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Sermon Starters
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Christian Ministry Professionals
Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div., M.S.A., Editor
Second
Sunday Of Easter
Series C
Option #1:
"The Full Message Of This New Life"
Acts 16:31-34
Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.A., M.Div.
1) The truth of who killed Christ--Lk 21:14; Isa 53:5 & 10
2) The truth about His death bringing repentance and forgiveness of sins--Acts 3:26, 11:18; Jer 31:34; Ezek 36:25-38; Lk 24:46-47; Rom 11:26-27
3) The truth about the new life the Holy Spirit gives--Acts 2:38, 3:19, 10:44, 13:38-39; John 5:26, 7:37-39, 20:21-23; Lk 24:49; Heb 2:3-4
Barnes Notes on the New Testament:
Acts 5:32: And we are his witnesses--For this purpose they had been appointed, Acts 1:8, 21-22; 2:32; 3:15; Luke 24:48.
Of these things--Particularly of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and of the events which had followed it. Perhaps, however, he meant to include everything pertaining to the life, teachings, and death of the Lord Jesus.
And so is also the descent of the Holy Spirit to endow them with remarkable gifts, Acts 2:1-4, to awaken and convert such a multitude, Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14, was an unanswerable attestation of the truth of these doctrines and of the Christian religion. So manifest and decided was the presence of God attending them that "they" could have no doubt that what they said was true; and so open and public was this attestation, that it was an evidence to all the people of the truth of their doctrine.
Adam Clarkes Commentary on the New Testament:
Acts 5:31: Him hath God exalted with his right hand--By a supremely eminent display of his almighty power, for so the right hand of God often means; he has raised him from the dead, and raised his human nature to the throne of his glory.
A prince--The leader or director in the way. See the notes on Acts 3:15, 19.
And a Savior--A deliverer or preserver. The word sooteer comes from SOOSOO, to save, deliver, preserve, escape from death or danger, bring into a state of security or safety. JESUS and SAVIOR are nearly of the same import.
He alone delivers from sin, death, and hell: by him alone we escape from the snares and dangers to which we are exposed: and it is by and in him, and in connection with him, that we are preserved blameless and harmless, and made the sons of God without rebuke. He alone can save the soul from sin, and preserve it in that state of salvation.
Forgiveness of sins--The taking away of sins. This is not to be restrained to the mere act of justification; it implies the removal of sin, whether its power, guilt, or impurity be considered. Through Jesus we have the destruction of the power, the pardon of the guilt, and the cleansing from the pollution, of sin. And was Jesus Christ exalted a Prince and a Savior to give repentance and remission of sins to ISRAEL? Then none need despair. If such as were now before the apostles could be saved, then the salvation of the very worst of transgressors, of any or all on this side perdition, is gloriously possible. Yes, for he tasted death for every man; and he prayed for his murderers, compared to some of whom JUDAS himself was a saint.
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Children's Message
Lets play a little word game. This game is called opposites. When I give you a word, I want you to give me the opposite word. For example, the opposite of dark is light.
Word Opposite DRY WET BOY GIRL COLD HOT WINTER SUMMER WIN LOSE CROSS ????? That last one didnt come so fast, did it? Peter gives us the answer to that one in the Bible: Acts 5:30-31: The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
The opposite of cross is a throne, a place for a king. And Jesus is our King. Crucified men didnt end up as a king, but Jesus did. Thats because he was God, who came here to die for our sins. He already was God, but he left that all behind to be our Savior here. That meant that they nailed him to the cross and left him there until he died.
Thats why we can play our own OPPOSITES game. Instead of PUNISHMENT, we have FORGIVENESS. Instead of HELL, were going to HEAVEN. Instead of God TURNING HIS BACK ON US, we have His HOLY SPIRIT LIVING WITH IN US.
You know something? I really like this game!
Option
#2: "Passionate Obedience"
Acts 5:12, 17-32
Rev. Kelly Bedard, B.A., M.Div.
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This page was revised on: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:10:34 PM |