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ACTS
Activating the Church with the True Gospel and Spiritual Power

Wendy Bowen
 ACTS
Introduction
Welcome to ACTS! ACTS is a study on the Bible’s Book of Acts focused on Activating the Church with
the True Gospel and Spiritual power. The aim of this study is to empower believers today to do the
things that Jesus did, the way that He did them, and the way the first followers of Christ did in the Book
of Acts. ACTS incorporates both the historical account and personal application to our lives as Christ
followers today.

This study has been entirely birthed by the prompting of the Lord and, in fact, it wasn’t even my idea! I
was recently at a conference where God was moving powerfully. In a time of surrendered prayer and
listening to the Holy Spirit, the Lord shared His heart with me. It was as if, from within, I could hear Him
crying out with deep sorrow and weeping, “My people, My people! They do not know Me. Help them to
know Me.” His weeping became my weeping as I was moved to the depths of my heart for His people,
His Church, His Bride. Along the same lines, I believe that Christians today are hungry and thirsty for
more of God, for a deeper walk with Christ, and for more of the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Therefore, my hope is that this study will help you to know God better than you did before. Through
deeper knowledge of Him, I believe that you will be more like Jesus. By being more like Christ, my
prayer is that you will do more of the things that He did by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what
ACTS is all about.

Historical Background of Acts

Author: Luke Date Written: between 63-70 AD Addressed to: Theophilus or lovers of God
Location: Jerusalem, Judea & Samaria, the ends of the earth

The Book of Acts is a major turning point in the Scriptures and also in world history. Acts was written by
Luke as continuation of the Book of Luke, which details the life and ministry of Jesus, as a historical
account of the life and ministry of the first Christ followers. Acts reveals the birth of a new people and the
birth of the Church. From the start of Acts, we observe that the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead
has changed everything because Jesus has been proven to be the Messiah of Israel. We hear Jesus’ last
words before He ascended to heaven, promising to return at a God-appointed time and promising the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit:

{Act 1:7-8} 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by
his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

In a dynamic explosion of heaven meeting earth, we see that the Holy Spirit is poured out as promised so
that followers of Christ can continue the work that Jesus did in the Gospels. Whereas the Gospels tell us
what “Jesus began to do and to teach” (see Acts 1:1) proclaiming the Kingdom of God with a

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demonstration of God’s power, the Book of Acts shows us that the very same power of God has now been
transferred to those who believe Jesus. In fact, this is where the Book of Acts derives its name. The word
acts in Greek is praxeis which is all about doing, a mode of acting, things done, the doings of, the works, the
deeds, the actions, and it is typically used to denote the works of extraordinary men. This said, the
“extraordinary men” doing great works of God in the Book of Acts are actually just ordinary people like
you and me. Therefore, we are going to learn in this study how to do acts of God today the same way that
they did.

From the standpoint of the Scriptures, in the Book of Acts, the Old Testament and New Testament kiss in
a beautiful prophetic fulfillment of all that God had promised, with the best still yet to come. Believers
then did not have the New Testament yet, so their study of Christ was entirely from the Old Testament
Scriptures. Accordingly, in this study we will highlight Old Testament foreshadowing of Christ and what
He accomplished so that we enter into the Scriptures the way that they did.

From the standpoint of world history, the Book of Acts takes place over a span of more than 30 years. In
Chapters 1-15, Luke, a brilliant man and trained physician, wrote with extraordinary attention to
accuracy based on actual eyewitness events. In Chapters 16-28, Luke himself is a participant in the story
which we know from his use of “we.” Acts is the birth of Christianity as we know it today. News of King
Jesus was on its way to the ends of the earth. Riots rose up in opposition to the enormous cultural
changes which the Gospel message brings and world rulers were confronted with conflicts when their
own people pledged allegiance to the King above all kings. Here are a few different ways of breaking
down the Book of Acts from a historical standpoint:

Outline 1: Chapters 1-12: Founding of the Church

Chapters 13-28: Spreading of the Church

Outline 2: Chapters 1-7: Jerusalem (2 years)

Chapters 8-12: Judea & Samaria (13 yrs)
Chapters 13-28: Ends of the earth (15 yrs)

Outline 3: Chapters 1-7: Consolidated Church

Chapters 8-9: Persecuted Church
Chapters 10-12: Church Extended
Chapters 13-15: Paul’s first journey (1 yr, 5 months)
Chapters 16-18: Paul’s second journey (2 yrs, 5 months)
Wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Chapters 19-23: Paul’s third journey (4 yrs)
Wrote 1 & 2 Corinthians, Romans, Galatians
Chapters 24-26: Paul’s trials (2 yrs)
Chapters 27-28: Paul’s Imprisonment (2 yrs)
Wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians
Note: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus were written after the Book of Acts

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Outline 4: Timeline (accurate within two year cushion):

- Year 30 AD: Founding of the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 1-2)
- 34: Stephen martyred (Acts 7)
- 33/35: Paul’s conversion (Acts 9)
- 34/37: Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem (Acts 9:26)
- 45/46: James martyred (Acts 12:2)
- 46/47: First missionary journey begins (Acts 13-14)
- 48: Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)
- 48-51: Second missionary journey begins (Acts 15:26-18:22)
- 50: Paul at Corinth (Acts 18)
- 53: Third missionary journey begins (Acts 19)
- 54-57: Paul at Ephesus (Acts 19)
- 57-58: Paul in Greece (Acts 20)
- 58: Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21)
- 58-60: Paul imprisoned in Caesarea (Acts 24-26)
- 60-61: Paul appeals to Caesar, voyage to Rome (Acts 27)
- 61-62: Paul imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28:30)
- 65: Paul martyred (not recorded in Scripture)

My personal belief is that we, too, live in a dynamic turning point of world history. I believe that
followers of Christ will experience more and more of the types of things we see in the Book of Acts in the
days leading up to Christ’s return. Therefore, we are not going to approach this study solely as a
theological review or from strictly a historical perspective. Rather, we are going to study ACTS so that we
are empowered to be the Church which Christ has called and chosen us to be. This is what the first
disciples of Christ demonstrate so beautifully in the Book of Acts.

Outline for ACTS

I believe that the Lord has led me to structure this study with four main focus areas: The Gospel, the Holy
Spirit, Community, and Opposition. These areas of study are as significant for us today as they were for
the first followers of Christ. Each focus area has what I’m calling a “Primer” which lays the groundwork
for understanding what they believed so that we can apply the Scriptures to our lives in the way that they
did. Think of it like putting a coat of primer on a wall before painting it so that the paint color shows up
as it should. While we will flow somewhat historically as we start, we will quickly move into highlighting
significant topics within each category and draw from all chapters of the Book of Acts on that topic. This
is what the outline for ACTS looks like according to category.

THE GOSPEL HOLY SPIRIT COMMUNITY OPPOSITION

1. Primer: The Gospel 2. Primer: Holy Spirit 3. Primer: Communion 4. Primer: Trials
5. Old to New 6. Pentecost 9. Fellowship 11. Persecution
8. Rend Your Heart 7. Kingdom 12. Devotion 15. Yeast
13. Types & Shadows 10. Miracles 14. My Witnesses
16. God’s Guidance

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You can read the chapters in their numerical order, by category, or in whatever order the Lord leads you
to read them. There is some progression of information through the chapters and the categories and there
is some cross-referencing between chapters to avoid redundancy but, basically, each chapter can stand on
its own. So jump in however the Holy Spirit directs you.

Revelation

While I hope that this study challenges you to new levels in your walk with Christ, I know that there is
only one Teacher, the Holy Spirit. Head knowledge is good, but revelation knowledge is permanent and
empowers action. While I can encourage you, only God can direct you. While I can explain the Word of
God and the work of Christ, only the Holy Spirit can reveal Him to you. I pray the Lord fills you with the
spirit of wisdom and revelation (see Ephesians 1:17) as we go through this study together so that you
grow in your understanding that Jesus Christ is all we need.

{Rom 1:16-17 KJV} 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein
is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by
faith.

The word for salvation in this verse is soteria which by its Greek definition includes salvation, deliverance,
healing, and sustenance. Every time we place our faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for us for these
things instead of anything else in heaven or on earth, we advance in our understanding of the
righteousness of God. While the Scripture references in this study are from the New International Version
(NIV) of the Bible, for this verse I use the King James Version because it clearly states from faith to faith.
From faith to faith, to me, clearly articulates how one step at a time, one episode of faith at a time, one act
of surrender and trust at time, we advance in our comprehension of the love of God for us in Christ Jesus
and that He truly did finish the work of our salvation along with everything that it includes. We grow in
our faith to spiritual maturity by receiving in our inmost being what has already been accomplished for
us in Christ.

To illustrate this further, when Christ transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of
His marvelous light, it was a one-time full transfer. (see Colossians 1:13) We were permanently moved
from one place to another. With the exception of denying Christ or renouncing Him, we do not become
more transferred or less transferred because of what we do or do not do, nor do we become lighter or
darker depending on how we are doing in our spiritual walk. Rather, as we grow in Christ, we are
growing in our revelation knowledge, understanding, and ability to receive by faith the benefits of the
transfer which has already taken place through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In another
way of looking at it, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us gives us revelation knowledge from within and even
the mind of Christ if we receive it by faith. (see 1 Corinthians 2:16) If the Holy Spirit has ever revealed
anything to you in your walk of faith, then you know that it was like a lightning bolt went off in your
brain and you finally understood something that you never comprehended before. This is usually rooted
in the realization that Christ has already finished it. Additionally, it was most likely something so

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significant that it altered your beliefs and your behavior. This was the Holy Spirit speaking from your
inmost being with an empowering certainty which gave you the supernatural ability to be changed.
Every time this happens, we have moved from faith to faith. The more we allow this to happen in every
area of our lives, the more we become like Jesus and do the things He did.

Therefore, whenever you encounter something in your walk with Christ which challenges you or does
not quite fully make sense to you yet, don’t worry about it. If there is a “stickiness” to a point of truth
which you somehow know is true even though you can’t quite fully grasp it yet, don’t agonize. The Holy
Spirit is the best Teacher in the world and, in due course, according to your journey with Jesus and God’s
plan for your life, everything you need to know will be revealed to you. It’s already done so you can’t
mess it up. Seek the Lord and ask Him to give you revelation of the truth. Jesus is the truth, God’s Word
is the truth, and the Holy Spirit will lead you in all truth. Don’t strive for what you already have – just
surrender and receive it. Don’t belabor – just believe. Your lightning bolt of revelation will be right on
time.

Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand

The resounding message of Jesus’ ministry, starting with His forerunner John the Baptist, was, “Repent for
the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” This was the same message believers in the Book of Acts continued to
proclaim in Jesus’ name. To repent means to change one’s mind, typically with abhorrence of the old way of
thinking. True repentance is proper remorse over the things that we have believed or done, coupled with
a humbling of ourselves before God and returning to Him and His ways. In the Old Testament, people
demonstrated repentance externally by clothing themselves in sackcloth, tearing their clothing, and
covering themselves in dust and ashes. This symbolized their internal mourning over their humanity.
However, Jesus did not come to judge but to save. (see John 3:17) Therefore, His approach was not one of
condemnation for sin but invitation to grace. Accordingly, our approach to repentance does not need to
get stuck in mourning or self-abhorrence. Though there will be times when we will feel this way as Jesus
changes our minds about things we believe and do, we must also press on to receive the clear consciences
that Jesus’ blood paid for us to have. (see Hebrews 9:14) Our sin has been fully paid for and we spiritually
reside in heaven, righteous before God because of Jesus. Acknowledging this fact is the truest form of
humility.

Additionally, as believers in Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven now dwells within us. (see Luke 17:21) The
more our minds change from focusing on sin to focusing on heaven, the more the Kingdom of God
manifests in our lives. Therefore, the emphasis of my teaching is more geared towards revealing the
finished work of Christ and how to receive it to the fullest in our lives. My approach tends to be pro-
Christ and His righteousness rather than anti-sin. Think of it like promoting a candidate in an election
through emphasis on positive aspects of the contender rather than highlighting negative aspects of the
opponent. I believe Jesus died for us to be Christ-conscious not sin-conscious so that we are free to
worship and serve Him as instruments of righteousness. (see Romans 6:13) This reflects the way that
Jesus went about His ministry when He walked on the earth, and it is my personal experience of His
dealings with me as His disciple. Christ’s sacrifice is all sufficient. God’s grace is not an excuse for sin but

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an empowerment for genuine holiness. Grace is how we are transformed and this is how we bring the
Kingdom of Heaven to earth.

{Rom 12:2} 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good,
pleasing and perfect will.

{Mat 6:10} 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Engage with God

As you go through this study, I encourage you to engage with God through the Holy Spirit. Before you
begin, I invite you to cast all of your cares on Jesus. (see 1 Peter 5:7) This could be through prayer or even
writing down the things which are causing anxiety in your life. Then crumple up the list and throw it to
the other side of the room, trusting that Jesus will take care of your cares.

Before you read, invite the Holy Spirit to come and guide your time. Ask Him for new insight into the
finished work of Christ and ask for ways of applying truth to your life. As you go, don’t be afraid to stop
and seek the Lord or meditate on something that He reveals to you. Commit your time to God and
receive as much from Him as you can.

My prayer is that this study blesses you, increases your faith, and empowers you to take action for Christ
in ways that you never have before. In Jesus name, I declare a supernatural release of the Holy Spirit into
your life right now as we embark on this journey together.