This week we will look at Paul’s first sermon where he answers the great “why” question of history.

This week we will be looking at the Seven Churches described in chapters two and three of the book which is popularly referred to as “Revelations”, probably because it’s full title is to long, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ according to John” for our modern tongues to bother with.

Last week we left Peter and John preaching in the temple during one of the thrice-daily prayer times. They cured a lame man, and used it as an opportunity to speak. The priests at that time were chosen by lot, which was a way used back then to determine God’s will. It was a great honor to be chosen by lot to serve, and the interference from Peter and John must have upset them greatly. There is no indication that there was any riot, or uprising. The account just says that the Sadducees were “greatly disturbed”

When we rejoin the scene in Acts, the men of Israel have a problem. They all know that the beggar that was healed was truly lame. They would have seen him there countless times over the many years he begged there. The beggar dancing around would have made it undeniable that he was completely and instantly healed. They of course looked to Peter and John as the source of the healing, but that brought them to another problem, these were fishermen from Galilee, and not pious profits or priests. To bring it to modern terms, it would be as if a mentally challenged, poor high school dropout from some ghetto won the national championship on Jeopardy.

Last week we completed our first study in the Gospel according to John. We now turn our attention to the next book in the Bible, the book we call “Acts”. It is here we will learn about formation of the Church and creation of some of the customs we use today in our churches…A