The Story of Paul’s Conversion: An Example for Us All Acts 9:1-9

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 2 and
October 9, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

The Story of Paul’s Conversion:
An Example for Us All
Acts 9:1-9

Introduction

•When you hear the words “Damascus Road Experience,” what typically comes to mind?

•Those of us raised in a church environment no doubt think of the conversion of Saul to become Paul the apostle

•But the phrase is used a lot today to mean a sudden and unexpected shift in someone’s position or values

•That certainly defines the experience in which the angry Saul of Tarsus becomes the missionary apostle Paul

•He changed from murderer to missionary

•He changed from a persecutor to an apostle

•But today I don’t want to focus only on the dramatic and divine change in Paul’s life, I also want to sketch for all of us what conversion looks like

•I want us to work through Paul’s story to see an example for us in our own conversion and for our lives today

•Let’s look at Acts 9:1-9, and note these three aspects of conversion

•The condition

•The confrontation

•The conclusion

•Remember, an encounter with Jesus changes everything

•We could all stand with regular encounters with Jesus

•We need the change that a relationship with him brings

•1. The Condition

•Acts 9:1-2—The first thing to note when talking about conversion is the condition of the person. None of us come to God complete or whole. We all come broken. Some may seem better than others, but none of us is able to avoid the taint of sin. That is the situation in which we find Saul (who will soon become Paul)

•What do you know about the life of Paul? (Philippians 3:2-6)

•Paul was an accomplished man/He had reason for a fleshly confidence

•He was circumcised on the eighth day

•He was a good Jew (a Hebrew of the Hebrews) from the prestigious tribe of Benjamin

•He was a Pharisee, zealous for the Law

•He was blameless according to the righteousness from the Law

•He was a very religious man

•No one could touch him in the area of religion

•Yet in spite of his religious beliefs, he was full of anger

•Paul breathed threats and murder against the early Christians

•He was a very angry young man, mad at the “heresy” of Christianity that had sprung up among his fellow Jews

•He even intended to wipe out this heretical faith and destroy them completely

•He had no use for false doctrine—he had a religious background but was full of hatred—he wanted to murder others—he was a sinner (1 John 3:10-18)

•Paul was the aggressor against the fledgling and newly born church

•He got permission to go and arrest them so that he can put an end to them

•Perhaps he was tired of hearing the story of Jesus, the story of redemption

•Perhaps his heart was heavy as the words of Christ were spoken

•Whatever was going on, Paul hated Christians

•Paul’s hatred turned him into the “terrorist” against Christianity

•Like some Muslims (and other religions too), he believed that those who disagreed with him should convert or die

•Having them die was easier, so he pursued that option

•He wanted to murder those who disagreed with him

•Paul was a sinner who resisted the truth and lived as an “enemy” of God (Romans 5:6-11)

•Like us, Paul stood against Christ. He was lost

•An encounter with Jesus exposes our condition

•Such an encounter can also result in a change of our condition

•The confrontation with Christ causes a change in us

•2. The Confrontation

•Acts 9:3-6—Once the person’s condition is acknowledged, the next aspect of conversion is the confrontation between the sinful person and the risen and exalted Jesus. The confrontation is between one who cannot save himself and the only One who can save. That is what happens to Paul

•Notice that Jesus confronts Paul as he is going about his everyday experience.

•Paul is doing what he would normally do

•Often Jesus confronts us in our mundane or normal surroundings

•We must remember that the revelation of God does not necessarily require special circumstances (like a special worship service, or complete quiet, or special music or technical expertise).

•God is more than able to meet us right where we are

•Jesus confronts Paul miraculously—this seems to be a special case

•Light from heaven—the glorified and risen Jesus reveals some of his glory

•Falls to the ground—in the presence of a heavenly revelation, Paul gets low

•Paul is humbled when Jesus is revealed

•This is a divine encounter!

•Most of us will not get a miraculous Damascus Road experience like Paul’s

•We will not meet Jesus in a visionary experience

•We will encounter him in a more mundane way

•That doesn’t make the encounter any less significant

•We go through some of the same steps nonetheless

•We encounter Jesus in his resurrected glory through the proclamation of his Truth

•We humble ourselves in his presence

•We listen for his direction

•These are the same steps Paul experienced

•Salvation requires revelation and response

•The Questions in this Encounter—notice that Jesus initiates the conversation by asking Paul a question (Questions are often a good way to start a conversation about conversion)

•Jesus confronts Paul with a question—why are you against me?

•Paul responds with a question—Who are you?

•Jesus gives Paul a chance to respond, and Paul wants to know who he is addressing

•There is a confrontation going on here, one that leads to conversion

•Like all of us before we came to Christ, we cannot know God until God makes himself known to us

•When Jesus confronts Paul, he is revealing himself to Paul

•Paul does not argue, he simply acknowledges the superiority of the one addressing him—Paul wants more information

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus—one thing this tells us is that when we do the work of God and receive mistreatment, Jesus suffers with us. That is, people are not attacking us only, they are taking on Jesus!

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting

•Jesus makes himself known to Paul

•The nature of this revelation no doubt convinced Paul that he was in the presence of God

•Jesus then gives Paul a command—”Arise and go into the city, and you will be given more instructions”

•Jesus acknowledges Paul’s willingness to submit by giving Paul something to do

•How Paul responds makes the difference

•What will Paul do?

•Salvation for all of us is similar (without the bright lights probably)

•We are going about our everyday tasks, ignoring or even resisting God and being his enemies

•Then God confronts us with his person and truth, and we are humbled

•We want to know more and perhaps ask some questions, and God responds by calling us to obedience

•So, how do we respond?

•Faithful response to Christ leads to salvation

•An encounter with Jesus poses a challenge

•A confrontation with Jesus forces us to choose

•Will we obey him or not?

•3. The Conclusion

•Acts 9:7-9—The conclusion of our story reveals Paul’s response. In a similar way, our response to God will write the conclusion to our story of conversion. If we humble ourselves and obey God’s call to repent, salvation will come

•Let’s remember though, that not all who were present at the encounter/confrontation get the point or get salvation (verse 7)

•This is true in our lives as well

•When the story of salvation is told, it is not a guarantee that everyone present will be converted

•It is possible to witness God’s divine grace and still miss the truth

•These people heard the voice but did not apparently get the point

•Paul, on the other hand, understands that he has encountered the divine, that he has run into God, and he is dramatically changed

•He is physically blinded, but he nonetheless obeys—he obeys Jesus’ command even though his physical circumstances have made it difficult

•How often do we try to excuse ourselves from obedience due to physical circumstances?

•“I’m not gifted in evangelism” or “I can’t make disciples” or “I’m shy” or even “I don’t hang around non-Christians much”

•Physical circumstances do NOT hinder obedience—only our wills can do that!

•Though physically blinded, he is now spiritually focused—food and drink no longer matter, he wants to know this person Jesus (verse 10 reveals that Paul is praying while fasting)

•Paul obeyed Christ and focused on Christ

•We should follow his example

•Circumstances don’t matter, obedience alone matters

•So, what’s the rest of the story?

•Paul goes on to plant churches all over the Roman Empire

•He writes 13 letters (almost half of our New Testament)

•He becomes an example for all of us (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

•When a person is brought to Christ and becomes a follower of Christ, it is not for that individual’s good alone, it is for salvation for others

•Like Paul, our redemption is for the benefit of others as well

•Can others see the salvation of God in us?

•Do they want what they see?

•What kind of example are we?

•The conclusion to Paul’s story is written, but the story of salvation/redemption continues. What will the conclusion be?

•An encounter with Jesus changes our story

•Application

•We just admitted that the story doesn’t end with an individual’s conversion

•As important as a person’s salvation is, that is only the first part of the story

•So, how do we respond to this information? Seeing that Paul’s conversion story is in a sense an example or model for us all, how do we respond?

•First, check your condition. Are we followers of Christ or are we religious bigots looking to destroy all those who oppose us? What is our condition? Do we rely on our own strength and efforts, or are we confident in God’s plan of salvation? If we do not have a relationship with Jesus, that is the starting point. This week, focus on your relationship with Jesus. Like Paul, be willing to even give up some of the important things in life to pursue a knowledge of Jesus and his righteousness (Philippians 3:7ff)

•Second, humble yourself and obey God. What is it that God has asked of you that you have ignored? We must never allow anything to deflect us from obedience. When we refuse to obey Jesus, we are backing away from the recreating power of his redemption. As Oswald Chambers says, “It is a matter of indifference to God’s grace how abominable I am if I come to the light but woe be to me if I refuse the light.” (John 3:19-21). What was the last thing God told you to do? Leave here today, go and do it. Live in God’s light. Do not wait another minute to do the right thing

•Third, share with others the story of your encounter with God. Take time to let others know what God has done. Make a list of people you would like to see have an encounter with God, then begin to pray for them and seek an opportunity.

•An encounter with Jesus changes everything

•How has it changed you?

Thanks for reading!

True Worship, Pslam 95

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on September 11 and 18, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

›True Worship: Psalm 95

›Introduction

›Today’s topic is worship. Remember, a few weeks ago we discussed the issue of “Committed or Complacent?” while looking at the early church in Acts 2:41-47.

›In Acts 2:42, we noted that the early church was continually committed or devoted to three things: the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, and to worship.

›We have already looked at the need for continual devotion to God’s Word (sound teaching), and the last two weeks we looked at the issue of fellowship.

›Today, our topic is proper worship.

›Let's look at the Word

›Below there are three texts listed. Each one deals in some way with our topic today.

›I want the class to break into three groups and take 5 or 10 minutes to consider one of these passages and answer the following questions:

›What does true worship look like?

›What are the components of true worship?

›Psalm 95

›John 4:19-24

›Acts 17:22-31

›Some background

›Now that we have all discussed several passages on worship, let me point out that this word appears in some form in almost 200 passages of the Bible.

›Apparently the issue of worship is very important to God.

›In some cases, worship results from passion.

›Everyone is passionate about something, right?

›Name some things people about which people are passionate

›When it comes to worship, however, we must realize that passion is not enough. The thing we worship must have weight, it must be worthy, it must be more than a mere emotional attachment.

›To worship means to give worth to something.

›Our passage today calls us to worship.

›Our Passage

›Psalm 95

›We have already discussed this passage in our groups, but let me give you a bit of background before we look at three aspects of worship found here.

›Psalm 95 was used in a particular time of worship in the life of Israel called The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. It happened in the fall, and people would go outside and live in little huts that they made.

›They would take their meals there for seven days to remember that they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

›And they would remember their mistakes that led to the wilderness.

›And they would remember God's grace as well.

›This Psalm then is a reminder to worship God for who he is and what he has done.

›This worship has three aspects

›Joy, Awe, and Obedience

›In each of these remember—Worship is a right response to God

›1. Joy

›Psalm 95:1-5—The psalmist reminds us to “sing for joy to the Lord.”

›What does this look like?

›Shouting

›Giving thanks

›Singing

›Did any of you watch football games yesterday?

›Are you like me?

›When I watch a game, it is not a “quiet” or “laid back” enterprise.

›All of me gets involved

›I yell, I stand up, I raise the roof

›When my team scores, I don’t sit quietly by and say, “Good job.”

›In fact, at football stadiums all around our country yesterday, when the home team scored, pandemonium probably erupted

›Yet when we worship God, we seem to act as though what he has done is worth less excitement than a touchdown

›I’m not saying that we need cheerleaders or a marching band at church (although the band thing could be cool, right?).

›What I mean is that we should show some excitement at what God has done

›Our worship should involve some emotional and joyful expressions

›What is the source of this joy according to Psalm 95? What has God done?

›He has given us salvation

›He is a great God (he is the best!)

›He is the High King over all Kings

›He holds the whole world in his hands

›He made everything, and it all belongs to him (Hebrews 1:1-4)

›Our God is worthy of our joy, of our excitement, of our worship

›True worship includes a joyful response to God’s person and work

›2. Awe

›Psalm 95:6-7—Now we see the tone shift a bit. The Psalmist goes from excitement and loud rejoicing to a more subdued tone.

›Worship, bow down, kneel—you can almost feel the action slowing down. We’ve had our shouting moment, now we are called to reverence, to quiet reflection, to a recognition of God’s presence as an awe-full experience

›Think of Isaiah 6:1-6—how did Isaiah respond when he saw God in the temple?

›He pronounced “woe” on himself

›He felt undone

›He got as low as he could in the presence of a holy God

›Throughout the Bible we find these kinds of responses

›Moses

›Daniel

›John the Apostle

›These people understood the need to get low before their mighty God

›They understood God as their creator, as the holy one

›Our passage contains that kind of feel.

›Yes, it is appropriate to come to God with rejoicing, dancing, shouts of joy, and excitement.

›But sometimes we need to slow down, to wait in his holy presence, to just sit still in front of the one who made us (the one who provides for us)

›What kinds of things cause “awe” in you? Why do you feel that way?

›Usually awe or a sense of reverence is caused by something “bigger” or “grander” than us

›That is how the psalmist sees God

›That’s how we should see him

›Like last week, we need to have a humble heart before our God (Hebrews 12:28-30).

›We are receiving from God the amazing gift of salvation and citizenship in his unshakeable kingdom.

›We didn’t earn it or buy it, we were given it by his grace and mercy

›Therefore we should show gratitude and awe

›We should respond with humble service to God

›True worship responds with reverence to God

›3. Obedience

›Psalm 96:8-11—the sense of awe and reverence should lead to an offer of acceptable service to God (remember Heb. 10?). This is the final point of our passage. True worship requires obedience.

›In the end of verse 7, our author calls us to pay attention, to give heed to the voice of God, while verse 8 warns us not to harden our hearts.

›The call here is to hear and obey. To hear and disobey or to ignore is not only dangerous, it may be deadly (cf. James 2:21-25; Hebrews 2:1-4)

›Note the change in tone again in verse 9.

›God is speaking now, and he does not sound happy!

›Worship has moved from our communications to or about God to God’s communication to us.

›God is speaking, we must hear and obey.

›God now tells us what happens when hearing his Word is not mixed with faithfulness and obedience (Heb. 4:1-2)

›In verse 10 he says “I loathed that generation.” Other translations say, “I was angry with them.”

›The word “angry” has to do with God being disgusted

›Verse 11 reminds us that a lack of obedience may lead to a strong rebuke (Heb. 3:7-12 quotes these verses; Heb. 4:11-13)

›We must be careful not to harden our hearts to God’s Word

›We must respond with obedience

›True worship waits for God to speak, then responds with obedience

›Conclusion

›True worship then involves at least three things:

›Joy at who God is and what he has done

›Awe in the presence of God’s character

›Obedience to God’s Word to us in worship

›In other words, when we worship God, we should include exuberance for his kind gifts, quiet reverence at his enduring holiness, and expectant hearts to hear him speak and to be quick to obey

›If only it was that easy, right?

›Worship can actually be very messy.

›Too often we focus on only one aspect and miss the others.

›We are too loud and never reverential.

›We are always quiet and never rejoice.

›We simply do not listen for God’s voice.

›If the truth were known, we would realize that worship “in Spirit and in truth” (John 14) can be serious stuff.

›If we understood the gravity of it, we would center our lives on seeking to worship a worthy God in a worthy manner

›Every thought and act would be connected to that desire

›So, how do we do it?

›First, let’s find a way to, as A. W. Tozer says, develop “an everlasting preoccupation with God.” It is not an option, it is our calling! Where do you need to remove obstacles that keep you from being preoccupied with God? What keeps your focus off of Jesus and his accomplishments on your part? This week take some time to look for and to remove those obstacles. Become obsessed with Jesus!

›Second, spend some time in corporate and individual worship. Read the book of Hebrews aloud this week. Hear the admonitions from that author to hear and to obey God. Pay attention to the amazing attributes and surpassing superiority of Jesus. Focus on that. Be obsessed with that. Make special time this week to pursue this worship.

›Finally, obey what God has told you. Share his message of grace with others. Love your brothers and sisters. Spend time living the life of Jesus among and toward others. Get involved in community by investing time and energy in blessing those in your life.

›True worship is a right response to God.

›Thanks for reading!

Sermon from August

Hello all:

I preached at Rocky Mount Baptist Church about a month ago, and Pastor Jeffrey Robinson posted my sermon on their web page. If you want to hear me preach, feel free to check it out. The sermon is on John 11. Here is the link: What Does Worship Smell Like ? Comments are welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Keys to Christian Fellowship, Philippians 2;1-4

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on August 28 and September 4, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

Keys to Christian Fellowship
Philippians 2:1-4

Introduction
•A couple of weeks ago we addressed Acts 2:41-47 and asked whether or not we are complacent or committed
•In Acts 2:42, we saw that the early Christians committed or devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship and the breaking of bread, and to worship.
•Last week we talked about devotion to God’s Word, and this week we will look at some keys to fellowship
•The church in Acts spent time with each other and worked diligently to meet each others’ needs
•Today we want to ask how we can develop a similar fellowship

•The church today is a bit more focused on separation than on unity or fellowship
•We focus on minor details that lead to division
•While God calls us to focus on more important things

•Diversity doesn’t have to lead to a lack of unity or fellowship
•We don’t have to try to divide ourselves over minute (and possibly unnecessary) details
•We don’t have to be all alike, but we should strive to have the same mind and be like Jesus

•Our passage today discusses true Christian fellowship

•In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul gives us two keys to Christian fellowship:
1) Solid Resources
2) Right Attitude

Let’s look at our passage

1) The Resources

•Philippians 2:1—True fellowship is founded on what Christ gives. The resources for fellowship are fourfold and are founded on our horizontal relationship with God through Christ
a) Encouragement in Christ
b) Consolation of love
c) Communion of the Spirit
d) Affection and Compassion

•Paul lists these four resources in “if” statements, but these should not be read as hypotheticals. They should be read as “since” statements. Paul thinks that the Christians in Philippi had experienced these

a) Encouragement in Christ: Have you gotten anything out of following Christ?
•Salvation/Abundant Life
•Encouragement
•Empowerment

•The word for “encouragement” here has a similar root to the word Paraklete, which is used to describe the Holy Spirit as one called alongside to help (John 14:16-17)
•The word can mean “exhortation” or “encouragement”

•When life gets unsettling and we are shaken, Jesus is our foundation and stability (1 Cor. 10:4)

•The idea here is that our relationship to Christ is a source for encouragement
•Christ is our sufficiency
•He is our foundation
•His work of grace encourages us to share his love

b) Consolation of love: How has Jesus’ love made a difference in your life?
•His love is an example
•His love comforts us
•His love controls us

•“Consolation” has the idea of comforting someone who has experienced grief or loss
•Strained relationships or lack of fellowship gives a sense of loss to others
•The love of Christ is a means of overcoming loss
•The love of Christ can mend strained relationships
•God does not abandon those who grieve, he intensifies his love and concern for them (Hebrews 13:5-6; Deut. 31:8; Joshua 1:5)

•Love does not depend on the other person’s response (Rom. 5:8)
•Love expresses itself without expectation of recognition or even acceptance
•Love simply loves

•We should abide in and tap into God’s love in our relationships

c) Communion/Fellowship of the Spirit: What does being in communion with God’s Spirit offer to us? What does it mean to you?
•Communion or Fellowship of the Spirit is a two way street
•It has a horizontal part—we receive God’s Spirit and learn to have communion with God through his Paraklete (1 Cor. 12:13)
•It has a vertical part—we share with others as God shares with us (1 John 4:20)
•Being in communion with God’s Spirit should be revealed not only in personal holiness or “spirituality,” but also in how I relate to others God brings in my life

d) Affection and compassion: Since we have the resources above, we should have a heart and care for others (John 15:17)

•Affection and compassion flow from a proper understanding of our foundation in Christ (1 John 4:19-21)
•Jesus loved even when he was offended
•He showed compassion even to those who hated them
•How can I act any differently?
•If I have tasted Christ’s affection and compassion, I should be marked by the same kind of life
•Am I?

•These resources give us the basis or foundation for true fellowship
•But for true fellowship to happen, we need a right attitude

2) The Right Attitude

•Philippians 2:2-4—Paul reminds us that Christian fellowship flows from a proper attitude or mindset. In these verses he offers two basic attitudes we must adapt: 1) an attitude of unity, and 2) an attitude of humility
•In truth, you cannot have one without the other

•True fellowship is revealed in unity, not necessarily uniformity
•We need to be “like minded,” but not mindless drones

•Paul gives us three requirements for unity

a) The first requirement for unity is being like minded or having the same mind
•The idea is that we think on the same important things—our focus is on the same Lord
•The idea here is not that we agree on every little detail of doctrine, but rather that we should approach life with the same biblical or Christ-like worldview
•This is the mindset of loving God and loving others (Remember Acts 2:41-47—they met each others need and worshiped together)
•This is how Christ lived (Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45)

•We will never agree completely on doctrinal issues, but we can agree on the importance of Christ

•Major on the major issues, not the minor ones

b) The second requirement is a shared love or a shared heart (1 John 3:11-12; 16-18)
•This speaks of the love of God and love for others that we mentioned above, but more importantly it refers to God’s love for all of us as expressed in Phil. 2:5-8
•Acts 2:44-45 is a great example of this love expressed in real life

•We must have the love of Christ as our central focus as our most heart-felt way of life
•Without the same love, we will never have true fellowship

c) The third requirement is to be one in spirit and purpose
•The Message says it like this: “Be deep-spirited friends”
•The idea is something like being “same souled” or even (to some degree) being “soul mates”
•This is such a deep unity that we are unanimous in our love for God and others—our respect for each other will know no bounds

•A. T. Robertson describes this kind of fellowship as being “like clocks that strike at the same moment.”

•Think of a football team—many positions with one goal

•We need a shared heart, a shared mind, and a shared goal

•This is the attitude Paul wants for the church, but to accomplish it we must learn a bit of humility

•The world in which we live espouses a self centered approach to life: “Assert yourself” or “Build up your own self esteem” and even “Don’t let others take advantage of you” is the primary approach to living a “full life”
•Such an approach is not only self-destructive in many ways, it is also the opposite of the life to which God calls us

•The attitude that Paul espouses here is one of humility
•It is the idea of lowering myself to serve others
•It is the idea of putting someone else before me

•Paul tells us that this attitude of humility will reveal itself in how we see ourselves and how we see others (Ephesians 4:1-3)

•How do we see ourselves?
•Paul calls us to have “lowliness of mind” or to be careful how we think of ourselves
•This was not the typical approach in the first century—Paul turns this negative in his day into a Christian virtue
•We must learn humility
•Augustine: The mark of true religion is humility
•This means we must remove from ourselves any self-seeking or high minded or selfish ideas (Col. 3:13-14)
•We must be humble

•Of course, how we see ourselves affects how we see others
•Serving others requires me to see them as important, and humility helps

•How do we see others?
•Paul calls us to think more highly of others than we do of ourselves
•He encourages us to think about the other person and his needs and interests rather than just think about things from our own perspective (Acts 2:44-45)

•How do we get there?
•First, we must admit our pride
•Second, we must follow Christ’s example
•Finally, we must obey God’s Word

•We must consider others, not just ourselves
•If we want true fellowship, we must put God first and others second

Application
•How then do we respond? What can we do this week to build true fellowship?

•First, we must make sure we are on the right foundation, we must focus on the resources that God has provided us. This requires us to spend time with the One who provides these resources. Make sure this week you are tapping into the Source by spending time with God and his Word.

•Second, we must act on what we have heard. Where can you practice true fellowship this week? In what situations can you show Christ’s humility and grace? Put into practice the right attitude Paul discusses. Put others before yourself. Practice humility. Do not focus on your own interests only, but find creative ways to focus on the needs and interests of others.

•True fellowship is not easy, but what a blessing it will be if we practice what God prescribes!

Thanks for reading!

What's the Good Word? The Importance of the Bible

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on August 21, 2011. This lesson focuses on the need for Christians to be devoted to the Word of God by looking at the importance of Scripture and the impact it has (or should have) in the life of a Christian. I hope you get something from it! If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

What’s the Good Word?
The Importance of the Bible

Introduction
A couple of weeks ago we addressed Acts 2:41-47 and asked whether or not we are complacent or committed

In Acts 2:42, we saw that the early Christians committed or devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship and the breaking of bread, and to worship.

We mentioned that the devotion to the apostles’ teaching today would translate into a commitment to the Bible

Since the teaching and writings of the early apostles came from the Old Testament and in many ways became the New Testament, for us as Christians today to be committed to their teachings means we must have a commitment to God’s Word

This commitment requires knowledge and action

We must know the Bible
This requires time
The truth of Scripture will not simply enter our hearts by osmosis, we must go looking for them

We must act on it
Obedience is not an accident
As we learn God’s truth, we must do it

Today I want us to consider the importance of God’s Word by looking at four truths about the Bible
1. It is the inspired Word of God
2. It is sometimes difficult to understand
3. It is powerful
4. It must be studied

So, what do you know about the origin of the Bible?

1. The Bible is the Inspired Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God”

What does it mean that the Bible is inspired?
The Holy Spirit exerted his influence upon the writers of the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21)—the writers of the Bible were moved by God’s Spirit to write

The Bible does not contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God
Every word of this book is inspired by God’s Spirit, yet it is written in the language/tenor of a variety of human authors

The Bible is free from error and absolutely trustworthy (Ps. 119:89-91; Matthew 5:17-18; 24:35)

The Bible is our trustworthy source of God’s self-disclosure

As a result of its inspiration, the Bible is a rather unique book
It is a library of 66 books written by close to 40 different authors
These authors were from a variety of backgrounds, some educated and some not so educated
There were farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, kings, teachers, physicians, and others
They wrote in different eras over thousands of years

In spite of this diversity, the book has a single focus—God’s revelation of himself to humanity

The Bible agrees on its primary topic—God—because it was inspired by him to reveal himself to us

2. The Bible is Sometimes Difficult

What areas of the Bible do you find most difficult? What are the books you tend to avoid?

2 Peter 3:14-16
Peter writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and acknowledges that some of Paul’s letters contain things “hard to understand,” all the while encouraging diligence in pursuing an understanding of God’s ways

Just like Paul’s letters, there are other places in the Bible that contain things difficult to understand
That is why we must be filled with the Spirit of God
God’s Spirit often guides us to a better understanding of God’s Word (John 16:12-15)

We must read the word, but we must also rely on God to help us to understand it

We should acknowledge the Bible’s difficulties rather than run from them

We cannot exhaust the knowledge of God, but we can act with obedience on what we understand—but are we?

3. The Bible is Powerful

Hebrews 4:12-13
God’s Word is living and active

How is God’s Word alive? Active?

The Word is like a scalpel, it can cut and divide and discover
Like a sword, it can separate
Like a scalpel, it can heal

It reveals to us God’s nature and our own nature (James 1:22-25)—by doing what it says, we show God’s life in our lives

It is the judge of our very thoughts and intentions

God’s Word can keep us from sin (Psalm 119:9-11)
The Bible can cleanse us (Ephesians 5:26; Psalm 51:2)

God’s Word is a seed of life, producing the redeeming life of God in us when we respond in faith (1 Peter 1:22-25; 1 John 3:9)

The Bible is our nourishment and spiritual food for us (1 Peter 2:1-3)
Like natural food, it can strengthen us and empower us for life in God

God’s Word, like the promises of God, are certain and true and will accomplish all the God intends (Isaiah 55:10-11)
When God speaks, things happen. God’s spoken revelation (his Word) contains what every human heart needs to flourish with a garden of God’s virtues and grace. The Word provides life and nourishment (cf. Luke 8:4-18)

4. The Bible Must be Studied

2 Timothy 2:14-15
This verse is a command, not a suggestion

Studying the Bible, digging into its heart and soul, accomplishes several things
As we act on it, it keeps us from being ashamed
Reading and heeding its instructions helps us avoid worldly and vain chatter that leads to ungodliness
It makes God’s will known to us and show us how we ought to live

As you study the Bible, ask:
Who is speaking here?
To whom are they speaking?
What is the main principle or truth revealed in this passage?
How can I apply this to my own life?

Reading the Bible is fine, but we are called to cut a straight path in our study of the word

We are called to diligence in plowing into God’s Truth, the Bible

Application

Since we are commanded to be diligent in properly understanding and obeying God’s Word, the application is rather obvious—we need to spend time with the Bible

This does not mean that we can be content with merely reading what the words say. We must learn to dig deeper. As Luther said, “I study my Bible like I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb--study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings.”

Some Resources
We must study Scripture like Martin Luther, taking it as a whole and interpreting its pieces as thoroughly as possible. Remember, the Word can never mean what it never meant. We must keep it in its proper context

This week I want to you spend an extra 15-20 minutes a day not simply reading the Bible, but studying it and digging deep into it. To help facilitate that, here are some on-line resources that may help:

http://www.preceptaustin.org/the_key_inductive_study_%28pt2%29.htm
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
http://bible.org/

These resources are not exhaustive, but they are pages I trust

The most important thing this week is to be diligent in properly understanding God’s Word and then acting on what you learn

What we really believe, we live. All the rest is just religious talk. (Peter Lord)

Will we live what God says?

Thanks for reading!

Complacent or Committed? Acts 2:41-47

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on July 31 to August 7, 2011. This lesson begins a short series asking the question: To what are we as Christians committed? My goal is to give an overview of the attitudes, passions, and even practices in which the early church engaged as a means of gauging where we are as an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church. I hope you get something from it! If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Complacent or Committed?
Acts 2:41-47

Introduction

I have to confess, I am a college football fanatic.
Not a fan, but a fanatic
My wife will tell you, I can watch just about ANY college football game and get passionately involved
I’ll even cheer loudly for teams I barely know
I’m certainly not a complacent fan

On the other hand, I don’t know that I am committed to college football.
I’m certainly not as committed as the young people who play the game
They practice regularly, they sweat together, they plan together, they even bleed together every week just to get ready for one game
They are passionate and committed to the success of their team

Have you ever been part of a church that was like that?

Someone describe an experience in a passionate and committed body of believers

I don’t know about you, but I could be attracted to a gathering like that—a group of people on fire

A fire creates excitement and attracts people
Charles Finney said: If your church is on fire, people will come from miles around to watch it burn.

Today I want us to take a look at a passage in Acts and ask: What can we gain from this passage to become a committed community for Christ?

How can true community be generated in a world that puts a premium on privacy?

Who are these People?

Remember that this gathering started with 11 men—a conglomeration of fishermen, tax collectors, and other undesirables
In fact, these individuals weren’t even properly educated
On the day of Pentecost, few of those present had walked with Jesus for 3 years, the rest were relatively new believers
None of them were “ordained” or “licensed” to preach
They only had what we call the Old Testament, and even then they probably didn’t have a personal copy to read daily

They simply put into action what they saw Jesus do

What did these people have that we need?
They had passion and commitment

Acts 2:41-47—They were committed
1. To God’s Word
2. To Others
3. To Worship

Commitment requires effort/Complacency is easy

1. Committed to God’s Word

Note in verse 42 that the new believers in Christ were “continually devoting” themselves to something

What does it mean to be continually devoted to something?
To what did the early Christians continually devote themselves?

"Continually devoting" is the idea of "giving constant attention to," or "being steadfast.” These early Christians set the proper example for us to follow in "continually devoting themselves" to some important elements for Christian life. I doubt that many of us are quite as committed. We make a false dichotomy between secular and sacred so that “Christian life" is separate and distinct from the rest of life. Being a Christian becomes merely a part of what we are, but it is not our focus or commitment. We compartmentalize our lives and then our Christian life is just another “part” of it, just another routine to mark off of our daily “to do” list. When the body does not function correctly, then both the whole and the individual parts that make it up are unhealthy.

These first Christians devoted themselves first to the “apostle’s teaching”

What is meant by “the apostle’s teaching”?

What was it that the apostles taught?

These early believers had no New Testament to read, so the teaching of the apostles probably represented teaching from the Old Testament and from the life and teaching of Jesus
This teaching became the “Word of God” to the early believers
They staked their lives on God’s communication to them via Scripture

What was happening was thoroughly rooted in Scripture. It was biblical. The Lord guided them through the teaching and preaching of his Word. (Psalm 119:9, 11, 36-38, 89-90, 105)

Now that the apostles are gone, we have their witness in the New Testament

God endeavors to lead and to teach us through Scripture
The “apostle’s teaching” for us is the Bible itself (Heb. 2:1-4)

Of course, this commitment required time and effort

To learn what God is teaching, we must take time to read his Word and act on it (2 Timothy 2:14-15)
Remember, the first believers were active participants in what was being taught by the apostles. What they were being taught was impacting their hearts and lives. They acted on it

We should do the same today—being committed to God’s Word means more than simply reading it, it means doing what it says (Heb. 4:1-2, 6-7; Romans 16:25-27)

Commitment to God’s Word requires time with and a response to God
Complacency ignores Scripture and leads to ignorance

That brings us to our next point, part of doing God’s Word is to be committed to others

2. Committed to Others

The key word here is koinonia, which means sharing, participation, contribution, or (most commonly) fellowship

The idea here is not coffee and donuts, especially since they were several centuries away
The idea is one of sharing life together

This is not a mere sentimental feeling, it is not mere uniformity or “getting along”

As Jim Davis puts it: “Church attendance is often substituted for fellowship. To some fellowship is like a jar full of marbles. The marbles are in the same jar but there is little togetherness. The marbles have little effect on each other as they roll around in a jar. They just bump into one another. But real fellowship is more like a jar of grapes that bleed on one another. Fellowship should allow our faith to rub off on one another. The first believers had real spiritual needs that led them into fellowship with others. As they came into this fellowship of other believers with the same needs, they naturally bled on one another. “

Philippians 2:1-4; 12-16
Working out our salvation is a corporate act, the “you” here is plural
The goal is to live life together, the life of Christ
Fellowship of this type is encouraging, it is focused on the cross, on humility, and on service

Our technology today conspires against this type of interaction and fellowship

This fellowship manifests itself as an intense sense of responsibility for each other (Romans 12:13; in fact, the whole chapter is good on this issue)
The early church was known for its love (1 John 3:18-19)

Does our fellowship manifest itself in how we take care of each other? Yes, but what does it say about us?

The early Christians continually devoted themselves to “breaking bread” together—they even did it daily and in each others houses

What does it mean to “break bread” together?

How would you like eating meals regularly with others in G.A.P.?

“Breaking bread” may refer to the Lord’s Supper
Of course, it could simply mean sharing a meal too (cf. Luke 24:30-32)

The early church apparently spent a lot of time with each other
Daily they worshiped at the Temple and ate together in each others’ houses

Fellowship means living life together
It means being involved in each others lives—the good and the bad, the clean and the messy—all of it

Commitment requires us to be involved in each others’ lives
Complacency results in our neglect of one another

3. Committed to Worship

We’ve already mentioned that “breaking bread” may refer to the Lord’s Supper, which was a regular act of worship among the early Christians

Whenever they met, they had a meal and commemorated Christ’s death and resurrection
But as we have already noted before, worship is not simply what we do in a building, it is what we do with and for each other

The early Christians were devoted to “the prayers”
The term here may refer to the daily prayers of the Temple and the synagogue
At the very least, this reminds us that “living life together” means to pray regularly

We are called to pray regularly and not only when “the Spirit moves”

The heart of their worship was a focus on God—who he is and what he has accomplished (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

The early believers understood that God’s love made their love for each other possible (2 Cor. 5:13-15)

God’s love and devotion made new life a reality for those who place their faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-10)

Their experience of salvation led to worship in all of life—in how they responded to God and how they responded to each other

Their worship was both private and public

Commitment to worship requires us to focus on what is important to God
Complacency causes us to look out for our own interests

Application

This is a lot of stuff to understand. We need to remember, however, that this is not simply a list of things “to do” in order to become a healthy or committed group. We cannot simply add these three to our list and say we’re committed or healthy

We must develop the passion and attitudes that are depicted in this passage
And to do that will require self-examination and then action

Will we do it? How can we?

Here are some suggestions:

First, make up your mind that being a part of G.A.P. is not simply an opportunity to hang out with others and be a part of something. From today on, we will ask ourselves the hard questions about how to be the body of Christ and how to live by his Word and by his Spirit. This week you need to ask yourself the hard question—am I committed to helping this group of people become on fire with the passion of Christ?

Second, we need to devote ourselves to those things that are mentioned in our passage today: God’s Word, one another, and worship. Make a point this week to set aside time for each of these daily. I don’t care how much time you give (15 minutes, an hour, etc.), but make a conscious choice to spend time reading and doing God’s Word; getting involved in encouraging and supporting each other; and praying and worshipping together.

In the next three weeks, we will look more specifically at these things.

Are we committed or complacent?

One requires effort, the other is way too easy

Thanks for reading!