The Failure of the First Church

Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 20:21

First God chose Israel then he put them to one side and chose the Jerusalem church, after them was Antioch and Macedonia then maybe Rome and Germany then England and now the USA. Mark 4:11, Luke 8:10

I. God's Eternal Purpose

Acts 1:8, souls

--a commission, a job to do, a challenge

II Peter 3:9,

I Timothy 2:4, 6

II. Took Preliminary Steps

Acts 5:28

they worried about their own people

III. There was a Leadership Problem

Acts 8:1

IV. The Power of God

God blessed greatly

Acts 2:41, 47, 4:4, 13, 5:14, 6:1, 7

V. Persecution sent from God

Acts 8:1-4

VI. Pioneers

Acts 8:4-5, 26, 10:1, 11:19-22

VII. Prospect

--God will put us to one side, eliminate us from his ministry

--Macedonia had to send offerings to Jerusalem which was the mother church

Romans 15:26

--God chose to use another church, even another nationality