The Converts: All Kinds of People

Transcription

1 SESSION 10 The Converts: All Kinds of People Summary and Goal In Acts 16, we meet three different people who each had a unique encounter with the gospel and were changed. In these three encounters, we recognize that God uses different methods to reach different kinds of people. For example, in Philippi, Paul and Silas saw converts from different social and economic backgrounds come to faith through their witness and testimony, even though the guts of their message was the same for all: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. God calls us to be faithful to deliver His gospel message to all kinds of people, regardless of their past, their appearance, or their present circumstance. Main Passage Acts 16:11-34 Session Outline 1. A Businesswoman Whose Heart Is Opened (Acts 16:11-15) 2. A Slave Girl Whose Freedom Is Won (Acts 16:16-24) 3. A Jailer Whose Hope Is Restored (Acts 16:25-34) Theological Theme God uses different methods to reach different kinds of people. Christ Connection The gospel reaches different people in different ways. In Philippi, Paul and Silas saw converts from different social and economic backgrounds comes to faith through their witness and testimony. Their message was the same for all: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Missional Application God calls us to be faithful to deliver His message to all kinds of people, using a variety of methods. Date of My Bible Study: LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

2 Session Plan The Converts: All Kinds of People Introduction Start by talking about people watching and how it has changed with the advent of smart phones and social media (leader p. 130; PSG p. 101). Share a people watching story from your life. To what extent can you know someone just by watching them? Clarify that all people are unique, but we are also all the same in that we are loved by God and need the gospel of Jesus Christ (leader p. 130; PSG p. 101). Name one or two friends, neighbors, or coworkers who are far from God. What do they put their hope in? What do they see as their redemption and purpose in life? Summarize this session on three different people who each had a unique encounter with the gospel (leader p. 131; PSG p. 102). For Further Discussion How should Acts 16:14, which says the Lord opened Lydia s heart to respond to the gospel, affect the way we think about evangelism and ministry? 1. A Businesswoman Whose Heart Is Opened (Acts 16:11-15) Read Acts 16: Provide some context for how Paul and his group ended up in Macedonia (leader p. 131; PSG p. 102). Have you ever planned ministry, or perhaps a mission trip, in which you encountered opposition and were unable to fulfill your plan? Were you able to look back and see God s hand providentially guiding that situation? Note how the disciples might have hoped for a dramatic move of the Spirit, but their ministry led to the conversion of Lydia, who responded with a heart of ministry to bless the disciples (leader pp ; PSG p. 103). Why is it so easy to value ministry to the masses over ministry to the individual? In what ways are both important? 128 Leader Guide

3 2. A Slave Girl Whose Freedom Is Won (Acts 16:16-24) Read Acts 16: Describe the fallout from Paul s commanding the spirit to leave the slave girl. Then contrast the slave girl with Lydia. Emphasize that we should count no one out in our gospel ministry (leader pp ; PSG pp ). In what ways are individuals commonly enslaved today? What does freedom from such enslavement look like? How can we bring the hope of the gospel to such people? Stress the power of Jesus name and that demons and evil spirits are subject to Him, so we pray and minister in His name (leader p. 135; PSG p. 105). What is the connection between sin and the need for freedom from enslavement? 3. A Jailer Whose Hope Is Restored (Acts 16:25-34) Use Pack Item 4: Suffering for Jesus to emphasize the suffering Paul and Silas endured for their act of freeing the slave girl from demonic possession. Ask a volunteer to read Acts 16: Explain why the jailer thought his life was over. Then note how God was at work and Paul and Silas were prepared to respond (leader pp ; PSG pp ). What are some circumstances in which we can show care and concern for others that they would not harm themselves? Show the power of the gospel preached, proclaimed, and lived out in the presence of the jailer. Like Paul and Silas, we must be ready to proclaim the gospel in all circumstances (leader pp ; PSG pp ). Recall the quote on Pack Item 6: No Other Name and show how both salvation (ex. the jailer believing in Jesus) and sanctification for believers (ex. Paul and Silas suffering for Jesus and praising God) are contingent upon the name of Jesus Christ. What do we need to be doing to make sure we are aware of people who may be struggling with hopelessness? What can we be doing to prepare ourselves for sharing the gospel with those who feel hopeless? Conclusion Reiterate the importance of being ready and willing to share the gospel with anyone around us at anytime. In view of this, challenge the group to build relationships with hopes of sharing the gospel (leader p. 137; PSG p. 108). Apply the truths of this session with His Mission, Your Mission (PSG p. 109). For Further Discussion How can confession of our sins to the Lord and to one another help us find healing and freedom as James 5:16 says? Point 3 Option Read the Essential Christian Doctrine New Identity of the Believer (leader p. 136; PSG p. 107). Then ask groups of 3-4 to discuss the following questions (consider writing the questions on a board or sheet of paper for groups to have; also available on the DVD in The Gospel Project for Adults: Leader Pack): How does the jailer s story resonate with the idea of new creation? Why is it essential that we never allow our identity to depend on something other than Christ? Christ Connection: The gospel reaches different people in different ways. In Philippi, Paul and Silas saw converts from different social and economic backgrounds comes to faith through their witness and testimony. Their message was the same for all: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.... Missional Application: God calls us to be faithful to deliver His message to all kinds of people, using a variety of methods. 129

4 Expanded Session Content The Converts: All Kinds of People Church History I like the way I do evangelism better than the way you don t do evangelism. 1 D. L. Moody ( ) Church History Will it not awaken us to compassion, to look on a languishing man, and to think that within a few days his soul will be in heaven or in hell? 2 Richard Baxter ( ) Introduction I used to be good at people watching. Before smart phones, if you were going to get together with your friends or family, you would just set a time and a place and expect people to be there. If you got there before everyone else, you would not take your phone out and check Facebook, since those did not yet exist. Instead, you just looked around. If someone were doing something out of the ordinary, you would notice. If a mother were scolding her child for throwing a fit in public, you would look in that direction, or slightly to the side so as not to give the impression that you were eavesdropping. If a couple were on a date, you would try to guess where they were going, the status of their relationship, and if they were a good fit for each other. With the advent of smart phones and social media, you might think that people watching has turned into a lost art. Not so! People watching has merely moved from the physical sphere to the digital space. It has become incredibly easy to watch what others are doing by creeping on their social media profiles, not to mention the fact that there are some apps that will tell you where someone is moment by moment! Share a people watching story from your life. To what extent can you know someone just by watching them? When you people watch either in person or online one thing that you will notice is that there are so many different people in this world, and every one of them has a unique story. And every one of them puts their hope in something and finds their meaning in something. For some it s their family. For others it s work, wealth, or fame. And still for some it s religion that s all about doing, works, and self-righteousness. The truth is while everyone is different in so many ways, we are all the exact same in other ways. We are all loved by God and need the gospel of Jesus Christ. Name one or two friends, neighbors, or coworkers who are far from God. What do they put their hope in? What do they see as their redemption and purpose in life? 130 Leader Guide

5 Session Summary In this session, you will meet three different people who each had a unique encounter with the gospel and were changed. In these three encounters, you will recognize that God uses different methods to reach different kinds of people. For example, in Philippi, Paul and Silas saw converts from different social and economic backgrounds come to faith through their witness and testimony, even though the guts of their message was the same for all: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. By the end of this session, you will learn that God calls us to be faithful to deliver His gospel message to all kinds of people, regardless of their past, their appearance, or their present circumstance. 1. A Businesswoman Whose Heart Is Opened (Acts 16:11-15) Paul seems to have been an outstanding people watcher. As we will see, he always had a keen awareness of the people around him, but he didn t just passively watch, he stepped into their lives no matter the situation. We will first see this in Paul s interaction with a woman named Lydia. 11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. And she prevailed upon us. The disciples were on a mission. They understood that their lives were not their own. They understood that the gospel was not just for their own benefit, but now that they knew the truth and accepted it, they were commissioned to share it with others. That s why they traveled to Macedonia. Curiously, in the verses preceding these, we see that the disciples were forbidden by the Holy Spirit from speaking the gospel in Asia and from even entering the region of Bithynia (16:6-7). But soon thereafter, Paul received a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him to come and help them (v. 9). It was because of this vision that the disciples set sail and ended up in Macedonia (v. 10). God had a plan for them, and He was going to accomplish His will. Further Commentary As Paul and his friends spoke, Lydia believed what they said and acknowledged Jesus as Lord. She thus became Paul s first convert in Europe. When she was baptized, together with her household (which would include her servants and other dependents as well as her family), she gave practical proof of her faith by pressing the four missionaries to become her guests. Women in Macedonia were noted for their independence; moreover, under Roman law (which governed life in the colony) freeborn women with three children and freedwomen with four children were at this time granted a number of privileges, including the right to undertake legal transactions on their own initiative. 3 F. F. Bruce 131

6 Further Commentary The place of prayer refers to the place where Jews of the city gathered. Philippi apparently did not have a synagogue, since only women and no men are mentioned. The establishment of a synagogue required the participation of at least ten Jewish men. Paul and his companions met with this group of women on the Sabbath, following the pattern of evangelization he had practiced on his first missionary journey. 4 Stanley E. Porter the Church The Lord is the one who graciously opens hearts to repent and believe the gospel. Because God is powerful and does this, it encourages us to pray for those who do not yet believe. 5 Justin S. Holcomb Have you ever planned ministry, or perhaps a mission trip, in which you encountered opposition and were unable to fulfill your plan? Were you able to look back and see God s hand providentially guiding that situation? When the disciples finally arrived in Macedonia, it is not hard to imagine they were full of expectation for God to work in a mighty way. After all, the Holy Spirit prevented them from going one way and gave them a vision to come to this very city! Perhaps they were expecting to see another 3,000 people accept the gospel and be baptized, just like at Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:41). Or maybe they were expecting another Damascus Road experience to happen and see someone powerfully brought to Christ (9:1-18). Or perhaps they were secretly hoping that they would be able to feed thousands and thousands through the multiplication of bread and fish, just as Jesus did (Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-10). Whatever it was, I m guessing they were expecting something big to happen. However, after a few days in the city, they didn t experience any dramatic signs, miracles, or conversions. Perhaps they had heard wrong? Perhaps the vision they had received was made up, the invention of an overactive imagination? Who knows the myriad of thoughts that must have been going through their heads? Instead of being discouraged though, Paul and the others most likely followed their normal rhythm when they arrived in a new city and sought out a synagogue to attend on the Sabbath but found none. Instead of a synagogue, a group of women gathered outside of the city by the river to pray. Paul and the disciples found this group of women and sat down to talk with them. Once again, we see that Paul and the others were not deterred. They may have been anticipating an amazing work of God when they were called to Philippi, but they couldn t even find a synagogue in the city. Many of us may have found that as an excuse to pick up and move on and find more fertile ground, but Paul and his companions didn t. And so they sat down and talked with a group of women who also didn t let the excuse of no synagogue in their city prevent them from gathering and praying. Then we read about the disciples meeting a woman named Lydia. One of the reasons perhaps the only reason God sent the disciples to Macedonia was so that this woman might hear the gospel and be changed! But then we also see a chain reaction happen. The Lord opened up this businesswoman s heart and she accepted the gospel. Then her entire household was baptized. The disciples were then invited to stay with her at her house. This was providential because later on we read that after Paul and Silas were imprisoned and then released from jail, they went straight to Lydia s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters in the faith before departing the city (Acts 16:40). 132 Leader Guide

7 Lydia did not just hear the gospel and walk away. Rather, God used her to minister to and bless the disciples. The gospel gripped her heart and changed her. In this passage, we discover that God does not only care about the large miraculous events. Nor does he only care about the masses. God cares about the smallest of details, and He is deeply involved in the lives of everyone one person at a time and so should we be. It is tempting for us to want to be used by God in seeing a large group of people come to Christ or to teach large groups of people, and there s nothing wrong with that. However, we also need to look for that one person, who may even be easy to look past, who is ready to hear and respond to the gospel. Why is it so easy to value ministry to the masses over ministry to the individual? In what ways are both important? 2. A Slave Girl Whose Freedom Is Won (Acts 16:16-24) In this next section, we encounter a slave girl who had a special gift the ability to predict fortunes. As a result, she was probably on the receiving end of a lot of people watching in those days. Here we ll see our need always to be ready to provide freedom in Christ. 16 As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us, crying out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation. 18 And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour. 19 But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. 20 And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. 21 They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice. 22 The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. 23 And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. 24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. Further Commentary The second part of the story takes us out of the world of Judaism into contact with the popular superstition of the Hellenistic world. On one of Paul s visits to the place of prayer, he and his companions were met by a slave girl who had the gift of second sight, and made money for her owners by telling fortunes. Her gift is attributed by Luke to a spirit of divination, literally a spirit, a Python. The latter word originally meant a snake, and in particular the snake which guarded the celebrated oracle at Delphi and which was said to have been slain by Apollo. The word was also used to mean a ventriloquist. Ventriloquists acted as fortune-tellers, the unusual character of the sounds which they produced no doubt having a numinous effect; they were probably thought to be inhabited by a demon. In the present case the girl presumably spoke like a ventriloquist and had the gift of clairvoyance, and therefore Luke has described her as having a spirit (i.e. an evil spirit), namely one capable of ventriloquism. 6 I. Howard Marshall 133

8 the Church When Paul began rebuking the girl, he was no longer just preaching; he was meddling and upsetting the economics of the slave owner. Disputes over religious ideas were tolerable, but when those disputes entered the marketplace, real hostility would erupt against the truth of God. 7 R. C. Sproul Church History [The Christian] does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us. 8 C. S. Lewis ( ) the Church Christian ministry inflicts losses on the evil one and he will not give in easily. 9 Paul Mumo Kisau Trying to make sense of this scene brings up some interesting questions. Why was this demon-possessed girl telling the truth by sharing with everyone that Paul and Silas were slaves of the Most High God proclaiming the way of salvation? If this scenario was so wrong, why did Paul tolerate it for many days before acting, and that out of annoyance? Whatever the reasons, this situation mirrors occasions when Jesus silenced demons during His own ministry. Possibly she was interrupting them when they were trying to share the gospel with others. Or maybe they thought that her words hurt their testimony since she was a fortune-teller and possessed with an evil spirit. Also, what she was calling out probably confused the people of Philippi, who believed in many gods and had no context for salvation. In any case, Paul exercised the authority that he had in Jesus and commanded the spirit to leave that girl. The evil spirit left her, everyone rejoiced, and all went home happily not quite. Instead of celebrating that this slave girl was set free, her owners got angry because their hope for profit out of her was gone. Their source of income had been cast out along with the evil spirit. So her owners dragged Paul and Silas before the city leaders and leveled several charges against them, hoping something would stick. It would have been easy for Paul and Silas to ignore this slave girl and continue on their mission. Sure she was aggravating them, but she wasn t their focus, right? Or was she? The slave girl and Lydia offer an interesting contrast. Lydia was a business owner who probably had significant financial means. She was a committed worshiper of God who was probably open and eager to hear about Jesus. It was probably easy for Paul to step into her life with the gospel. The slave girl, on the other hand, had nothing, not even her freedom. She was not a worshiper of God and probably wasn t even looking for Him. While this girl no doubt received her fair share of attention in public, she probably frightened most people away from her. Two very different people with the very same need deliverance through Jesus. The slave girl reminds us of our need not to count anyone out and always to be ready to be used by God to meet their needs, no matter what they may be. In what ways are individuals commonly enslaved today? What does freedom from such enslavement look like? How can we bring the hope of the gospel to such people? 134 Leader Guide

9 We do not know how this girl became a slave, nor do we know how she became possessed and oppressed with this evil spirit. Neither do we know which came first. What we do know is that evil spirits are no match for the power of God. When Paul commanded the evil spirit to leave the girl in the name of Jesus, it did. There is power in the name of Jesus! Evil spirits flee at the name of Jesus and people experience freedom in the name of Jesus. We read about the power that we have in Jesus when we pray in His name in John 14:13-14: Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. Demons and evil spirits are subject to Jesus, so we pray and minister in His name: The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name! (Luke 10:17). We read of the same commissioning and empowerment in Acts 4:29-30: And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. What is the connection between sin and the need for freedom from enslavement? 3. A Jailer Whose Hope Is Restored (Acts 16:25-34) In this last section, we see the importance of faithfulness and being ready to share the gospel in every situation and circumstance, to whomever God places before you. Here we must strike the balance of always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Pet. 3:15) while trusting that the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say (Luke 12:12). 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, 26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone s bonds were unfastened. 27 When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. Further Commentary Paul and Silas do not tell the jailer to clean up his life. They do not exhort him to forsake any particular sin. They do not tell him to do anything. Rather: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household (v. 31). Trusting faith in Christ, apart from anything we bring to the table, is all that is required to be saved from what we rightly deserve: condemnation and hell. This is the promise of grace to us, as individuals, and it extends to our households as well. 10 Justin S. Holcomb 135

10 Church History [I]f sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. 11 Charles Spurgeon ( ) 99 Essential Christian Doctrines 82. New Identity of the Believer When a person places faith in Christ, that person undergoes a fundamental change of identity. He or she goes from being an enemy under God s wrath (Eph. 2:1-3) to being welcomed into God s family as a beloved child (Eph. 2:19). The believer in Christ is declared righteous on account of Christ s perfect life and substitutionary death and resurrection. No longer is the person a slave to sin, defined by past failures or present struggles. The person has been delivered from the realm of darkness and now belongs to the kingdom of light (Col. 1:13). Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation in whom the old, sinful self is passed away and the new, redeemed self is alive and progressing, becoming more and more like Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). 28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. 29 And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household. 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. 34 Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God. Sometimes God will use large, loud, and uncanny circumstances to get our attention. In fact, for some, it s only through experiencing circumstances like these that our hearts become postured in a place to re-examine our long-held beliefs and convictions. In this case, when the jailer woke up and saw that the doors of the prison were open, he thought his life was over. He was asleep on the job and thought all the prisoners had escaped. Roman jailers were personally responsible for their prisoners and could be executed for allowing them to escape. However, unbeknownst to him, no one left. Everyone stayed put. In fact, when the jailer realized that no one had escaped, something happened in his heart and he realized that there really was a God and that Paul and Silas knew this God! Perhaps the jailer had heard Paul and Silas preaching in the city before this. Perhaps it was seeing them live selflessly and not try to escape when given the opportunity. Perhaps it was their concern for his life, or maybe it was that he fell asleep listening to worship songs ringing in his ears. Whatever it was that prompted him, we know that God was at work, and Paul and Silas were prepared to respond. What are some circumstances in which we can show care and concern for others that they would not harm themselves? The jailer rushed to Paul and Silas and asked them, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Paul characteristically responded by appealing for the jailer to believe in Jesus and then preached the gospel to him. The gospel preached and proclaimed is powerful. However, when the gospel is first personally lived out in a person s life and then preached and proclaimed to those who know him or her, the impact is exponentially multiplied. This is what happened with the jailer. Paul and Silas did not complain that they were unjustly serving time in prison. They did not give in to disappointment, bitterness, or despair and turn inward. Instead, they rejoiced in the Lord always (Phil. 4:4) and knew what it meant to be content in any and all circumstances (4:12). 136 Leader Guide

11 They knew that God was in control and that He would redeem this circumstance in His sovereign time. After all, they knew that God sent them to Macedonia for a reason. They had received a vision, after all. In the encounter with the jailer, we see an example of always being ready to respond with the gospel to someone who has just experienced the unexpected power of God in his or her life. No doubt the jailer began his day expecting yet another normal day of work. Surely he had no idea how he would see God shake the very foundation of his life and he and his entire family would be forever changed. Moments like these can happen all around us on any day. While there may not be a literal earthquake involved, people around us are being shaken in different ways. Just like the jailer at first, many will experience something or receive news that will cause them to despair and feel hopeless. Will we be ready to step in with the hope of the gospel? Others will hear something, see something, or experience something that opens the door for them to consider the gospel. Will we be ready to turn our attention away from ourselves and what we are doing and give it to them to share Jesus? What do we need to be doing to make sure we are aware of people who may be struggling with hopelessness? Church History Some want to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell. 12 C. T. Studd ( ) Church History Leave your home, your comforts, your bed, your ease, your all, to feed lost souls. The Lord of Glory left heaven for this; it is enough for the disciple to be as his Master. 13 Robert Murray McCheyne ( ) What can we be doing to prepare ourselves for sharing the gospel with those who feel hopeless? Conclusion It s important that we be ready and willing to share the gospel with anyone around us at anytime. The gospel crosses over all divisions and barriers that man has established culture, ethnicity, socio-economics, politics, and more and so should our love and compassion. So build relationships with your lost neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family. Live out the gospel before them. Embody the gospel sent to them. And pray for an opportunity to share the gospel with them to preach the same message that Paul preached and that we all need: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. CHRIST CONNECTION: The gospel reaches different people in different ways. In Philippi, Paul and Silas saw converts from different social and economic backgrounds comes to faith through their witness and testimony. Their message was the same for all: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. 137

12 Additional Resources The Converts: All Kinds of People References 1. D. L. Moody, quoted in Planting Missional Churches: Your Guide to Starting Churches That Multiply by Ed Stetzer and Daniel Im (Nashville: B&H, 2016) [ebook]. 2. Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1799), F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010) [WORDsearch]. 4. Stanley E. Porter, in HCSB Study Bible (Nashville: B&H, 2010), 1893, n. 16: Justin S. Holcomb, in ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (Wheaton: Crossway, 2013), 1479, n. 16: I. Howard Marshall, Acts, vol. 5, in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: IVP, 2015) [WORDsearch]. 7. R. C. Sproul, Acts, in St. Andrew s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014) [WORDsearch]. 8. C. S. Lewis, in The Quotable Lewis, eds. Wayne Martindale and Jerry Root (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1963), Paul Mumo Kisau, Acts of the Apostles, in Africa Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), Justin S. Holcomb, in ESV Gospel Transformation Bible, 1479, n. 16: C. H. Spurgeon, The Wailing of Risca, The Spurgeon Archive, December 9, 1860, spurgeon.org/sermons/0349.php. 12. C. T. Studd, quoted in C. T. Studd Gave Huge Inheritance Away, by Dan Graves, Christianity.com, May 2007, church-history/timeline/ /c-t-studd-gave-hugeinheritance-away html. 13. Robert Murray McCheyne, The Works of Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne: Complete in One Volume (New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1874), Leroy Gainey, Excels in Multicultural Community, in Sunday School That Really Excels, ed. Steve R. Parr (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2013), 146. Study Material Get expert insights on weekly studies through Ministry Grid at MinistryGrid.com/web/TheGospelProject. Grow with other group leaders at the Group Ministry blog at LifeWay.com/GroupMinistry. -- Why Do We Do the Things That We Do? Motives for Evangelism Chapter 3 from Evangelism Handbook by Alvin Reid -- How to Share the Gospel with Post-Everything People Article by Caleb Crider; find a link to this article at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources --Previous Biblical Illustrator articles, including Lydia of Thyatira, can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at LifeWay.com/BiblicalIllustrator. Look for Bundles: The Gospel Project. Sermon Podcast Matt Chandler: The Second Wave Find a link to this at GospelProject.com/AdditionalResources Tip of the Week Respect for Other Cultures Increasingly, our communities are becoming multicultural, and hopefully this will be reflected in our churches and groups as a testimony to the unifying power of the gospel. As teachers, we must respect diversity, discover new ways to help all people groups find their worth in Christ, and bring all believers together in one spirit, faith, and common confession Leader Guide

13 About the Writers The Gospel Project Adult Leader Guide ESV Volume 6, Number 2 Winter Eric Geiger Vice President, LifeWay Resources Ed Stetzer and Trevin Wax General Editors Brian Dembowczyk Managing Editor Daniel Davis Content Editor Josh Hayes Content and Production Editor Ken Braddy Manager, Adult Ongoing Bible Studies Michael Kelley Director, Groups Ministry Send questions/comments to: Content Editor by to daniel.davis@lifeway.com or mail to Content Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Leader Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN ; or make comments on the Web at lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project : Adult Leader Guide ESV (ISSN ; Item ) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, orderentry@lifeway.com, fax , or write to the above address. We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay s doctrinal guideline, please visit Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unit: 1 Mike Cosper is the founder and director of Harbor Media, where he develops podcasts that help Christians navigate a post- Christian world. Previously he served for 16 years as one of the founding pastors of Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he oversaw Sojourn Music a collective of musicians writing songs for the local church. He is the author of four books, including (most recently) Recapturing the Wonder. Katie Orr (special session), creator of the FOCUSed15 Bible study method, is passionate about equipping busy women to experience God daily. She is a teacher, speaker, podcaster, and prolific writer for blogs, magazines, and Sunday School curriculum. A former Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) staff member and mother to three young children, she and pastorhusband, Chris, are part of the church revitalization movement. Unit: 2 Jason C Dukes (sessions 7-9) has been a church starter, a church renewer, and tries to be a disciple-maker. He s currently the Multiplication Minister with Brentwood Baptist Church near Nashville, Tennessee. He has authored books and periodically blogs, which you can learn more about at LiveSent.com. He and his wife, Jen, are thankful for their seven children. Daniel Im (sessions 10-12) serves as the Director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com at LifeWay Christian Resources. He is also a teaching pastor at The Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, and author of No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts That Will Transform Your Ministry and Planting Missional Churches. He is married to Christina, and they have three children, Victoria, Adelyn, and Makarios. WRITERS