YOUNG ADULT ROAD WARRIORS

Transcription

1 YOUNG ADULT Sunday School Fall Quarter, 2018 September, October, November ROAD WARRIORS LOCAL, STATEWIDE, WORLDWIDE QUARTERLY AIM: Inspiring Christians to be mission-minded by supporting individual, local, State and world missions. NOVEMBER OCTOBER SEPTEMBER 2 Planting Seed... 5 Acts 7: A Chosen Vessel Acts 9: Not So Gentle Reminders Acts 10: Changing Strategies and Locations Acts 11:1-26; 13: The Jerusalem Church and King Herod Acts 12: The First Mission Journey, Part Acts 13: The First Mission Journey, Part Acts 13: The First Mission Journey, Part Acts 14: A Pivotal Moment Acts 15:1-6; Galatians 2: The Jerusalem Conference Acts 15: The Verdict Acts 15: A Clash of Titans Acts 15: Road Warriors Today Acts 13:1-4 Vol. 5, No. 3, Fall Quarter, Writer: Robbie Horne Editor in Chief: Kyle W. Elkins, kyle.elkins@bogardstore.org Business Manager: Wayne Sewell, wayne.sewell@bogardstore.org 2018, Bogard Press, 4605 N. State Line Ave., Texarkana, TX

2 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Robbie Horne is the pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church at Mabelvale, Arkansas. Robbie is married to Pam (Clift) Horne. They have two children, Jacquelyn and Clint, and three grandchildren, Cody Dale Beene, Hadley Grace Horne and Maverick Lee Horne. Robbie is a 1970 graduate of Benton High School in Benton, Arkansas. After serving three years in the United States Army, Robbie enrolled in the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he earned a bachelor s and a master s degree in theology. In 2010, Robbie earned a doctor s degree in theology from the Central Arkansas Baptist Bible Institute in Benton, Arkansas. Robbie is an instructor at CABBI, has taught Hermeneutics, Life of Christ, Church Epistles, Christian Leadership and is presently teaching first and second year Hebrew. Robbie enjoys the Arkansas Razorbacks, reading, writing, talking, preaching, teaching, playing the guitar, spending quality time with his dog Max, and taking vacations in Branson, Missouri and Panama City Beach, Florida with his wife of forty-five years Pam. robbiehorne@sbcglobal.net 3

3 Lesson 1 September 2, 2018 Planting Seeds Lesson Text: Acts 7:54-60 Principle: Christians invade Satan s dark domain, plant seeds and wait for results in the future. King Solomon wrote, Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour (Ecclesiastes 4:9). There are reasons why two are better than one. For example, if two persons develop a partnership and work together, if one falls, the other can pick him up (verse 10). Or, if two persons get caught in an unexpected cold snap, they can find warmth when they maintain close contact (verse 11). Or, a person walking with a friend isn t an attractive target, or an easy mark (verse 12). Solomon wrote, A threefold cord is not quickly broken (verse 12). No doubt, we need each other as we do kingdom work. Jesus, in fact, sent out His disciples two and two (Mark 6:7), and when the church at Antioch ordained missionaries, they sent out two men as road warriors: Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2, 3). God s people are at war; they are soldiers (2 Timothy 2:1-4). We must be brave, strong, well-trained and willing to invade Satan s dark domain with the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19, 20) isn t a cute little example of what we should do. The Great Commission is our order 5

4 of battle, that is, how we attack Satan s dark kingdom, and how we take the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Satan doesn t want us leading lost souls to Jesus Christ. As far as Satan was concerned, the church in Jerusalem, for example, was just a little too concerned with evangelism. What did Satan do? He incited the Sanhedrin court against the church, put the apostles in jail, and raised up a man Saul of Tarsus to threaten, imprison and even murder Christians. In fact, persecution became so intense the early Christians, in order to survive, left Jerusalem, were scattered abroad, and went every where preaching the word (Acts 8:4). Since the members of the first church were scattered abroad, does this mean the church in Jerusalem failed? No! They preached the gospel, thousands were saved and baptized, and the Lord added to the church (Acts 2:47). Ancient Christians were not depressed or defeated. They didn t run for cover like whipped dogs with their tails tucked between their legs. They had a profound impact on thousands of people, including a young scholar named Saul, who had dedicated his life to destroying everything Christian. In fact, Stephen, a deacon in the church at Jerusalem, planted a seed that budded when Saul met Jesus on the Damascus Road. We may not lead every lost soul to Jesus, but we can plant seeds that may bear fruit in the future. Immediate success or not, we should be road warriors, because this is the heart of church growth and the heart of world missions. EXPLORING THE PRINCIPLE You never know the impact your witness may have. In fact, there may be times when you feel as if you have failed. Simply because the person you witness to rejects your testimony, doesn t mean he hasn t heard, or paid attention. Saul and Stephen Stephen, whose name means crowned, was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6:8). Stephen was a very faithful deacon and one of the seven chosen by the Jerusalem church. When Stephen died a martyr s death, the first one recorded in the Bible, Jesus stood to greet him and received him into Heaven. Stephen did great wonders and miracles among the people (verse 8). He loved Jesus and he loved His church. Sadly, these two attributes attract Satan s attention. Satan couldn t allow an impressive man like Stephen to continue having such a positive and dynamic influence in Jerusalem, so he stirred up the synagogue of the 6

5 Solomon wrote, Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days (Ecclesiastes 11:1). This means that when we do good things for people, in time good things will happen to us. Stephen planted a seed in Saul s mind. Within a few months, Saul called Jesus Lord, was saved, and preached Jesus to the known world. Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia (verse 9), who argued with Stephen about the Law of Moses and the Temple. Among those who came from Cilicia was a young man named Saul (Acts 7:58; 22:3). Saul was a native of Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia, a Roman province in southeast Asia Minor. Tarsus stood on the banks of the navigable Cydnus River became a commercial center in the region. Tarsus was also the seat of a famous university which Saul attended. Saul studied to become a rabbi that is, a minister, a teacher and a lawyer all in one. After he had learned a trade this was Jewish custom at the age of thirteen he became a pupil of the celebrated rabbi Gamaliel, and spent many years in Jerusalem studying the Holy Scriptures. With his education completed, Saul left Jerusalem for Tarsus. He probably joined himself to a synagogue for several years. It is uncertain when Saul returned to Jerusalem, but after Pentecost he was in Jerusalem where he guarded the clothing of the false witnesses who stoned Stephen. Stephen s convicting message cut Saul to the heart, and every word Stephen spoke was etched in his brain. Saul heard Stephen say, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge (Acts 7:60). Sadly, Stephen had no way of knowing that his testimony planted a seed that prepared the heart of a young man who would take the gospel to the known world. Lifestyle Evangelism Jesus said, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world (Matthew 28:19, 20). It is imperative that we go, but go ye isn t an imperative verb in the Greek language. In fact, go ye is an aorist, passive deponent, participle and could be translated going or as you go. Teach all nations or make disciples of all nations is an imperative verb. Jesus is saying as we live our daily lives, it is imperative that we make disciples. In the United States, 80% of church growth comes from another church. Maybe we should analyze this figure? When Jesus called Andrew and Peter, He said, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). 7

6 Monitoring where growth comes from may point out that we need to become road warriors and be more evangelistic. Jesus said, Be fishers of men, not traders of fish. Oswald Chambers wrote, God is not saving the world; it is done. Our business is to get men and women to realize it. We help unbelievers realize God has saved the world by living righteously and by witnessing consistently. Our lifestyle should impress unbelievers with Jesus. When unbelievers ask about our lifestyle being positive in every circumstance we have the awesome opportunity of telling them about Jesus. Lifestyle evangelism, according to Joe Aldrich in his book Lifestyle Evangelism, is an evangelistic strategy that focuses on living a holy life among unbelievers with the goal of attracting them to the message of Jesus Christ. There are many variations of lifestyle evangelism, but the definitive resource is Aldrich s book. There is more to evangelism than modeling a holy and engaging life. The very nature of evangelism demands speaking. Jesus told the first church, Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me (Acts 1:8). Witnessing requires speaking, that is, telling what you know. The purpose for lifestyle evangelism is to impress unbelievers with Jesus Christ. For example, the apostle Peter pointed out that husbands and wives should follow God s instructions concerning family (1 Peter 3:1-7). Furthermore, Peter encouraged Christians to strive for unity, to love one another, to be courteous, to avoid evil, to do good, and to seek peace (verses 8-11). There was a very good reason Peter encouraged ancient believers to adopt a biblical mentality and lifestyle. Peter wanted them to live in such a way that believers could answer questions unbelievers asked about the Christian s hope and positive attitude despite persecution (verse 15). The reason for their hope, of course, was their relationship with Jesus Christ. You cannot witness, if you don t speak. As important as it is to impress people with the Lord, if you don t tell them about the Lord, the odds are against them being saved. No doubt, people need to see Christ in us as we live our day-to-day lives, but if we don t tell them about our Hope Jesus they may die without Hope Jesus. Christians who practice Lifestyle Evangelism according to Joe Aldrich, say, The Lord has given me such peace in knowing that I don t have to tell people about Christ. I can be a witness with my life. I like the way Dr. Rick Warren approached lifestyle evangelism. Dr. Warren counters this argument with a call for Christians to be audio/visual believers. He said that few people are interested in watching television when the audio or visual features aren t working. Likewise, Dr. Warren postulates, Christians need to give a verbal 8

7 witness that accompanies a Christian lifestyle. To be effective witnesses, unbelievers should see Christ in us, and they should hear the gospel from us. This is biblical lifestyle evangelism. Jesus Builds His Churches When Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? (Matthew 16:13). They replied, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets (verse 14). Wanting a deeper, a more personal answer, Jesus asked, But whom say ye that I am? (verse 15). Peter replied, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (verse 16). Jesus immediately told Peter, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven (verse 17). Why was Peter blessed? Peter was blessed because he understood and believed that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus told Nicodemus, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). As Philip witnessed to the Ethiopian, the Ethiopian emphatically stated, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37). The blessing of salvation, no doubt, comes when a person believes that Jesus is the Son of God. When Peter told Jesus, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16), Jesus immediately said, Upon this rock I will build my church (verse 18). This doesn t mean that when people are saved they automatically become church members. It simply means that Jesus builds His churches on people who believe that He is the Son of God. I learned a long time ago that Jesus builds His churches, not man. For example, the church at Corinth was divided over preachers. I don t know the source of the division, that is, if the Corinthians believed some preachers were superior to others. I do know that the apostle Paul asked, Who then 9 Building churches is the most important work on earth. The apostle Paul considered himself a wise masterbuilder (1 Corinthians 3:10). Paul said, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. (verse10). The foundation Paul laid is Jesus Christ, and he tells each builder to be very careful as they build on Jesus (verse 11). Building properly means we witness to unbelievers about the saving grace of God in His Son Jesus Christ. When we witness, we plant seed. When we plant seed, in time God will give the increase. Nothing can compare to those times when God blesses spiritual farming and showers us with the salvation of lost souls.

8 is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? (1 Corinthians 3:5). Pastors are spiritual farmers who plant seed. Paul told the Corinthians and us, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase (verses 6, 7). As believers, there is nothing we want more than to see our churches growing. Like the apostle Paul, you want to see fruit wherever you serve (Romans 1:13). What should you do when your church isn t growing? Keep planting seeds until God gives the increase. You can t make growth happen, but you can share the gospel and wait for God to give the increase. GRASPING THE PRINCIPLE Christians plant seeds. Like Stephen, we may not live to see the fruit of our labors, but it is important to know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58). One seed may change the world. Edward Kimball, a shoe store assistant and a Sunday school teacher in Chicago, spent hours visiting street children in Chicago s inner city trying to win them to the Lord. Through Kimball s work, a young boy named D. L. Moody was saved in 1858 and grew up to be a preacher. In 1879, Moody led F. B. Meyer to the Lord. Meyer became a preacher and led J. W. Chapman to Christ. Chapman became a preacher and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ to a baseball player named Billy Sunday. Sunday held a revival meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was so successful that evangelist Mordecai Ham was invited to Charlotte to preach. Under Ham s preaching, a teenager name Billy Graham gave his life to Jesus. Two thousand years ago Saul of Tarsus, a brilliant young scholar, heard Stephen, with the face of an angel (Acts 6:15), preach Jesus to Israel s Sanhedrin court. Within six months, Saul called Jesus, Lord. He was baptized, he began preaching Jesus, and the world has never been the same. Christians plant seeds. DISCUSSING THE PRINCIPLE 1. Because of persecution is it significant that the Jerusalem church was scattered? Explain. 2. Saul and Stephen were different men from different backgrounds. What does this say about witnessing and planting seeds? 3. Define biblical lifestyle evangelism. 10

9 4. Compare biblical lifestyle evangelism to lifestyle evangelism. Which does the Bible teach? Why? 5. God builds His churches when Christians witness. Is this principle comforting and freeing? Explain. APPLYING THE PRINCIPLE Know that people from different backgrounds will respond to the gospel. Understand that biblical lifestyle evangelism living righteously and witnessing faithfully plants seeds that will bear fruit. Respond by witnessing to your family, friends, and acquaintances. Relax, knowing church growth is in God s hands, not yours. 11