Acts (10)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Be sure to view the video introducing our study of Acts 11 (Lesson 10) by clicking here.

Read and meditate on Acts 11.19-21.
See, all this interlude about Peter in Caesarea, and his report to Jerusalem, was in order to clear the decks for what was already going on elsewhere and would, beginning in chapter 13, become the focus of the ongoing work of Christ. The Kingdom has broken out and is loose in the world.

For reflection
1.  People who were persecuted in Jerusalem went to other cities, perhaps seeking out relatives or friends with whom to start their new lives. And wherever they went, they evangelized the Good News of Jesus – at first to Jews only, but increasingly, to Gentiles as well. In Antioch the Gospel really began to bear fruit among the Gentiles, as “the hand of the Lord” (v. 21) carried forward the work begun by Peter in this next stage of the Gospel’s expansion. How can we tell when the “hand of the Lord” is on our church? On our own witness?

2.  Notice the focus of the evangelizing: “preaching the Lord Jesus” (v. 20). The Good News is not so much about going to heaven when you die as it is that Jesus is Lord and King and Savior. Preach that, and the hand of the Lord will be with you to carry forward the ongoing work of Christ! Our salvation is as great (Heb. 2.3) as the reach of Christ’s Lordship. What are the implications of Christ’s Lordship, and His great salvation, for your life today?

3.  Let’s pause to examine the last part of verse 21 a little more closely. The Greek says, literally, “a great number having believed turned to the Lord.” The “having believed” and “turning” – repentance – are in the same action, not two separate actions. You cannot believe in Jesus and not turn to Him. What is repentance? How is it related to saving faith? To daily faith in the Lord Jesus?

4. Believing in and turning to the Lord is one complete action, not one now and then perhaps later, the other. Not believing in Jesus as Savior now, then turning to Him as Lord maybe later (maybe not?). It’s believing and turning to Jesus as Lord and Christ, just like Peter preached on that first Christian Pentecost. As Christ, from what does Jesus save us? As Lord, over how much of our lives does He rule? How does this relate to our call to glorify God in whatever we do?

5. In what sense are believingand turningevery Christian’s everyday duty and calling? What should the practice of this look like throughout the day?

Summary
The Good News is that Jesus the Lord and Christ has gained salvation for us, and calls us to repent and believe this Gospel, so that the presence, promise, and power of His Kingdom might be ours as surely as it was for the first believers. How can we tell when we have made the Kingdom turn into this great salvation?

Closing Prayer
Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s Son.
He will judge Your people with righteousness,
And Your poor with justice.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
And the little hills, by righteousness.
He will bring justice to the poor of the people;
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear You
As long as the sun and moon endure,
Throughout all generations.
He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,
Like showers that water the earth.
In His days the righteous shall flourish,
And abundance of peace,
Until the moon is no more.

Psalm 72.1-7

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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