Be Dynamic (Acts 1-12): Experience the Power of God's People
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"The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not a luxury; it is an absolute necessity," writes celebrated author and respected pastor Warren Wiersbe. In his first of two books covering Acts, Be Dynamic focuses on Peter's ministry, mostly in Israel and centered in Jerusalem. Through explaining Luke's record of the Gospel's advancement and church expansion, Wiersbe opens the door to understanding the work of the church today.
Using hard-hitting quotes from recognized names like St. Augustine and John Bunyan, Wiersbe proves himself as a well-read author and gifted writer. The depth of his study is astounding, yet the accessibility of his text for every age group is evident as well. He proves what Luke intended-for Acts to be interpreted not as the apostles' glorious acts, but as the life-changing acts of the Holy Spirit. The same Spirit lives in believers today, the same God calls followers to expand His church, and the same basic problems still arise within the church, but the same power available then is still available now to change the nations.
Warren W. Wiersbe
Warren W. Wiersbe, former pastor of the Moody Church and general director of Back to the Bible, has traveled widely as a Bible teacher and conference speaker. Because of his encouragement to those in ministry, Dr. Wiersbe is often referred to as "the pastor’s pastor." He has ministered in churches and conferences throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Central and South America, and Europe. Dr. Wiersbe has written over 150 books, including the popular BE series of commentaries on every book of the Bible, which has sold more than four million copies. At the 2002 Christian Booksellers Convention, he was awarded the Gold Medallion Lifetime Achievement Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. Dr. Wiersbe and his wife, Betty, live in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Reviews for Be Dynamic (Acts 1-12)
4 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It’s an excellent commentary/devotional on the book of Acts. Love his Be series!!!
Book preview
Be Dynamic (Acts 1-12) - Warren W. Wiersbe
This book is for some missionary friends who have challenged and enriched our lives and whose ministries have extended the church:
Paul and Kathie Buyse
Don and Alene Dix
Don and Vera Hillis
Abe and Marj Van Der Puy
Contents
Cover
The Big Idea: An Introduction to Be Dynamic by Ken Baugh
A Word from the Author
1. The Faith of the First Christians (Acts 1)
2. Power From Heaven! (Acts 2)
3. The Power of His Name (Acts 3:1—4:4)
4. Persecution, Prayer, and Power (Acts 4:5–31)
5. Beware of the Serpent! (Acts 4:32—5:16)
6. Truth and Consequences (Acts 5:17–42)
7. Stephen, the Man God Crowned (Acts 6—7)
8. A Church on the Move (Acts 8)
9. God Arrests Saul (Acts 9:1–31)
10. Peter’s Miracle Ministry (Acts 9:32—10:48)
11. Making Room for the Gentiles (Acts 11)
12. Wake Up to a Miracle! (Acts 12)
Extras
The Big Idea
An Introduction to Be Dynamic
by Ken Baugh
Twenty-three years ago, my wife and I were sitting in our car parked in front of a beach in Malibu, California, watching the waves and eating our quarter pounders with cheese (that was when I could eat a quarter pounder without looking like one). We were on our honeymoon, and as we were sitting in the car, basking in our love for each other, I noticed a homeless man moseying around on the beach. He finally sat down by a trash can directly in front of our car.
My sweet wife suggested that I go over and share Christ with this man, but to be honest, that wasn’t my first thought. I was more interested in finishing my burger and fries than I was in the eternal destiny of this man. But then, being the incredibly intuitive person that I am (yes, I’m being sarcastic), I realized that this was a test. My wife wanted to see what kind of spiritual stuff her new husband was made of. So, being the spiritual giant that I am (again, I jest), I told her that I would love to go over and share Christ with this man, but I didn’t have an evangelistic tract or Bible to use. I thought this would get me off the hook. But to my chagrin, Susan just happened to have a Four Spiritual Laws booklet in her purse. Now I was on the spot, so I relented, set down my burger and fries, took one last slurp from my Coke, got out of the car, and walked over to where the homeless man was sitting.
His name was Paul, and I asked him if I could sit down and talk with him. He said, Sure.
As we talked, I found out that at one time he had been a prominent businessman but had lost everything, including his wife and family, so he just dropped out of normal life. Paul’s story was truly tragic. As we talked, I slowly steered the conversation toward spiritual matters and gently shared the gospel with him. He was fairly polite but not very interested in continuing our dialogue, so after about ten to fifteen minutes, I thanked him for taking the time to talk with me, gave him the booklet, and wished him well.
As I walked back to the car, I saw my new bride beaming with pride, thinking that her new husband was a bold and dynamic man of God, willing to share the gospel with a total stranger. But I knew the truth about myself: that I would never have taken the initiative to talk to Paul without Susan’s prompting. You see, twenty-three years ago it was difficult for me to share my faith with strangers. And to be honest, even today after I’ve been in ministry for over twenty years, it’s still difficult.
Yet the mandate of the Great Commission to go and make disciples of all people groups is a command for every true follower of Christ, not just for those who have the gift of evangelism. God wants every disciple to be a dynamic witness for Him. This is the Big Idea that runs throughout the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts. Peter was just a fisherman, untrained in the fine details of theology, yet the Holy Spirit used him in dynamic ways to bring many people to a saving faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
So here’s my question: How can we be like Peter and share our faith with others in effective ways even when we’re scared and may not really want to? The answer lies in knowing how to use four tools of evangelism: service evangelism, lifestyle evangelism, friendship evangelism, and confrontational evangelism. Let’s open up our evangelism toolbox and learn how to use each one effectively.
Tool #1: Service Evangelism. Think of service evangelism as a way of sharing the love of Christ with others in practical ways that meet specific felt needs. It’s giving that cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty (see Matt. 10:42). Now, the difference between humanitarian aid and service evangelism projects is that humanitarian aid doesn’t typically share openly about the person and work of Jesus Christ, but in service evangelism you do. And as you serve people, with no strings attached, you will quickly discover that they ask you why you are helping them, and this gives you the opportunity to share the gospel: I’m just sharing God’s love in a practical way. Can we talk about Jesus?
Recently, I was part of a team from our church that brought aid to those affected by Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas. We had our food-pantry truck with us, and we went to Walmart and loaded it up with water, drinks, socks, T-shirts, blankets, and food items and drove to a campsite where there were dozens of people living in tents who had been displaced by the hurricane. As we were handing out these goods to the people, they were both grateful and inquisitive as to why we were helping them, and it gave us a great opportunity to share with them the love of Christ. So service evangelism is a simple way to meet human needs while talking about Jesus.
Tool #2: Lifestyle Evangelism. This means of evangelism is based upon Jesus’ words to be light in the world (see Matt. 5:14). To be the light that Jesus is referring to simply means that as a Christian, I am to reflect who Jesus is to others. For example, the moon has no ability to generate light on its own; it simply reflects the light of the sun. In the same way, as believers, we are to reflect the light of Christ’s love, mercy, and kindness to others everywhere we go. No doubt you’ve heard some variation of this illustration: If you were put on trial because of your claim to be a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
That’s what we’re talking about in lifestyle evangelism, living out the faith in such a way that others see the difference and ask you about it.
Tool #3: Friendship Evangelism. A few years ago, I was working with a trainer down at my local gym. He knew I was a pastor, but I never brought it up. Instead I was willing to wait and see what might happen. One day after a few weeks, I was in the middle of a set, lifting a couple of very heavy dumbbells, when he just blurted out, So what’s the deal about Christians believing that Jesus is God?
I was so surprised, I almost dropped the weights on my head. For some reason, my trainer felt safe enough because of our growing friendship to ask me a spiritual question that had been on his mind for a long time. I think friendship evangelism operates in a similar way to another statement Jesus made about Christians: We are to be salt in the world (see Matt. 5:13). Salt was used to preserve meat without the aid of refrigeration, and salt is also a flavor enhancer. I believe as we build relationships with unbelievers, and they get to know us and we them, our friendship can act like a flavor enhancer bringing out the God flavors of His Word. I like how The Message version of the Bible puts it: Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth
(Matt. 5:13). When a believer becomes friends with an unbeliever, their friendship becomes a God-ordained flavor enhancer that draws them to Christ.
Tool #4: Confrontational Evangelism. I consider most street preachers to be fairly confrontational in their approach to evangelism. I used to be really turned off and even embarrassed by their approach. However, I have come to believe that street preaching can be very effective. My good friend Lon Solomon, pastor of McLean Bible Church, became a Christian through the ministry of a street preacher while he was attending the University of North Carolina. Today, Lon has a thriving ministry in the Washington D.C. area, including a weekly radio broadcast that takes the gospel to tens of thousands of people each week, and all because a street preacher was bold enough to proclaim the gospel in a direct and compelling way. The confrontational approach isn’t for everybody, and it certainly isn’t the most effective tool in every situation, but it sure works in the right context.
So now you have a full toolbox of evangelistic tools that you can choose from, depending on the situation you find yourself in. Just remember, God doesn’t call you as a Christian to save people, just to sow the seed of the gospel. And as you do, the Holy Spirit will do the rest of the work, drawing people into relationship with Jesus Christ in dynamic ways.
***
Dr. Wiersbe’s commentaries have been a source of guidance and strength to me over the many years that I have been a pastor. His unique style is not overly academic, but theologically sound. He explains the deep truths of Scripture in a way that everyone can understand and apply. Whether you’re a Bible scholar or a brand-new believer in Christ, you will benefit, as I have, from Warren’s insights. With your Bible in one hand and Dr. Wiersbe’s commentary in the other, you will be able to accurately unpack the deep truths of God’s Word and learn how to apply them to your life.
Drink deeply, my friend, of the truths of God’s Word, for in them you will find Jesus Christ, and there is freedom, peace, assurance, and joy.
—Ken Baugh
Pastor of Coast Hills Community Church
Alison Viejo, California
A Word from the Author
We call Dr. Luke’s second volume The Acts of the Apostles,
when really it is the Acts of God’s People Empowered by the Holy Spirit.
It is a story of power.
That’s why I have called this book Be Dynamic. I think Dr. Luke would approve; for, after all, God’s people today share the same spiritual dynamic that energized the early saints. If we are yielded to the Spirit, we can be adding new chapters to the exciting story of the church.
There are some nonrepeatable events in Acts, as well as some transitional happenings; but the basic spiritual principles are the same today as when Peter and Paul ministered.
We need to look beyond the accidentals to the essentials and discover afresh the spiritual dynamics of the Word of God and prayer, love and fellowship, persecution, and personal witness for Christ.
Vance Havner used to say that our church services start at eleven o’clock sharp and end at twelve o’clock dull. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we will lay hold of the power principles
recorded in Acts, we can be dynamic and see our local churches do exploits for the Lord.
I trust that your study of the book of Acts will do that for you and your church.
—Warren W. Wiersbe
A SUGGESTED OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS
Theme: The expansion of the church in the world
Key verse: Acts 1:8
I. The Ministry of Peter (Acts 1—12)
1. Jerusalem the center
2. Ministry primarily to Israel
A. Peter and the Jews (Acts 1—7)
B. Peter and the Samaritans (Acts 8)
C. The conversion of Paul (Acts 9)
D. Peter and the Gentiles (Acts 10—11)
E. Peter’s arrest and deliverance (Acts 12)
II. The Ministry of Paul (Acts 13—28)
1. Syrian Antioch the center
2. Ministry primarily to the Gentiles
A. Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13—14)
B. The Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15)
C. Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:1—18:22)
D. Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:23—21:17)
E. Paul’s arrest and voyage to Rome (Acts 21:18—28:31)
Chapter One
The Faith of the First Christians
(Acts 1)
A famous Hollywood producer once said that for a movie to be successful, it must start with an earthquake and work up to a climax. Luke certainly didn’t follow that formula when he wrote the book of Acts. Except for the ascension of Jesus Christ, events recorded in Acts 1 are anything but dramatic. After all, what is exciting about a business meeting?
Then why record these events? Why didn’t Luke just start with the story of Pentecost? For several reasons.
To begin with, Luke was writing volume two of a work that started with what we call the gospel of Luke (see Luke 1:1–4), and he had to begin with the proper salutation and introduction. We don’t know who Theophilus was or even if he was a believer, but Luke’s salutation suggests that he may have been an important Roman official (see Acts 23:26; 24:3; 26:25). Likely Theophilus was a Christian or at least a seeker who was carefully studying the Christian faith. His name means friend of God,
and we hope he lived up to his name.
But even more important, Luke had to build a bridge between his gospel and the book of Acts (Luke 24:50–53). At the close of his gospel, he had left the believers in the