The Book of Acts (The Smart Guide to the Bible Series)

There's a tv series it comes out at Christmas there's a tv series that the release date will be launched soon called Testament which is like a modern adaptation of the Book of Acts it's beautiful we have the story of Helmut Humidor which is called Truth and Conviction coming out in May another tv show that's a boy and three teenage boys who stood up to Hitler during Nazi Germany and said this is wrong we have uh multiple other tv shows that haven't been announced yet but next year is going to be a really fun year.

Acts of the Apostles chapter 19. Paul goes to Ephesus, right? And here are these people who believe that they're disciples and they are disciples of Jesus. Paul asks them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

And so we have a little piece here of Philip, one of those who were sent and he's sent out and he begins preaching the word in Samaria and it comes upon this man named Simon, who is a magician who amazed everybody.

But the conclusion of chapter eight of the Acts of the Apostles is one of my favorite stories. It's Ethiopian eunuch, Ethiopian eunuch, right?

So here's this man and he's a eunuch. So basically he is unable to become a Jew because, because of his status as being a eunuch, he is not allowed to be a person of the covenant, of the old covenant.

But he is a God fearer. He has come to Jerusalem to worship, even though he can't participate fully in the worship of the people of Israel.

And so he's fascinated by the book of the prophet Isaiah here and Philip. I love this Philip, the Holy Spirit moves Philip to go up to the chariot and Philip asks him the question, do you understand what you're reading?

And the response of the Ethiopian eunuch is, how can I, unless someone guides me?

We're reading Acts of the Apostles chapter one.

If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/Bible in a Year because then you would know that today is day 322 and we're reading Acts 1, Romans 1, Proverbs 26.

On day 322, reading Acts 1, Romans 1, Proverbs 26, verses 24 through 26.

Okay, so here we are in the Acts of the Apostles and this is the age of the church as we noted before.

And we've separated them of course because it makes sense, but they're still here. And so what do we have? Well, a couple things. We have the ascension of Jesus.

Now you may recognize Luke who wrote the book of Acts from such blockbuster presentations as Luke. The gospel story that he recorded. Matthew Mark, Luke and John Luke was his. He didn't name it Luke but we call it Luke because he wrote it.

And I love this word. And I hope I can make you love it too. All that Jesus began to do and to teach. So what does that mean? Okay. If Jesus came and lived a sinless life, died a criminal's death, rose from a borrowed grave, and then ascended to heaven, to send the Holy Spirit. And when Luke starts writing this book he says, I wrote a book about all that Jesus began to do.