INDUCTIVE LESSON THIRTEEN COURAGEOUS FOR CHRIST As a kid growing up, about the only warning label I can remember was a Wet Paint sign on a freshly finished park bench. As our society has become more litigious and lawsuits become more common place, warning labels seem to appear on just about everything. These warnings allow companies to say I told you so rather than face a frivolous lawsuit. My four favorite warning labels include: Vidal Sassoon Hairdryer Do Not Use While Sleeping, Superman Costume Wearing This Garment Does Not Enable You To Fly, Black Cat Fireworks Flammable Do Not Put In Mouth, and Dremel Rotary Tool Product Is Not Intended For Use As A Dental Tool. 1 Such warnings are not limited to labels attached to the products themselves, but now appear on commercials advertising pharmaceuticals. A typical commercial for a drug to treat a condition, such as arthritis, shows smiling individuals at play while an announcer tells us use of this product may increase the chance of infection, tuberculosis, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and liver malfunction. Is the risk worth the reward? In our study this week we will see that Christianity comes with a warning label and yet, despite the risks, those with the greatest insight into both the risk and reward hold to their faith the tightest. Jesus warned us to expect opposition, If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:18 20, NKJV). It has been said that Christianity is not a playground but a battleground and Acts 14 is evidence of this truth. While many responded in belief to the gospel message preached by Paul and Barnabas, the opposition grew more violent and desperate. Despite the hostility, the disciples boldly shared their faith in Iconium until it became apparent that their opponents sought to silence them by stoning. After traveling 20 miles to Lystra, Paul and Barnabas once again shared God s truth. It is likely the people of Lystra mistook Paul and Barnabas for Greek gods because of an ancient legend about Zeus and Hermes. According to the legend these gods had come in disguise to Lystra and no one offered them hospitality except one elderly couple. Angered, the gods killed the entire population of Lystra except their hosts. The hosts were later turned into trees and their house into a temple to honor Zeus. Apparently the residents of Lystra were not going to make the same mistake twice, and quickly honored Paul and Barnabas as gods following a miraculous healing. Upon hearing of the disciple s ministry in Lystra the Jews from Iconium trekked 20 miles to rally the fickle crowd and incite them to stone Paul. It is very interesting that some commentators, (J. Vernon McGee, H.A. Ironside, and Chuck Smith to name a few), feel that at this time Paul was taken up into heaven as he later writes in 2 Corinthians 12:2 4, I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in 1
my body or out of my body, I don t know only God knows. Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell (NLT). Is the risk worth the reward? For us as Christians the answer is a definite and resounding YES. Speaking as one who has seen the reward, Paul would later write from imprisonment in Rome, No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:13 14, NLT). It was by keeping his eye on the prize, that is the promise of heaven, that Paul was able to arise from his stoning and return to share Christ with the very people who had sought his death. C.S. Lewis once commented that Christians would be of far more earthly value if they, like Paul, were more heavenly minded. Jim Elliot, a modern day martyr summed it up well, He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. 2 1 http://www.womansday.com/life/11-funny-fine-print-warnings-114710 2 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/jimelliot189244.html Luke records twelve speeches of Paul. Paul s explanation of the gospel in this lesson is his third recorded sermon. This chart gives their audience, immediate location, geographic location, and scriptural reference for all of Paul s speeches. 3 This lesson s speech differs as it was directed strictly to pagans, and did not reference any scripture. Speech Scripture Audience Place Location 1 Acts 13:6-11 Jew: Bar-Jesus Governor s Paphos (Cyprus) praetorium 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 Caesarea (Judea) Felix praetorium 9 Acts 25:8-11 Gentiles, Governor Governor s Caesarea (Judea) Felix praetorium 10 Acts 26:1-23 Festus, Agrippa Governor s Caesarea (Judea) praetorium 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, 2013. 2
Memory Verse Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13 14 (NASB) 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. Study Text / Worksheet Write down your observations, comments, or questions directly on the text as you go over it. Iconium Acts 14: 1 7 Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. 3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. 5 And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, 6 they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. 7 And they were preaching the gospel there. My Observations Digging Deeper Interpretation: 3
Application: Idolatry at Lystra Acts 14:8-18 8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, Stand up straight on your feet! And he leaped and walked. 11 Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men! 12 And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out 15 and saying, Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, 16 who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 18 And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them. My Observations Digging Deeper 4
Interpretation: Application: Hard to Keep a Good Man Down Acts 14:42 52 19 Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. 20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples. My Observations Digging Deeper 5
Interpretation: Application: 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 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 (NASB) 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? Speaking Boldly in the Lord (Acts 14:3) 6
Tribulations(Acts 14:22) Tool Box A Timeline of Paul s Missionary Work and Writings. This timeline shows the major events of Paul s life and the approximate date of his epistles. 7
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 atbiblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.com. Word Studies: 1) Zodhiates The Complete Word Study New Testament 2) Vine s Complete Expository Dictionary3) 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 email your inquiry to: markn.valor@gmail.com 2014 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. www.harvest.org 8
OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS Jesus Ascension Pentecost --- Baptism of Spirit 3,000 saved Peter Heals Beggar 5,000 saved Peter and John Before Sanhedrin Ananias and Sapphira Peter and John Before Sanhedrin Again Seven Chosen for Ministry Stephen s Speech and Martyrdom Philip Ministry in Samaria Saul s Conversion Peter s Ministry Along Coast Christian Church in Antioch Herod s Persecution of Church This Week Paul s First Missionary Journey Jerusalem Conference Paul s Second Missionary Journey Paul s Third Missionary Journey Paul s Arrest and Jerusalem Imprisonment Paul s Trials in Caesarea Paul s Voyage to Rome Paul s Roman House Arrest 9
Message Notes 10
Message Notes 11
Message Notes 12