FALL 2016 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR UNVARNISHED TRUTH: LIFE S GREATEST STORY UNSTOPPABLE GOSPEL

Transcription

1 FALL 2016 PERSONAL STUDY GUIDE RONNIE FLOYD GENERAL EDITOR UNVARNISHED TRUTH: LIFE S GREATEST STORY UNSTOPPABLE GOSPEL

2 SESSION 7 UNSTOPPABLE MISSION What is something you have waited for that was worth the wait? 82 Session 7 QUESTION #1

3 THE POINT The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel. THE PASSAGE Acts 1:4-8,12-14 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE We don t like to wait. Chalk it up to impatience, or maybe it s because we live in a world of instant gratification, but we want what we want when we want it. Two minutes waiting behind another customer at the fast food drive-thru too long. Sixty seconds to heat up food in a microwave too long. Some things, though, are worth waiting for. The fine craftsmanship that goes into a well-designed and wellbuilt house. An all-day, slow-roasted barbecue dinner. Finding and marrying the love of your life. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus told His disciples to wait for an amazing gift the presence and power of His Holy Spirit. They couldn t have fully appreciated all that meant, but they waited nonetheless. When the Holy Spirit came, He empowered the disciples for a mission that was unstoppable. From their single location, their mission spread across the world and it continues today. His gift was worth the wait. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF OCTOBER 16 83

4 THE POINT The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel. Acts 1:4-5 4 While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father s promise. This, He said, is what you heard from Me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. The life of a Christian is not hard, it s impossible. Following Jesus means loving people even people who hate you. doing the ethical thing, even if it means a relationship may suffer. forgiving people who don t deserve to be forgiven. The One who called us to this impossible life never sugarcoated how difficult it would be. Jesus said: If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Luke 9:23). You will have suffering in this world (John 16:33). Jesus, the Son of God, never expected us to live this impossible life in our own power. Jesus Himself lived His life on earth in union with and empowered by God the Holy Spirit. That same Spirit is the secret to the power we need to live and follow Jesus. Living the Christian life is only possible with the power of the Holy Spirit living through us. Before Jesus crucifixion, He prepared His disciples for the time He would soon leave the earth. He told them, in essence, He would send Someone to be with them always. The Holy Spirit would dwell in them and us to comfort, guide, remind us of Jesus words, give us the right words to say, and fill us with power (John 14:16-21,26; 15:26-27; 16:7-15). In Acts 1:4-5, Jesus reminded His followers they soon would receive the gift He had promised earlier: the baptism of the Holy 84 Session 7

5 Spirit. The disciples were already familiar with water baptism. John the Baptist had baptized people in the Jordan River as a sign of repentance in preparation for Jesus arrival. Jesus followers adopted the same practice to show repentance and to confess faith in Jesus. Just as a believer is immersed (baptized) in water, so the disciples would be immersed in the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, the Spirit would descend on believers to empower them to preach the gospel. From that moment forward, God s people would be forever changed in how they related with Him. God began to dwell within His people in the form of His Holy Spirit. It was a game-changer. Up until this time, the Holy Spirit came only upon certain people, like judges, prophets, or kings, to equip them for a specific task. After the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit would indwell and empower all believers permanently. So the Christian life really is impossible to live apart from the Holy Spirit. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing. But once we receive His power at salvation, we can do anything He calls us to do. A little boy once heard that if he asked Jesus to be his Savior, God would come live inside his heart. So he asked his parents, How can God live inside my heart? He s so big! He made the whole world! If He lived inside my heart, He d stick out! That little boy was right. If God truly lives in our hearts, He s going to stick out. His love will stick out. His forgiveness will stick out. His power will stick out. How does anticipating a good thing affect your ability to wait? QUESTION #2 85

6 THE POINT The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel. Acts 1:6-8 6 So when they had come together, they asked Him, Lord, are You restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? 7 He said to them, It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. KEY WORD: Witnesses (v. 8) A witness (Greek: martys) gives a testimony of something he or she has experienced. Our English word martyr comes from the same Greek root. God is the loving Father relentlessly seeking His prodigal children. Many people have yet to be won, and He will not rest while they are apart from Him. God sent the Holy Spirit to work through us to continue the work of bringing His children home. Rather than occupying one human body as Jesus did the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. In this way, God multiplied His efforts to spread the message of how He sent His Son to bring people to Himself. In verse 8, Jesus laid out God s agenda succinctly. His mandate in this verse laid the foundation for the rest of the Book of Acts, which is largely about how the early believers carried out this mandate. Initially, the disciples had other things on their minds. Based on verses 6-7, they viewed the gift of the Spirit as an answer to their hopes for a new kingdom for Israel. They wanted freedom from Rome, military might, and a political king. But God had something bigger in mind. Not a regional government, not a temporary kingdom, but a mission to reach all the people on earth with a message that would impact eternity. 86 Session 7

7 Jesus told His followers to remain in Jerusalem and wait because they would soon receive the power the Father had promised (v. 4). When they were filled with the Spirit, they would be His witnesses telling what they had experienced with Jesus all they had seen Him say and do, including His death and resurrection. They would do this with His power, the power of His Spirit. The Greek word for power is dunamis, from which we get our English words dynamo, dynamite, and dynamic. The Spirit fills believers with the dynamite of God. He empowers His church to do amazing things. By the power of the Holy Spirit, a tiny handful of believers turned the world upside down as the gospel earthquake rumbled from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth (v. 8). Jesus laid out a deliberate plan of expansion that begins at home and moves outward geographically to include all people. The DIGGING DEEPER It is not for you to know (v. 7). Jesus corrected the disciples by directing them away from the question about times or dates (v. 7 [NIV]). These are matters wholly within God s own purposes and authority. During his earthly life Jesus had denied such knowledge even for Himself (Mark 13:32). In denying such knowledge to the disciples, the hope in the Parousia is not abandoned. If anything, it is intensified by the vivid picture of Jesus returning on the clouds of heaven in the same mode as his ascension (Acts 1:11). Neither did Jesus reject the concept of the restoration of Israel. Instead, he depoliticized it with the call to a worldwide mission. The disciples were to be the true, restored Israel, fulfilling its mission to be a light for the Gentiles so that God s salvation might reach to the ends of the earth (Isa 49:6). In short, to speculate on times and dates is useless. The Lord s return does not revolve around such speculation but around God s own purposes, and those purposes embrace the salvation of the world. John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26 of The New American Commentary, gen. ed. David Dockery (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992),

8 THE POINT The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel. same Spirit who descended on believers at Pentecost and turned the world upside down for Jesus is alive today in every person who has placed faith in Jesus Christ. He is sending you and me out on a mission. He is commissioning us to go, to be His messengers locally, nationally, and globally. In Acts 1:8, Jesus is authorizing us and empowering us to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. We live in amazing times. We can obey Acts 1:8 by hopping on a jet plane and flying to the ends of the earth. We can carry out Acts 1:8 by sending the good news out to the ends of the earth over the Internet. We can fulfill Acts 1:8 right at home, because the world is literally coming to our cities. Wherever you go, you are likely to hear unfamiliar languages being spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Vietnamese, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, and on and on. In this melting pot called America, we can carry the Lord s message to the ends of the earth in our own neighborhoods even as we also go to the ends of the earth. What do these verses teach us about God s mission? QUESTION #3 88 Session 7

9 Acts 1: Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers. What do you do when you find yourself waiting on the next thing God has for you? So many of us just try to stay busy. We fill the waiting with activity. Not these disciples. They went to a single upstairs room and prayed. And they didn t just pray for an hour or two. They were continually united in prayer (v. 14). They waited and prayed for ten days, until the day of Pentecost when the promised gift of the Holy Spirit finally arrived. How is praying with others for a common mission different from your personal prayers? QUESTION #4 Let me share what I see in the disciples ten-day prayer meeting: 1. Prayer is primary. For many of us, prayer is neither our primary nor even our secondary choice, but prayer is often only a last resort. When all else fails, pray. But prayer was not the last resort for the early church. It was not the first item to open the agenda; it was the main agenda. 2. Fear can be a great motivator. For all the disciples knew, the same people who crucified their Lord might come for them as well. It was fear, not piety that drove the early church to its knees. Prayer is your life when you re scared to death. 89

10 THE POINT The Holy Spirit empowers us to spread the gospel. 3. Prayer unites us. The disciples were single-minded, joined together as one. Why? Because prayer unites us. Prayer maximizes Thee and minimizes me. Prayer says, My agenda is unimportant, Lord, but your agenda is all-important. The reason for so much disunity and disharmony in the church is because many Christians contend for their own agendas, not God s agenda. When we pray and seek God s will together, He will unify us and keep us focused on our common center: Jesus the Lord. Praying together with a unified mind and purpose says, in effect, Lord, we want Your power. We want Your plan, We want You to do Your work through us. Pray and wait for God to work. What common mission can our group pray for together? QUESTION #5 LORD, BY YOUR POWER Fill in the blank with what you are depending on the Spirit s power to accomplish. For my family For my community For the world For 90 Session 7

11 LIVE IT OUT Acts 1:8 is our mandate. It s mine, and it s yours. It s an impossible task, but we can fulfill that mandate by relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. How has God spoken to you during this study? Which application will you adopt this week? Accept the mission. You may not have accepted Christ s mission because you never have accepted Christ. If that is the case, turn from your sin, and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. See the article on page 2 for guidance. Then start being His witness wherever you go. Embrace the gift. Understand the Holy Spirit is the source of your strength to be the witness God has called you to be. Start praying for opportunities to share your faith. Rely on Him for guidance and power. Pray together. Enlist 2-3 people from your Bible study group to meet twice a week outside of your regular Bible study period. Use Acts 1:8 as a guide to develop a prayer list for local, regional, national, and international needs. Get a map and circle specific areas God leads you to pray for. Seek God s will in how to pray, not forgetting to pray for opportunities to share your faith as you go about your regular routines. 91

12 SESSION 8 UNSTOPPABLE MESSAGE What often gets you sidetracked during the day? 92 session 8 Q U E S T I O N #1

13 THE POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. THE PASSAGE Acts 2:22-24,32-33,36-38 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Do you know the original mission statement of Harvard University? Let every student be plainly instructed, and earnestly pressed to consider well, the main end of his life and studies is, to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life (John 17:3) and seeing the Lord only giveth wisdom, let every one seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek it of him (Prov. 2:3). Surprised? When the school was founded in 1636, the administration hired only Christian professors, the formation of Christian character was a top priority for students, and ministers were trained and equipped to share the gospel. Every diploma displayed a shield that contained the school s motto, Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae, meaning Truth for Christ and the Church. Today, the university maintains a legacy of academic excellence, but it has lost its original mission. Harvard has experienced mission drift ; it has lost sight of its original purpose. That happens in the church as well, but it doesn t have to. God has given us a clear mission. From the very beginning, as we will see in Acts 2, there is a clear, unstoppable message that drives our mission. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF OCTOBER 23 93

14 THE POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. Acts 2: Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the Nazarene was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. 23 Though He was delivered up according to God s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. 24 God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it. KEY WORDS: Miracles, wonders, and signs (v. 22) Miracles show the power of God. Wonders emphasize the response of people who witness miracles. Signs are intended to point back to God. Ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit descended in power just as Jesus had promised. The Spirit launched His great work on earth with a miraculous show of power that included the sound of a mighty wind, tongues of fire, and the ability of the believers to speak in languages from all nations. Skeptics accused the disciples of being drunk. But then Peter stepped forward and preached the first sermon of the New Testament church. When Peter opened his mouth, he had one item on his to-do list: Declare Jesus Christ. Acts 2:14-36 provides Peter s entire sermon. Everything that had just happened from the tongues of fire to the disciples speaking in many languages served to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of Joel. In fact, every one of the Old Testament prophecies point to Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. Peter aimed for the heart of the crowd. He stated simply: Jesus was crucified, but God raised Him back to life. Peter explained that Jesus was handed over to be crucified by the deliberate plan and foreknowledge of God the Father. Both the crucifixion and the 94 session 8

15 resurrection were prophesied in the Old Testament. This was God s plan from the beginning. Peter s message holds two truths that some people tend to set against each other: the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. The cross was God s determined plan (v. 23), yet lawless people killed Jesus. In other words, God is in control, but the men involved are held responsible for their deeds. Peter stated these two truths together unflinchingly and without apology. As for human responsibility, we can never grasp the meaning of the cross until we understand the depth of our sin and how it separates us from God. Along with the lawless men My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things; That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior. JOHN NEWTON who crucified Him, we all are responsible for Jesus death. Once we see ourselves as sinners in need of salvation, we can understand why there had to be a cross and why the cross is vital to our message. But Jesus didn t merely die; He rose again. If Jesus had sacrificed His life for us and then remained dead, His would just be a poignant story about a martyr. But Jesus is unique in all of history; He is the only person who ever lived, died, and returned to life never to die again. His death and resurrection are the heartbeat of the gospel message. What can we learn from Peter s approach to sharing the gospel? QUESTION #2 95

16 THE POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. Acts 2:32-33,36 32 God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this. 33 Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! In A.D. 186, Polycarp, a church leader in Smyrna, stood before the Roman authorities and faced a decision. He could proclaim Caesar as lord and live or refuse and die a martyr. For Polycarp there was no other lord but Jesus. The proconsul weighed Polycarp s fate and urged him, Swear, and I will release thee reproach Christ. But Polycarp held fast: Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, who hath saved me? And with that confession, Polycarp was burned alive and pierced with a sword. Polycarp died for professing his belief that Jesus alone is Lord. What are the personal implications of recognizing Jesus as Lord? QUESTION #3 Why is it so important to confess Jesus as Lord and not give that title to anyone else? The Greek word for lord, kurios, sometimes was used simply as a title of respect, like sir. It also referred to one who was master over many slaves or servants. But when the Romans called Caesar kurios, they were using the term in its 96 session 8

17 highest sense: to signify divinity. They were acknowledging the emperor as their god, since the title denoted absolute sovereignty. Peter used the term at the climax of his sermon to describe the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ: Let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! (v. 36). In this sense, Lord is a majestic title showing God s sovereignty and divine power. The word points to the Deity of Jesus; Peter was declaring Jesus is God. What are the worldwide implications that God has made Jesus Lord? QUESTION #4 The title of Messiah was also extremely significant. Jews believed the only one who could claim that title would be he who had accomplished the work of the Messiah. In His death and resurrection, Jesus proved He was worthy of the title. DIGGING DEEPER Acts 2: Psalm 110:1 was a favorite text for the early church. According to Mark 12:35-37, it was first used of the Messiah by Jesus himself to attack the usual political understanding of a Davidic Messiah. It reappears throughout the New Testament (1 Cor. 15:25; Heb. 1:13; 10:13; with strong allusions in Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20,22; Col. 3:1; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22). Originally it may have been an enthronement psalm acknowledging the earthly king as God s representative. For the early Christians it became the basis for the affirmation that Jesus has been exalted to God s right hand. For Peter it served as a natural transition from the confession of Jesus as Messiah, the dominant concept to this point, to the ultimate confession that Jesus is Lord. John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26 of The New American Commentary, gen. ed. David Dockery (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992),

18 THE POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. Jesus has been exalted to the right hand of God (v. 33); with the Father He sits in the most authoritative, sovereign position in the universe. It s because Jesus holds this most exalted position that He had the authority to pour out the Holy Spirit along with the signs and wonders people witnessed that day. Jesus is Lord, co-equal with God; that truth is central to the gospel message. It matters that Jesus is more than a good Man or a great Teacher. Because Jesus is Lord and Messiah, He alone is able to save. Later, Peter and John would proclaim about Jesus, There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it (4:12). Because Jesus is Lord and Messiah: 1. He is worthy of our worship. He s not only worthy of our respect, but also of our worship. He is the One before whom every knee one day will bow (Phil. 2:10-11). 2. He is worthy of our obedience. Because Jesus is Lord and Messiah, He deserves to be sovereign in our lives. He has the absolute right to tell us what to do and expect our complete obedience. As our King, He is worth living for and dying for. Acts 2: When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: Brothers, what must we do? 38 Repent, Peter said to them, and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. KEY WORD: Repent (v. 38) In the New Testament, repent means to change one s mind in the sense of turning away from sin and self and turning to God (Jesus), making God (Jesus) the center of one s life. 98 session 8

19 The final words of Peter s sermon had a devastating impact on his hearers. Many in the crowd turned to the apostles, deeply convicted, and asked, Brothers, what must we do? (v. 37). In the original Greek, Luke s words actually mean they were cut to the heart. These people didn t merely feel bad or ashamed; they were suffering and sorrowing over the sin of having rejected and crucified the Messiah. They were filled with anguish and horror over what they had done. The goal of biblical preaching is not to make people feel guilty or condemned, but to open their hearts to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Condemnation brings a general feeling of worthlessness. It can paralyze you from realizing God s love and plan for your life. When you feel condemned and riddled with guilt, you say to yourself, I m no good. I always mess up. I can never measure up as a Christian. Condemnation leaves you feeling powerless and immobilized. Conviction brings awareness of specific sins, attitudes, and habits in your life that need to be changed. It is not a general feeling like condemnation. It is a specific spotlight on areas in need of care. When the Holy Spirit convicts you, it is with the loving desire that you turn from sin and turn to Christ. Conviction motivates and encourages you to change. When the people asked, What must we do? Peter was poised and ready with a call to action: Repent and be baptized (v. 38). Peter was not saying we must do two things. Only one action is required: repentance. Repentance in the Greek language literally means after-mind or changed mind. To repent is to change the way you think about your life and your behavior. It means to change your thinking, change your heart, and change the direction of your life. It is agreeing that God is right and you are wrong. So Peter told his listeners to repent and reverse the course of their lives. But what about being baptized? The phrase that follows for the forgiveness of your sins sounds like we experience 99

20 THE POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. forgiveness as a result of baptism. But the little word that begins the phrase is the Greek eis, which can be translated for, because of, or on account of. Peter was calling the crowd to be baptized because their sins had been forgiven. That s the unstoppable message: Jesus is Lord and Christ, and when we acknowledge Him and turn from our sin, we are forgiven. As we share the gospel, how can we work toward the goal of conviction rather than condemnation? QUESTION #5 THE ESSENTIALS Put a check beside the truths that are essential to proclaiming the gospel message. Explain your response below. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Jesus rose from the dead and lives forever. Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. Jesus is Lord, co-equal with God. Jesus said, Never will I leave you. 100 session 8

21 LIVE IT OUT Let s avoid mission drift. In our lives and churches, let s not forget that the message of Jesus Christ and His salvation is the reason for all we do. How will this study affect your life going forward? Consider which application God is leading you to adopt this week. Focus. Evaluate your spiritual life. Is it focused on following Jesus and serving others in His name? Or do you find yourself focusing more on pleasing yourself? Determine one way you will support your church in spreading the message of Jesus beyond what you are already doing, whether it s inviting someone to church, volunteering for a missions opportunity, or (fill in the blank). Develop. Improve your skill at sharing your faith in Christ. Talk to your Bible study group leader about your desire to grow in this area of your life. Ask about opportunities your church may offer to help believers make evangelism a regular part of their lives. Share. The message of salvation is for all Christians to share. Pray for opportunities to share the message of Jesus in your everyday conversations. Be sensitive to the divine appointments God will send your way. Keep a journal of your experiences. 101

22 SESSION 9 UNSTOPPABLE LOVE What are some employee benefits that would get you excited? 106 session 9 QUESTION #1

23 THE POINT Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God. THE PASSAGE Acts 2:41-47 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE Businesses are not just known for their products or services. They re known for their work environment and culture. An Internet-related company offers its employees on-site vehicle maintenance, a laundromat, hair salon, and nap pods where employees are free to take power naps during work hours. A healthcare company gives month-long vacations after only five years and will pay most of the cost if you choose to visit a country you ve never been to. One pet food company allows employees to bring their dogs to work. These companies have created an inviting culture that draws people to work there. The church is also known for its culture that is far deeper than corporate perks. The early church s culture overflowed with love love that reflected Jesus Christ and drew people to Him. Their example in Acts 2 challenges us to continue that reputation and be a church immersed in a culture of love. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF OCTOBER

24 THE POINT Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God. Acts 2: So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. KEY WORDS: The fellowship (v. 42) The Greek word koinonia comes from a root word meaning common. In this context, koinonia expresses shared interests and concerns, full engagement in a community of believers. Breaking of bread (v. 42) Most likely this refers to the Lord s Supper, which is a reminder of Christ s body and blood sacrificed for the salvation of those who place their faith in Him. God did an incredible work in and through the believers on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came upon the believers, Peter proclaimed the gospel of Jesus, and 3,000 people responded and were added to their number. Out of their common love for the Lord Jesus, the believers came together and shared meals, worshiped and praised God together, and enjoyed each other s company. They continued to grow by learning under the apostles teaching, fellowshipping together, and praying. What aspects of church life have been especially meaningful to you? QUESTION #2 108 session 9

25 DIGGING DEEPER The Lord s Supper One of the continuing activities of the early Christians was the breaking of bread [Acts 2:42] from home to home, accompanied by the apostles teaching, fellowship, and prayers. Sometimes the phrase breaking of bread may refer to a regular fellowship meal, but most often it seems to refer to the Lord s Supper because it is in the context of worship, prayer, and praise to God. Although they seem to have observed the breaking of bread frequently, there is no command anywhere in the Bible that specifies how often the Supper should be observed. The only indirect reference is in Jesus phrase whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me (1 Cor. 11:25 [NIV]). The emphasis is always upon the proper observance and meaning, not upon the frequency. Brian L. Harbour, Notes on Acts 2:42-46 in Disciple s Study Bible, gen. ed. Trent C. Butler (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 1988), Let s focus for a moment on that crucial last element: praying. Every great movement from God starts with prayer and is confirmed by prayer. Remember from our study of Acts 1, the first activity of the church was a prayer meeting. The iconic evangelist of our generation, Billy Graham, led multitudes to Christ for decades. Now in his 90s, Billy Graham still recognizes prayer as the power behind effective evangelism. His son Franklin said, My father can no longer take walks or kneel in the woods to pray. His eyesight has dimmed and his conversations are brief. But I can tell you that he kneels in spirit to the Lord as he prays for lost souls. 1 Prayer is the key to effective evangelism. We don t change people s hearts with our convincing arguments or clever presentations. Far more important than anything a believer can learn about evangelism is how much he or she depends on the Holy Spirit for witnessing. Before you start to have a conversation about 1. Franklin Graham, My Father Still Prays for the Lost, 25 June 2014 [cited 26 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: billygraham.org 109

26 THE POINT Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God. Christ with another person, pause for prayer. It doesn t need to be a long, involved prayer. Sometimes it s enough to say, Lord, let me speak your words. A friend of mine says, The reason we don t pray is not because we re too busy, but because we re too confident. Jesus said, You can do nothing without me (John 15:5); and Paul wrote, Pray constantly (1 Thess. 5:17). Prayer should drive us to our knees in humility, knowing we need Jesus every hour. Prayer is more than just calling on God to act on behalf of others; prayer is also allowing God to change me the one praying. As I pray in the love of Christ for others who don t know God, I become more burdened for their souls. As I pray for their broken relationships, health concerns, financial worries, or problems at work, I grow in concern and love for them. In the process of praying, God transforms me into a more loving, compassionate messenger of His good news. I become more motivated to share the love of Christ and more effective in sharing. People will be more open to hearing our message when they sense that we genuinely care about them and what matters to them. Praying for others leads to caring for others. In what ways have you experienced prayer as transformative? 110 session 9 QUESTION #3

27 Acts 2: Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 45 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. The believers in the early church didn t just meet together to pray and worship. Verses show how they provided for one another s needs. Three characteristics are prominent: Unity. They were together and held all things in common. Selflessness. They sold their possessions and property. Mutual care. They distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. Caring for people is an incredible way to open a conversation about Jesus Christ. When people see your sincerity, they re more willing to listen to you. I m not suggesting we should use caring as a tool of manipulation. We care because it is right, because God cares. And even if they reject the gospel, we continue to care just as God does. Meeting physical needs is one way we obey the second greatest command: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). The first Christians were so committed to caring for others they sold their own possessions and property to provide for anyone among them who was in need. That s pretty radical. In the second century, Aristides, the Athenian philosopher, described believers: They love one another: and from the widows they do not turn away their countenance: and they rescue the orphan from him who does him violence: and he who has gives to him who has not, without grudging. And if there is among them a man that is poor or needy, and they have not an abundance of necessaries, they fast two or three days that they may supply the needy with their necessary food The Apology of Aristides: on Behalf of the Christians, ed. Rendel Harris (Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2004),

28 THE POINT Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God. Anything they contributed was a gift that came directly from the heart, not from autocratic rule. They gave from the overflow of their generosity. In this passage, Luke was describing what happened in the early church, not giving us a mandate. Nevertheless, their example of caring and extravagant love should motivate us to consider how we can imitate it. How much should we give and how much should we keep? No one can give a once-and-for-always, pat answer to that question. We must find the balance in our own lives. For example, my son and I have the goal of watching a baseball game in every Major League ballpark before he finishes high school. Believe me, flights, hotels, tickets, meals, and souvenirs all add up. Someone could chime in with Just think how that money could have been spent on the needs of the poor. I think of those needs, but I also think of what my son needs from his dad and the depth of conversations we have on our journeys. We have to find the balance that s right for our families, budgets, and conscience. Living with certain tensions is one of life s challenges. Money spent building relationships and creating memories with our children is not wasted, but can be a step of discipleship and love in their lives. Our family goes on mission trips and vacations, both with the desire to share the unstoppable gospel with others. The point is not to adopt an attitude of How much do I have to give? but to respond to the God who loves us extravagantly with a heart of loving generosity. What would it look like for our group to practice the extravagant love we see in this passage? 112 session 9 QUESTION #4

29 Acts 2: Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. The early church prayed and cared for others. But they didn t stop there. Perhaps if they had done only these two things nothing more none of us would know about Jesus. At some point, in addition to praying for and helping people, they had to tell them about Jesus who He is and why He lived, died, and rose again. They had to speak the message behind their love and caring acts. The early believers evangelized! We know this is true because every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved (v. 47). This happened because someone who knew Jesus told someone who didn t know Jesus how to know Jesus! Sharing completes the cycle of prayer, care, and share. We pray, and God leads us to care. We care, and He leads us to talk about His Son, Jesus: Let me tell you why I can love at all. It s because Jesus first loved me. It may not always happen in this precise, order prayer, care, and share. But it s a pretty good template. We talk to God, we love others through our actions and words, and we connect them to God a beautiful circle. Prayer, care, and share: three acts that can become an incredible, dynamic lifestyle. In most cases, the opportunity to share Christ will be built on the foundation of a friendship. You ll pray for that person and find some way to demonstrate you sincerely care even if it s just to say, I ve been praying for you about that problem you shared with me. In the course of praying and caring, the Lord will give you an opportunity to share how Jesus is the answer to whatever he or she is going through. 113

30 THE POINT Loving people is a powerful expression of loving God. A statement that s been around for years says, Preach the gospel. Use words when necessary. Catchy, but wrong. Sure, we preach the gospel as we show people we care, but we also need to tell them the reason we care. They need to know about Jesus Christ, and they need to know how to be saved. Ed Stetzer aptly rephrased this statement: Preach the Gospel and since it s necessary, use words. 3 Loving others involves praying, caring, and sharing. In which of these areas would you like to grow? QUESTION #5 PRAYER CARE SHARE (Note: Your two people may be the same from one group to the next.) 1. List two people you know who have specific needs you can pray for right now: 2. List two people who have specific needs you can care for right now: 3. List two people with whom you can tell about Jesus: 114 session 9 3. Ed Stetzer, Preach the Gospel, and Since It s Necessary, Use Words, Tabletalk, 12 June 2012.

31 LIVE IT OUT The early church was known for its culture of praying, caring, and sharing. It was a powerful trio that fed explosive church growth. Consider how you can begin to make this a part of your Christian walk in the coming week and beyond. Prayer. Instead of merely taking an exercise walk through your neighborhood, take a prayer walk. Pray for the people who live in each house in your neighborhood. Pray for their spiritual, emotional, and financial needs and pray especially for their salvation. Ask God to work in their lives and to use you as His chosen instrument to tell them about Jesus. Care. Actively look for someone in need this week. Determine to give sacrificially, whether of your time, money, or other resources to help that person in the name of Jesus. Share. Think of someone you ve prayed for or helped in practical ways but never talked to about Jesus. Bring Jesus into your conversation with that person. Let them know your concern for them is motivated by the love of Christ in your life. 115

32 SESSION 10 UNSTOPPABLE OPPORTUNITIES When has a chance encounter changed your life? 116 S e ss i o n 10 Q U E S T I O N #1

33 THE POINT We intersect daily with people who need Christ. THE PASSAGE Acts 3:1-10 THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE In the early 1970s, Bill Fernandez had two friends, both named Steve. Out walking around the neighborhood one afternoon with one of them, Bill saw the other Steve washing his car. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to introduce his two friends. That s how Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak met. They hit it off immediately. They both had an interest in technology and eventually they cofounded a little company called Apple. A chance meeting led to the founding of one of the world s most highly valued businesses one that has redefined computers, phones, and even how we listen to music. As a follower of Christ, I hesitate to call the encounters I have with people mere chance meetings. The daily interruptions and intersections with people may be unplanned on our part they may even feel random but from God s perspective they are not. These unplanned intersections can be divine appointments opportunities that can change the direction of a life. In Acts 3, Peter and John took advantage of just such an unplanned meeting to do something incredible for God. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 6 117

34 THE POINT We intersect daily with people who need Christ. Acts 3:1-4 1 Now Peter and John were going up together to the temple complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon. 2 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help. 4 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, Look at us. Peter and John were going to the temple in Jerusalem at the time of afternoon prayer. Three o clock in the afternoon was one of the times designated daily for prayer, and it was also the time for one of the two daily sacrifices. Needless to say, it would be a busy time at the temple with large crowds coming to pray and offer sacrifices. Peter and John likely chose this busy intersection, this crowded time and place as a forum to witness. They were men on a mission. As they approached the temple gate, they saw a disabled man begging from those who passed. It s similar to scenes we might see in urban America. I say we might see, because so many of us choose not to see. We walk on, avoiding eye contact. David Sleppy chronicled the lives of the homeless in the book No One Sees Me. The book s title is based on a conversation Sleppy had with a homeless man on the street. The photographer/author asked the man, What s the worst part about being homeless? The man replied, No one sees me. 1 Individuals matter. Peter and John had just seen 3,000 people come to Christ in one day, but they still saw and cared about the individual. They did just what Jesus did they looked at the individual as if, at that moment, no one else in the world 1. Alyssa Figueroa, Do You Ignore Homeless People? Alternet [online], 29 January 2013, [cited 6 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: Session 10

35 mattered. Jesus was never too busy to make time for those who interrupted His busy schedule. Jesus stopped for a woman with the bleeding disorder who touched His robe while on His way to heal Jairus s dying daughter (Mark 5:21-34). Jesus saw purpose in the interruptions that came at Him. Intersections bring opportunity. Wherever we drive we pass crossroads intersection after intersection. Most of the time, we just drive through them without taking in the sights. That s a pretty good picture of everyday life: each day our paths cross with people at the intersections of life and sometimes we fail to notice them at all. God put us on this pathway called life, and we need to be aware of the people who come and go in our lives. It s been said that life is what happens while we re making other plans. Divine intersections usually happen when we re heading somewhere else. They may not fit comfortably into our schedule or our agenda. But God brings people into our lives for a reason. He wants us to slow down and allow ourselves to be divinely inconvenienced for the sake of the unstoppable gospel and for the sake of each of those individuals. Don t look at these divine intersections as interruptions to the journey; they are a part of the journey itself. Up to this point, the beggar at the temple rightly might have also said, No one sees me. But that all changed when his life intersected with Peter and John. Peter said to the beggar, Look at us. Peter was acknowledging, We see you. You are not invisible to us. We want to help. Thanks to the willingness of Peter and John to turn a divine interruption into an unstoppable opportunity, this man s life was about to change. Forever. How can we get better at noticing the opportunities God gives us to love others? QUESTION #2 119

36 THE POINT We intersect daily with people who need Christ. Acts 3:5-8 5 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. 6 But Peter said, I don t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk! 7 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. 8 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them walking, leaping, and praising God. I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. Stephen Grellet Those words reflect Peter and John s attitude toward the beggar. They didn t see the man as a nuisance blocking their path to where they were headed. They didn t rationalize, like many people do when accosted by panhandlers: I don t have any money someone else will help he ll always be here begging his relatives should provide for him he should get a job. Instead, they saw someone in need and viewed his need as an opportunity God had placed in their path. Peter looked at the man and said, I don t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk! He then took the disabled man by the right hand and pulled him to his feet. The man, who had been lame from birth (v. 2), may have expected to immediately fall; yet his feet and ankles supported him perfectly. Think of the wild emotional ride the man surely must have experienced: disappointment when Peter told him he had no money; terror at being yanked to his feet; and finally, overwhelming joy when he was suddenly whole. 120 Session 10

37 Here are two principles we can learn from Peter and John and their encounter with the man at the busy intersection at the temple: 1. Peter and John gave what they had. They didn t focus on what they didn t have; they looked at what they did have and moved forward. God always supplies what we need to do His work; otherwise, He wouldn t have brought us to that intersection. Even when we feel ill-equipped, take a step of faith. 2. Peter and John relied on Jesus. The apostles didn t have the power to heal; Jesus did. When they said, In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk, they were acknowledging the power and authority of Jesus Christ to heal. When we begin to open our eyes to the needs around us, it can be overwhelming. People in physical, emotional, and spiritual need are everywhere. Where do we begin and how do we help with problems so deep-seated? We have to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us. When have you seen Jesus make a dramatic difference in someone s life? DIGGING DEEPER QUESTION #3 BEAUTIFUL GATE Neither the Old Testament nor other Jewish sources mention a Beautiful Gate. Christian tradition has identified the gate with the Susa (or Shushan) or Golden Gate on the east side of the temple leading from outside into the Court of the Gentiles. Modern scholars identify the gate as the one on the east side of the Court of Women leading from the Court of the Gentiles. Others place it east of the Court of the Men. Josephus described a gate of Corinthian bronze outside the sanctuary. Jewish sources refer to this gate as Nicanor s Gate. Beautiful Gate, in Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, gen. eds. Chad Brand, Charles Draper, Archie England (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003),

38 THE POINT We intersect daily with people who need Christ. Acts 3: All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him. The impact of Peter and John s actions in the lame man s life were huge. Before that day, his disability had: prevented him from being able to earn a living. marked him as blemished, cut off from access to full worship in the temple (Lev. 21:17-20). caused others to reject him, and kept him socially ostracized. Now suddenly the man was physically whole and considered worthy to worship with his fellow Jews. He had been asking for pennies and been handed a fortune. But the impact of this single deed didn t end with the beggar; it impacted the crowd. They responded with awe and astonishment. And why not? After all, the man had been lame since birth. He had a congenital condition; his was not the cause of a recent injury or disease. When a man has been unable to stand or walk for over 40 years (Acts 4:22), he just doesn t suddenly get better. So when the crowd saw this man standing, walking, and even leaping and praising God, it got their attention! How have you been affected personally by others obedience to Christ? QUESTION #4 122 Session 10

39 If you read the rest of Acts 3, you ll see Peter grabbed this opportunity to talk about Jesus to all those who had come to the temple to worship. One opportunity to talk to one man about Jesus led to another opportunity. As a result, the number of the men alone who believed swelled to about 5,000 (4:4). 1. Peter and John responded to a man in need. 2. People who saw the healed man were amazed and surely their interest was piqued. 3. Peter shared the gospel. 4. Many people came to Christ. The ripple effect: one opportunity leads to another. One changed life leads to another, and another. Edward Kimball took an interest in a 17-year-old teenager and determined to reach out to him in the name of Jesus. In the shoe store where the young man worked, Kimball led Dwight L. Moody to faith in Christ. Moody would go on to lead thousands to faith in Christ, impacting a whole generation on two continents. 2 Edward Kimball was an ordinary man, just like Peter and John and just like us. God will take our little acts of obedience and multiply them a thousand times over. Jesus parable of the talents speaks to the repercussions of what we do at life s intersections. The servant who seized the opportunity to use what the master gave him was rewarded with more responsibility and more opportunities. The servant who declined the chance to use what the master gave him was denied future opportunities for service (Matt. 25:14-30). One yes to the God-given opportunity in front of you can lead to ongoing impact. One yes can bring further opportunities. Because Peter and John responded to the man in their path, they had the opportunity to preach to a crowd. Multitudes responded, bringing more opportunities for ministry. Say, Yes! 2. Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman, D.D., The Life and Work of Dwight Lyman Moody, ch. 5 - His Conversion, [online], [cited 6 January 2016]. Available from the Internet: 123

40 THE POINT We intersect daily with people who need Christ. How can we make room now so we can say yes to future opportunities to serve? QUESTION #5 INTERSECTIONS OF HOPE Consider the places you are likely to encounter someone in your community in need of the gospel message. Make a short list or sketch a map. Now consider ways you or your group can help get the gospel message out in those places. List some means that might demonstrate God s grace and power there. How will you ensure that God gets the glory? 124 Session 10

41 LIVE IT OUT Peter and John had a decision to make: Do we keep walking and carry on with our plans, or do we stop to see what God will do? We also face similar decisions. Our choices at those seemingly insignificant intersections can change a life s course. Look. Look for opportunities God has placed in your path to help someone in your family or church. Allow your schedule to be interrupted this week to minister by listening, offering encouragement, praying with someone, or helping with a need. Respond. Respond to opportunities God has placed in your path to reach out to someone at work or in your neighborhood. When you see a need, determine to be a first responder. Ask God to use you to show the love of Jesus to someone who doesn t know Him. Discover. Discover opportunities God has opened for you to show Christ s love to people in need nationally or globally. Respond to an opportunity to give, pray, or go to help someone far from you know the love of Jesus. 125