bible study fellowhip – Page 3

Acts: Week 6, Day 3

After establishing leaders and teachers in the church in Antioch, Saul and Barnabas are called out by the Holy Spirit on a mission trip. After prayer and fasting, the church sends them forth. They travel broadly and deliver the good news to many.

5. a. Told by the Holy Spirit

b. Pray, fast and ask other members of the faith to do the same. Seek the blessing of the church.

6. a. Barnabas (and Saul) / Saul AKA Paul

b. Filled Paul with the H/S, Blinded Elymas, converted the procounsel

7. a. Pamphylia to return to Jerusalem

b. We don’t know. Could have been that he felt called back to Jerusalem. Could have been fear. Could have been concern over Paul’s illness and if this was right (Gal 4:13), Could have been issues that power was switching from Barnabas (his cousin) to Saul. We don’t know!

c. For a period of time, he lost Saul’s respect. He also lost participation in what was happening next in their mission

d. Jerusalem

e. We don’t know. Maybe it taught Mark a lesson and he grew to be a stronger missionary?

f. (Personal) Have I not gone a mission trip that later I regretted? Have I ever let someone down and that shaped me to be a better person so that I wouldn’t do it again? Have I fallen back to a position of comfort and safety when I wasn’t ready to face the trials around me? Yes, yes and yes. France and Joplin. Too many people to name including close family and friends. Almost on a weekly basis.

8. Paul’s first Mission Trip

Conclusion: I become frustrated by the “just suppose” questions. I’m of the belief that if it was material for the message of truth, then we would know, but little is gained by guessing the what’s and why’s that an action was taken. We know that Mark left. We know Saul was frustrated by it. We know that later Saul’s opinion of Mark changes with the conclusion that this is because Mark changed. We know Mark later wrote the gospel. We know that all events in our life and the decisions we make shape our learning and growth. But we seldom know why.

Now, off of my soap box. We are getting into territory that I struggle with. Not that I don’t understand maps, because I do, but because the names and arrows don’t tell me about the culture of the city. For business I have travelled a lot and each town and city has it’s own feel to it. So instead of focusing on distances and maps and arrows and miles, I researched the places in regard to feel of the town.

Antioch, we know, was a city of big commerce. This was a hub of activity, a city with solid roots, great infrastructure and good growth. It was one of the first cities to light their streets at night. It was a hub of commerce on major trade routes. This was a New York, Chicago, Denver, Dallas or LA.

From Antioch they travelled to the nearest major port city, Seleucia. There isn’t mention of specific preaching in this area, it seems like more of a launching off point, like a train or shipping hub. New Orleans, Houston, Philedephia.

From here they go to the island of Cyprus. We know that Barnabas grew up in Cyprus from Acts 4:36 and that many of the original preachers in Antioch were from Cyprus and Cyrene (Acts 11: 20). So this was in some ways a first trip into a land with some ties to the church at Antioch. They would have places to stay and people to meet.

While on the island of Cyprus, they travel to the western edge to Paphos. From what I’ve read, Paphos was the Las Vegas of that time. (Interesting that the sin-city of their day was also the seat of government – no further comment on that one!). There was heavy worship of Venus and Aphrodite, the goddesses of love and sex and immorality was rampant. (No offense to God fearing christians living in Vegas who might read this).

There is tradition to indicate that while souls were converted it was not without price or pain. Paul indicates in 2 Cor 11:24 that on 5 previous instances he had received 39 lashes (it was believed that 40 would kill a man). It is tradition in the area that the first of these lashings for speaking of Jesus in the synagogues occurred in Cyprus in Paphos and that Bar-Jesus aka Elymas may have been present.

In Paphos they encounter the Jewish Sorcerer (that is an interesting oxy-moron), who had attached himself to the court. After a smack down by Saul he is blinded but the proconsuls eyes are opened to faith in Jesus. From this point forward, Saul is now Paul.

Next they catch a boat off the island and head north and landed by Perga, which is a major coastal city, 5 miles inland from a major port of Attalia. Perga is a very wealthy city and the capital of Pamphylia. Mark catches a boat back to Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas head farther inland to the north to Pisidian Antioch, which was the home of Sergius Paulus, the proconsul who had accepted the gift of salvation. We finish our verses today as they enter the synagogue in that city.

Acts: Week 6, Day 1

2. One of the things that struck me in the notes was the information provided about the hub of the church now moving to Antioch. To me, this shows that the center of the church is not in some physical place, but that it is centered on where the spirit is moving, where the word is being preached and where brothers are responding, proactively, to the needs of other brothers. It reminded me of the dialogue between Jesus and the woman at the well. She challenged Jesus over the physical location of worship – the temple in Jerusalem. In John 4:23 He replied: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” I think we are seeing the church in Acts modeling worship in spirit and truth.

Living in Fear of the Lord

Acts 9:31 tells us the early church was, among other traits, “living in fear of the Lord.” What does that mean? Is that a good thing?

When we think of someone “living in fear” we think of that as a horrible state. We think of a victim of abuse and domestic violence. We think of someone in a rough area of town, always vigilant of gang violence, shootings, muggings, rape and murder. We think of someone who has a horrible secret, an unconfessed wrongdoing that they suffer its revelation every day.

If that is what is meant by “living in fear of the Lord” then, for most of us, our first thought would be: count me out!

But as I prayed on this and researched it, I found a completely different, but accurate, meaning. In Isaiah 11:2, we learn that “the fear of the Lord” is a gift of the Spirit, on the same par with “wisdom, understanding, counsel and power.” Clearly, this isn’t something to avoid or dread. So what is it?

Christ refers to “God the Father”, which prompted me to think in terms of fear of my Dad. I grew up far before the days of “time out” and when I, justly, had pushed things to the degree that I was going to receive a deserved spanking, then I had a clear element of fear. But that was seldom and a last resort, so I didn’t believe that is what these verses were trying to portray. Instead I thought more to my teen and adult years and my view of my Father.

I grew up in an area where, from my perspective at least, everyone knew my father. He has been gone from this earth for 7 years and, on a weekly basis, I will still run into someone who recognizes me because of my Dad. My Dad cared for me, loved his family, went to church was involved in the community and did his best to follow God’s design for his life. As I matured to the point that I understood this and appreciated it, I realized that one of my greatest fears was to do something to let my Father down or cast him in a negative light. How could I repay his love and devotion, not to mention his support and patience, by dishonoring him or his name?

I think this type of fear is what is meant by “living in fear of the Lord.” When we mature to the point that we recognize the love and sacrifice that our Lord has made for us, we should live our lives guardedly. How could we ever desire to disappoint or reflect His love and gifts to us in a negative light by our actions? We live in fear, not of punishment or retribution, but that, by our actions, we would somehow fail to show our appreciation, respect and honor for the Father who has given us so much – His only Son!

They say that there are healthy fears. Fear of power tools, fear of great heights, fear of electricity. These fears don’t paralyze us, but they cause us to be attentive in all that we do. I believe that as we mature in our faith and the Spirit grants us the amazing gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel and power, we also receive a very healthy and humbling gift of being able to “live in fear of the Lord.”

What are you thoughts and experiences? Please comment back to me!

Acts: Week 2, Day 2 – Pentecost

It wasn’t part of a question, but I think it is amazing to understand more of the significance of the “why pentecost?” I think many christians are under the false impression that this 50th day was a new holiday (holy day) formed by christianity because of the significance of the spirit creating the “birthday of the church” as some have called it. In fact it dates back to Exodus and Leviticus and was long part of God’s design.

The following is from Judaism 101:

Shavu’ot

Level: Basic

Significance: Remembers the giving of the Torah; also a harvest festival
Observances: Studying Torah
Length: 2 days (Some: 1 day)
Customs: Eating dairy foods

You shall count for yourselves — from the day after the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer of the waving — seven Shabbats, they shall be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count, fifty days… You shall convoke on this very day — there shall be a holy convocation for yourselves — you shall do no laborious work; it is an eternal decree in your dwelling places for your generations. -Leviticus 21:15-16, 21

Shavu’ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).

The period from Passover to Shavu’ot is a time of great anticipation. We count each of the days from the second day of Passover to the day before Shavu’ot, 49 days or 7 full weeks, hence the name of the festival. See The Counting of the Omer. The counting reminds us of the important connection between Passover and Shavu’ot: Passover freed us physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavu’ot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. Shavu’ot is also known as Pentecost, because it falls on the 50th day; however, Shavu’ot has no particular similarity to the Christian holiday of Pentecost, which occurs 50 days after their Spring holiday.

It is noteworthy that the holiday is called the time of the giving of the Torah, rather than the time of the receiving of the Torah. The sages point out that we are constantly in the process of receiving the Torah, that we receive it every day, but it was first given at this time. Thus it is the giving, not the receiving, that makes this holiday significant.

While the authors of jewfaq.org may not recognize a particular similarity, I think the message of picking this day for the coming of the Holy Spirit screams to us. We are the first fruits! On passover, Christ, the lamb, freed us from spiritual bondage and 50 days later the spirit came to redeem us from our physical limitations to obey – marking us and buying us for the Father for all time. It was a day of the giving of the spirit, which, in turn, immediately caused those receiving to “give witness” to others.

Understanding the old testament, not just the stories, but digging deeper to understand how the feasts and festivals, prescribed by the law, were celebrated and the meaning they held, is so amazing. Everything in the bible points to Christ. Sometimes we need to look a little deeper to see the treasure that is revealed in further study.

BSF Acts: Week 2, Day 1

2. It is probably just me. There seem to be those BSF questions that I really have to work at because I can clearly see both sides of the argument. I come away with, “if you look at it this way it could be x, but then, looking at this, it could be y”, and I feel very justified in my ambiguity. Then I read the notes. Every time, it seems, the notes are uncompromising and it always seems the notes simply state it as fact, without any apparent need for discussion or justification.

This week those questions included the baptism of the spirit occurring at the exact same time as accepting Jesus. The notes: 1 sentence: born of spirit = baptized with spirit = into the body of Christ. All one thing and all together. It also included the question of casting of lots. The notes: not since pentecost. (side note, I did find it interesting that this is how some Amish groups select their leaders to this day: see Amish Encyclopedia.)

What humbles me in this isn’t that the BSF notes are gospel and I should yield unquestioningly to what is written, although they are written by people far more learned than I am. But instead, that the points I seem to focus on, to spend a lot of time developing arguments for this side or that to show-off my knowledge of the scriptures, barely get a sentence in the notes. In other words, they are really immaterial to the bigger picture. And as christians, we are so like this. How many denominations developed over little differences in the interpretation of scripture? How many arguments have been made and how much effort has been placed in these minor and unnecessary issues?

Instead, I pick up such cool comments from the notes that encourage me that I totally seemed to miss: “Until one knows the Old Testament, it is impossible to understand the different facets of the Lord’s death and resurrection” and ” Although He had been invisible to them, they now realized He had been with them all the time.”

So much for my grand arguments!

Quiet Strength – Daily Walk

I recently finished reading Tony Dungy’s memoir, Quiet Strength. I enjoy football and I can get into watching a good game, but I couldn’t say that I’m a big fan. To the best of my knowledge I’ve never screamed at the television set. I also don’t obsess over scores or players.

At our first BSF leader’s meeting a number of the guys mentioned that they had read Dungy’s book over the summer so I decided to pick it up. It is a very good biography and an excellent book on tape, read by the author. Tony recounts the trials and tribulations that he has observed and been a part of from growing up through the Colt’s Superbowl championship. Tony is a man of God and his faith and commitment to the Word are evident throughout everything. It would be a good read for that story and the encouragement it provides alone.

But, what really struck me was how many sentences in the book Tony begins with the word “God.” “God had this move in mind for us”, “God was with us”, “God is faithful to us”. It made me think about the “walk of faith” that we so often talk about. In Tony’s life it is clear that in his walk he is just to the side and one step behind our Lord, always keeping an eye and doing his best to let things happen in God’s time and at His pace. It made me think about how many times I rush ahead, then fall to my knees praying that God will come find me when I get lost. Or, the other times I’m behind, but pushing God to hurry up and take me the direction I want to go.

An old hymn came to mind as I thought more and more about the lesson that Tony provides of daily devotion, unashamed profession of faith, pray and praise through everything:

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Refrain:

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.

When my feeble life is o’er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o’er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.

Acts: Lesson 1, Day 6

Acts 1.

14. Pray for obedience and patience to wait for God’s timing and for God’s calling.

Acts: Lesson 1, Day 5

Acts 1:12–26

The 11 apostles and close friends and partners wait as commanded. They spend the waiting time in prayer. Based on prayer and scripture they ask God to help select a replacement for Judas: Matthias is selected.

12. a. Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James, the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. I learn from this that they “joined together constantly in prayer.” We often think of prayer as a one-on-one time with God, like an individual conversation. And that is good and appropriate prayer. This example in Acts also helps us see group or corporate prayer. I can, at best, do a good job of listening to one conversation at a time, but God, in His infinite knowledge and power, can hear the prayers of all and those prayers have an even sweeter aroma when they are unified (joined together) and over time (constantly).

b. I think they prayed for their relationship with each other and with God. I think they gave praise and thanksgiving for all of the miraculous things that had been revealed to them and they asked for strength, understanding and wisdom to process it. I think they sought God’s guidance and direction and His timing. They had been told to wait. I think they made the best use of that time that anyone possibly could – they spent it together in prayer.

13. a. The thing I find most interesting in the selection of Matthias is what did not occur. They didn’t have candidates submit a resume. They didn’t watch videos of them giving sermons. They didn’t interview them to review their past experiences and performance. They didn’t discuss who was the most eloquent, who had the nicest family, who would fit in best. Instead they got on their knees. They had some base requirements, someone who had been around to observe Jesus first hand (side note: interesting how later on God shows that isn’t even a requirement for being an apostle), but aside from that they left it up to God to call the right person. So, yes, particularly in matters of ministry, I think this is a far better way to go. We would pick more David’s (see story of David’s selection in 1 Sam 16:5-13 and how even a prophet like Samuel struggled to be patient for God’s selection) and we would have fewer golden calves (see story of how Moses argued with God because he didn’t believe in his own skillset (Ex 4:10-17), so God allows Aaron into leadership. Later Aaron is the one, while Moses is on the mountain, who constructs the golden calf (Ex 32:2-4).

b. Interesting question: should a person with talents but not a calling do work for the Lord? On one hand, God is in control of all things, so we are all working for the Lord. And, I believe that all believers are called into some form of ministry (there are no couch potatoes on God’s team). On the other hand, one of the things I am hearing loudly in this study so far is to wait on the Lord’s timing and pay attention to His guidance and selection. When we pick the person we think is most qualified (especially if that person is ourselves), we are normally wrong. My official answer is yes (because prayer for patience, guidance, etc. is work – keep in mind that Jesus prayed so hard he was sweating blood) and no (because we need to exercise patience for God’s calling and God’s timing).

Conclusion:

I had lots of ideas about what I wanted to learn from the study of Acts this year. Getting a loud message about waiting on God’s timing and His calling was not one of them. That is what I love about actually studying the scripture and BSF – we receive such a blessing of the unexpected.

Week 2: Lecture

Aim: Jesus continues His work on earth through the Holy Spirit’s power in believers

Intro: The crowd shouts out in unison: Five, Four, Three, Two, One. A loud noise erupts. It’s over, the job is done, we did it!!

When we hear that description most of us think of a game, like the final minutes of a championship football game, where the whole season has led up to this point, to victory.

We can think along those lines with the introduction to Acts in chapter 1. Jesus is God, born as a man, who walked on this earth. He has fulfilled all of the promise of the prophets. He suffered, died and then defeated death by rising again from the grave. He took on all the sins of the world and of all time, mine and yours included, and paid the price that we could not pay. And now, after spending 40 days again on the earth in a resurrected body, He ascends into heaven. Wow!

But, let’s play over that phrase again, but this time think of it in a different way. The crowd shouts out in unison: Five, Four, Three, Two, One. A loud noise erupts. It’s over, the job is done, we did it!!

What if, instead of a football game, this is describing a rocket launch. While the earthly work is finished, the mission has just begun, and what if that mission includes an ultimate return to earth. What a marvelous day that will be!

1st Division: Acts 1: 1-8 The Holy spirit is promised:

Principle: When God provides the direction He also provides the power

Illustration: You are so excited. Your class has been studying for weeks about tigers and today is the big day, you get to go to the tiger preserve and see and touch a real, live tiger. You have your sack lunch, water bottle, camera, notebook, 2 sharpened pencils, just in case. You climb on the bus with all your friends and the bus pulls away from the school, but 1 block away, it runs out of gas.

This doesn’t happen with God. When He prepares us and sends us on a mission, He always makes sure we have the power to not only get there, but also to do the job. The jobs God has for us are big jobs, sometimes way bigger than we could ever do on our own, but he provides the Holy Spirit to give us the power to do it right.

Application:

Just like our body needs fuel every day, so does our soul. Are you filling up your tank in the word every day, or just sometimes?

Do you understand that your thoughts and words that say “I can’t” really mean “I won’t” since God gives you the power to do it?

What are you trying and failing to move with the power of your own 2 feet, when God has given you the keys to a 4 wheel drive, 454 cubic foot, v8 engine with a hemi, towing package and duellies?

Division 2: Acts 1:9-11 – He’s coming back!

Illustration: We think of the Apostles as amazing men of faith who suffered through great hardship and suffering for the mission of furthering the kingdom of God. While that is true, it is also very fun to see that, at times, they are clueless num-nuts who require not one, but two angels to fill them in on what is actually going on. They are standing here, asking about Israel being returned to power over Roman rule, Jesus gives them a final instruction then ascends, bodily, to heaven. 11 guys standing there, staring up into the sky, mouths open. When 2 MIW’s (men in white) show up at their side to say, “OK, nothing to look at here folks, move it along… He’s coming back the same way He left. Quite rubberneckin’ and get a move on.”

Application:

How many angels does it take to move you along the path that Jesus instructs?

What are you gawking at that is getting in the way of your obedience?

Do you get it that the climax of the story is yet to come?

Division 3: Acts 1:12-26 – The Apostles are finally obedient and do as they were told – they wait.

Principle: Waiting on God’s timing gives us time to pray

Illustration: Listen how well these go together: Patience, Prayer, Power, Praise, Peace. The opposite is impatience, self-reliance, inadequacy, chastising, anxiety. Despite their earlier lack of obedience at the cross, the Apostles follow directions and follow the Lord. That doesn’t mean it is the easier thing to do, they were very fearful in the upper room, but they were clearly relying on God not only to protect them, but even in choosing Matthias as an apostle to replace Judas – no discussion of most eloquent, best dressed, or anything like that – just a reliance on prayer and asking God to choose. What a great example they set for learning from rather than constantly repeating our shortcomings by trusting in and obeying the Lord.

Applications:

It’s your life – you choose. Which path do you want to take knowing where they lead: obedience or ignorance? If there is any question, look at those words again! Patience, prayer… peace vs. impatience, self-reliance… anxiety/stress.

Who do you want to associate with, the people others see as popular, prestigious, attractive and talented or the ones that God has selected for you to be with? Are you praying for God to bring the right people into your life?

Where do you need to practice more patience in waiting on God’s timing and what are you doing while waiting? Are you praying?

Conclusion: If you think the story of the gospels was cool – you ain’t seen nothing, yet. That paid the price of admission, the next part of the story is still being played out and the big finale is yet to come.

Acts: Lesson 1, Day 4

Acts 1:4–11.

The apostles were told about the baptism with the Holy Spirit and to wait in Jerusalem for it in a few days. They question Jesus about plans for restoring Israel to power and He tells them to not worry about it but instead they are to take the power of the spirit and witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and ends of the earth. The apostles then observe the bodily ascension of Jesus into heaven. As they stand there, staring up into the sky, 2 men show up by them and provide the teaser for the sequel: Jesus Returns!

8. Someone who receives Christ also receives the spirit. I believe that while the spirit is always present with me, that the power, words, wisdom and intercession he provides vary based on both needs/opportunities and my openness.

Romans 8:9, 14–16; if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13; For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22; He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit

Galatians 4:6: Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts

9. Being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” is the initial state of being washed clean of sin by the gift of salvation that we receive when we accept Christ and welcome His spirit into our heart and our lives. Being “filled with the Holy Spirit” is the state of power that comes from the spirit when we need it because we are called on, by God, to perform acts (including ministry, counseling, etc. as well as physical acts) that further the kingdom. Paul reminds us that, while the work we are called to perform may be difficult and that difficulty may come from our own inner turmoils, the spirit is overflowing with ability and we are left with a feeling of Joy. (Rom 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit)

Acts 4:8, 31; Peter and the apostles filled with the spirit and speaking his words

Acts 6:3–4 The growing disciples, at the recommendation of the apostles, appoint 7 deacons who are filled with the spirit, to care for the flock of believers

Ephesians 5:18 Don’t get drunk of wine – be filled with the spirit. I think about this everytime I hear the current song: “your love is my drug.”

10. a. Proof of power: Jesus says the holy spirit will come on them. The greek word Jesus uses in this passage, eperchomai, is the same word used in Luke 1:35 that the angel spoke to Mary to describe the spirit coming on her so she would bear the Son of God. The command Jesus gave them was to witness.

b. I can apply this by waiting for the Lord’s timing and then not hesitating to act, regardless of how I would assess my own strengths at that time that I am called. The image that comes to my mind is an assistant in an operating room. I would be the one trying to hand over a tool either 3 steps ahead or 2 steps behind – but when I stop and listen to the surgeon, then I’m part of the life changing team.

11. a. Immediately before the ascension we get a glimpse into the disciples’ thinking. They are still fixated on trying to figure out when God is going to get off His duff and put Israel into the seat of power. Then, 2 sentences later, Jesus bodily ascends into heaven. The disciples have not yet received the full empowering of the spirit. I think they are, more than anything, confused. Where are the armies wiping out the Romans and restoring Israel? Did we miss it? What now?

b. the two men in white encouraged them by giving the teaser for the next episode/volume: Jesus Returns, the sequel!

Conclusion:

While Acts opens with Jesus leaving the earth, physically, it quickly sets the stage that this is not the end of the story and that His presence remains here on earth, both through the spirit in the immediate time and again physically descending from heaven in a future time. It also sets the stage for a new relationship by the Apostles with Christ and with other believers and Christ as well, to not just be followers and lurkers, hanging on His words and waiting for His healing, but to receive that power into us and then use it.