48 sermon' topics for church growth

• Mention of the previous book (Gospel of Luke).

• Purpose of writing: to tell about the deeds of Jesus and the apostles.

I. The Ascension of Jesus and Pentecost (Acts 1-2)

2. The Ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:3-11)

• The Promise of the Holy Spirit.

• Ascension to heaven.

3. The Substitution of Judas (Acts 1:12-26)

• The choice of Matthias as an apostle.

4. Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13)

• Descent of the Holy Spirit.

• Speaking in tongues.

5. Peter's Sermon (Acts 2:14-41)

• Explanation of events and call to repentance.

• Formation of the first church.

II. Life of the Early Church in Jerusalem (Acts 2-7)

6. Fellowship of Believers (Acts 2:42-47)

• Teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.

7. Healing the Lame Man (Acts 3:1-10)

• Peter's sermon after the healing.

8. Peter's Sermon Before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:1-22)

• Arrest and release of the apostles.

9. Community Life (Acts 4:23-37)

• Prayer and unity of believers.

10. The Death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11)

• An example of a lie and its consequences.

11. Persecution of the Apostles (Acts 5:12-42)

• Miracles and arrests.

III. The Spread of the Gospel Outside Jerusalem (Acts 8-12)

12. Philip's Preaching in Samaria (Acts 8:1-25)

• Acceptance of the Gospel by Samaria.

13. Healing the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40)

14. The Conversion of Saul (Acts 9:1-19)

• Transfiguration of Saul into Paul.

15. Peter's Activity (Acts 9:20-43)

• Healing of Aeneas and resurrection of Tabitha.

16. The First Mission to the Gentiles (Acts 10:1-48)

• The call of Cornelius and the vision of Peter.

17. Missionary Report (Acts 11:1-18)

18. Mission to Antioch (Acts 11:19-30)

• Formation of the church in Antioch.

19. Persecution of the Jerusalem Church (Acts 12:1-19)

• The arrest of James and the release of Peter.

IV. Paul's First Missionary Journeys (Acts 13-21)

20. The First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14)

• Epistle from Antioch, preaching in Cyprus and Asia Minor.

21. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-35)

• The decision to save the Gentiles without circumcision.

22. The Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22)

• Travel through the Syrian, Cilician and Macedonian regions.

23. The Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:16)

• Preaching in Ephesus and other cities.

V. The Final Part: The Arrest and the Journey to Rome (Acts 21-28)

24. Paul's Arrest in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-36)

25. Paul's Defense Before the Sanhedrin and the Roman Authorities (Acts 22-26)

26. Journey to Rome (Acts 27-28)

• Storm and shipwreck.

• Paul's preaching in Rome.

Conclusion

27. Paul's Last Days in Rome (Acts 28:17-31)

• Preaching and teaching in Rome.

Our passage is in Section IV, Paul's First Missionary Journeys. In Section 22, "Paul's Second Missionary Journey"

The Holy Scriptures reveal to us not only the history of the spread of the church in the territory of modern Europe, but also the principles that guided the first missionaries.

Chapter 17 of the Book of Acts is part of the second missionary journey of the Apostle Paul and contains important events related to his preaching in various cities. Here are the main points of the relationship of chapter 17 with the section on the first missionary journeys:

1. Continuation of missionary activity

• Context: Chapter 17 follows the account of the first missionary journey (Acts 13-14) and is part of the second (Acts 15:36-18:22). Paul and his companions continue their mission, preaching the gospel in new areas.

2. Preaching in Philippi (Acts 16:11-40)

• Connection to Chapter 17: Before going to Thessalonica, Paul preaches in Philippi, where he is arrested and miraculously delivered. These events set the stage for the next phase of his mission.

3. Preaching in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9)

• Summary: Paul begins his sermon in the synagogue of Thessalonica where he explains that Jesus is the Messiah. He uses Scripture to support his words.

• Connection: This reflects Paul's method, which he had used in previous journeys, of reaching Jewish audiences through the synagogues.

4. Reaction and persecution

• Persecution of Paul: As a result of his successful preaching, jealousy arises among some of the Jews, which leads to riots and persecution of Paul and his companions.

• Connection with previous journeys: This also recalls the reaction to Paul's preaching in other cities, such as Antioch of Pisidia and Lystra, where he encountered opposition.

5. Preaching in Berea (Acts 17:10-15)

• Move to Berea: After Thessalonica, Paul and Silas travel to Berea, where they find a more receptive audience who search the Scriptures.

• Methodology: This approach to studying Scripture was also characteristic of Paul in his previous missions.

6. Preaching in Athens (Acts 17:16-34)

• Cultural context: In Athens, Paul encounters philosophers and idolaters. His preaching here differs from other places because he uses philosophical arguments and appeals to the culture of his listeners.

• Diversity of Approaches: This shows Paul's adaptation to different cultural contexts, which was also evident in his first missionary journey when he preached to both Jews and Gentiles.

Acts 17 illustrates the continuation of Paul's missionary work, his adaptation to different cultural contexts and preaching methods. These elements echo the same principles that were laid down in his early missionary journeys, demonstrating the consistency and development of his ministry.

1 {Ministry in Thessalonica} After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

2 Paul, as was his custom, went into the synagogue and there for three consecutive Sabbaths reasoned with the Jews about the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “Jesus, about whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ,” Paul said.

4 They succeeded in persuading some Jews, many God-fearing Greeks, and many noble women, and they joined Paul and Silas.

5 This aroused the envy of the rest of the Jews, and they took with them the wicked men they found in the marketplace, and gathered a mob and stirred up trouble in the city. They rushed to Jason's house, looking for Paul and Silas, so that they could bring them out to the crowd.

6 When they did not find them there, they dragged Jason and the other brothers to the city authorities. “These people are causing trouble all over the world, and now they have come here too,” the crowd shouted.

7 – And Jason received them into his house. They violate the commands of Caesar and say that there is another king, whose name is Jesus.

8 The crowd and the city authorities, hearing this, became alarmed.

9 They took a pledge from Jason and the rest and sent them away.

10 {Ministry in Berea} As soon as night had come, the brothers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived at Berea, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

11 The Bereans were more open-minded than the Thessalonians. They listened with great interest to what Paul said and examined the Scriptures daily to see if what they had heard was true.

12 Many of them believed, and many noble Greek women and many Greek men believed.

13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, they went there also and began to stir up and agitate the people.

14 The brothers immediately sent Paul away to the seaside, but Silas and Timothy remained in the city.

15 Paul's companions came with him to Athens and then returned with a command from Paul that Silas and Timothy should come to him as quickly as possible.

(Acts 17:1-15)

I Paul preached Christ to people who knew the Law.

A It is difficult for a person to understand that he is a sinner.

B Man can perceive God's perfect law

C A person may conclude that he is not fulfilling the Law

D Sinful man needs a Redeemer – Christ

E And Paul preached it.

F Paul's preaching was successful

G This caused envy and persecution

II Successful preaching of the Gospel arouses envy

A Jason and the other brothers were brought before the authorities

B They were accused of following another king – treason.

C Jason and the other brothers were given bail and released.

D Following Christ brings suffering into life

III Paul and Silas were released to Berea

A They came to the synagogue in Berea

B The Bereans were more open to the Gospel

C We searched the Scriptures every day

D Many of the Greeks and Greek women believed

E The Jews from Thessalonica came to Berea and stirred up the people there,

F Paul was sent to Athens

Throughout the Bible, the idea of God's progressive revelation runs through. God created man for an eternal, loving relationship. Sinful man failed to maintain that relationship, and it was destroyed.

The coming of Jesus Christ into the world gives man a second chance – the opportunity to restore these relationships. For Jesus Christ, the restoration of these relationships became the reason for His crucifixion, death and resurrection.

When we enter into this restored relationship, we also have to tell people about the forgiveness of sins, about salvation from hell and eternal death. And we also face misunderstanding, unbelief and envy.

Love leads us to those people who have not heard of Christ and who suffer from sin, being its slaves. We will not always be received with “bread and salt” or open arms. This path can be difficult and tragic, but we must continue to follow the path that our Savior Jesus Christ walked.

Why are love and suffering inseparable? When we love, we are united with the object of our love. We not only hope to possess it, but we also give ourselves into the possession of the other party. In essence, marriage is a sacrifice, where spouses sacrifice themselves and their interests for the sake of the happiness of their spouse. It is important that this be a correct, legal relationship. In the relationship between a man and a woman, it must be a legal marriage. In the relationship with Christ, it is complete obedience to His Word.

May God bless you in your search for truth.

With respect, prayers for you and God's love

Rustam Kodash Nasyrov

The tragedy of misunderstanding the nature of God's love or the greatest mistake of man.

Some things are known and popular in the world because they reflect a clear concept of Divine love and the ability to accept or reject it. The movie "The Matrix" reflects the idea of free choice with two pills. You do not simply take or do not take a pill, this is not a clear choice: maybe you thought about it or you were "persuaded" or persuaded to make some choice. No, two pills say that you consciously made some choice and are a participant in one or another scenario of your life, and you took a direct part in this choice.

What could be the tragedy of not understanding the nature of God's love? In that, having a correct understanding of the nature of this love, we can build a correct and eternal relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without a correct understanding, this relationship can be destroyed by the person himself. Let's see how the concept of the right choice is reflected in one of the most famous parables of Jesus Christ – in the parable of the prodigal son.

1 Then all the publicans and sinners came to Him to listen to Him.

2 But the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

3 But he spoke this parable to them:

4 Which of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it?

5 And when he has found it, he will lay it on his shoulders with joy.

6 And when he comes home, he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.”

7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8 Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece of silver, does not light a candle, and sweep the house, and search diligently until she finds it?

9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I lost.”

10 So I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

11 He also said, “A certain man had two sons;

12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of the estate that falleth to me. And the father divided the estate between them.

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and went into a far country, and there squandered his substance in dissolute living.

14 Now when he had spent all, a great famine arose in that land, and he began to be in need;

15 And he went and joined himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine;

16 And he would have fain filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate, but no one gave him any.

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.”

19 And I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.

20 He arose and went to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22 And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it upon him, and put a ring upon his hand, and shoes upon his feet:

23 And bring the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat and be merry.

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to rejoice.

25 Now his eldest son was in the field; and as he returned, when he drew nigh to the house, he heard singing and rejoicing;

26 And he called one of the servants and asked, What is this?

27 He said to him, “Your brother is come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.”

28 He became angry and would not go in. But his father came out and called him.

29 But he answered and said to his father, “Behold, these many years I have served you, and have never transgressed your commandment, yet you have never given me even a kid of the goats, that I might rejoice with my friends;

30 And when this son of yours came, who had squandered his substance with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.

31 And he said unto him, My son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32 But it was necessary for us to rejoice and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

(Luke 15:1-32)

The main idea of these parables is not revealed to us at once. Jesus leads us to the main idea, illuminating our consciousness with two other, "small" parables, speaking about the value of repentance for God and the importance of continuing the relay of salvation, brought to us and passing it on to other people.

The first two parables speak of the importance and value of repentance for God, and He passionately desires it and rejoices when a person realizes his corruption and sinfulness and wants to return to his father's house. This is valuable and important for God and for man.

This chapter can be divided into the following stages of understanding this parable:

• Publicans and sinners approached Jesus to listen to Him

• Jesus tells the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son

• The son decided to return to his father – he got up and went

• The eldest son was in the field and when he returned he heard singing and jubilation

• When I found out the reason, I didn’t want to go in and stayed outside

You can get closer to God and learn something about yourself and your life. And you need to do something with this information, it is not given just like that, it is given for a certain choice – I admit that this is about me, I decide to change and continue to move towards God, towards communication with Him, continuing to change, or I refuse to accept this information and apply it, and I will inevitably move away from God.

It is important for me today to understand the vector of my movement – am I moving closer to Him, or away from Him?

Possible counterarguments against accepting God's love, revealed to man through the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ:

1. Some may argue that the concept of sacrifice and atonement through Jesus Christ is outdated and no longer relevant in the modern world.

2. Others may question the veracity of the story of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice, considering it a myth or fiction rather than historical fact.

3. Some may have difficulty accepting the idea of a loving God who requires sacrifice to forgive sins, seeing it as contradictory or unfair.

4. Skeptics may argue that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ does not prove the existence of a loving God, but rather raises questions about the nature of suffering and the problem of evil in the world.

5. Some may reject the idea of God demanding obedience and loyalty in exchange for love, seeing it as coercive or manipulative.

6. Critics may argue that the concept of God's love as revealed in Jesus Christ is exclusive and exclusionary, failing to take into account the diversity of beliefs and experiences in the world.

7. Others may simply not believe in the existence of a supernatural being or higher power, and then have a hard time accepting the idea of God's love as revealed in Jesus Christ.

Let us consider the historical, geographical and cultural aspects of this passage, so that we can better understand the information embedded and sent to us in the biblical text, so that in today's difficult situation we can decipher it, correctly understand it and apply it in our lives.

First main section

History. Historical and cultural analysis.

Let's explore the history of the writing of the book of the Gospel of Luke.

The Gospel of Luke does not name its author. However, Luke 1:1–4 and Acts 1:1–3 clearly indicate that the same author wrote both books, addressing them to “the most honorable Theophilus,” perhaps a Roman official. According to early Church tradition, these two books were written by Luke, a physician and close associate of the apostle Paul (Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11). This makes Luke the only pagan known to have written a book of Scripture.

The Gospel is addressed to people with Greco-Roman thinking, based on a global culture.

The Gospel of Luke was most likely written between 58 and 65 AD.

As with the other two synoptic Gospels, Matthew and Mark, the purpose of this book is to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ and all that He “began to do and teach…from the beginning until the day He…was taken up into heaven” (Acts 1:1–2). Luke’s Gospel is unique in that it is a “continuous account” (Luke 1:3), in keeping with Luke’s medical mindset – often revealing details that are omitted in the other Gospels. Luke’s account of the life of the Great Physician highlights His ministry and dedication to Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others considered outcasts in Israel.

Luke 15 contains several historical moments that are significant for Christian theology. The chapter begins with Jesus being criticized by religious leaders for eating with tax collectors and sinners. In response, Jesus tells three parables: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son. These parables emphasize the importance of repentance and God's love and forgiveness for those who have lost their way. The chapter also tells how Jesus reached out to those who were social outcasts and His teachings on redemption and mercy.

Although there are no explicit geographical points in Luke 15, the parables Jesus tells in this chapter have significant relevance to the geographical and cultural context of the time. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son all resonate with the agricultural and social landscape of the region.

The parable of the lost sheep, in particular, would have resonated deeply with the people of Judea and Galilee, where herding sheep was a common occupation. The image of a shepherd leaving ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that had strayed would have appealed to those familiar with the rugged terrain and open pastures of that region.

Likewise, the parable of the lost coin would have had geographical and cultural significance. In a society where women often wore headdresses adorned with coins as a sign of wealth, the idea of a woman diligently searching for a lost coin would have been relatable to viewers.

The parable of the prodigal son also has geographical and cultural implications. The setting of the parable, featuring a wealthy landowner and his holdings, reflects the agrarian society of first-century Palestine. Themes of inheritance, family relationships, and the agricultural abundance of the land would have resonated with the experiences and environment of the audience.

To understand the geographic context of Luke 15, it is important to consider the cultural and social context in which these parables were spoken. They were designed to connect with the daily lives and experiences of the people who inhabited the region, and they continue to resonate with readers today.

Luke 15 contains several cultural moments that provide valuable insight into the religious and social context of the time. These moments reflect the teachings of Jesus Christ and shed light on the values and customs of the society in which he lived.

One of the cultural moments in this chapter is the parable of the lost sheep. In this story, Jesus tells of a shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 sheep to find one that has gone astray. This parable reflects the pastoral and agricultural lifestyle of the people of Jesus' time, where shepherding was a common occupation. It also illustrates the importance of each person in the eyes of God and the concept of finding the lost and bringing them back into the fold.

Another cultural point in this chapter is the parable of the lost coin. In this story, Jesus tells of a woman who diligently searches for a lost coin in her house and rejoices when she finds it. This parable demonstrates the value of a human soul in the eyes of God, as well as His joy and triumph that accompany the repentance of a sinner and the finding of a lost soul.

The parable of the prodigal son is perhaps the most famous cultural moment in Luke 15. The story depicts the dynamics of family relationships in the first-century Jewish environment, as well as the concepts of repentance, forgiveness, and restoration. It highlights the cultural significance of inheritance and the shame associated with a son squandering his wealth, as well as the profound love and mercy of a father welcoming his son home.

These cultural moments in Luke 15 give readers a deeper understanding of the context in which Jesus lived and ministered. They provide valuable lessons about compassion, forgiveness, and God’s all-encompassing love, while also shedding light on the cultural norms and values of the time. The teachings and parables contained in this chapter continue to resonate with believers and scholars alike, offering timeless wisdom and insight into the human experience.

Let's consider the literary context of our passage.

Thus, we should define the genre of the Gospel of the Infancy of Luke as a sacred-historical narrative with elements of the genre of ancient biography, Jewish midrash and Jewish (Judeo-Christian) apocalypse.