Mission – Acts What the Gospel Does and Undoes Acts 14:1-23 April 29th, 2018
I.“PREACHING” the GOSPEL. (v.6-13)
A. In WORD and DEED. (v.7-10)
B. To a TOTALLY different CROWD. (v.1,11-13)
“Preach” is such a harsh word in the world today. “Don’t preach at me,” people say, telling us to back off. But preaching wasn’t always seen in such a negative light. Paul was preaching a message of Good News…news that would change the very hearts of those who respond to the message.
1. How do you “preach” the gospel? How was it “preached” to you initially?
2. Does the place you live your life look more like the synagogue of Acts 13 or the group of people in chapter 14?
II. WHAT is the GOSPEL? (v.14-18)
A. “Good News” for people WHERE they ARE. (v.14-15; 13:38-39)
B. The GOD who MADE you… (v.15)
C. …WANTS to be KNOWN. (v.16-17)
D. He is the WAY to JOY. (v.17)
We throw that word Gospel around a lot in Christian circles, but what is it actually? Well that depends on who you telling it to, at least according to what we see Paul doing in Acts. The gospel he shares in chapter 14 is the same as chapter 13, but it looks quite a bit different.
3. How might the gospel be best presented to the people you see on a day to day basis? What things would need to be emphasized?
4. Do you think people what to know God today? How might that look in a culture and society like ours?
III. The REALITY of IDOLS. (v.15; Jonah 2:8)
A. We are WIRED to WORSHIP. (v.11-13; Acts 17:28)
B. We seek WHOLENESS and HAPPINESS. (v.11; Ecc. 3:11-13)
C. The TRUTH exposes our IDOLS. (v.15-17; Heb 4:12)
D. Worship ENSLAVES or FREES you. (v.19,21-23; Jonah 2:8; 2 Cor. 3:17)
The gospel, good news though it is, always brings about a confrontation. It exposes and challenges the idols that we have embedded into our day to day lives. Not little statues we bow down to, but the ideas and practices that we think can bring us happiness and wholeness.
5. What things do you think that you have to have to be happy and whole? What idols can you identity in your own life?
6. When have you seen “idols” enslave yourself or those around you? What did that look like?
IV. DETHRONING idols with the GOSPEL.
A. HUMILITY within HUMANITY. (v.15; Romans 3:22-24)
B. Love for ALL PEOPLE. (v.21; Jn 3:16)
C. Receiving “HARDSHIP”. (v.23; Rom. 8:28)
D. ENTRUSTING EVERYTHING to God. (v.23; Prov. 3:5-6)
What we see in this text are some characteristics, fruit of the work of the Spriit, that help us to see that the idols in our lives are being replaced by the good news of the Gospel. They are fruits that we hope to see in our own lives as we seek to follow Jesus.
7. How can we tell if we are living with what Jeff called “humility within humanity”?
8. What do you find to be the hardest area of life to “entrust to God”?