Brentwood
Baptist Church
People finding God
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Adventures in Acts
Three years ago we looked at the theme of Evangelism in the Early Church from Acts 1-8. By popular request this series will race through the remainder of Acts looking at key events, people and places, and mostly avoiding the theme of evangelism! Since those earlier studies we have looked in our evening sermons before Christmas at key Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Let me briefly remind you of what we said then about how we should approach Acts as historical narrative.
A narrative “invites us to learn from the events themselves to which it points.” “Stories can both reassure and challenge, comfort and confront, reinforce and unsettle; they may offer identity or disturb it.” We are drawn in as we put ourselves in the place of the characters in the story – but WHICH characters could we be? “We regularly look back to the church and Christian experience in the first century either as the norm to be restored or the ideal to be approximated.” (I.H.Marshall) But this overly-simple approach may not always be appropriate or valid! Some passages may not be “good examples to follow” but rather “bad examples to avoid”.
Historical PRECEDENT is not NORMATIVE, but it may indicate what is NORMAL and certainly indicates what is POSSIBLE. (PRECEDENT – historical events recorded; NORMATIVE – obligatory for all Christians; NORMAL – common but not universal experience; POSSIBLE – may happen to some.)
Careless interpreters can twist most stories to mean whatever they want it them to mean! We need to look at the CONTEXT and the AUTHOR’S INTENT to see whether HE expected us to understand the events to be normative, normal or merely possible. For each passage we will need to discover what lessons Luke wants us to learn from the events he records. Home Group meetings for January – April 2006
January 11/12 1. The conversion of Saul Acts 9 January 18/19 2. Peter and Cornelius Acts 10 January 25 Powerhouse Prayer Meeting 8 pm at the Church February 1/2 3. Peter’s escape from prison Acts 12 February 8/9 4. Paul’s first missionary journey Acts 13-14 February 15/16 5. The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15 February 22 Powerhouse Prayer Meeting 8 pm at the Church
March 1/2 6. Paul in
Athens
Acts 17
March 8/9 7. Paul and the Ephesian disciples Acts 19 March 15/16 8. Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian Elders Acts 20 March 22/23 9. Paul’s shipwreck Acts 27 March 29 Powerhouse Prayer Meeting 8 pm at the Church April 5/6 Social / Catch Up Week / Easter reflections April 13th Maundy Thursday Communion Service 8 pm (TO BE CONFIRMED)
WAYS TO APPROACH THE BIBLE READINGSOne of the aims of this series is to give an overview of the story of Acts 9-28. We will not study the whole book verse by verse but rather try to keep moving with the flow of the story and just look at key events, people and places. So for each week the reading will be a substantial passage, at least a whole chapter. To make reading the Bible passages more interesting I suggest you vary the ways in which the reading is done week by week. Here are some obvious possibilities.
SUGGESTED PATTERN FOR EACH EVENING
11/12 January1. The conversion of Saul Acts 9
1.
Read Acts 9:1-43. Invite the group to
comment on anything which strikes them. This week’s study focuses on Saul/Paul,
but if you feel your group knows that story too well already and want to talk
instead about the miracle of Tabitha raised from the dead that will be fine! Most evangelicals take Paul’s experience
of conversion as the pattern which all true Christians should
experience (i.e. they take this account as ‘normative’). But is that what Luke
(who wrote Acts) really expects or intends us to do? 2.
(If your Group have discussed this
recently enough to remember their answers, do miss this question out!) Did any
members of your group have a dramatic experience of conversion to Christ, in any
way similar to Paul’s? Encourage them to share their testimony. 3.
Looking particularly at verses 1-19,
what elements of Paul’s conversion experience seem to us to be rather unusual,
and therefore likely to be unique to Paul? (Answer: MOST!) 4.
Using their general Bible knowledge,
can your Group suggest any other conversions in Acts (or in Luke’s
gospel) which share some of Paul’s unusual experiences. (No hints available.) 5.
What elements of Paul’s conversion
experience would we expect EVERY Christian to share? (Acknowledgement that Jesus
is Lord, baptism, changed life, but otherwise …. ??) 6. So do the Group think that Luke ever intended his historical record of Paul’s experience of dramatic conversion to be taken as a pattern which every Christian would experience? Or was it a unique historical event? Big question – what implication does this study have for our approach to and our expectations in evangelism? January 18/192. Peter and Cornelius, Barnabas and Saul Acts 10-11
I suggest you read the whole of these two chapters at one go to get the flow of the story, preferably in a “freer” translation like the Good News Bible, “The Message” or the New Living Translation. Then you might like to focus in on one or two of the following themes.
A. Proof than Gentiles can become Christians – the Holy Spirit!
1.
Read Acts 11:1-18.
The first believers were all converted Jews. In Caesarea God saved Romans! Why
do you think the Early Church found it so hard to believe that Gentiles could be
saved?
2.
Note how it took three visions and some dramatic experiences and
demonstrations of the Holy Spirit to convince Peter and his companions that the
non-Jews were truly saved. Peter identified the Gentiles’ experiences of the
Spirit with Jesus’ promise: Then I remembered what the Lord had
said: ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
… God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus
Christ,
3.
Does your Group think that those kinds of overwhelming experiences of
the Spirit were only for the Early Church – or that they should be expected for
all Christians in every age? 4. What do your answers say about our spiritual experiences and our evangelism today?
B. Barnabas and Saul – a pattern for nurture
1.
Read Acts 11:19-30 again and discuss
the ways in which Barnabas, ‘Son of Encouragement’ (Acts
4:36) took new
Christian Paul under his wing and trained him up for ministry. Recall that it
was Barnabas who brought Paul to the Apostles in Acts 9:26-27. As
we read on further we will see how Paul the apprentice soon began to take the
lead and step out on his own missionary journeys. Read Acts
13:1-2; 13:42,46,50; 14:1-3, 12;
(by now Paul is the chief speaker!) 14;23;
until the sad parting of the ways in
15:36-40. 2. Discuss ways in which older Christians in our church might nurture younger Christians and train and encourage them in faith and discipleship. Note our “One-to-One Course” as part of THE NEXT STEP. Ask the Group which of them might be prepared to commit to meeting with a young Christian One-to-One?
New Christians really appreciate help and encouragement from more mature believers as they are beginning the Christian life. Having a ‘‘spiritual aunt or uncle’’ to study the Bible, pray and just to talk about their faith with can make all the difference. Sometimes such friendships develop naturally, sometimes not. The “One-to-One” course helps by giving a framework for the new Christian and the established believer meeting together for about an hour each week over eight weeks.
C. Peter and Cornelius – a Study of Prejudice (Repeated from May 2004)
The eagle-eyed will have spotted that we did look at Acts 10 in May 2004! I repeat that study here for any Groups who missed it out then, or who want to revisit it now.
1. Ask the Group, “Is there any kind of person that God cannot save?” Some might suggest alcoholics or drug addicts; sexual sinners; those trapped in any kind of sin; even those who stubbornly refuse to repent. In contrast, of course, the Bible teaches that God’s grace can save anybody. But the one kind of person who may never be saved is the person who never hears the gospel because Christians never share it with them! (5 minutes)
2. Read Acts 10:1-35. What kind of man was Cornelius? Why did God go to such lengths to make sure that he could hear and respond to the gospel? Do members of the Group know any “not yet Christians” who they would describe as “devout and God-fearing”? (5 mins)
This story is historically important because Cornelius and his family were the first Gentile household to believe the gospel. But God did also love and accept Cornelius and his family for themselves!
3. You may like to talk briefly
about those barriers between Jews and Gentiles which meant that a Jew like would
be made “ritually unclean” by associating with, and especially by eating with
and staying in the home of a non-Jew like Cornelius.
4. Jesus and His disciples had already faced the kind of prejudice Peter was struggling with. Read Matthew 8:10-13. What do these words of Jesus have to teach us? (5 mins)
5. Now to apply Questions 3 and 4 directly to our own lives and to our church. “Are we ever prejudiced?” Are there any kinds of people in Brentwood which we as Christians do not mix with (yet)? Sometimes we put up barriers because we believe (wrongly) that God does not want us to mix with certain kinds of people. What other kinds of barriers do we have which keep us away from particular people? (e.g. ignorance, fear of people who are simply different from us, fear of what other Christians might think of us, the cost to us of being involved with “demanding” people?) (5 mins)
6. Read verses 9-21 again. Peter’s first reaction to the idea of doing something new was “Surely not, Lord.” Have we ever said to God “Surely not, Lord”? About what kinds of things? Do we ever say “Surely not, Lord” about evangelism? It took three visions and a specific instruction by prophecy before Peter was able to overcome his prejudices and go to visit Cornelius. What can we learn from Peter’s experiences here? (5 mins)
7. Read again verses 28 and 34-35. God taught Peter two important lessons. What were they – and how might they apply to us? (5 mins)
8. Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. Here Paul, a Jew with the same inbred prejudices as Peter, talks about becoming all things to all men. What can we learn from this about our own witness and outreach? Try to identify specific things which we should be doing as individuals and as a church to share the gospel in Brentwood (or equally in our places of work) with kinds of people that we have avoided contact with so far. (10 minutes)
February 1/23. Peter’s escape from prison Acts 12
Read the whole of Acts 12:1-25. We will focus on verses 1-19.
The church were praying. But when their prayers were answered and Peter actually was released, nobody believed it was true, not even Peter to begin with! Even though there had already been a similar miraculous release back in Acts 5:17-24!
1. Do we ever ask for things in prayer without really believing that God will answer?
2.
Does Luke intend us to believe that Peter’s miraculous escape from prison
is NORMATIVE (the pattern for ALL Christians), NORMAL (common but not universal
experience) or merely POSSIBLE (could happen to some, but rare)? Are there any
clues in the way he tells the story?
3.
WHY do you think God intervened by a miracle in Peter’s life once again?
What do we learn about Peter from John 21:18-19?
4.
If Luke’s message is NOT that every Christian will automatically be
miraculously released from prison, or will be released as long as the church
prays hard enough, what point do you think Luke (as author) intends his readers
to take from this story? What do we learn about prayer, or about faith, or about
anything else? February 8/94. Paul’s first missionary journey Acts 13-14
Read the whole of Acts 13:1-14:28 from a modern translation or paraphrase. That was the whole of Paul’s first missionary journey!
We have thought recently about God’s commissioning of Barnabas and Paul as missionaries. Moving on, divide the group up into pairs and ask each pair to look at one of the places visited. Cyprus Acts 13:4-12 Pisidian Antioch first sermon Acts 13:13-43 Pisidian Antioch second sermon Acts 13:44-49 Iconium Acts 14:1-7. Lystra and Derbe Acts 14:8-20 Returning Acts 14:21-28. Invite each pair to consider the following questions and be prepared to report back to the Group. After say 15-20 minutes for studying, give 3-4 minutes to EACH PAIR to share what they have learned about the part of the story they have considered.
1.
Sum up in a couple of sentences Paul’s message. Why do you think he
delivered that message to those people?
2.
Did the people in that place accept or reject the message? What caused
their reaction? 3. What does this passage have to say to us about evangelism today? February 15/165. The Council of Jerusalem Acts 15:1-41
If you choose to do the exercise below you may wish to leave reading the passage until afterwards.
ESSENTIALS AND NEGOTIABLES – a topic to discuss
1. Which of the following commands, practices or customs are ESSENTIALS for the church in every place in every age, and which are NEGOTIABLES which may not apply all the time?
2. Did the group agree? Discuss WHY you decided as you did. (e.g. Scripture? Our own culture?)
3. Are there any other ESSENTIALS for all churches not listed above? (e.g. BELIEFS?!)
4. Now READ Acts 15:1-29. Why did the Council of Jerusalem write what it did? What does this chapter teach us about what we should expect (or not) from new Christians joining the church?
5.
Read Acts 15:30-41.
After a long and fruitful partnership Paul and Barnabas part
company. March 1/26. Paul in Athens Acts 16-17
I regret that I have to CANCEL the HOMEGROUP LEADERS MEETING scheduled for this week. We will arrange a new date in the near future.
A number of people have said how much they are enjoying gaining the “big picture” of Acts. So once again I invite you begin by reading through the whole of Acts 16:1-17:34. Then ask the Group which parts of this passage particularly struck them. You could spend a whole evening just sharing in that way. Equally you might be drawn to talking about any of the separate incidents recorded. I offer a brief study on Paul in Athens because it seems that, of the places Paul went, the crowd he was addressing there was most similar to our Post-Modern society. The questions relate to Acts 17:16-34.
1. In what ways does first century Athens resemble our world today? See especially Acts 17:21. It was multi-cultural, multi-faith, relativist. Stoics believed that a wise man should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief. Epicureans pursued serene detachment and emotional calm, with intellectual pleasures superior to transient sensualism. In verse 18 they may have thought Paul was introducing a new goddess, “The Resurrection” (Greek Anastasia).
2. Paul went to the meeting place, the Areopagus. Where are the equivalent meeting places for debate today? (Bonus points for anybody who suggests online fora, chatrooms and blogs!)
3. Consider how Paul tailored his gospel presentation to his audience in Acts 17:22-31. Could that particular appeal to innate religiousness be effective in today’s world?
4. Reflect on Paul’s punchline in vv 30-31. The focus of his message is not the cross but the resurrection. What does this teach us about how we could do evangelism better today? March 8/97. Paul in Ephesus Acts 18-19
On Wednesday 8th March we will meet at church at 8 pm to hear BOB FABER, an American missionary teaching at the Theological Institute and co-leader with Evgeniy of Holy Trinity Free Church, Sofia with news and photos of the work in Bulgaria. We very much hope that Home Groups will prefer to gather centrally to meet Bob.
Read Acts 18:1-19:41. Invite the group to comment on verses which have struck them. Then:-
1. You may care to focus on Acts 19:1-7. This divisive passage was traditionally taken by Pentecostals to provide evidence for a “second blessing” experience subsequent to conversion. In fact it is obvious that the Ephesians were disciples of John the Baptist, and only became Christians when Paul preached the gospel and they were baptised (19:5). Their experience of the Holy Spirit was a conversion experience!
2. Looking at Acts 19:13:-20 we see the impact of the gospel on those who practice the occult. Why don’t we see the same today? (The sorcerers are there. The church just doesn’t know it!)
4.
Looking at Acts 19:23-34 we see “vested interests” resisting the
gospel. What vested interests do we see in the world today opposing the church?
(Is the media industry a fair example?) If there is less opposition now than
then, does that just mean that the church has remained silent when it should
have spoken more boldly? 5. What does Acts say to us about the church and persecution in this country and around the world? March 15/168. Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian Elders Acts 20-22
Since Groups who came to hear Bob Faber will now be a week behind at least, I will only offer two final studies in Acts to take us up to Easter.
Read Acts 20:1-22:29. As ever, invite the group to comment on verses which have struck them. Most Group members will be familiar with the story of Paul’s testimony (Acts 22:1-21). Instead you may like to consider the ways Paul worked as an evangelist and pastor, and his instructions to the Elders at Ephesus, as a pattern for Christian ministry and service today. If so, home in on Acts 20:17-38.
1. What did Paul consider to be the most important aspect of his ministry? (Answer – fearless preaching.) What other characteristics mark out his approach to ministry? (e.g. sacrifice, clean conscience, hard work, helping the weak, generosity.)
2. What does Paul see as the principle responsibility of Elders? In practice, what does “keep watch over yourselves” mean? What should “keep watch over all the flock” mean?
3. Note that here, as in other places, Paul sees the principal responsibility of Ministers and Elders as teaching, “guarding the gospel” (Read 2 Timothy 1:13-14, but the message is the same throughout 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.) Is that still the pastoral task today? Since believers now have Bibles for themselves, has the pastoral task changed?
4, How would you sum up in a couple of words the relationship between Paul and the Ephesian Christians? How far do we see that in churches today? What do we learn from this whole passage about ministry and church life for today? March 22/239. Paul’s shipwreck Acts 27-28
Read Acts 27:1-28:31. Invite the group to comment on verses which have struck them. 1. Look back at the ways that the
Holy Spirit called, directed and encouraged Paul throughout his ministry (e.g.
Acts 13:1-3; 16:6-10; 18:9-11; 20:22-23,
21:10-14; 22:23; 23:11). Was that unique to
Paul because of the strategic mission God had given him? Or should we expect God
to speak to all Christians (or at least all ministers and missionaries) in ways
like that? 2. In these two chapters, God saves Paul’s life in miraculous ways. Should we expect the same kinds of miracles in our lives today? Do you think that Luke expects us to see these events as normative (setting a pattern all Christians should try to follow), normal (common but not universal experience) or merely possible (may happen to specific Christians on rare occasions)?
3. Some people do preach a “health wealth and prosperity” “name it and claim it” gospel which implies that God will protect Christians from accidents and always heal them from illnesses and rescue them from disasters. They imply that Christians who do experience accident or illness are under God’s judgement because of some sin, or simply lacking in faith. (Sadly we can occasionally hear this preaching on Christian radio!) What does the story of Paul’s shipwreck have to say about such things?
4. Ask the Group each to share one thing which sticks in their minds from this series in Acts.
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