|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Sermon Site Of Dr. Harold L. White
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Acts Romans
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The Acts - 1:1-3
|
|
|
|
The Book of Acts speaks with authority and urgency to the church today.
There never was an age when the church, which Christ purchased with His precious blood,
needed more desperately to understand and to heed this message as does our age.
The Book of Acts holds for us, the secret of heavenly power. ...More
|
|
|
|
The Power Of The Lord - 1:4-5
|
|
|
|
When empowered by the Holy Spirit, a church of any size can use even an inadequate building
to the glory of God, can win the lost and discover a leadership whose vision and wisdom
are works of the Spirit.
What is the church's power?
It is to be possessed by the Holy Spirit!
What is the church's function?
It is to be His witnesses!
Jesus points out that this indwelling is not a ritual, but a reality; not a program but a power.
What kind of power is Jesus talking about?
This is a most wonderful thing! It is resurrection power! It is the power of a risen Lord! ...More
|
|
|
|
It's Not Easy To Wait - 1:6-7
|
|
|
|
Jesus command to His disciples, after His resurrection, was "Wait!"
After they had seen their risen Lord, they undoubtedly wanted to get back to Galilee....
Jerusalem was the last place in the world they wanted to be.
The city was filled with their enemies....
It was not easy to wait in Jerusalem.
But, it is never easy to wait....
Most of us usually want to be doing something.
This trait, sometimes called drive or ambition, is usually commendable.
It is sinful for a Christian to drag his feet when God says, " Go!"
It is also equally sinful for us to rush ahead of God.
To act prematurely is to invite failure....More
|
|
|
|
When the Spirit Comes - 1:8
|
|
|
|
After the Holy Spirit came and filled God's people, the Jews marveled at their boldness.
The people who had been frightened like a flock of sheep without a shepherd;
the people who had met timidly behind closed doors for fear of the Jews;
now feared no one, for the living Christ was with them.
Spiritual power is the endowment of the Holy Spirit.
We are equipped to witness for Christ when we are quickened by the Holy Spirit....More
|
|
|
|
The Secret Of Pentecost - 1:8
|
|
|
|
Think of it – only seven weeks separated the resurrection from the coming of the Holy Spirit,
but what a tremendous change had taken place in these men!
The Holy Spirit came upon the early disciples and transformed them!
The Holy Spirit filled their lives with an unchanging and unbounded love like that of Jesus.
That love surged into their beings, sending them forth into a hostile world to proclaim
the good news with fearlessness and power.
Christ's promise was abundantly fulfilled, and through the power given to them,
the church was launched in its world-transforming mission....More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
The Ascension - 1:9
|
|
|
|
The ascension was an absolute necessity.
Telling of the ascension was Luke's way of saying that the resurrection appearances of Jesus
were ended.
It was necessary that there should be one final moment when Jesus is seen going back
to the glory that was His before the world was.
It was of tremendous importance that our Lord's final departure from earth should not be
a mere vanishing out of their sight.
If He left this way, there would be an uncertainty as to whether or not
He might appear again....More
|
|
|
|
This Same Jesus - 1:1-10
|
|
|
|
This same Jesus is still the only Saviour.
"There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
This same Jesus is the only Saviour for lost souls.
His precious blood is still the only possible agency for salvation.
You do not have to explain Jesus!
You do not have to apologize for Him!
All you have to do is to lift Him up! He will do the rest!
It is the same cross, the same gospel, and the same message.
This same Jesus is still the only Saviour. ...More
|
|
|
|
Jesus Is Coming Again - 1:10-11
|
|
|
|
The promise of His return (verse 11) is beyond any words we could ever say to describe
that great event.
The angelic visitors are saying that at a point in time and place, Jesus will again break
from that other world into this world of time and history.
The angels tell us that Christ's return is certain.
We can count on it!
" This same Jesus will come back again."
He will step back again into visibility.
Suddenly!
He will be back! ...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
The Day Of Pentecost - 2:1
|
|
|
|
The Book Of Acts literally explodes with power.
Before Jesus ascended, He promised, " Ye shall receive power..." (Acts 1:8)
With every turn of the page in Acts there is an explosion of power.
What strange dynamic turned the disappointed, disspirited disciples
into powerful dynamos overnight?
What was it that caught busy old Jerusalem in the midst of a holy feast
and shook it with tornadic power?
What was it that caused 3,000 people to embrace Christ with an abandoned faith
in a few minutes after a simple sermon?
When you read the Book Of Acts, you know what it was!...More
|
|
|
|
Sight And Sound - 2:2-3
|
|
|
|
The disciples were brought completely under the control of the Holy Spirit.
For the disciples, that was the essential miracle and experience of Pentecost.
That experience was repeated again and again in the days which followed.
It is an experience which is normal and natural for all followers of the Lord Jesus.
His precious Spirit never leaves a believer, but again and again as a believer surrenders
even more to the will of the Lord, he is absolutely dominated by the Holy Spirit of Christ. ...More
|
|
|
|
Filled With The Spirit - 2:4
|
|
|
|
As a believer surrenders more of himself to the will of the Lord he is absolutely dominated
and monopolize by the Holy Spirit.
"Filled" can mean nothing less than that the whole capacity of each
person was occupied and all his being was under the influence of God's Spirit.
Possibly, the degree of receptivity varied, but the lesser and the larger vessels were all full.
The whole nature was influenced because that Divine Spirit entered into every part of the soul
of those believers....More
|
|
|
|
Same Mission -- Need Same Power -- 2:1-4
|
|
|
|
God has placed this church and this congregation here, not to be satisfied,
but to hunger and thirst, and to reach others who are lost and dying without Jesus.
I believe that we have a generation that does not know how to love, and does not know
right from wrong, and who are desperately in need of knowing the God who created them,
and the Saviour who died for them.
Thousands of evils attack our children, our neighborhoods, our schools, our communities,
and our cities.
We have become a nation of tolerance and in the process we have lost our moral backbone
and our ability to love.
Our urgent mission is to proclaim the love of Christ and the good news of the gospel to every family,
every neighborhood, every town, every city, and every country of the world.
God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible.
What a pity that we plan to do only the things that we can do by ourselves....More
|
|
|
Preaching Jesus - 2:14-23
|
|
|
|
The presence and power of the Holy Spirit gave new courage and boldness to Peter
who only a few days earlier had denied his Lord with cowardice.
Now he stands before a multitude in the streets of Jerusalem boldly rebuking a nation
for its unbelief and crime.
Also astonishing are the skill and the wisdom shown by this unschooled fisherman
as he presents his Master's message....More
|
|
|
|
A Living Saviour - 2:22-26
|
|
|
|
The greatest news the world has ever heard is that the tomb is empty!
Christ has risen from the dead.
Jesus demonstrated His great power over death.
Easter is about His victory over sin and death and hell.
Easter is about the sacrifice that the Son of God made on our behalf.
A generation of young people, even young adults, do not know anything of sacrifice.
They know about inconvenience, but a very, very few know about sacrifice.
When we talk about the sacrifice of Jesus, they have no clue what that means.
We should be so thankful that Jesus Christ was victorious over death!...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
Jesus Is Lord - 2:33-36
|
|
|
|
Whether men know it or not -- Jesus Christ is Lord!
The very forces that control our lives are dependent upon Him.
There is no way to avoid Him.
The whole world will have to deal with Jesus Christ.
There is no option!
He is Lord -- the Sovereign One -- He is supreme.
Simon Peter says, "God hath made Him, this Jesus, both Lord and Christ."
That is the Christian message to the world. ...More
|
|
|
|
Repent - Baptism - Remission - 2:37-38
|
|
|
|
Peter's sermon stirred the hearers to such an extent that they quickly inquired:
"What shall we do?"
They had rejected, refused, mistreated, and killed Him in whom all their hope of salvation rested;
what hope of salvation could they possibly have?
No wonder they cried out in anguish of heart, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
They were brought under conviction. They were "cut to the heart."
They were compelled to look back upon their deed, and now they began to see it
in its true picture....More
|
|
|
|
More Than Money - 3:1-10
|
|
|
|
This man lame from birth and lame for 40 years ask for money, but he received so much more.
He received a miracle.
It is no wonder that it had such an amazing affect upon the people:
"And all the people saw him walking and praising God and recognized him as the one
who sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and
amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3: 9, 10)
The people were immediately convinced beyond the shadow of doubt
that God was at work....More
|
|
|
|
We Can Have Revival - 4:31
|
|
|
|
What is revival?
Revival is the movement of the Holy Spirit among Christian people.
The result is an awakening of Christians.
Revival is that which makes people God conscious.
Revival causes people to repent of their sins, clean up their lives, enjoy their religion,
and share it with others.
WE NEED REVIVAL! ...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
The Sin Of Living A Lie - 5:1-5
|
|
|
|
Ananias' sin was not primarily in withholding a part of the money, but in pretending that he was giving it all.
He was implying his own complete dedication to God, when his real dedication was to himself.
Ananias and Sapphira were not required to sell.
They could, if they wanted to.
The issue is -- they lied!
They brought the money and pretended it was the whole amount received from the sale of the land.
The basic sin of Ananias and Sapphira was that of hypocrisy; they were living a lie!
It is an overconcern for self which causes a person to lie....More
|
|
|
|
Go! Stand! Speak! - 5:19-20
|
|
|
|
"Go... stand ... and speak to the people all the words of life."
They were instructed to teach the people all the words of life.
They were to speak all those words which tell the good news of Jesus Christ
to their fellow-citizens.
They were to speak on the great subject of the new life, the spiritual life which they had been
living in Christ.
Stand and speak!
Stand and speak all the words of this new life in Christ – not your own opinions,
and not your own message.
Stand and proclaim of that life that is free from death....More
|
|
|
|
Bad Advice -- Good News - 5:33-42
|
|
|
|
Gamaliel's advice is faulty.
In essence he was saying that the determining factor of whether something is of God
is seen in its visible success. If it succeeds, then it is of God, but if not then it isn't of God.
Gamaliel wasn't concerned if it was true or if it was right.
His advice was to sit on the fence and see if it survives.
Gamaliel's advice was, "If this is of men it will come to nothing, but if it is of God,
you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against God."
His advice was that of a compromising spirit. ...More
|
|
|
|
Our Real Mission - 15:26
|
|
|
|
Our mission is the Great Commission.
Our goal is not necessarily to build big churches.
That goal in itself would be self-seeking and unworthy of the gospel.
Our goal should be to reap the maximum yield from our field.
It is to do the best we can with what we have, where we are, for Jesus' sake.
We must be busy witnessing, baptizing, and teaching people God's word.
We must continually do those things until Jesus comes again or calls us to come home.
We fulfill our mission by doing three things.
We must bring people in. We must build them up. We must send them out. ...More
|
|
|
|
Creative Spiritual Leadership - 20:19-32
|
|
|
|
If we truly know that we can lead our people into hell and back.
We can also lead them to the heights of heaven.
But we must lead them!
People are as they are led.
Paul has much to teach us about leadership in his teachings and in his actions.
When we look at Paul and the other disciples, we notice that their focus was always
on the message, not the messengers.
Their focus was on the Treasure, not on the earthen vessel carrying it.
When people looked at Paul, they saw Christ.
As a leader, Paul demonstrated love by affection, by teaching, by giving, by persistence,
by concern, and by availability....More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Ready To Preach - 1:15-16
|
|
|
|
Paul is saying that: "I'm ready to preach the gospel.
I am ready to be the evangelos.
I am ready to tell you that we have won."
What a tremendous message from an imprisoned preacher sitting in a jail cell sent
to church people hiding out in caves and catacombs whose condition and disposition are
the very definition of doom and defeat.
What a tremendous message: "We have won!...More
|
|
|
|
Not Ashamed Of The Gospel - 1:16
|
|
|
|
Let us say with Paul, "I am not ashamed of the gospel."
There are some reasons why we need never be ashamed of the Christian faith.
We need never to be ashamed of our Christian faith because of God's promises.
We can be proud of the Christian faith because it does not disappoint.
We are a suspicious people.
And, we have good reason to be because we are bombarded on every front by promises
which usually turn out to be disappointments. ... More
|
|
|
|
What Happened To Sin? - 3:23
|
|
|
|
We live in a world that takes sin casually.
Even those who profess to be Christians are not very disturbed about their sins.
So, it is important to see what happened to sin.
It is important for us to see that it is still with us.
God hates sin, and God will punish it! ... More
|
|
|
|
Living In The Eight - 8:1
|
|
|
|
The eighth chapter of Romans has stamped its mark on the church down through the ages.
It follows the Christian from the moment the burden rolls off at the cross
until the moment he is called to go through the gates of heaven where
he will see Jesus face to face. ...More
|
|
|
|
No Condemnation - 8:1
|
|
|
|
It is not possible to exaggerate the importance of the affirmation of Romans 8:1.
Here we are told most emphatically that there is now no condemnation to them
which are in Christ Jesus.
Oh, we should despise these awful guilt complexes which wreck Christians.
I say Christians, for the unconverted are not concerned about these matters. ...More
|
|
|
|
In Jesus - New Life - 8:1-4
|
|
|
|
As all men are in Adam, all Christians are "in Christ."
In Adam is to have a sinful nature which leads to death. In Christ is to have a new righteous nature
which leads to life.
In Adam man broke God's law. In Jesus man obeyed God.
Man was lost because he is involved in Adam's transgression.
Man is saved who is involved in Christ's righteousness - by faith in His life, death, and resurrection.
That is what it means to be in Christ. ...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
Purpose Of The Law - 8:4
|
|
|
|
God put an end to the old order to the law of sin and death for those who are in Christ.
All the old is done away:
There is now no condemnation, no sin, no law, and no death to have power over him.
We have been received into a wholly new order who " walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the Spirit." ...More
|
|
|
|
Two Results - Life Or Death - 8:5-8
|
|
|
|
To be carnally minded is death.
The state of a carnally-minded person is one of death.
Life for the one who is not a Christian is a living death.
They are spiritually dead.
There is no stronger term than "death."
You cannot say anything beyond saying that a person is dead.
It is not "almost dead"; he is actually dead. It is not "desperately ill"; it is dead. No life! ...More
|
|
|
|
Indwelling Spirit Of Christ - 8:5-8
|
|
|
|
The indwelling is mentioned throughout the Scriptures and is expressed in a variety of figures.
Here it is that of a house or a temple.
The Spirit, being its owner and inhabitant, makes it a fit habitation for Himself.
He adorns it. He uses it for Himself.
Since God's Spirit is the absolute opposite of the old sin power, it is easy to tell who dwells
in the house of your heart.
Those who live in the flesh do not want to have the Spirit.
They do not belong to Him. ...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
Man Cannot - God Can! - 8:9
|
|
|
|
In verse 7 we learn how miserable the state of man is by nature.
Man's wisdom and intelligence in his unconverted state are enmity against God so that
he cannot submit himself to God's law.
We learn that the ability both to will and to do anything must be from God.
"Neither indeed can be." (Verse 7)
All men in their natural state are the slaves of sin.
They may boast that they are free, but that is a delusion. ...More
|
|
|
|
Sons Of God - 8:14
|
|
|
|
Paul's former exhortation to "walk after the Spirit" (8:12) is almost identical
with the current definition of those who are now "led by the Spirit."
But his thought moves forward as well, for now he turns from the concept of life to that of sons.
Both are linked with the work of the Spirit, but a deeper level is plumbed;
the gift of life is seen as the proof of sonship, and such sonship goes to the heart of God Himself.
The two leading ideas of God's Spirit and man's sonship are then interwoven in a remarkable pattern:
"...for as many...sons of God." (Verse 14) ...More
|
|
|
|
Led By The Spirit - 8:14
|
|
|
|
It is necessary that believers be led by the Spirit of God, for the believer is a traveler
to the eternal world.
And in spiritual things, we are little children who need to be led because of our weaknesses.
Left to our own guidance we possess vast, uncontrollable powers of self destruction.
Without being led of the Spirit would be as though we had no one to guide us
through the wilderness.
It would be like being in a runaway plane without a pilot. ...More
|
|
|
|
Two Spirits, Bondage And Adoption - 8:15
|
|
|
|
|
The spirit of bondage is unpardoned guilt which fills the mind with continual terrors. (Job 15:20-24)
It is a habitual fear of death and the expectation of future punishment.
It is the knowledge of our inability to deliver ourselves out of this sad situation - this spirit of bondage.
Those enslaved with the spirit of bondage have a dominating love of money, pleasure, and sin.
There are those who are enslaved who come to church regularly, utter prayers, sing songs,
and read the Bible.
These are bored by the worship and long for it to be over.
Why do they come at all? ...More
|
|
|
|
All the sufferings of this present time fade into nothingness when compared with the glory
to be revealed in us.
Paul would compress all the suffering of the world into a tiny spark,
while he expands its glory as the blaze of a burning forest or as a drop of water into a mighty ocean.
So, Paul encourages us to endure afflictions because there is no comparison
between this present suffering and our future glory. ...More
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Firstfruits - 8:23
|
|
|
|
Paul borrowed the image of firstfruits from the ancient custom of a thank offering
at the time of harvest.
Used figuratively, the firstfruits; signify the assurance of much more to follow.
It is the first down payment which secures the rest of the payment in God's time.
The first portion of the harvest is regarded as a first installment and as a pledge
of the final delivery of the whole.
The Holy Spirit is regarded as an anticipation of final salvation, and has a pledge that we,
who have the Spirit shall receive the fullness of the glory of our Lord.
Possession of the Spirit is a great privilege, but that possession is not God's final gift
for which we, as Christians, still look forward to eagerly. ...More
|
|
|
|
God's Way To Get Things Done - 8:25-32
|
|
|
|
We often pray for that which we think is obvious.
What we might see and think is not always what God thinks.
So, the Holy Spirit gently guides us in our prayers.
It is amazing when we are praying to discover the Holy Spirit guiding our prayer.
Not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us, but He intervenes and sometimes, even interrupts.
This miracle of prayer consummates with the purpose of our heavenly Father.
Praying is how to get things done.
It's not what we do, or how we prepare; it is prayer that is God's way of getting things done. ...More
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
What To Pray For? - 8:26-27
|
|
|
|
Even when Paul was writing these words, he knew that he did not know what he should pray for.
Why was he, and why are we so ignorant concerning prayer?
Essentially, it is because prayer is not the "miracle of miracles," which takes place
daily in pious souls.
It is because the motive of all prayer is not the striving after, and the strengthening
and the enhancing of a person's own life.
We are ignorant in prayer because even the most sincere and most powerful prayers serve
to reveal to us how little the person of prayer is able to escape from what
he, himself, has thought and experienced....More
|
|
|
|
Unutterable Groanings - 8:26
|
|
|
|
All praying is not formulated in words or is articulate in thought.
There are sighs that are too deep for words, just as there is sorrow that is too deep for tears.
True prayers may or may not find voice in words, even when it is most articulate.
It may have its root in desires that cannot be uttered.
But the Holy Spirit will impart a meaning to such desires which they would not have of themselves.
He will clothe them with a shape and value which is altogether beyond anything that
we could define. ...More
|
|
|
|
Searcher Of Hearts - 8:27a
|
|
|
|
The thought of the passage is therefore: As God searches the heart of His children,
He finds unuttered and unutterable groanings.
Though they are inarticulate, there is a meaning and content that does not escape
the omniscient eye of God.
They are wholly intelligible to Him.
Furthermore, they are found to be in accordance with His will.
Let us conclude by stating why this point is so useful and so precious to us.
It is useful because it brings us divine counsel.
Our hearts are searched by God and His Spirit makes us conscious of our sins, our needs,
and guides us. ...More
|
|
|
|
Spirit's Intercession - 8:27
|
|
|
|
We are often selfish in our prayers concerning petitions and purposes, but God knows
the mind of the Spirit in this sense also.
So, here in this verse is added another great comfort and encouragement, which belongs
to us as God's children.
It is such a comfort that the Lord passes over that which is flesh in us, and looks only
at that which is Spirit.
There is no experience of life that we can rely on for divine aid with more confidence
than when we are praying in the Spirit, even when we feel too weak to pray.
We can be confident that we have a divine Intercessor, a Helper, a Comforter who is voicing
the longings for which we lack the ability or knowledge to express.
We have an advocate above, as well as an advocate within, and between these two advocates
there is no discord.
The Spirit's intercession is an effect of Christ's intercession and flows out of it. ...More
|
|
|
|
We Know - 8:28
|
|
|
|
The words of this great verse ring out as the ultimate inference, which Paul drew
from all that he has said about the fact of trial and the triumph of faith.
Adversity may be real and profound, but God will bend it for our good.
This is the fact, which we must grasp with the strength of childlike simplicity, and be content.
God holds the key of all the unknown, and that should make our faith, glad.
There is much that we do not know, but this we know as a fact that admits no doubt:
our life is in the hands of God who will guide and control all its issues for His glory. ...More
|
|
|
|
Back to Top
|
|
|
|
All Things - 8:28
|
|
|
|
People will sometimes agree that life as a whole is ruled by the will of God, but they shrink
from the thought that all things have a place in God's plan.
Paul was not hesitant to claim that nothing can take place, which does not fit with God's purpose
for His children.
Jesus asserted this to be true when He stated that even the sparrow does not fall to the ground
without His Father's knowledge.
The eye of God-given faith sees that there is room for all things in God's overruling wisdom. ...More
|
|
|
|
< | |
