41 - from jerusalem to the whole world (1)1 … you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on...

41 - From Jerusalem to the whole world (1)

1

… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After … this, he was taken up … and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:8-11).


2

Outreach to Jerusalem & Judea =

Mono-cultural local Evangelism

Outreach to Samaria & the Ends of the Earth

=Cross-cultural foreign Missions


3

Discussion & dialogueDefine the difference between mono-cultural evangelism and cross-cultural missions

Discuss with your study group what each of the four areas means for your ministry

Which three of the ten themes feature in this chapter and how?

42 - Pentecost, harvest time! (1) 4

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues … Now there were … God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven … each one heard them speaking in his own language … Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and … Libya … Rome, Cretans and Arabs … “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts2:1,4-6,8-12).


Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38,39).


“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about … in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4,5).

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:34,35).


Discussion & dialogueAt the day of Pentecost the discipling of all nations began. In what chapter of Acts did it only continue?

Explain how themes two, seven and nine feature in this chapter

43 - From increased persecution to increased world missions (1)

8

Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:18-20).

Then the high priest and all his associates … were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail (Acts 5:17,18).


9

“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit …?” (Acts 5:3)

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples … and said … “… choose seven men from among you who are … full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them (Acts 6:1-3).


10

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed … And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 7:59; 8:1).


11

Discussion & dialogueDiscuss what excuses churches and their leaders use, to stick to local evangelism only, at the cost of sending out cross-cultural missionaries, and how such excuses can be countered from a biblical perspective

Which eight themes of the ten feature in this story and how?

44 - Kingdom extension: From Jerusalem to Africa (1)

12

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:4-8).


13

But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man [Saul] is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” (Acts 9:15,16).

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14,15).


14

Now an angel of he Lord said to Phillip, “Go south to the road … that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out and on his way he met an Ethiopian … This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship and on his way home was … reading the book Isaiah … The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near to it (Acts 8:26-29).


15

Discussion & dialogueDiscuss what remaining unreached or least-reached people group your church can send missionaries to, starting with those who have no known believers. The larger these people groups are, the more strategic they are!

Discuss how your church can take the Gospel a step further than it has until now. Do you have to move from city to countryside? Establish a beach-head in a new city? Move from mono-cultural evangelism to cross-cultural missions?

45 - Two remarkable conversions (1)

16

Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples … As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied (Acts 9:1,3-5).


17

Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry … and while the meal was being prepared … He saw heaven opened and … a large sheet being let down to earth … It contained … four-footed animals … reptiles … and birds … Then a voice told him, “Get up Peter, kill and eat.” “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean … The voice spoke … “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times (Acts 10:9-16).


18

After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan … his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall. When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him … He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus (Acts 9:23-26,29,30).


19

While Peter was still speaking … the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers … were astonished that … the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles … Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have” (Acts 10:44-47).


20

Discussion & dialogueDiscuss whether God’s cause of world missions would be served well, if the church would pray for the conversion, biblical training and calling of Muslim terrorists, to become Christian missionaries

Discuss with your study group, whether you know of people groups that you would definitely not go to, to share the Gospel with, and give reasons

Which seven of the ten themes reoccur in this chapter and how?

41 - from jerusalem to the whole world (1)1 … you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on...

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