Introducting Acts, Traditions

In one paragraph

Pastor Nathan opened the book of Acts with a first chapter that he described as preparation for everything that follows. He drew four things from the text that he believes the early disciples practiced before the Spirit came at Pentecost, and he connected those four things directly to what First Baptist Jackson is facing right now. Acts and the Gospel of Luke form a two-volume set by the same...

Read together

1. Acts 1:1 Read aloud to establish Luke-Acts as a two-volume set addressed to Theophilus
2. Luke 1:1-4 Read aloud to show the same author and addressee as Acts, establishing Luke's careful historical method
3. Acts 1:1-26 Read aloud in full as the primary text for the sermon
4. Luke 24 Referenced as where Luke states the gospel succinctly: Jesus lived, died, was buried, resurrected, lives forevermore
5. Psalms Peter quotes two psalm verses predicting Judas's fate and replacement; cited as 'the book of Psalms' without specific chapter and verse
6. Luke 24 Referenced for the phrase 'Jesus was numbered with the transgressors,' paralleled with Judas being numbered among the disciples

Talk about it

1. The pastor pointed out that if you remove Christ from Christianity there is nothing left, because it is built entirely on who Jesus is and what He did, not just on His teachings. What difference does that make to how you relate to your faith day to day?
2. The disciples stayed in Jerusalem simply because Jesus told them to, even though they did not know exactly what was coming. Where in your own life are you waiting on the next thing God has for you, and how are you handling that waiting?
3. The pastor described the four things the disciples did to prepare for a great move of the Spirit: obedience, fellowship, prayer, and studying and proclaiming God's Word. Which of those four feels most neglected in your own life right now, and why?
4. The casting of lots made Tanya uncomfortable because it seemed random and even pagan, and the pastor admitted it makes most of us uneasy too. How do you think about the difference between the way God guided people before Pentecost and the way He guides believers now through the Holy Spirit?
5. The pastor asked the congregation to pray specifically for the youth of Teton County, pointing to the high suicide rate as one of the biggest obstacles the gospel faces in that community. What would it look like for you personally to take that kind of focused, persistent prayer seriously?