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They All Lived Happily Ever After? – Acts of the Apostles Pt. 8

By

WEBCAST –

Dear RCF Sisters and Brothers

The very encouraging opening chapters of the Book of Acts would make readers presume that all which started so well for the new Christian movement would continue to be positive.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit the twelve apostles were transformed into fearless teachers, miraculous healers, and formidable apologists.  The new community of Jesus followers began with a huge influx of converts and was steadily growing larger by the day.  The practical care among these believers was astounding and attractive to the watching world.  The angelic rescue of the apostles and their being officially exempted from Jewish persecution gave them the ability to minister and speak in Jesus’ name with impunity.  The geographic impact of the Messianic message was reverberating regionally from Jerusalem into Judea.  The fact that others were now demonstrating the Spirit-given power to heal and preach forecast even greater grace and growth.

It would be wonderful if this trajectory would continue so the new community would continue to enjoy the blessings of fellowship, healings, teaching, protection, and expansion.  It might take only a decade for the entire world to begin to follow Jesus.  Skeptics would be won to faith in Christ by the well-reasoned presentation of the Gospel supported by innumerable miracles and transformed lives.  If this occurred, then they all would live happily ever after.

However, that was not God’s plan.  In today’s text, the chronicle of the new community of believers in Jesus takes an unforeseen and shocking turn.  The growing utopia of God’s grace in the capital city comes to a harsh end which no one anticipated.  These events left many emotionally and spiritually shipwrecked, causing them to ask “How could God allow this to occur?”  Like their Hebrew forefathers who were dismayed in the desert after leaving Egypt, and like us when we face serious trials, they wondered deeply about why God would permit this to happen.

Join us this Sunday morning as we continue in the theme To The Remotest Part of the Earth, and our Discussion Bible Study in the History of the Early Church.  Please prepare by reading the entirety of Acts 6:8 – 8:3.  This week’s title is “The Spark That Ignited The Flames of Persecution – Part 2”.

Attached is an outline of the text we will be focussing upon this Sunday morning.  Please print it ahead of time, as it will help you take part in the discussion.

Here is the Table Discussion Question for Sunday:

Where was the love of God in the arrest, trial, and stoning of Stephen? Even more broadly, where was the love of God manifested or declared since the founding of the new community of Jesus’ followers on Pentecost?

In this series we have already discussed the following texts and topics:

The New Era Begins:  Acts 1:12-2:21
Who is to Blame for Good Friday?:  Acts 2:22-23
The New Community Begins:  Acts 2:24-47
The First Official Pushback Is  Pushed Back:  Acts 3
The First OfficialPushback Is Pushed back –  Part 2:  Acts 4
God Elevates His Purity and His Principals:  Acts 5:1-11
God Elevates His Purity and His Principals – Part 2:  Acts 5:12 – 6:7
The Spark That Ignited The Flames of Persecution – Part 1:  Acts 6:8 – 7:43

We love you all!

Jim and Jenny

Acts of the Apostles, Part 8 – Outline (PDF)

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Dear Friends, Two Sundays ago we saw how people, without even knowing it, can try to derail God’s plans.   Since before the world was created God had planned that His Son would die as the Passover Lamb Who would rescue people from their bondage to sin and its penalty.  God’s timeline was in jeopardy until […]

Final Instructions – December 6, 2020

Dear Friends, If you knew that you only had only hours to live, it is likely that you would want to tell the most important people in your life the most important information they needed to know. That is true regarding Jesus’ final evening with His chosen apostles. During that final Passover evening Jesus communicated […]

The Die Is Cast – November 29, 2020

Dear Friends, Sometimes you just have to just move on.  Differences and tensions that you have experienced with others for a long time have not improved despite your best efforts to explain your perspective and position.  In fact, despite your best efforts and explanations over time the more entrenched others have become and the die is […]

There is No Convincing Some People! – November 22, 2020

Dear Friends, The current political division in the United States demonstrates that it is nearly impossible to convince people that their views may be wrong.  Because their minds are so entrenched that they are right they could never even consider that they might be wrong.  That was certainly the case with the religious leaders of […]

The Breach Becomes a Breaking Point – November 8, 2020

Dear Friends, In our discussion Bible study last Sunday we saw Jesus send three more “miracle-bombs” into Jerusalem just prior to His final entry into Jerusalem to get those in the capitol city to believe in Him as their long-promised Messiah.  “Miracle-bombs” are notable public miracles which Jesus did outside of Jerusalem which had an enormous impact within the city of […]

The Lord’s Supper and “Harmony” – November 1, 2020

Dear Friends, There are three important happenings at RCF which you need to know about for this Sunday, November 1st.   1.  Daylight Savings Time – Remember to move your clocks back.  If you don’t stay up later than normal on Saturday you get an extra hour sleep! 2.  The Lord’s Supper – We will be beginning our time together commemorating Our Lord’s sacrifice […]

Dropping “Miracle Bombs” in Jerusalem – October 25, 2020

Dear Friends, If you wanted to change a major policy in our nation today, there are two ways you could go about it. One way would be to travel widely and speak throughout the fifty states to get a majority of people to agree with your ideas. A second way would be to travel only […]

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Welcome to River Christian Fellowship!

No matter your age or background, you have a place at RCF! We are passionate about reaching people with the life-giving and life-changing message of Jesus and we’d love to meet you!

 

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9:30 am – 10:50 am
Every Sunday

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Bay Lodge
492 Bradley Rd.
Bay Village, OH 44140