PERSCUTION
1. The last two Sunday evenings have been used to build a foundation.
2. We have seen that only the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
3. We have learned that tongues were foreign languages.
4. The tongues spoken by the apostles on the day of Pentecost were foreign languages
5. The household of Cornelius received foreign languages.
6. For the first ten years of church history we only read about tongues as foreign languages.
7. Tonight we want to return to the apostles and their preaching on the day of Pentecost.
8.
According to Luke’s record people from many areas had
come to
9. At a time determined by God the apostles began to speak in different languages.
10. This act got the people’s attention.
NOTICE
WHAT IS SAID IN ACTS
A. These people heard the apostles speaking in their own “tongues” (languages).
B. In other words, these people understood what was being said.
C. This is why the first part of the 12th verse says they were “amazed.”
D. The word translated “amazed” is an interesting term.
E. It meant “put out of its place.”
F. As it is used here it means that the people were overwhelmed with amazement.
G. How could these men (who were not scholars) fluently communicate in many languages?
H. This was an amazing sign.
I. This
is why Paul said that tongues were a sign to the unbelievers (1 Cor.
J. What Paul told the Corinthians was demonstrated on the day of Pentecost.
K. There is a second word in Acts 2:12 that we need to pay attention to.
L. In the KJV this is translated “doubt.” The ASV has “perplexed.”
2. This term meant that these people were at a loss to explain what was taking place.
3. Luke used this word to communicate that the people didn’t have an explanation for what was occurring.
4. They understood what was happening but they did not know how it was happening.
5. Those who define words have made an additional observation about the word for “doubt/perplexed.”
6. It has been said that this word describes people who go through the entire list of possibilities.
A. In other words, people see or experience something and they want to know more about it.
B. They want to have an explanation for it.
C. To understand what is occurring people try to figure the thing out from every angle.
D. All the possibilities are considered.
E. Every conceivable explanation is explored.
F. According to Luke this is what the people did on the day of Pentecost.
G. They did their very best to understand how the apostles could speak in foreign languages.
H. In spite of their attempts to understand how this was occurring they were puzzled.
I. This relates so well to 1 Cor. 14:22.
J. Tongues were a sign to the unbelievers.
K. This exactly what Luke described in Acts 2.
7. THE UNBELIEVERS WHO WITNESSED THIS SIGN WERE SO OVERWHELMED BY THE TONGUES THAT THEY COULD ONLY OFFER A FLIMSY ALLEGATION SINCE THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS MIRACLE WAS FROM GOD.
8. Some asserted that the apostles were intoxicated – verse 13 – READ
A. This charge was apparently not something that these people actually believed.
B. Peter
said (verse 15) that it was the third hour of the day (
C. A variety of sources affirm that people did not drink until later in the day.
D. People did not eat until mid day.
E. This charge was not a realistic charge.
F. This charge was made because people couldn’t find anything else to say.
G. Perhaps it was like Jesus and miracles.
H. The people couldn’t deny the miracles so they said Jesus performed them by Satan’s power.
9. When the people charged the apostle’s with drunkenness they really made fun of them.
10. In looking at the original text we find that the charge was very forceful.
11. The word translated “mocking” in verse 13 is a compound word.
12. The end of this word meant “to mock/jest.”
13. Luke could have used the last half of this word and said that the apostles were mocked.
14. When Luke penned this part of Acts he added a prefix to this word.
15. This prefix strengthens the meaning of the term.
16. If we know the difference between glue and “superglue” we can appreciate verse 13.
17. These men did more than mock the apostles.
18. They went out of their way to mock and make fun of these men.
19. This mockery was “severe jesting” or “mocking in derision.”
20. When we look at the beginning of the church in Acts 2 what do we find?
A. We find persecution.
B. On
the very day that the
C. The first servants of God under the New Testament era were subjected to ridicule.
D. This derision did die away for a period of time.
E. A complete study of the book of Acts shows that it returned.
F. Christianity and persecution go together.
G. We have been told to expect this kind of thing from the world.
H. When we look at the persecution in Acts 2 where did the persecution come from?
I. The answer is found in Acts 2:5 – READ
J. The mockers on the day of Pentecost were “devout” men.
K. Luke is the only New Testament writer to use this term.
L. The
original word is found here, Acts 8:2;
M. The original term meant religious, reverence, godliness, or piety
N. That single words tells us that these people were religious people.
O. These were the church goers of Judaism.
P. These people came from various parts of the world to worship God (5b).
Q. The church goers were the ones who engaged in severe mockery & persecution.
R. After Christianity was firmly established persecution continued.
S. Many of the later persecutors were Jews—people who were very religious.
21. This information is consistent with Jn. 15:20.
A. Jesus told His disciples several important things in this section of John.
B. One of these things is relation to persecution.
C. In
Jn.
D. Jesus said “they persecuted me.”
E. Who did the Lord describe?
F. Who persecuted Jesus? Jesus did not have in mind the Gentiles.
G. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the parties who opposed Him.
H. The religious people of that day were the Lord’s adversaries.
I. Jesus said “they will persecute you too.”
J. The Lord predicated that religious people would persecute the apostles.
22. What do we find on the day of Pentecost?
23. The Lord’s predication came true.
24. This prediction is continually demonstrated in the book of Acts.
25. Is this prediction still true today?
26. Is it not the case that some of the worst persecution we face is from religious people?
27. Talk to some church going people about New Testament Christianity.
A. Have a conversation with a religious person concerning the one church.
B. Discuss someone’s conviction that the sinner’s prayer saves us.
C. Inquire about the authority for having the Lord’s Supper once a year.
D. Ask how a person can worship with a religious group that teaches false doctrine.
E. These questions are not received too well.
28. Some of the most hateful remarks I have ever heard about the church are from people in denom.
A. Here are some things that a well known minister has said about the churches of Christ:
B. We have no love, no spirit, and no warmth.
C. We teach salvation by works.
D. We exalt the church above Christ.
E. We never assure people that they are saved or say that they are saved.
F. We do not preach on the blood of Christ.
G. We are narrow minded, bigoted, hateful, judgmental, non-inclusive, and pharisaical.
29. We should not be surprised by these kinds of charges.
30. Jesus was persecuted by religious people.
31. He said that His people would suffer the same fate.
32. Throughout life we must expect to face difficulties when dealing with other religious people.
33. If everyone in the religious is always agreeing with us something is wrong.
34. Persecution will come from the religious world.
35. This is a sad but true fact. We need to be prepared for it.
36. We need to prepare our children to face this problem.
37. Persecution can also come from within the church.
38. The book of Acts indicates that there were times when those in the first century also faced internal Pe.
39. This is something that hasn’t gone away.
40. I recently spoke with a family who is involved in an unfortunate situation.
A. One of their relatives is a Christian.
B. This relative is a young lady.
C. She is about 17 years old, unmarried, and pregnant.
D. Some within the congregation are trying to compel her to go forward.
E. They want her to confess; she is being pressured to do this.
41. The family has said that they will not be coming back.
42. The preacher is so distressed he is ready to quit.
43. The teenager in this mess is being hurt.
44. Her worst persecutors are not the people in the world; they are members of the church.
45. Our military sometimes faces “friendly fire;” such is found in the church.
46. We need to remember that we can be one of the church’s worst persecutors.
47. An important question for each Christian is: am I a persecutor of the church?
48. do I harm and hurt God’s people?
49. am I guilty of inflicting damage on the body of Christ?