Sermon Study Guide: #LEARNINGCHURCH - BEREA

#LEARNINGCHURCH - BEREA

Read Acts 17:10-15

Berea was a Macedonian city forty-five miles southwest from Thessalonica along the Via Egnatia. After all the disruption in Thessalonica, Paul and Silas left during the night to find the next place in their journey to bring the gospel to region. What happened at Berea was the polar opposite of what happened when the gospel came to Thessalonica. We are meant to read these two stories side-by-side, comparatively. At Berea, the gospel was welcomed with receptive ears; at Thessalonica with rioting and rejection. Why such a different response? The Berean church is a model for us of what it looks like to be people who are transformed by our encounter with Scripture.

4 Keys to a Transformative Encounter with Scripture

 1) Open-mindedness

The first key has to do with the kind of character we bring to our reading and listening to the Scriptures. Luke tells us the Bereans were “more noble” than the Thessalonians. The word “noble” originally meant being of noble birth, but came to mean having an open-minded character. Being an open-minded person means not allowing personal bias and prejudice to prevent you from listening to and fairly examining other beliefs and views. In order to be transformed by the Bible, we need to learn to identify and set aside our biases and prejudices so that we are able to listen with an open mind.

 But how do we identify our biases? Our personal biases are so intuitive and natural; we can’t see our own. The Thessalonians help us see how we might discover these biases. They reacted in anger to the message of Christianity because of their sense of religious and ethnic superiority. The couldn’t receive the gospel because it challenged their religious and ethnic pride – so they became angry and attacked. What we learn from this is that one key diagnostic to identify our own close-mindedness is our anger. What makes us most angry about other people/groups is often an indicator of where own prejudices and close-mindedness lie.

 Contrary to many people’s impressions and (unfortunately) experiences, Acts is telling us that Christianity fosters open-mindedness and is most appealing to open minded people. For Luke, a close-minded Christian is an oxymoron.

 2) Receptiveness

Verse 11 tells us the Bereans “received” the word. This is the second key. The word for “received” was used for warmly receiving visitors into a home. The sense here is that they didn’t keep the message of the gospel at arm’s length or at a safe distance but they welcomed it into their lives. Often we approach the bible in a “it’s there if I need it on the periphery of my life” kind of way - the gospel isn’t impacting our real struggles or everyday lives. We can tell this is happening if we find that we are more frequently using the bible as a weapon against others but rarely being challenged ourselves or confessing our sins in response to what we read/hear.

Receiving the bible means learning how to combine our reading and study with prayer. Prayer welcomes the word into our lives. We also need to learn to the bible in community. We would sorely misapply this passage if we thought it said that we are to examine what we hear/learn “just me and the bible”.  All the adjectives and verbs in this passage are plural. They describe the character and practices of a community.  

3) Slow Inquisitiveness

The Bereans didn’t believe immediately on the spot. They took time to daily examined the Scriptures themselves. Their slow and inquisitive study led them to a transformative faith in the gospel. When we think of having a “transformative encounter” with Scripture we can often have a mistaken picture of what that looks like. We look for sudden and dramatic moments of change. But most often our growth happens like fruit – slow, gradual, eventual. Maturity is the result of patience and steadfastness.

The Bereans also show us that examining the Scriptures (the word was used in judicial contexts for “cross-examining) is not only “allowed” – it leads to transformation. Our questions are not to be ignored or downplayed, they are potential gateways into deeper growth.

4) Eagerness

The 4th key to the Bereans transformation was the eagerness they had for learning the message that Paul brought. It totally transformed 1) what they expected to find in the bible and 2) how the bible worked to transform. Paul came claiming that the whole bible was about Jesus (Acts 17:1-3). They were eager to see if this was true. We will only be eager to learn if we are convinced that in the Scriptures we but encounter Jesus.

They were also eager to learn how the gospel worked to transform them. Luke tells us women and men of high standing believed. Why? He’s giving us a picture of how the gospel works. People of high standing were brought low (“you are all sinful and in need of a Savior”). People who were oppressed (the women) were affirmed as of equal standing and importance in the gospel. The gospel humbles us & brings us low like no other message BUT at the same time affirms us & lifts us up more than any other message.

CONVERSATION

1.      What about the sermon stood out to you or impacted you most? Do you have any follow up questions about the sermon?

2.     Did it surprise you to learn that Acts portrays open-mindedness as a positive character trait? Why is open-mindedness (as defined above) so important for being shaped by the Scriptures?

3.     What about people/other groups gets you most angry? How might your anger reveal a sense of superiority or bias? What do you think your own anger reveals about your own character, close-mindedness?

4.     How do you warmly welcome and receive the Scriptures into your life? Do you have a community of people that help you understand and apply the Scriptures to your life and struggles?

5.     How do you respond to the reality that transformation is almost always slow? Have you taken time to explore your questions regarding your faith or aspects of the Bible? Why or why not?

6.     Are you currently at an “eager” place to learn? It was said in the sermon: “the places you are being brought the lowest now -these are the places you are most ready to receive the word” How are you being brought low now? Where are you most in need of affirmation and being lifted? How does the gospel speak to both of these things?

Sermon Study Guide: #DEEPCHURCH - EPHESUS

#DEEPCHURCH - EPHESUS

Read Acts 20:17-38

Ephesus Paul spent three years in the city of Ephesus – his longest stay of any city in Act up until this point. Acts 19 says he set up shop in a place called the Hall of Tyrannus and reasoned (the word connotes back and forth dialog, conversation) with people about the gospel. As a result, Luke writes that “all the residents of Asia” heard a reasonable account of the message of Christianity. For three whole years, night and day (v34), house to house (v20) he spent time with people and taught the Scriptures. in Acts 20:17-38, we have a one-of-a-kind speech in Acts. Instead of being a model of how the apostle Paul communicated the gospel message to those who had not heard it before, it is a speech to a group of Christians - specifically, church leaders.  What we have in Acts 20 is Paul’s recipe to follow to create a deep church - a healthy, flourishing church. We find at least three essential ingredients.

1) Deep Teaching - What stands out so clearly in this passage is how strongly Paul emphasizes his focus on teaching: He says in at least 7X in different ways:

• I didn’t shrink from Declaring to you anything that was profitable (v20)

• Teaching you in public + house to house (21)

• Testifying of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord JC (21)

• Testify to the gospel of the grace of God (24)

• Proclaiming the kingdom (25)

• Declaring to you the whole counsel of God (27)

• Commend you to God and the word of His grace (32)

Paul isn’t describing 7 different focuses of teaching but his 1 focus in 7 different ways. When we add all 7 of these statements together – we find that Paul’s deep teaching was focused on taking people deep into the gospel; into God’s grace and showing people how the whole bible, all theology/doctrine finds its center in the gospel. What we learn from this is that deep teaching means going deeper into the gospel NOT going beyond the good news of the message of Jesus into theological disputes and doctrinal inquiries.

Paul’s emphasis on deep teaching shows us that a shallow approach to, understanding of, application of the gospel will lead to a shallow faith and a shallow church. We tend to shrink the bible according to our tastes, preferences and biases. Paul says he “didn’t shrink back” (v20, 27). We tend to skim the bible by either focusing on gaining more information or avoiding the hard work of learning and study. Paul says he emphasized wholehearted response (v21 – repentance and faith). It’s deep teaching, reflection and engagement with the gospel that creates a healthy, thriving church & a deep, maturity spiritual life.

2) Deep Tears Twice in this speech Paul points to his tears as signs of the authentic nature of his ministry. In v19 and v31, he says his tears are proof that his leadership was not self-serving but was from God and was out of genuine care. If deep teaching addresses a shallow understanding of the Christian faith, deep tears addresses the danger of having a hollow church and a hollow faith.

What stands out in this passage is the depth of emotion and connection Paul shared with this group of elders from Ephesus. It was something Paul called these leaders to share with and model for the people they led. The person who will teach at you but won’t shed tears with you is someone who is not qualified for leadership in the church. Deep tears are what brings deep teaching to life. We can know something is true – but it won’t penetrate our hearts until it’s brought home to us with deep care and love.

Teaching without tears is too cold to move anyone to change. Tears without teaching is too soft because it never calls for change. Paul embodied the approach of Jesus – deep teaching + deep tears. There was never any teacher as bold as Jesus. There is no other person in human history as caring as Jesus.  

Why did Paul cry for people? He tells us in verses 31-32 – it was because of his vision for people as being build up in God’s grace to become holy together with his compassion for the ways people struggled, stumbled and suffered towards this vision. This combination of vision and compassion is what moves us to “gospel tears” and deep, intentional care for the people God puts into our lives.

3) Deep Team The third ingredient of a deep church and a deep spiritual life is deep team. In our study of Acts, we’ve seen how Paul lives and how he leads in the church – He is always working with a team. He was rarely ever alone. His team wasn’t just about finding people he needed to accomplish his goals - his team were people he loved and needed for his own spiritual health and maturity.

Nate Larkin writes, “The church, according to the NT, is not a loose confederation of individuals. The church is a body - a living breathing organism whose members are so intimately connected that they can only move together. On any given day, every member of that body needs help, and every member has some help to give. For years I had been begging God for a private solution to my private problems and he had always ignored that request.” In order to have a deep, thriving faith; we need a deep team in our lives. It’s how God has designed the church and designed us to go deeper into His grace.

CONVERSATION

• What about the sermon stood out to you or impacted you most? Do you have any follow up questions about the sermon?

• Why is depth of teaching so important for the health of a church? The health of a Christian? What has been most helpful to you for more deeply reading and studying the Scriptures? What are the biggest barriers for you when it comes to deeply understanding & applying the gospel?

• When have you experienced the “ministry of tears”? How did this impact your faith? What would it look like to have vision + compassion for your spouse? Kids? Friends or co-workers?

• Where in your own life do you most deeper support from loving friends? Share with the group. Use this time as an opportunity to go deeper as a community into the gospel and into each other’s lives.

Sermon Study Guide: #ENDURINGCHURCH - CORINTH

#ENDURINGCHURCH - CORINTH

Read Acts 18:1-17

Corinth was one of the largest cities in the Greco-Roman empire with an estimated population of 200,000. Located strategically on an isthmus in Southern Greece, it became one of the ancient world’s most important commercial centers. As such, good and luxuries from all over the world were available in the city. Alongside its reputation as commercial center, Corinth also developed a reputation for being a center of licentiousness and decadence. The Greeks even coined a term, “corinthainize”, as way to describe immoral behavior. This city of comfort and pleasure was a very difficult context for Paul to bring his message of repentance.

When Paul arrived in Corinth, we see similar scene play out. Paul first goes to the synagogue to reason with his fellow Jewish people as well as the God-fearing Greeks who attended the synagogue. Just like in Iconium, Thessalonica, Berea, Paul encountered resistance. This time it got personal. The Jewish people strongly opposed him (this word is used only here in the NT) and reviled him (TNIV, “became abusive”). Paul’s response was intense. In essence, his symbolic actions and pronouncement said, “I’m done with you” (v6). We get the strong sense that Paul was weary, tired and struggling with fear as he faced the challenges enduring in the call God had given him. So, in v9, God meets Paul in a very rare and special way - He speaks to Paul in a vision. What God said to Paul then remains incredibly relevant for our own struggles, fears and challenges today.

“Do not be afraid” This is the most repeated command in the Bible. God knows we all gravitate so easily from faith to fear. He knows the power fear has over us. Instead of rebuking us - “What’s wrong with you!”, “Why is your faith so weak?”, or minimizing our fears - “It isn’t that bad.”, Jesus comforts us by acknowledging our fear. He sees and knows all about it. We don’t have to hide our fear. He comes to us gently as says, “Don’t be afraid”.

“Go on speaking, and don’t be silent” At first this seems like a strange encouragement. Speaking (see I Cor 2:2) was exactly what was causing Paul fear and weariness. What we learn from this is that Jesus is telling Paul (and us), “The way out of your fears is not around them and not away from them, it is in and through them.” Why? It’s moving into our fears that exposes & disarms them. It’s in our fear where we learn that we are not in control and that God can use us and work in us most powerfully in our weakness, fear and trembling (1 Cor. 2:2).

“For I am with you” in large part, the power of our fears is not just about what it is we fear will happen but the greater fear that we will be alone, helpless in hardships and struggle. The four short, simple words, “I am with you” carry enormous power and weight when read in the context of the biblical story.  These are words of unbreakable covenant commitment and loving purpose. “I am with you” means God is for us for our good. He will never abandon us or forsake us. Whatever He calls us to do, He gives us strength to carry out. Wherever he calls us to go, He goes before us. Whatever happens to us is never outside his greater covenantal purpose for us – to work all things for our good.

 “No one will attack you to harm you” Though this statement is not a blanket promise of physical protection (Paul did encounter harm later in Acts), it was a statement of God’s protection of Paul during this season of his ministry. What was at stake here was not just Paul’s emotional health or personal comfort. If he was stuck in his fears, he would have missed the very reason why God had called him to this city. Here we learn an important truth - Dealing with our fears is not just for our personal benefit but for the sake of identifying and fulfilling the calling God has given us to bless and serve the world. Fear turns us inward where God calls us outward. God is telling Paul (and us) here – wherever I call you to go, you can trust me to take care of you.

“For I have many in this city who are my people” It appears that Paul was discouraged because of the big challenges he faced in Corinth. But the vision reminded Paul that God is able to work in the most unexpected places, even in the most broken and sinful places. Jesus is saying, “Despite what you might see as a difficult place with many obstacles/barriers for people embracing Jesus and establishing a healthy church, I am at work here.” What’s fascinating to note is that there is still a church in the city of Corinth today. This church can trace its lineage all the way back to this moment. Jesus saying, “I have a 2000 year plan I'm working on here Paul, this is year one.” Our fears give us an exaggerated sense of our own importance and ability to control things – Jesus assures us He has a larger purpose and He is in control, even when we lose sight of these things.

CONVERSATION

1.      What about the sermon stood out to you or impacted you most? Do you have any follow up questions about the sermon?

2.     In what ways do you need to hear “do not be afraid”? Are you facing weariness or challenges in life? What are you afraid of? How is your fear affecting you?

3.     How do you handle times when things are going well outwardly but inwardly you aren’t doing well? How does God help you press on and give you fresh vision? What role does community play in your life in times like this?

4.     How are you avoiding the question “What am I afraid of?” when it comes to fulfilling your calling (vocation) from God? (This could be in your job, family – marriage or parenting, area of ministry, etc).

5.     How do you regain perspective of the bigger picture when you are discouraged and fearful? How does the perfect love of God in the gospel for you drive out your fears (I Jn 4:8)? How does knowing that Jesus was forsaken so we would never be reframe even our greatest fears?

ACTION Fresh Vision to Endure. Where are you struggling to endure? Use the five phrases from God’s vision to Paul as a framework for prayer. Write each phrase down. Underneath each phrase write how it specifically can encourage you or provide new perspective.

Community Group Questions - Through the Eyes of a Blind Man (John 9:1-15, 24-41)

“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.”                  – Tim Keller

1. Think of something you are very good at, a specific skill you have obtained, or a subject area you know very well. This could be related to your profession or perhaps your emphasis of study in college/university. Once you have identified at least one skill or area of knowledge imagine someone challenging your skill or knowledge in front of your co-workers or peers. Describe how you would feel emotionally and how you might react.
    
2. By the end of John chapter 9, this is the situation the Pharisees faced—being informed that because they claim to see, they are in fact still in their sin (9:40-41). Read John 9:13-17. In this first interaction between the blind man and the Pharisees what fault did they find with what Jesus did? What kind of objection is this and was it legitimate?
    
3. Read John 9:18-23. Why do the Pharisees bring in the blind man’s parents? What were they hoping to discover? And finally, did they find what they were looking for and would it even matter?
    
4. Read John 9:24-34. In this final moment of questioning do the Pharisees discover any new information about the healing? Does the content of the Pharisees’ questions reveal anything about how they understand their relationship with God? What about the blind man—does he reveal anything about his understanding of God?
    
5. Read John 9:35-41. Throughout the entire passage there has been an explicit contrast between seeing and failing to see. In the end, who really sees, and more importantly, how has this sight come about?
    
6. Read the Tim Keller quote above. Of course the contrast between “religion” and the “gospel” in the quotation corresponds to the contrast between blindness and seeing in the passage. Most of us would likely say we believe the “gospel”—but how do you actually live? Discuss what occupies the functional trust of your heart; that is, whether on a daily basis you are trusting in God’s grace in the gospel or something else. 

Sermon Study Guide: #ENGAGINGCHURCH - ATHENS

#ENGAGINGCHURCH - ATHENS

Read Acts 17:16-34

Athens was the intellectual capital of the Greco-Roman world. It was known throughout the empire as the heart of Greek philosophy. The city was a diverse hodgepodge of worldviews and constant conversation about the life’s big questions. The Areopagus (v19, 22) was an official city council of leading thinkers that evaluated new ideas.

Luke preserved Paul’s remarkable speech to the Areopagus as a model for us to learn from as we engage both skeptical and curious people with the gospel message. In our day, people rarely change their core belief systems in one conversation or in one fell swoop of Christian persuasion. Conversion is a massive reconstruction of reality as they understand it. Most often engaging skeptical or curious people requires many steps from unbelief to faith.  Here’s are three ways Paul’s speech shows us how we are to engage others with the gospel:

Where to Bring Our Faith | The speeches interspersed throughout the book of Acts provide us with models of how to talk about the Christian faith in different contexts. It’s important to note that the unchanging gospel message is presented in different ways depending on the changing audience. Here we find Paul, for the first time, making a case for the Christian faith in the marketplace of Athens - the center for the exchange of ideas as well as commerce and communication. What Luke means for us see here is that Christians are to bring our faith into the marketplaces of our culture - into public life.

We also see that Paul “reasoned” with them in a way that they were familiar with (this word implies the dialogical method of Socrates, the famous Athenian philosopher). This shows us that we are to engage in a way that is gracious, understandable & meets people in our culture where they are.

In our pluralistic and post Christian culture, Christians have often failed to graciously bring their faith into the public square. Instead, we often respond by 1) avoiding the culture out of fear of contamination 2) attacking the culture in order to regain what we see as our place of prominence/respect or 3) assimilating into culture out of fear of others reaction to our faith. Paul models for us a different option – we are to bring our faith wherever we go and learn to talk about our beliefs with sensitivity and respect.

How to Have Conversations about Faith | Paul’s speech to the Aeropagus (the “town council” of Athens) also shows us how we are to have meaningful and effective conversations about faith. In his speech we find three steps to effective communication in the public square.

1) Understand Other People’s Points of View – Paul “passed along” throughout the city observing what was important to the people of Athens and what they believed. He knew the philosophies of the Epicureans and Stoics well. He quoted from their own poets and thinkers. Francis Schaeffer was once asked what he would share if he had 1 hour to speak with someone about the Christian faith. He said he would listen for 55 minutes and then, in the last 5 minutes, he would have something to say. Paul shows us that we should begin by listening.

2) Look for Points of Contact – When Paul saw the altar to the unknown God and read what the Greek poets had to say about their idea of God, he saw points of contact with the truth of the gospel. Instead of starting with places of disagreement/difference, he saw signs of the truth in their own belief systems & culture and he began by affirming these. If we are looking, we’ll find all kinds of points of contact in our culture’s books, movies, music and art.

3) Graciously Challenge Pressure Points - In every culture there are points of contact with truth, but there are also pressure points where the gospel challenges the unresolved tensions in the beliefs of the culture. Paul challenged the Athenians by saying 1) God can be known, not by our imagination/reason, but by revelation 2) He is a personal & transcendent God and 3) There is a coming day of judgment/resurrection. These ideas stirre

Why to Have Conversations about Faith | Paul’s engagement with intellectually skeptical and curious began when “his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols” (v16). It’s the word used to describe God’s reaction to Israel’s idolatry in the Old Testament. It’s a word that describes a jealous lover provoked into action. Our idolatry (false worship) provoked God to engage us – not to pour out the wrath of his jealously on us but to come to win us back by taking it upon Himself.

The right motivation for engaging in faith conversations is our jealously – for God to be known, worship as he deserves AND for our friends to direct their worship, love and lives to the only One who can satisfy their hunger for love & joy.

CONVERSATION

1.      What about the sermon stood out to you or impacted you most? Do you have any follow up questions about the sermon?  

2.     There were 3 common Christian “postures” to culture shared in the sermon: Avoid, Attack, Assimilate. Why do we react in these ways? Which do you most tend toward? Why? Where do you most struggle in having a “public” faith.

3.     What are some of our culture’s points of contact with the gospel? List these as a group. Where do we see evidence for these assumptions in music, movies or literature?

4.     Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is. (Pascal) How does first affirming people’s beliefs (before challenging) help us to show Christianity is reasonable, worthy of respect and attractive? What are some of the most important points of contact we need to affirm today?

5.     Why is it so hard to have conversations about faith? How does the motivation of “jealous love” help us to move past fear & awkwardness?