Canaan Fellowship

Lessons from the Early Church: Reliance on the Holy Spirit, Prayer, and Witnessing

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Canaan Fellowship
Canaan Fellowship
Lessons from the Early Church: Reliance on the Holy Spirit, Prayer, and Witnessing
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Bruce Hempel delivers a sermon focusing on the characteristics of the early church as depicted in the Book of Acts. He emphasizes the importance of reading large portions of Scripture to understand the broader narrative and highlights key aspects of the early church’s development before Saul’s conversion.

  • [00:00:05] Bruce greets the congregation and introduces his continuation on the early church from the Book of Acts.
  • [00:00:42] He encourages reading entire books of Scripture at once to grasp the full story, rather than fragmented parts.
  • [00:01:25] Bruce lists five notable aspects of the early church before Saul’s conversion, setting the stage for deeper discussion.
  • [00:02:06] He recounts Saul’s transformation, noting his initial opposition as a Pharisee under Gamaliel’s teaching.
  • [00:02:32] Bruce describes Gamaliel’s advice to the council to leave the apostles alone, contrasting with Saul’s later actions.
  • [00:03:53] He highlights Stephen’s defense and martyrdom, which marked a turning point leading to Saul’s radicalization.
  • [00:05:50] Bruce details Saul’s journey to Damascus, where his conversion occurs, shifting his role in the church’s history.
  • [00:08:00] He outlines five key traits of the early church, focusing on three: reliance on the Holy Spirit, prayer, and witnessing.
    1. [00:08:12] The early church depended on the Holy Spirit’s power for its formation and actions.
    2. [00:08:18] It was a praying church, devoted to seeking God’s guidance and strength.
    3. [00:08:26] It was bold and courageous, facing opposition without hiding their faith (previously covered).
    4. [00:09:05] It was filled with love, a hallmark of discipleship as taught by Jesus (briefly revisited).
    5. [00:12:28] It was a witnessing church, sharing the gospel wherever they went despite persecution.
  • [00:13:06] Bruce cites Acts 1, where Jesus instructs the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit’s baptism before witnessing.
  • [00:16:57] He emphasizes prayer in the early church, referencing their devotion in the upper room and after Pentecost.
  • [00:22:27] Bruce notes a powerful moment of prayer after threats, where the place shook, and boldness was granted.
  • [00:25:25] He concludes with the witnessing nature of the church, sharing the gospel even after Stephen’s martyrdom and persecution.
  • [00:28:28] Bruce challenges the congregation to share Christ intentionally, inspired by modern evangelists’ boldness.

Scripture References

  • Acts 1
  • Acts 1:4
  • Acts 1:8-9
  • Acts 1:13
  • Acts 2:42
  • Acts 4:23
  • Acts 6-8
  • Acts 7
  • Acts 8
  • John 20
  • 2 Timothy 2:22

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