Monday, October 15, 2012

Opening: What do you like the most about returning home after a long vacation or business trip? What do you like the least?

Scripture: Read Acts 18:18-22.

Insights:

• Cenchreae was 6 east of Corinth and was Corinth’s main port to the Aegean Sea. The Roman harbor of Cenchreae is still visible (though largely submerged), and excavators have identified warehouses, fish tanks, and what they believe may be temples to Isis and Aphrodite.[1]  
• When a Jew specially wished to thank God for some blessing, he took the Nazirite vow (see Numbers 6:1-21, also Acts 21:20-24). If that vow was carried out in full, it meant that for 30 days, he neither ate meat nor drank wine and he allowed his hair to grow. At the end of the 30 days, he made certain offerings in the Temple; his head was shaved and the hair was burned on the altar as an offering to God. No doubt Paul was thinking of all God’s goodness to him in Corinth and took this vow to show his gratitude.[2]  
• Paul makes his first stop at Ephesus; however, it is brief. Though the people asked him to stay, he was insistent that he had to leave. It is possible that he wanted to return to Jerusalem for feast, probably of Pentecost.[3] We (and Paul) will come back to Ephesus later.  
• Paul left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus. This brief stop and their presence laid the groundwork for the ministry yet to come.  
• Paul returned home and briefed the Christian leaders in Jerusalem. This ended the Second Missionary Journey.  
• If your version of verse 22 refers to going “up” to Jerusalem and “down” to Antioch, these are not references to directions but elevations. Jerusalem was at a higher elevation than Antioch. It would be as if we said, “We are going up to Denver then down to Dayton.” This is typical in the Bible. In fact, Psalm 120-134 are called Psalms of Ascent, because they were sung as people went “up” Mt. Zion to Jerusalem for worship.

Life Questions:

• We don’t undertake vows in our Christian faith. I guess the closest thing might be abstaining from something during Lent. Maybe we should, but not to earn some special spiritual “Certificate of Achievement.” What we do when we take a vow is to take on some spiritual discipline (fasting, meditation, solitude, etc.). By doing so, our spiritual lives dig deep into the well-spring of God’s grace, majesty, presence, and direction for our lives. If you would like more information on spiritual disciplines, read Richard Foster’s book “Celebration of Discipline.”

 Prayer Focus: That we would seek a deeper spiritual life because of our hunger for God.

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[1] ESV Study Bible, Acts 18:18

[2] Barclay’s Daily Study Bible, Acts 18:18

[3] Some manuscripts (and the King James Version) for verse 21 read, “I must be all means be at Jerusalem for the upcoming festival, but I will come back later.”

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Opening: Do you have any friends in the Lord, people who have joined you in ministry, with whom you have grown close because of that ministry?

Scripture: Read Acts 18:1-17.

Insights:

• Paul moves on to Corinth, which is 46 miles west of Athens. A Roman colony, it was the most influential city of the province of Achaia, both politically and economically. The church that would be established there would become a source of both joy and frustration for Paul, resulting in the writing of 1 & 2 Corinthians.  
• Here we are first introduced to Aquila and his wife Priscilla. This is the only time Aquila is listed first. In all other biblical references, her name takes preference (see Acts 18:26; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19). This seems to indicate that she was the leader of this preaching duo.  
• Both Jews and Gentiles were won to the Lord. In verse 8, Crispus is listed as the leader of the synagogue and was one of the few baptized by Paul (see 1 Corinthians 1:14). Later in verse 17, Sosthenes has taken his place, maybe because of Crispus’ conversion. But according to 1 Corinthians 1:1, Sosthenes joined Paul’s team.  
• Up to this point, opposition to his ministry usually forced Paul to leave a place of witness. But in a vision, God assured him that he would have a successful ministry in Corinth and would suffer no further harm. In obedience, Paul remained there for 18 months (49–51 A.D.), during which time he wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians. He stayed longer than any other city except Ephesus. God’s assurance was immediately confirmed by Paul’s deliverance from an attempt to condemn him before the proconsul.

Life Questions:

• Priscilla and Aquila become important colleagues with Paul in the spreading of the Gospel. Besides their faith, they shared in common the trade of tent making. Is there anyone you are connected with (friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor) who might join you in some mission or witness.  
• We don’t like to be confronted, especially with regards to our faith. Reread Acts 18:9-10. Could this message be for you as well? In what area of your witness do you need to hear the imperatives/commands “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!”?

Prayer Focus: That we would be fearless in our lifestyle witness and testimony to the saving power of God through Jesus Christ.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Opening: How many salt shakers do you think you have in your house? How about light switches?

Scripture: Sunday’s message is our text today. Read Matthew 5:13-16.

Insights:

• In Jesus’ day, salt was currency for Roman soldiers. It also represented purity. As far as light, we need to imagine a world without electric light or clear glass windows; every time a person went into a home or a dwelling, it would be dark. Therefore, salt and light were very valuable.  
• The verb “are” in verses 13 and 14 is in the indicative mode rather than the imperative mode. What does that mean? Jesus does not command His disciples to be salt and light (that would be an imperative verb). Instead, if we are, by the grace of God, the kind of people God wants us to be, then our presence will serve to season and purify and enlighten interpersonal relationships within our sphere of influence. However, if we are not the kinds of person God wants us to be, then no matter how hard we may try, we will lose our saltiness and we will become lifeless and worthless.  
• When Jesus told us to be the light of the world, it may have been the greatest compliment that was ever paid to the individual Christian, for in it Jesus commands the Christian to be what He Himself claimed to be. Jesus said, "But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”[1] When Jesus commanded His followers to be the lights of the world, he demanded nothing less than that they should be like Himself.[2]

Life Questions:

• If you don’t have a copy of The Message Bible, here is how Eugene Peterson paraphrases verses 13 and 14: “¹³Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. ¹⁴Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.”[3] How does this paraphrase help you understand your influence in the world?  
• Peterson continues his paraphrase: “God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”[4] What does that mean for you personally? For our church?

Prayer Focus: For tomorrow’s worship celebration, that we would truly and meaningfully worship the Christ who calls us to effect a change, and that we would be the city on a hill proclaiming God’s favors and God’s colors.

Message Series: “Send Me.”

Tomorrow’s Message Title: “To Effect a Change.” Kevin Cline will be preaching.

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[1] John 9:5 (NLT)

[2] Barclay's Daily Study Bible, Matthew 5:14-15

[3] Matthew 5:13-14 (MSG)

[4] Matthew 5:14-16 (MSG)

Friday, October 12, 2012

Opening: Are you someone who can discuss opposing viewpoints with others in a calm, orderly, and convincing way? Or are you someone who feels threatened by debate and seems to never know the right thing to say?

Scripture: Read Acts 17:16-33.

Insights:

• By this time, Athens had lost its political power, but it was still the greatest university town in the world. It was also a city of many gods. It was said that there were more statues of the gods in Athens than in all the rest of Greece put together, and that in Athens, it was easier to meet a god than a man.  
• Though Paul is alone in Athens (see Acts 17:14-16), he doesn’t stop preaching the Gospel. Luke records two groups with vastly different philosophies who debated him:  
• The Epicureans believed that everything happened by chance and that death was the end of all. They believed that the gods were remote from the world and did not care. They believed that a pleasant and smooth life was the goal of humanity. Their thoughts on death would not accept the resurrection (see Acts 17:18,32) 
• The Stoics believed that everything was God. They held that god was fiery spirit, but that spirit grew dull in physical matter but it was in everything (sounds like Star Wars’ “Force”). They believed that everything that happened was the will of God and therefore must be accepted without resentment. Materialism, pantheism, fatalism, and pride were the leading features of this philosophy. Human life began with that little spark of that spirit, and when people died, it returned to god, so they could not accept the resurrection either.

• This passage is called the “Mars’ Hill Discourse.” They took Paul to the Areopagus (Greek for Mars’ Hill). It was the name both of the hill and the court that met on it. The court was very select, perhaps only thirty members. Paul used their interest in religion as well as their acknowledgment of the possibility of yet another “unknown” god to explain to them Who this God really is and what He has done for humanity.  
• Paul was not as fruitful in Athens as in other cities. However, Luke names two persons who are converted: 
• Dionysius was a member of the Areopagus Council. Nothing else is said of him in the New Testament. According to one tradition, he was the first bishop of the church at Athens; according to another he suffered martyrdom in that city under Domitian (81-96 A.D.) We are even told that he migrated to Rome and was sent to Paris, where he was beheaded on Montmartre (Mount of the Martyr). The patron saint of France is Denys; compare the French “Denys d’Halicarnasse” (Dionysius of Halicarnassus).[1] 
• Luke also lists a woman named Damaris. Again, no other information is available on her in Scripture. There are two views on why Luke lists her. Either she was listed after Dionysius because she was his wife, or that she was a prominent woman in Athens.

Life Questions:

• Many Christians think there is only one type of evangelism – CONFRONTATION. Yet God has designed everyone as unique individuals to share the Good News and communicate the message of grace. Paul was a Christian Apologist, someone who could debate the virtues and truth of the Christian faith while shedding light on the falsehood and futility of non-Christian views. And according to Mark Middleberg in his book “Becoming a Contagious Christian,” there are seven different evangelism styles. You might be an apologist, a story-teller, a servant, or one of the others. The point is: you don’t have to be like Paul; be the evangelist God made you to be.

Prayer Focus: That we would be faithful witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

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[1] The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Dionysius.”