Sunday, July 29, 2012

Acts 9:1-19 - Ananias

How would you describe the political and social environment of Ananias’ day?
How do these verses describe Ananias?
What other people in the Bible were commanded to do something, but raised an objection to God?
How did God address Ananias’ concern?

This story describes one of the most unlikely people of that time to become a Christian.
If you were to group people in our society in some way, what group do you think would be the most likely to respond to the message of salvation? Young people, church people, poor people, sick people, happy people, … Most Unlikely?

Our experience shows us that some people respond to the gospel and some don’t. How does this affect our efforts to share God’s salvation message with them?

Ephesians 4:17-19  So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Ananias had a direct command from the Lord, first hand, in a vision, to go to Saul.

How does God usually command you to do something? His word, His Spirit, wise counsel, circumstances.
What does this story tell us about God?


Sunday, July 22, 2012

Acts 10 Cornelious

Olympics – Favorite event.
Gold medal winner, silver medal winner, Bronze medal.
Some people didn’t make the team.
Some people didn’t try.
We frequently want to rank people by their abilities, talents, and accomplishments. We even sort people by height, weight, income, race, and many other personal features.
The character we are going to consider today, held a highly sought after position of authority, and was favored by God, but not because of his race or his position of authority.
Acts 10 Cornelius – A Centurion of the Italian Cohort
V 1-23  ,, V 24-48
Caesarea – a seaport city 33 miles north of Joppa. The city covered about 165 Acres and received its water from a 7 mile long aqueduct from Mt. Carmel.
Roman army Units – 1 Contubernium = 8 men, 10 Contubernia – 1 Century, 80 men.
A Centurion was over 80 men. The Italian cohort may have been from Syria.
The centurian carried a stick (or staff) and rode a horse. The stick was used to discipline men when needed.
Characteristicsdevout, feared God with all his household, gave alms to the Jewish people, prayed continually, saw a vision, responded to God “What is it Lord?”, Obedient to God’s direction, Explained everything to his servants and sent them to Joppa, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews,
What can we learn about God through Cornelius’s story?
God is not prejudice.  He does not discriminate based on race or other things.
But we often do.
What are some of the prejudices we see around us?
Race, income, intellect, position, background…
How should we respond to prejudice in others?  In ourselves?

Jesus came to save anyone who would accept salvation, not just the Jews.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

2 Samuel 7 - Nathan

Nathan the Prophet – God has given, served King David and King Solomon.

2 Samuel 7:1-17 – Letting David know about the permanent house of God
            Prophesy of Jesus

2 Samuel 12:1-15 Nathan rebukes David for his sin with Bathsheba
            Nathan showed David that he would condemn his own actions if they were done by someone else. This brings up the question, “How would God (and others) view the things I do?”
            Nathan taught David that sin has consequences, and that God forgives.

1 Kings 1:9-37 Nathan works to get Solomon named King instead of Adonijah (with Bathsheba)
What characteristics to we see in Nathan? Courage, stand up to the king, do the right thing, speak the truth.

What does God using Nathan in these stories tell us about God?
            God can speak through others to us.  Word, Spirit, wise counsel, circumstances
            Sin is serious, consequences may be harsh.
            God forgives, repentance is necessary.



Sunday, July 8, 2012

John 19:25 Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene

One of the most speculated about people in the NT.
1)      The gospel of Mary was not written by Mary Magdalene or any other Mary of the Bible. The Gnostic teachings found in the gospel of Mary date it to the late 2nd century A.D. at the earliest. As a result, there is no validity to its teachings. Similar to the gospel of Thomas, the gospel of Philip, and the gospel of Judas, the gospel of Mary is a Gnostic forgery, using the name of a biblical character in an attempt to give validity to heretical teachings. The only value in studying the gospel of Mary is in learning what heresies existed in the early centuries of the Christian church.
2)      The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) invents a scenario where Mary and Jesus were married and had a child. Nothing in scripture or history supports this fiction.

3)      It has been speculated that she was a prostitute, but there is nothing in scripture to support that claim.

Luke 8:1-3 After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

1)      Mary traveled with Jesus and his followers
2)      Jesus had cast 7 demons out of her
3)      She helped to support the ministry

John 19:25 Therefore the soldiers did these things. But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
            Mary stood by Jesus at the crucifixion.

Mark 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.
            Mary followed Joseph of Arimathea to the tomb.
John 20:1-18
            Mary was the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His resurrection.
And they, when they had heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, did not believe it” (Mark 16:9–11).

Characteristics of Mary Magdalene (examples)
Loyalty
Didn’t give up
Supported Jesus by her following and her money
Obedient – “Go” – she went!
She knew both Blessings and hardships in following Jesus
What can we learn about our Lord from Mary’s story?
He delivered Mary from her demons
He allowed her to face hardship even after she did what she was supposed to do.

He used her to deliver the most important message ever (He had risen!)