Rescued from the Rubble

1/19/2010 6:57:58 PM #

Pastor Rick -

Here's my thoughts on Acts 15-16.

1 - What ingredients are necessary for spiritual transformation?
-  Concern for doctrine, submission to the teaching of the Council of Jerusalem
- Listening to lengthy sermons (15:32).  Do you suppose it might have been as long as 45 minutes?  : - )
- Their persecution ultimately lead to the salvation of the Philippian jailer and his family

2 - How were followers of Christ engaged?
- Continually sharing the work God was doing (15:3-4) to encourage each other (i.e Christian fellowship)
- Taking great care over matters of doctrine.  They were discussing the need for circucision, an act which God had initiated with Abrahan that He had commanded to continue forever, and carefully considered Scripture and the events of their time which had been clearly God-ordained (we now have all we need in Scripture, they were operating in the pre-New Testament times).
- Rejoicing over freedom from Mosaic law!
- Paul and Barnabas were in sharp disagreement over John Mark.
- In the midst of severe physical persecution, rejoicing (16:25) and encouraging others (16:40).  This encouragement was likely to keep strong in the face of persecution.

3 - What is God saying to our church and me?
- Doctrine & Theology matters.  Don't make decisions about such things lightly.
- We are to carefully consider how and where we serve God (16:6-10)
- It's difficult for me to step out and encourage others now, when I'm not even being persecuted.  

- Brett

Brett H |

1/19/2010 6:58:16 PM #

Pastor Rick -

Here's my thoughts on Acts 17-18.

1 - What ingredients are necessary for spiritual transformation?
- Paul “reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying ‘this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.’” (17:2b-3)
- Paul was preaching “Jesus and the resurrection” (17:18b) to the Athenians and was prepared to give a defense of Christianity to that city’s elite.  He had confidence in his beliefs and could proclaim them clearly to a variety of audiences.  

2 - How were followers of Christ engaged?
- The Bereans “received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”
- Paul’s spirit was “provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.”  The magnitude of the sin around him was overwhelming.  He had to warn these people of the consequences of this sin!
- Priscilla and Aquila practiced loving doctrinal discipline with Apollos, whom “they took aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”  They knew the truth, and had the passion for it to make sure it was proclaimed correctly.  
- Apollos, for his part, submitted to this (showing humility) and was corrected.

3 - What is God saying to our church and me?
- As with yesterday’s notes:  Protect doctrine and theology!  Don’t let it be proclaimed incorrectly (but approach people lovingly about it).

- Brett

Brett H |