DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY-FOUR

Transcription

1 DEDUCTIVE LESSON TWENTY-FOUR Almost Saved The old saying, Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades is never truer than in the case of the almost Christian. In our passage of study, we will see the contrast between Agrippa, almost a Christian and Paul, altogether a Christian. What was true in a governmental palace two millennia ago may well be true today. A Pew Research Survey conducted in January of 2015 identified 92% of the members of the 114th Congress as professed Christians (compared to 73% for the general public). 1 Based upon the nightly news from Washington, many of these professed believers are counterfeits and fall far short of being altogether Christian. George Whitefield and John Wesley, teaching on this passage, said that those who are altogether Christian are distinguishable by their intense love for both God and their fellow man. By way of contrast, they describe the almost or unconverted Christian as agreeing with the gospel but never accepting Jesus, and often appearing moral to gain men s approval. What does true conversion look like? It was said that when Whitefield spoke to the coal miners of England that white gutters formed on their grimy faces from tears of repentance upon hearing the gospel message. It is not enough to intellectually accept the facts of the gospel as Agrippa did, John Wesley shares, But here let no man deceive his own soul. It is diligently to be noted, the faith, which bringeth not forth repentance, and love, and all good works, is not that right living faith, but a dead and devilish one. For, even the devils believe that Christ was born of a virgin: that he wrought all kinds of miracles, declaring himself very God: that, for our sakes, he suffered a most painful death, to redeem us from death everlasting; that he rose again the third day: that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and at the end of the world shall come again to judge both the quick and dead. These articles of our faith the devils believe, and so they believe all that is written in the Old and New Testament. And yet for all this faith, they be but devils. They remain still in their damnable estate lacking the very true Christian faith. 2 From the lives of Felix (Acts 24), Festus, and Agrippa, we learn the following truth. There is a moment in time when the unbeliever is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit that their eternal destiny hangs in the balance as the powers of darkness tug desperately on their souls to keep them in bondage while the powers of God pull them heavenward. If this moment passes without a decision to accept Jesus as Savior, their heart hardens to God s gracious offer of salvation. The Puritan preacher Matthew Mead said it well, It is dangerous to be almost a Christian, in that it stills and serves to quiet conscience. Now it is very dangerous to quiet conscience with anything but the blood of Christ. 3 1

2 It has been said that to be undecided is to be decided, and many of us who have shared the gospel with friends or relatives have witnessed them almost accept Jesus. I am reminded of just such an instance with my nephew. I had moved my sister and her son, a recent college graduate, across country to a new home. Knowing this might be the last opportunity I would have to personally share the gospel with my nephew, I spent most of our last night together building the case for Christ and sharing my faith. He was very interested and we spoke until early morning but when he was asked if he wanted to pray to receive Christ, he answered, I need to sleep on this. The next morning he awoke and before we could speak, he had unpacked a box that contained a picture of their new house sent from a friend who lived in the city. What made this odd was that the friend didn t know they had bought the house but had sent them a random picture of a sample home in the community. All my nephew could talk about was the supernatural sign that they had found the perfect home. His preoccupation with his new earthly home prevented him from receiving an eternal home in heaven, as he would never again consider God s generous offer of salvation before his life unraveled percent-christian / Luke records twelve speeches of Paul. Paul s explanation of the gospel in this lesson is his tenth speech and last one given before he leaves the Holy Land. This chart gives their audience, immediate location, geographic location, and scriptural reference for all of Paul s speeches. 3 Speech Scripture Audience Place Location 1 Acts 13:6 11 Jew: Bar-Jesus Governor s praetorium Paphos (Cyprus) 2 Acts 13:16 41 Jews, God-fearers Synagogue Antioch (Pisidia) 3 Acts 14:15 18 Gentiles, polytheists Before Temple of Zeus Lystra (Galatia) 4 Acts 17:22 31 Gentiles, aristocrats Areopagus Athens (Achaia) 5 Acts 20:17 38 Christians; elders Church meeting place Miletus (Asia) 6 Acts 22:1 21 Jews Outer court of temple Jerusalem 7 Acts 23:1 6 Jews, aristocrats Sanhedrin Jerusalem 8 Acts 24:10 21 Gentiles, Governor Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) Felix 9 Acts 25:8 11 Gentiles, Governor Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) Felix 10 Acts 26:1 23 Festus, Agrippa Governor s praetorium Caesarea (Judea) 11 Acts 28:17 20 Jews, Jewish leaders Prison Rome 12 Acts 28:25 28 Jews, Jewish leaders Prison Rome 3 Modified from Schnabel, Eckhard. Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 552. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,

3 Memory Verse If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NIV) Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two or three times. Day 1 Paul s Early Life Acts 26:1 11 The Agrippa in this passage is King Herod Agrippa II, the son of Herod who had James executed and Peter imprisoned. His grand uncle was Herod Antipas (the Herod of the Gospels). His great grandfather was Herod the Great. He was the seventh and last king from the Herod family. He was educated in Rome in the court of Emperor Claudius. His full name was Marcus Julius Agrippa showing the Latin influence on his family. Bernice was not his wife but his consort and sister. Drusilla, his youngest sister, was married to the previous Roman Governor Felix. 1. Most feel that Paul was sincere in his opening remarks to Agrippa. Why was Paul happy to make his case before Agrippa? 2. From his youth Paul was zealous for the Lord. What do we learn from the following passages? a. Acts 26:4 5 b. Philippians 3:4 6 c. Acts 22:3 3. Paul speaks to Agrippa of the hope and promise of Israel. This put Agrippa in a difficult position if he denied Paul s claims he would anger the Pharisees, but if he agreed that Jesus was the fulfillment of that hope he would offend the Sanhedrin. a. To what hope and promise is Paul referring to in verses 6 8? 3

4 b. The basis for this hope is found in several Old Testament passages such as Job 19:25 27, Isaiah 26:19, Daniel 12:2 and Psalm 49:15. Summarize two of them. 4. Describe Paul s actions against the church (verses 9 11). 5. Reflecting back on this part of his life what would Paul later say in 1 Corinthians 15:9? Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks If you declare your mouth, Jesus Lord, and believe your heart that raised him from dead, you will be. Romans 10:9 NIV Day 2 Paul Recounts His Conversion Acts 26:12 18 To say that Paul was zealous in his persecution of the church is an understatement. Paul was traveling over 180 miles on foot from Jerusalem to eliminate the church in Damascus. He left Jerusalem as an apostle (apostolos: a messenger or one sent out) for the Sanhedrin and later left Damascus as an apostle for Jesus. 1. Paul, in verses 10 12, declared he was persecuting the church. In verse 14 we learn the actual identity of the one being persecuted. Who was this? 2. The church and believers under attack are really an attack against the Bride of Christ or Jesus Himself. Based on this relationship, what comfort can we glean from: a. Romans 8:35 39 b. Hebrews 13:5b 6 4

5 3. Paul, in hindsight, later saw his first encounter with Jesus as a divine appointment. What do we learn about this from his message to the Galatians in Galatians 1:15 16? 4. What was Jesus purpose and commission (marching orders) to Paul (verses 16 18)? 5. Verse 18 is so packed with rich theology that important elements can be missed with a quick reading. As we unpack the verse, tell what each of these phrases means to you: a. Open their eyes b. Turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God c. Forgiveness of sins d. An inheritance e. Sanctified by faith in Me Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks If declare your, Jesus Lord, believe heart that raised from dead, you be. Romans 10:9 NIV 5

6 Day 3 Paul s Post-Conversion Life Acts 26:19 23 The auditorium that housed these proceedings could have held two hundred people yet Paul seemed to be speaking directly to one man. 1. To whom do you feel Paul was directing his statements? 2. Most scholars feel that Paul had a purpose for his defense other than defending his actions to gain his freedom. What do you feel Paul s true intention was for his defense before Agrippa and Festus? 3. What do the following verses teach us about Paul s mission or calling before the authorities? a. 2 Corinthians 5:20 b. Ephesians 6:20 4. Faith, repentance, and works are linked together in this passage. a. How does Paul link repentance with works (verse 20)? b. What does James 2:18 further instruct us? 5. The deal-breaker for most Jews were the concepts of a suffering Messiah and salvation for the Gentiles. What do the following Messianic texts teach on these? a. Isaiah 42:6 6

7 b. Isaiah 53:1 12 (Simply do a quick fly-over and record a couple of major points) Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks If your, Lord, believe that raised from, you be. Romans 10:9 NIV Day 4 Agrippa s Response Acts 26:24 32 Festus, Agrippa, and likely all in the audience were under the conviction of the Holy Spirit following what many consider Paul s greatest presentation of the Gospel. 1. Festus was a Roman government official and officially speaking, men don t usually come back from the dead and speak to the living. a. What was Festus explanation for Paul s testimony? b. How does Festus response make sense based upon 1 Corinthians 1:18? 2. What points does Paul make to bring his argument home with Agrippa? 3. Paul uses as evidence that This thing was not done in a corner (verse 26). How does Paul offer a similar proof of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:3 8? 4. Agrippa is about to slip off the pages of scripture and into the haze of history without ever making a decision. What was King Agrippa s sad response to Paul s challenge? 7

8 5. God s sovereignty is evident as the events surrounding Paul s arrest and trial take place while he slowly proceeds through the legal system to Rome. Although it would have been an unusual event, the King and the Governor did have the authority to release Paul despite his appeal to Caesar. Paul s release would have likely sparked outrage from the Jewish leadership. How would these events ultimately fulfill the words of encouragement offered by Jesus to Paul shortly after his arrest in Jerusalem? (See Acts 23:11.) 6. As you look back over Paul s discourse within this passage, what key elements can you identify that should be present any time we share the gospel? Memory Verse Fill in the Blanks If, Lord, that raised, you. Romans 10:9 NIV Day 5 Take Away / Summary To avoid walking in circles when lost in the wilderness, survival instructors teach their students to pick out the most prominent point in the distant landscape and walk toward it. In a similar sense, we need to pick out the single most important truth in this week s study and apply it in our life as we walk toward Jesus and out of the wilderness. Please share with your group what that truth is for you, and how will you apply it this week: Memory Verse Fill In Completely From Memory,,,. Romans 10:9 NIV 8

9 Key Words/Phrases Write out the definition of these key words. You can use a regular dictionary or go to one of the Greek sources listed in the Tool Box at the end of the study. You may also use a concordance to see where else and how the word is used in the Bible. How would these phrases instruct or encourage us today? Sanctified By Faith in Me (Acts 26:18) You Almost Persuade Me to Become a Christian (Acts 26:28) Memory Verse If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NIV Tool Box Step 1: The Bible. Read the passage in a couple of different versions. If you are having trouble understanding a passage, choose a more dynamic version such as New Living Translation or The Message. To focus in on the exact meaning of a verse, choose a more literal translation such as New American Standard Bible or New King James Version. Step 2: Study Tools. Use these to help you dig deeper. Background Information: 1) Unger s Bible Dictionary 2) Bible Dictionaries online at biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com. Word Studies: 1) Zodhiates The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary 3) Strong s Dictionary of Bible Words. Step 3: Commentaries. Commentaries should not be used in place of studying God s Word directly, but they can give you additional insights. Some good commentaries include: J. Vernon McGee, The Expositors Commentary, NIV Application Commentary, H.A. Ironside, William Barclay (great for background and culture but be careful of his spiritual applications). Step 4: Online Assistance. Should you have a specific question about the study please your inquiry to: markn.valor@gmail.com 9

10 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. Timeline for the Life of Paul 10

11 Message Notes 11

12 Message Notes 12