Jesus promised that he would build his church. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:17-19). The major doctrine of the book of Acts is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, showing the work of the Holy Spirit in the church.

I. Title

A. The Acts of the APOSTLES .

B. The Acts of the Ascended and Risen LORD . . . . all that Jesus began both to do and teach (Acts 1:8).

C. The Gospel of the Resurrection. . . . he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs (Acts 1:3).

D. The Acts of the Holy SPIRIT Through the Apostles.

II. The Divine Author

The Holy Spirit. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

III. The Human Author

A. LUKE . He wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up (Acts 1:1-2).

Gospels	Book of Acts
Promise and Prophecy	Fulfillment and Establishment
I will build my church	The Church Built
Matthew 16--Universal	Church Universal
Matthew 18--Local	Churches Local
Keys of the Kingdom	Keys Used

Gospel of Luke	Book of Acts
Christ Coming From the Father	Christ Returning to the Father
Descends From Heaven To Earth	Ascends From Earth To Heaven
Ministry Begins	Ministry Continues
Christ's Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection	Christ's Glorification, Exaltation and Ascended Life
Finished Work of the Cross	Continued Work From the Throne
Birth To Ascension	Continued Work From the Throne
The Christ "After the Flesh"	The Christ "After the Spirit"

B. We see a progressive revelation of the church:
• The blade, the promise of the church in the Gospels.
• The ear, the beginning of the church in the book of Acts.
• The full corn in the ear, the full doctrine of the church in the Epistles.

C. The book of Acts concludes the "Cycle of the Father's WILL ." I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father (John 16:28).

IV. The Position Of The Book

A. After the GOSPELS and before the Epistles.

B. The book of Acts is the last of the New Testament historical books.
• The Gospels are the history of Christ.
• The book of Acts is the history of the Body of Christ.

V. The Scope Of The Book

A. The book of Acts covers about 35 years after the ascension of Christ.

B. Only the high spots are covered. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written (John 21:25).

C. The story of the works of the HOLY Spirit in the church continues on past the imprisonment of Paul in Rome to our own day.

VI. The Challenge

A. The book of Acts is a challenge to the church to return to the foundation.

B. The book of Acts is not just a transition but gives a picture of what the church should be today.

We are on the ground of faith, going from faith to faith.

VII. The Key Verse

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

A. Acts 1:8 provides an overall outline to the book of Acts.

B. The are about 50 references to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

VIII. Outline

I. In Jerusalem, 1-2. II. In Judea, 3-7. III. In Samaria, 8-10. IV. To The Uttermost Part Of The Earth, 11-28.

A. Acts 1-12 deals with the apostle PETER and his ministry. Peter became the apostle to the Jews.

B. Acts 13-28 deals with the apostle PAUL and his ministry. Paul became the apostle to the Gentiles.

But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: but contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentile:) and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision (Galatians 2:6-9).

Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

Peter	Paul
Apostle to the Jews	Apostle to the Gentiles
To the Jew first, then to the Gentiles	To the Synagogues first, then to the Gentiles
Healed a lame man	Healed a lame man
Raised a person from the dead	Raised a person from the dead
Deals with a sorcerer	Deals with a sorcerer
Witnessed before the Sanhedrin	Witnessed before the Sanhedrin
Seven addresses recorded in Acts	Seven addresses recorded in Acts
Angel of the Lord delivers from prison	Angel of the Lord delivers from prison
Arrested In the Temple	Arrested In the Temple
Beaten for the Name of Jesus	Beaten for the Name of Jesus
Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria	The uttermost part of the earth

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