Unleashed
The Acts Church Today
1st Edition
Published on 25. March 2020
256 pages
978-1-78974-137-7 (ISBN)
Description
What can the church today learn from the experience of the early church, particularly as recorded in the Book of Acts?
The early church spread with remarkable speed, impelled by joy, urgency, profound compassion, and the day-to-day experience of working in the power of the Holy Spirit. Despite opposition at all levels, the first Christians expressed their love and wonder in acts of kindness, worship, and their eagerness to share the wholescale transformation that attends the profound experience of conversion.
Gavin and Anne Calver explore what this extraordinary historical account means for believers today, considering themes including: The Holy Spirit in the life of the church; taking risks; living together in the power of the Spirit; works and wonders; hearing from God; responding to the call of God; miracles then and now.
The early church spread with remarkable speed, impelled by joy, urgency, profound compassion, and the day-to-day experience of working in the power of the Holy Spirit. Despite opposition at all levels, the first Christians expressed their love and wonder in acts of kindness, worship, and their eagerness to share the wholescale transformation that attends the profound experience of conversion.
Gavin and Anne Calver explore what this extraordinary historical account means for believers today, considering themes including: The Holy Spirit in the life of the church; taking risks; living together in the power of the Spirit; works and wonders; hearing from God; responding to the call of God; miracles then and now.
More details
Edition
1. Auflage
Language
English
Place of publication
Nottingham
United Kingdom
Product notice
Reflowable
ISBN-13
978-1-78974-137-7 (9781789741377)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
04/2020
Inter-Varsity Press
€14.70
Shipment within 3-4 weeks
Persons
Gavin Calver is CEO of Evangelical Alliance. He is an ordained evangelist, a regular public speaker, and author. Anne Calver is a Baptist minister, speaker and author. Together they have two children, and live in Stanmore, Middlesex.
Content
Contents
Foreword xv
Premise xvii
Introduction xxi
Jesus and His Youth Group xxiii
What About Us? xxiv
Part 1
UNLEASHED POWER
Acts 2:1-21
1 The Holy Spirit Comes 5
Setting the Scene 8
To Our Knees 9
The Arrival 10
Here and Now 11
Seek His Face 13
2 Time for Act 2 17
Transformation 17
Supernatural Equipping 20
Daniel 10 22
What Now? 23
Living 'All Out' 24
Moving Outwards 25
Have a Go 26
3 Walking on Water 30
Time to Be Brave 32
An Example of Dangerous Living 36
A Spirit-filled People 38
An Urgent People 39
Part 2
UNLEASHED PEOPLE
Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37
4 Independent Living 47
A Different Way? 47
The Church Today 49
The Early Church 53
The Fellowship of the Believers 54
The Iranian Church 57
5 Living As One 62
Family 62
One 64
All Ages 66
Gifts 69
Equal 70
In Acts, Everyone Acts 72
6 Playing Your Part 75
Our Frontlines 75
One Young Person 77
Anointed 79
To All Our Friends 80
Callings Connecting 82
The Fight to Be One 83
7 Ministering Together 87
Receivers Becoming Servers 89
Help All People 90
Division 92
Contents
Part 3
UNLEASHED PRESENCE
Acts 5:12-25
8 Empowered to Share 101
Our God is All-powerful (Acts 5:12-16) 101
Christianity Can't Be Swept Away (Acts 5:17-21a) 104
We Are Compelled to Share the Message (Acts 5:21b-25) 106
One Way to Share 107
9 Signs of the Times 112
A Secular Age? 115
Junction Moments 116
Attacked for Speaking Out 118
10 The Gospel 123
Opposition 128
Nehemiah's Blueprint 129
Part 4
UNLEASHED POTENTIAL
Acts 8:4-8 and 26-40
11 Encounter in the Desert 139
Spread Out 139
Samaria 141
Encounter in the Desert 142
We Are Worthy 145
12 Hearing the Voice of God 149
Ready for Transformation? 150
Calling Changes Our Direction 152
Prepared to Get Uncomfortable? 154
13 Mission Wider 160
Public Leadership 162
What About the Wider Culture? 163
Impacting Our Cultural Spheres 166
Gospel for All 168
Part 5
UNLEASHED PARTICIPATORS
Acts 12:1-17
14 Peter's Miraculous Escape 177
The Cost of Being Unleashed for Some 184
15 Unleashed to Unleash 188
Break Free 190
In the UK Too 196
16 Making a Difference 201
Another Way? 203
What About the Church? 204
Always Hopeful of Impact 206
Conclusion 211
Final Thought 213
Notes 215
Foreword xv
Premise xvii
Introduction xxi
Jesus and His Youth Group xxiii
What About Us? xxiv
Part 1
UNLEASHED POWER
Acts 2:1-21
1 The Holy Spirit Comes 5
Setting the Scene 8
To Our Knees 9
The Arrival 10
Here and Now 11
Seek His Face 13
2 Time for Act 2 17
Transformation 17
Supernatural Equipping 20
Daniel 10 22
What Now? 23
Living 'All Out' 24
Moving Outwards 25
Have a Go 26
3 Walking on Water 30
Time to Be Brave 32
An Example of Dangerous Living 36
A Spirit-filled People 38
An Urgent People 39
Part 2
UNLEASHED PEOPLE
Acts 2:42-47 and 4:32-37
4 Independent Living 47
A Different Way? 47
The Church Today 49
The Early Church 53
The Fellowship of the Believers 54
The Iranian Church 57
5 Living As One 62
Family 62
One 64
All Ages 66
Gifts 69
Equal 70
In Acts, Everyone Acts 72
6 Playing Your Part 75
Our Frontlines 75
One Young Person 77
Anointed 79
To All Our Friends 80
Callings Connecting 82
The Fight to Be One 83
7 Ministering Together 87
Receivers Becoming Servers 89
Help All People 90
Division 92
Contents
Part 3
UNLEASHED PRESENCE
Acts 5:12-25
8 Empowered to Share 101
Our God is All-powerful (Acts 5:12-16) 101
Christianity Can't Be Swept Away (Acts 5:17-21a) 104
We Are Compelled to Share the Message (Acts 5:21b-25) 106
One Way to Share 107
9 Signs of the Times 112
A Secular Age? 115
Junction Moments 116
Attacked for Speaking Out 118
10 The Gospel 123
Opposition 128
Nehemiah's Blueprint 129
Part 4
UNLEASHED POTENTIAL
Acts 8:4-8 and 26-40
11 Encounter in the Desert 139
Spread Out 139
Samaria 141
Encounter in the Desert 142
We Are Worthy 145
12 Hearing the Voice of God 149
Ready for Transformation? 150
Calling Changes Our Direction 152
Prepared to Get Uncomfortable? 154
13 Mission Wider 160
Public Leadership 162
What About the Wider Culture? 163
Impacting Our Cultural Spheres 166
Gospel for All 168
Part 5
UNLEASHED PARTICIPATORS
Acts 12:1-17
14 Peter's Miraculous Escape 177
The Cost of Being Unleashed for Some 184
15 Unleashed to Unleash 188
Break Free 190
In the UK Too 196
16 Making a Difference 201
Another Way? 203
What About the Church? 204
Always Hopeful of Impact 206
Conclusion 211
Final Thought 213
Notes 215
