jug of the first chapter of the Book of Acts.

Also the great missionary commission, which appears in all four Gospels, is confirmed in the Book of Acts.4

The Book of Acts records the beginning of the church, the birth of the church5

The theme or key to the Book of Acts is found in 1:8: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit comes upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”6

The first seven chapters record the Lord Jesus Christ at work by the Holy Spirit through the apostles in Jerusalem7

Chapters 8 through 12 record the Lord Jesus Christ at work by the Holy Spirit through the apostles in Judea and Samaria.8

The remainder of the book is devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ at work by the Holy Spirit through the apostles unto the uttermost part of the earth.9

1. Prominence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Prominence of the Holy Spirit.

The promise of the Holy Spirit is mentioned four times in the gospel of John (John 1:33; 7:37–39; 14:16–17; 20:22).

3. The Power of the Church, It’s the Holy Spirit working through the believer when any service brings honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Prominence of the church, visible and invisible.

The church is a new institution.

It has come into existence in the Book of Acts.

5. Prominence of the Resurrection.

.

The Resurrection is the center of gospel preaching.

In too many churches today, we have one Easter sermon once a year.

As a pastor, many times I have featured Easter in August.

People would come just to find out what had happened to the preacher.

They thought the heat was getting to me.

However, in the early church the resurrection of Jesus Christ was the very center and heart of the message, and no sermon was preached without it.

The theme of Peter on the Day of Pentecost was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

He explained that what was taking place on that day was because of the fact that Jesus was now in heaven at the right hand of God and had sent His Holy Spirit into the world.

It was all due to the Resurrection.

You will find that the Resurrection is the very heart of the messages of Paul.

“He is risen!” was proclaimed everywhere (see Matt. 27:64).

Outline of Acts Chapter 1.

A scholar attacks Acts

About a century ago British scholar William Ramsay focused on the book of Acts to try to show it was rife with geographical and archaeological errors.

After all, many scholars of his day, equipped with the tools of textual criticism and archaeology, had exposed many errors in other classic writings.

This eminent humanity professor diligently prepared himself by studying archaeology and geography before departing for the Middle East and Asia Minor in his quest to prove Luke's history of the early Church was mostly myth.

His quest didn't turn out as he expected.

After a quarter century of research in what is today Israel and Turkey, where he carefully retraced the steps of the apostles as described in the book of Acts, this famous unbeliever shook the intellectual world when he announced he had converted to Christianity.

He confessed this radical change of mind and heart was thanks in great part to his surprise at the accuracy he found in Luke's narrative in Acts.

After decades of examining the historical and geographical details mentioned in the book, Ramsay concluded: "Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, he is possessed of the true historic sense ... In short this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians" (The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament, 1953, p. 80).

He went on to write many books about Acts and the epistles of Paul.

Ultimately Ramsay was knighted for his contributions to the study of archaeology and geography.

Background on the culture.

The Jews had three major sections of philosophy.

1.

The Essenes

2. Sadducees

3. Pharisees

The Pharisees lived moderately, and despised delicacy in diet.

They followed the conduct of reason.

(Conviction, logic) What they prescribed as good for them, they did.

(Their own code of morality)

They respected those who were older in years.

They would never contradict their elders.

They are determined that all things are done by faith.

They do not take away the freedom from men who are acting as they see fit or as they choose.

They believe it pleases God to make a temperament where what he wills can be done.

So they believe the will of man can act virtuously or viciously.

(They let men act, as they will.