Sermons based on readings from the Book of Acts
Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection and ten days after his ascension into heaven, Pentecost raises a number of questions raises a number of questions for the Church. None of these questions are as straight forward as they might at first appear, and not all or any …
A Sermon for Pentecost (28/05/23): Pentecost; The Work of the Spirit Read More »
Acts 1:6-14 At this point Jesus has spent almost six weeks with his disciples since his resurrection. In that time, not only has he given them convincing proof that he is alive, he has also continued his teaching with them. It is clear now that that time is drawing to a close and the disciples …
Acts 2:42-47 (1 Peter 2:19-25) They say that religion and politics shouldn’t mix. Which is probably true in some sense. We don’t ever have to look far to find some toxic combination of political power and religious fervour to see that such a combination is a bad thing. But on the other hand the resurrection …
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (30/04/23):Religion and Politics Read More »
Acts 2:1-21 / Romans 8:14-17 When we cry, “Abba, Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God. What does the Spirit do? This seems to be the most appropriate question to ask on the one Sunday in the year when all our attention is focussed on …
A Sermon for the Day of Pentecost (05/06/22): When We Cry “Abba, Father!” Read More »
Acts 11:1-18 The disciples in Jerusalem, James, John, Andrew, Philipp and more, are the leadership of the beginning-Church. They knew that certain things were meant to be a certain way. Some things are just the way they are intended to be. Even though they had had their world turned upside down, even though they had …
The Holy Spirit and Hope for the FutureActs 2:1-21, Romans 8:22-27 Suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were …
A Sermon for Pentecost Sunday (23/05/21): The Holy Spirit and Hope for the Future Read More »
Unlikely Eunuch, Improbable Philpp Acts 8:26-40 The Bible is full of improbable stories. Especially, there are stories of God bringing about unlikely outcomes from unpromising beginnings. We could make a long list of them: A child being born to Abraham and Sarah, when he was 100 and she was 90; The children of Israel delivered …
A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (02/05/21): Unlikely Eunuch Improbable Philipp Read More »
Corpus Delicti Acts 4:5-12 “Corpus delicti” is a Latin legal term. Translated is means, “The body of the crime.” It is the evidence that proves that a crime has been committed, which is necessary before anyone can be convicted of that crime. In the case of a murder, of course, that body of evidence is literally a …
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter (25/04/21): Corpus Delicti Read More »
Peter Preaches Acts 3:12-19 The book of Acts contains a collection of early sermons preached by the apostles in the weeks and years following Jesus’ resurrection. Luke recalls, for later Christians, what the first Church proclaimed. He records for us what those first Christians announced to the world. We are given the first public testimony to Christ …
A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter (18/04/21): Peter Preaches Read More »
Responding to the Resurrection Acts 4:32-35 Luke reports the aftermath of the first Easter, he tells us: With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Everything that follows in the Church’s history and in the lives of all the Christians begins with this and is build on …
A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter (11/04/21): Responding to the Resurrection Read More »