1.19.20 Huddle–Travel Log Week #3

Zach Below   -   January 19, 2020

INTRODUCTION

We are entering week 3 of our Travel Log Series, an examination of the book of Acts, looking at the mission and movement of the early church. If you are new to the book of Acts, here is a little background info to get you up to speed.

  • Acts was written by a Luke, a 1st century traveling companion of Paul in a number of his missionary journeys. This is the same Luke that wrote the gospel of Luke.

 

  • Acts picks up the story after Jesus has left the earth. It begins with the disciples…now without their master…huddled in a room without a clue of what to do next. It ends with the explosion and expansion of the church.

 

  • The first 12 chapters of Luke follow the apostle Peter’s mission and ministry. Then, a switch is made in chapter 13 to Paul’s mission and ministry.

 

 

SERIES INTRODUCTION

  • Week 1—If you want your life to be marked by mission and movement…recognize that if you are in Christ, you already have it.
  • Week 2—If you want your life to be marked by mission and movement…love and serve the church.

 

This week’s takeaway is—If you want your life to be marked by mission and movement…think of your life as strategic.

 

 

INTRO QUESTION

  • What do you think of when you hear the word “evangelism?”
    • What feelings does it bring up?
    • What is the picture that comes to mind?
    • What actions are being done, where are they at, etc.

 

  • What is the cultural stereotype of evangelism? Describe the cultural caricature of “the evangelizer.”

 

 

SCRIPTURE ENGAGEMENT

Intro: We all have these negative aversions to the classic stereotype of evangelism. This week’s text gives us a much different understanding of evangelism.

READ ACTS 13:4-12

 

“On Cyprus

4 The two of them (Barnabas and Paul), sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

 

  1. What stands out to you from this text?
  2. Have everyone google “The Ancient Ruins of Salamis-Ancient Origins.” The first listing should be from “Ancient Origins.” As a group or individually, look over that short description of Salamis and come up with a few reasons why that would have been a strategic city for Paul and Barnabas.
  3. It is also believed that Barnabas was likely from Cyprus. Why is that significant to Paul and Barnabas’s mission?
  4. Do you think living/following Jesus in your hometown would make ministry easier or harder?
  5. Look at verse 7. “The Proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.” How is this picture of evangelism different than the cultural stereotype? (Possible answers—they were invited, it was an intelligent conversation not shouting from the street or handing out pamphlets)

 

 

RE-READ ACTS 13:6-12

  1. What are your first thoughts/feelings when you hear this story? What makes you think that?

 

  1. Everyone is different and comes from a different starting point when interpreting scripture. In light of that…When you read these stories of spiritual power in the Bible, do you easily accept them as true, are you 50/50 on them, or is your first instinct to reject them all outright?

 

  1. Prior to 1600 AD, the world was pretty much universally believed to be open to outside spiritual or mystic forces/powers—outside forces were a given

 

Since the Scientific Revolution starting in the 17th century, there has been a significant shift—today scientific verification is a given (which means the previous beliefs are rejected)

 

How much of the doubt surrounding spiritual power do you think is wrapped up in our modern belief that everything must be scientifically explained and justified? How do we work past that?

 

  1. Philosopher Charles Taylor argues that we are all a mix of belief and unbelief, enchantment and disenchantment. Do you agree/disagree? Why?

 

 

APPLICATION

On Sunday, Bret described our purpose as… “To glorify Jesus by your words and your deeds and by sharing His words and His deeds.”

 

  1. What is one tangible way you can do that this week?

 

 

PRACTICE

This week, take some time to think about what you believe about spiritual power. Think back over your life and see what experiences might have shaped that belief. How has culture shaped that belief? When evaluating these stories, do you START from a place of belief or unbelief? Ask God to expand your openness to spiritual power.