Class Lesson November 25, 2012

Hey Gang,

We conclude this series of lessons this week on how the church can transform a changing culture. We've been studying how the early church provides us with some foundational understanding to how the church even today can indeed make this happen. Our focus of lessons have included what happens when a church prays with dependency, what it means for a church to "love thy neighbor," the foundational mission of the church - to make disciples and this week we are called to "Hit The Streets."

How are you taking the good news to people?

We need to find appropriate ways to present the gospel to unreached people.


 

At this point in Paul’s second missionary journey, he had been mobbed, stripped, beaten, imprisoned, and secured in stocks. Then, after a miraculous release, he was rioted against, mobbed again, and threatened to the point that his friends escorted him out of town to a safer place. That’s how Paul got to Athens. Athens was the cradle of Western civilization and home to Greek mythology idols and philosophies. It had been the home of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Zeno, whose words are still studied in universities today. While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy, he walked the city, but he didn’t see beauty or brilliance; rather he saw a city full of idols. His friends hoped that he would lay low until they returned for him, but even in that situation Paul found a way to share Christ. This time he used reason and conversation.



I. GO WHERE PEOPLE ARE – ACTS 17:16-21

Paul in Athens

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was troubled within him when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, “What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?” Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection. 19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of? 20 For what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these ideas mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new. 




How did Paul react to what he saw in Athens? What did he do in response to those feelings? What present practices or issues should stir the same feelings and responses in us?

• Paul felt compassion – “spirit troubled within him.” He wanted them to know God.
• Athens was a cultural center of the Roman Empire. Athens influenced how people thought about politics, religion, education, art, and more.
• Religion served as the core of their art and architecture: statues of gods filled the city; pagan temples dotted the landscape. Over 30,000 statues were erected to gods, leading a Roman writer to say that “It is easier to find a god in Athens than a man.”
• Use times of waiting as opportunities for sharing the good news.
• Be disturbed by the many evidences of modern idolatry.
• Witness to those who believe the Bible and those who don’t.
• Don’t limit your witness to one time, one place, or one kind of people.
• Be aware of other worldviews in order to present the claims of Christ. 

 In what ways did Paul “go where people are” in these verses? Where should you and I be going?

• Paul was alone in the city while waiting on his co-workers to join him. While waiting he found opportunities to share Christ. He spent his time talking with Jews in the synagogue and Greeks in the local marketplace.

  

Where Empty Nesters Are: The Bureau of Labor Statistic reported in 2011 that Americans between the ages of 55 and 74 spend only about 11 hours at home a day. It also reported that people in that same age range spend anywhere from 5 to 7 hours a day on leisure and sports-related activities.



Consider this; in what contexts and places in your community should you be looking to engage people in discussions about Christ?







II. KNOW WHAT PEOPLE BELIEVE – ACTS 17:22-23

The Areopagus Address

22 Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

Today’s culture tells us to:

1. Just let people be - Live and let live.

2. Back-off and not engage - What people believe is their own business.

3. Question our own beliefs - Who am I to say that someone else’s beliefs are wrong?



How well did Paul understand what his audience believed? How can you tell?

• Paul warmed up the crowd with a reference to the Athenians’ religious influences. The Greeks probably took Paul’s “extremely religious” as a compliment to their devotion and piety. Paul made a purposeful connection with the men of Athens when he noted their idols. By calling them religious, he found a starting point from which he could share the gospel. Paul pointed out that their own altar proclaimed they worshiped a God they did not know. He wanted to tell them about that God.
• Paul’s reference to the “unknown God” showed they were ignorant of the God who mattered. Paul used this gap as a way to share Jesus.
• Becoming accustomed to the who-cares-what-God-thinks lifestyles around us, and ceasing to be troubled by them, affects our determination to reach people for Jesus. We begin to accept that people have their own way of thinking. We forget that many of them are going to hell. In the meantime they live miserable, lonely lives. By our apathy we fail to take advantage of the ready opportunity God gives to reach people: the universal yearning for truth.

What are strengths of Paul’s methods? How can they be applied today? How can we learn about people, and their connection points, without being nosey? What if you feel shy, or arrogant, or otherwise withdraw from people? How will you obey Jesus in the area of making connections?

• It is a mistake to think confronting error requires we be disrespectful, unkind, or argumentative. That hinders communication. It cuts off opportunity and is just plain rude. More importantly, it harms the cause of Christ. When we follow God’s Spirit, we seek to understand what people believe. We find ways to point them to Truth. We treat people with compassion and love. Love shows what God is like. We become equipped to connect with them and cite error. 

When confronting error, do you typically come across to others as abrasive or patient and kind? What about people who are not religious in any respect? How can you connect with them?





Why did Paul call his hearers too superstitious? Why did he mention the altar TO THE UNKNOWN GOD? 

• Being called religious does not guarantee true religion.
• Many people do not know the one true God.
• Humans have a God-shaped emptiness in their hearts that even they realize.

Think about someone you know whose beliefs about God you don’t know. With compassion and genuine interest, find out what that person believes this week and make a connection with them to spark further discussion about the gospel.
 


III. POINT PEOPLE TO GOD – ACTS 17:24-31

24 The God who made the world and everything in it—He is Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in shrines made by hands. 25 Neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives everyone life and breath and all things. 26 From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. 27 He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring. 29 Being God’s offspring then, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination. 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.” 

The Greeks were right – God was unknown to them. Paul was ready and willing to clear it all up. They seemed to know of God as Creator, but not as personal and purposeful in His creating. God did not manipulate or contain; He did not need their help to be great.



Paul pointed each person’s ancestry back to Adam; noting that God desires to draw all people back to Himself. Paul carefully and honestly used images and quotes from Greek culture through which he laid out biblical truths in a way that the Athenians could readily understand. He strategically moved from these ideas, with which the people were familiar, to some truths of the gospel.


Why did Paul begin with the creation? What implications of creation did he mention? Why did Paul quote pagan writers? What did he say about judgment and resurrection?

• When you share the good news, seek to establish points of contact with your hearers.
• God raised Jesus from the dead, offering life and hope to those who repent.
• God commands all people everywhere to repent now.
• Those who reject the light of the gospel face sure judgment.

Left alone in Athens, Paul went to places where people were. He went to the synagogue, and he witnessed in the marketplace. He encountered some Epicurean and some Stoic philosophers and told them the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. They asked Paul to state his views in the council. Paul spoke of how religious they were with their many gods. He said he would tell them of the God that one altar called “unknown.” He told them of the divine Creator, a coming day of judgment, and the resurrection of Jesus. Then he called on them to repent.

How will you intentionally build the kind of bridges that point people to Christ?

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me be able to witness to people who need to know You. Amen.

 Well, this concludes a thought provoking series on how the church today can still transform lives in a changing culture. I think the most important point throughout the series is the church being the church and this won't happen unless each of us seek to become Christlike in our walk. When you pray, pray with dependency, love your neighbor - remember nothing else matters if you have not loved, become a "disciple" of Jesus Christ and hit the streets with the good news of the gospel.

See you in church on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

 

Class Lesson November 18, 2012

Hey Gang,

We continue this week in our series of lessons on how the church can transform a changing culture. The early church provides us with some foundational understanding to how the church even today can indeed make this happen. We've talked about what happens when a church prays with dependency. We discussed last week what it really means for a church to "love thy neighbor." This week we look at the foundational mission of the church - to make disciples.

The church that runs a nursery for “Tribbles” will miss out on its most important mission - building the kingdom of God through building disciples.

What is a Tribble?

Star Trek - The Trouble with Tribbles
Click Here to Watch


What was the mission of the Star Ship Enterprise?

To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

What is the mission of the church?

The great commission: the mission of Jesus Christ to His disciples was to boldly go and teach making disciples of all nations.

Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The church that runs a nursery for “Tribbles” will miss out on its most important mission - building the kingdom of God through building disciples.

• What is a Tribble? It’s a creature that entertains you, makes you feel good but serves no real purpose – the trouble with Tribbles are that they multiply themselves rapidly to a point that they consume time and energy that should be devoted to something of purpose.

Our lesson this morning says that our churches provide many good things into which we can pour time and resources. But how can the good become an enemy of the best? What ought to be the primary activities of churches looking to build the kingdom of God?

• Churches can spin their wheels on unimportant activities. Too often we allow the good to become the enemy of the best.
• The youth generation - We fail to realize that what we win them with we win them to. If we win them with entertainment and low commitment, we win them to entertainment and low commitment. Charles Spurgeon was way ahead of his time when he implored the church to start “feeding the sheep rather than amusing the goats.”

Bible Context: Following the appointment of the seven widow-helping servants in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7), persecution began to increase for the early believers. Stephen, one of those seven servants, was stoned to death for supposed blasphemy (Acts 6-7). James became the first apostle to be executed (12:1-2). Peter was imprisoned, but he was miraculously rescued before he could be executed (12:3-19).

While the persecution left the believers in danger, it also helped spark a movement outside Jerusalem and into the Samaritan and Gentile world. Philip, another of the original servants from Acts 6, experienced effective ministry on both fronts, evangelizing people in cities in Samaria (8:4-8) and helping the gospel spread into Africa by witnessing to an Ethiopian official (8:26-40). Peter shared the gospel with a Roman centurion named Cornelius (Acts 10).

In the midst of the movement, God confronted a young Jewish leader named Saul. He was a witness to Stephen’s execution. Saul set off to persecute Christians wherever he could find them. But he met Christ on the way to Damascus (Acts 9), transforming the path of his life – and many Gentiles – forever.

Following this conversion, Saul was recruited by Barnabas to help lead the church in Antioch, which had become a focal point of gospel ministry. In Antioch, Saul and Barnabas became effective leaders and were led by the Spirit to initiate a foreign missionary campaign – which is the focus of today’s passages.

1. Go where no man has gone before.

2. Teach the message God has given you.

3. Connect to the mission of the church. 

I. GO WHERE GOD SENDS – ACTS 13:1-4

Preparing for the Mission Field

13 In the church that was at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work I have called them to.” 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.
The Mission to Cyprus

4 Being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 



Ministry and worship are more than just dropping off a meal or sitting in a service. Ministry and worship include listening to God for how He wants you to build His kingdom.

• For Barnabas and Saul this was a mission trip.
• For you it might be tending to the nursery so young parents can connect in the church.
• Or maybe it’s coaching a church ball team that teaches to play for a higher purpose.
• Some mission calls will be short term like the trip Barnabas and Saul took.
• Other mission calls will be long term like teaching a second grade Sunday school class for 40 years.
• The key is to listen to God and to check what you hear with the larger church body. Something truly from God will be apparent to more than just you.

Notice the way the church at Antioch did this.

1. The church was a true melting pot of racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity – see the names and cultures of the leaders in verse 1. This can offer a springboard for developing a global mindset for reaching the lost.

2. They chose to be united in commitment to God and to one another. They ministered and fasted, seeking God’s will as one. This is when God called some to use their gifts outside of the church. Sincere worship involves listening for God’s direction.



Have we become gospel hoarders? In what ways might we hoard spiritual gifts in our church?

What wrong with this?


The truth is, there are many places around the world where Jesus Christ is God’s “forgotten” Son.

• He is forgotten in some places because of hostile governments and religious persecution. He is forgotten in other areas because of materialism and indifference. There are still countless villages and communities scattered across the globe that have no access to the gospel of Jesus Christ. There will never be enough full-time vocational missionaries and Christian workers to reach those areas, communities, and villages.
• That is where the church (and our church) comes into play. Our churches are filled with people who could participate in a short-term mission project to a needy part of the world. God has given gifts, abilities, and resources to those in our churches that could be used in advancing the gospel all over the globe. It may be that your church or ministry could work beside an established mission or missionary and begin to invest in that mission or missionary’s area long-term. It could also be that our Lord will enable you to start a new work in an area where there is no church, pastor, missionary, or Christian witness….
• Scripture teaches that to whom much is given much is required (Luke 12:48). Americans have more resources, more churches, more Bibles, more Christian training, and more access to the gospel than any other place in the world. Have we become gospel hoarders? Hoarding is defined as the act of accumulating possessions and carefully guarding them or hiding them. Is that what we have done with the gospel? How often do we share the gospel with someone? How many Bibles do we own that just sit around the house? Are our churches focused on reaching the lost, or do we hide inside our houses of worship with doors closed to the world? We are surrounded with Christian radio and TV stations, movies, bookstores, Bible studies, conferences, and so much more. These things can be great tools used by God. But in a world where social media is a part of our daily lives and there is a church on every street corner, how easy it is to take for granted the abundant access we have to the gospel? God has greatly blessed our nation and our churches. Therefore, we have a huge responsibility to share what God has given us with the rest of the world.

Why do you think so many believers are content to just sit on the stands in church instead of seeking God’s direction in how they can participate in building the kingdom?

• There is a time to sit and grow and learn. There is also a time to get up, go, and give.
• Listen to God’s mission call and make yourself available for whatever He needs you to do.

What does the word church mean in the Book of Acts? What was distinctive about the Antioch church? What were the roles of the prophets and teachers? What do we know about the five leaders in Antioch? How did the Holy Spirit speak to them? Why were they fasting? Who laid their hands on the two? Why send missionaries when there are so many lost nearby? What was the role of the Holy Spirit? Where did they go first?

• Local churches are to evangelize the lost in their own areas and to send missionaries to other areas.
• Church leaders play a key role but the entire congregation needs to be involved.
• Since the church belongs to the Lord, the church should seek and follow the direction of His Spirit.
• God calls some people to special missionary work.

Summary:

1. The Christian church today needs to reflect diversity of cultures within.

2. God’s call has always been missional – off one’s seat and into the street.

II. GROW PEOPLE THROUGH TEACHING – ACTS 14:21-22

Church Planting

21 After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God.” 


Is a better measure of kingdom-building the number of those who profess faith in Christ or the continued growth and faith of new converts?

• If all we’re after is number of baptisms, we’ll spin our wheels.
• If the mission trip or church outreach event, in and of itself, is the end goal, we’ll miss the point.

What is the relationship between evangelism and discipleship? Why is each essential to the other?

• A disciple is one who learns from and lives for Jesus, each and every day. The follow-up of new converts was so important that Paul and Barnabas risked their lives to make sure that it happened. After being sent by God’s Spirit and affirmed by their church (13:3-4), they left Antioch to evangelize those who had not accepted Jesus. Since they were building the kingdom of God that meant building disciples. The first missionary journey was not complete until they had made return trips to each of the towns they had evangelized. Once people decide to follow Jesus, they needed to be strengthened and taught how to do so.
• Who are the people who have disciple you? How did they do it? What people do you disciple?

To All The New Christians, I’d Just Like To Say _____________________ 

Imagine you’re a part of a great evangelistic crusade, where hundreds of people come to faith in Jesus. You are a counselor there to pray with those who have made decisions. At the end of the event, the group of new converts is gathered together in one room. You are handed the microphone to give them some closing thoughts before they head back home.


What would you say? What do you wish you’d known? What are you glad you didn’t know? What do you better understand now?





3-Fold Process in Disciplemaking:

1. Believers must be strengthened and instructed. Teaching God’s Word builds up believers.
2. Believers must be encouraged to remain true to the faith. The faith is the core collection of doctrine or beliefs central to following Jesus. Believers not yet established in the faith could fall away.
3. Believers must be warned of persecution. They must pass through many troubles. Opposition is a normal part of the Christian walk and witness.

How do you continue to grow and give as a disciple of Christ?

• Read your Bible each day – find a way to live the passage you read each day.
• Participate in a Bible study class and regularly attend worship services where the Bible is preached.
• Talk about God in daily conversations.
• Help other believers when they are facing difficulties.
• Be open about the struggles that you have faced, so that your kids and grandkids will know that trials in life are an expected part of life.

Summary:

1. A well-equipped disciple is a well-taught disciple, focused on the fundamentals of the faith.

2. Effective churches focus on building the kingdom of God and wish to be used in that process.


III. CONNECT TO THE KINGDOM – ACTS 14:23-28

23 When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples. 


Have you ever felt disconnected from your church? What did you do? Did anyone help you during this time?

• The new churches that were established in this first missionary journey were dependent on Paul, Barnabas, and the sending church for guidance, encouragement, and continued support. So before Paul and Barnabas left these new churches, they put a leadership structure in place. Those leaders likely enlisted others in the church to serve and to minister both inside and outside the church. Significance – that’s where the belonging comes in. we each have significance in God’s grand plan to reach the world.

Where’s The Passion? 

Many students who go on short-term mission trips come back from these experiences and find themselves feeling detached and dissatisfied with church completely. Why?

• Because they long for the passion, purpose, and community among believers they experienced overseas.

What can we do about this?

• One reason we aren’t better connected with one another in kingdom-building is because we are largely unaware of the mission work that goes on or we never participate in mission work ourselves.
• Get informed about the work God is doing around the world – namb.net, imb.org
• Adopt a people group from one of these web sites listed – learn about them, pray for them.
• Go on a mission trip with the church – give to missions.
• Make a point to listen to testimonies of those who return from mission trips and encourage them as they reconnect with their home church.

Why do new churches need leaders? Who chooses leaders? What was the significance of this missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas?

• Securing good leaders is crucial for new churches.
• The gospel is for all people.
• Views of church leaders differ from one group to another but the common task holds.

Summary:

1. Believers who obey the Great Commission have stories to tell of God’s activity.




Closing: Two questions to ponder:


1. How can you be more of a disciple than you are?

2. What kind of church would our church be if every church member were just like me?

• Kingdom citizens live for God wherever they are: at work, running errands, at home, in the car, at church, even while relaxing. Everywhere we go and everything we do is an opportunity for honoring God and showing others how.
• The churches main calling involves making disciples and expanding the kingdom by leading them toward maturity.
• As individual believers focus on making disciples, the church in general won’t lose its focus.

 
 

Prayer of Commitment

Lord, help me, and help my church to build the kingdom of God through making disciples. Amen.

Be in prayer this week as to how you can be more of a disciple than you are and think about what kind of church our church would be if every member were just like you. This week's lesson has gotten my attention - hope you are thinking about it too.

See you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

For those of you that saw Richard's homecoming yesterday - here are a couple of pictures: