Small Group Guide
DEFENDING THE FAITH IN THE EMPIRE
The Church at Brook Hills Jonathan Bean November 6, 2016 Acts 21-26
MAIN TRUTH
Message Summary
In Acts 21-26, we follow along with Paul as he gives five defenses of the faith: before the Jewish people, before the Jewish Council, to Governor Felix, to Governor Festus, and before King Agrippa. Through these chapters, we are presented with the question, “How do we defend the faith in our world today?” The pattern we see in Paul’s defense of the faith can be summarized in the following three main points:
1. We participate in Biblical community because we need God’s people (21:1-26). Everywhere Paul goes, he consistently seeks out the church, and the church consistently cares for him. The point here is that we need biblical community to sustain biblical mission. This is especially true when we consider that chapters 21-26 cover the span of two years! For two years, Paul depended on the church to sustain him as he faced multiple scenarios where he had to give a defense for the faith and didn’t know what would happen next. Therefore, it is important for us to realize that one of the most powerful ways we defend the faith is by gathering with others in the church as an outpost of the Kingdom in the midst of this lost world.
2. We persevere in the midst of all circumstances because we can trust God’s plan (21:26-25:27). Here we find Paul specifically facing persecution for his faith in Jesus. A key lesson to be learned from Paul and from our brothers and sisters in the persecuted church is that we can trust God’s plan. Whether you are facing persecution for your faith or any other hardship or suffering in your life, you can rejoice in knowing that God has a plan in the midst of all circumstances. He often uses hardship and suffering in our lives as an opportunity for us to defend the faith before our world. The world doesn’t know what to do when Christians stand strong in their faith in the midst of hardship.
3. We persist in proclaiming the gospel to all people because we fulfill God’s purpose (26:1-32). In this passage, Paul uses his trial to continue doing what he’s done throughout the book of Acts: faithfully sharing the gospel with his audience, which is a direct fulfillment of Acts 9:15. Looking more closely at his defense, we can find a few takeaways for how we share the gospel with others.
a. Like Paul, our defense should be grounded in in our personal encounter with Christ. Share who you were before Christ, how you came to faith, then call others to believe.
b. Recognize that God has given us a gospel purpose (v.16). Each of us has encountered the risen Christ and are all commissioned to be His witnesses, so we must boldly use every circumstance and every opportunity to share the gospel.
c. We have a message to proclaim. This is the gospel that brings light to the world. Recognizing that darkness is the absence of light, we can’t expect those in darkness to be light; we have to take the light to them!
d. The gospel is for all people! No one is beyond the reach of God.
e. The gospel calls for a response. Just as Paul calls King Agrippa to respond to the gospel, we ought to call others to respond as well.
By participating in biblical community, persevering in the midst of all circumstances, and persisting in proclaiming the gospel, we display our allegiance to the King of Kings.
WHY IT MATTERS
Digging Deeper
As you mediate on the message of Acts 21-26, remember two things. First, each of the three main points of the sermon incorporates active verbs for us to live out. Listen again to the calls to action we are given from the passage as we think about what it means to defend the faith in our world today. Participate in biblical community. Persevere in the midst of all circumstances. Persist in proclaiming the gospel.
Second, key in on the fact that we have covered two whole years of Paul having to give a defense for the faith over and over again. As believers we have been given a gospel purpose that calls for faithful, consistent action in every circumstance in our lives. This means that we should feel a sense of weight when we consider our gospel purpose impacts every part of our lives, and we must intentionally fulfill that purpose daily.
What does it look like for the members of your group to live a “gospel-purposed life”? Start with the specific circumstances each member of the group finds themselves currently living in; then, discuss how they can live out the gospel and share the gospel in that situation. Feel free to use the following questions to shape the discussion:
1. What is the “gospel purpose” that we have been given?
2. How would you describe your current stage of life? Focus on the big picture here. Are you married or single? Are you currently in school, working, or retired (maybe a mixture of those)?
3. In an average week, who do you typically interact with? This could be immediate family, roommates, classmates, neighbors, folks at the gym, etc.
4. How can you weave gospel conversations into your interactions with the people placed in your life, either to call them to respond to Christ or to encourage them in their faith?
5. How does your daily interaction with the people placed in your life either help or hurt your witness with them? Some specific examples of this question include:
a. What does your daily interaction with your children teach them about the gospel? How can they see Christ in you, in the way you work, love your husband/wife, discipline them, and provide for them?
b. How does your work ethic at your job preach Christ to your boss and coworkers? How does the way you carry yourself, both in action and in conversation, point them to Christ?
c. How can you be involved in local missions or organizations to help those in need and share Christ with the lost?
6. How do you depend on the faithfulness of God in your life to provide you with opportunities to share the gospel and with strength to continue being a light to those around you?
7. How are you currently praying for the lost people you know or for opportunities to share or for greater boldness or even a desire to share?
8. In light of your call to defend the faith daily through your interactions with the world, how does God use your participation in biblical community to strengthen you and prepare you for your gospel purpose?
Every day that we live ought to be lived in light of our gospel purpose. We are always coming into contact with people of all types of cultures and backgrounds, and we are called to live in such a way that they see Christ in us. The world is always watching, and just as Paul took each opportunity in Acts 21-26 to make a positive proclamation of the gospel, we ought to be faithful and consistent in using our current circumstances to participate in God’s kingdom work.
NOW WHAT DO WE DO?
Group Discussion & Application
Use the following questions to examine what the sermon and its text mean, to apply the Word to your life, and to guide how you pray. Please note that you don’t have to use all of the questions. These are just options (along with the digging deeper section) to help you frame the group discussion.
1. When you think of our world today, how would you describe it as similar to Paul’s day? What are common obstacles of the gospel in our culture? What social issues is the church – the Bible – in conflict with the culture?
2. What is the difference between a reactive defense of the faith and a positive proclamation of the gospel? How we hold to the truth yet love well and clearly communicate the gospel?
3. Why was Paul so determined to go to Jerusalem, even when he knew what awaited him there? Are there difficult areas in your life where you have been called to serve and witness? What makes them difficult? Where can you find strength and courage to continue in ministry there? How can this group pray for you, encourage you, and serve you as you walk in obedience?
4. How do biblical mission and biblical community go hand-in-hand?
5. What are the markings of deep community in the church? Why is having deep community important to biblical mission?
6. If you have been on mission (locally or globally), what were some of the lessons you learned from the brothers and sisters in Christ you served with? How can you incorporate those lessons into your daily life in Birmingham?
7. What areas of the world are hostile to the Christ-followers? How can you actively partner with them and pray for them in their defense of the gospel and their daily walk?
8. Why is it important for all believers to serve in the church in some way? If you do not currently serve in the church, what are some ways you can use your spiritual gifts to serve at The Church at Brook Hills?
9. How is persevering through hardship a defense of our faith to the world?
10. How have you seen God uses hardship and suffering the lives of believers to bring open doors for sharing gospel witness? What was the outcome of that circumstance?
11. How can you use the story of what God has done through hard times in your life to encourage other believers? How can you point lost people to Christ through sharing about how God has worked or is working in your difficult circumstances?
12. What does it mean to ground your defense of the faith in your personal relationship with Christ? If someone asked you about how you came to faith in Christ, how would you respond?
13. What is our “gospel purpose”? Who are the people that God has placed in your life right now who need to hear the gospel? How can you pray for them? How can you share the gospel with them? How can you listen well and be a good friend to them?
14. In Paul’s example, we see the gospel shared with all people, small and great. Are there people or people groups whom you find it hard to proclaim the gospel to? How can the gospel work in your heart to help you reach those people? Pray that God would give you opportunities to share the gospel and to love all people well.
15. What are specific reasons that you sometimes find it hard to share the gospel? How can you know that the Lord is with you? What promises from Scripture give you strength and courage when you share the gospel?
Resources for Small Group Leaders
Weekly Prayer Focus (from Our Worship Guide)
· Pray for Our Lives:
o Praise God for gathering us together as a church.
o Pray that we will each remain faithful to our covenant of membership and will work to develop good biblical community with one another.
o Ask God to unite us together as a people for His purposes and to grant us perseverance through trials, persecution, and suffering.
o Pray that we will never neglect or shrink back from opportunities to proclaim the gospel, and that we will live our lives in complete allegiance and submission to King Jesus.
· Pray for Our City:
o Pray for our foster parents at Brook Hills. Ask the Father to give them “understanding” hearts and to sustain them so they can love their children with the unconditional and unfailing love that they themselves have experienced in Christ. Pray for many more Christ-followers to become adoptive or foster parents.
o Pray for potential adoptive parents, that they will have wisdom in selecting an agency. Ask the Father to grant them patience and perseverance as they walk what can be a long and expensive journey for the sake of orphans.
o Pray for our adopted and foster children, that they would know that they are in a safe place and that they are loved. Pray they would feel the presence of Jesus even as they do not fully understand what is going on.
o Pray for our local agency and ministry partners that support foster and adoptive families including the Brook Hills WRAP Ministry, AL Baptist Children’s Homes and Family Ministries, Pathways Counseling, Lifeline Children’s Services, Lifesong for Orphans, County DHR Staffs, Children’s Aid Society, APAC, The Forgotten Initiative, and Altar84.
o Pray for judges, attorneys, and all court personnel as they serve families walking through long and emotional court proceedings.
· Pray for Our World:
o Pray for the over 200 million brothers and sisters in over 50 countries who face regular persecution for following Christ. Pray for God to make them steadfast as they persevere and remain faithful.
o Praise God there is a gathering of believers in southeast Turkey. These believers face persecution on a daily basis, and Pastor A. has asked us to pray for God to make them steadfast and to give them confidence to live faith filled lives. Pray also for God to make them bold and empower them to share the gospel with their friends and neighbors.
o Pray for God to encourage the few believers in North Korea and provide for their every need. N. Korea is once again at the top of the World Watch List for the fourteenth year in a row, and Christians there face arrest and being sent to labor camps in horrific conditions.
o Pray for Hui Christians in China who face pressures from their families to return to their Muslim religion. Pray for boldness and sensitivity for the believers who have been ostracized from the community and sometimes from their families to remain faithful to share the gospel despite the cost.