5/22 Come or Go #4 "The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles”

Guest Blogger - Allen Todd - TLCC Minister to Youth since 1998

Guest Blogger - Allen Todd - TLCC Minister to Youth since 1998

SUNDAY’S PLAY LIST VIA YOUTUBE

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS    May 9-15,   Acts 21-23  

  • WHERE’S YOUR SPACE TO READ?
  • WHAT’S YOUR TIME TO STUDY?
  • WHAT ARE THE KEY WORDS?
  • WHAT WAS GOD SAYING TO THEM?  WHAT’S GOD SAYING TO YOU?
  • WHAT’S THE HOLY SPIRIT GOING TO SHOW YOU THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
  • FOR WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL?
  • FOR WHAT ARE YOU CONCERNED?
  • WHO NEEDS YOU TODAY?

NEXT WEEK’S BIBLE READINGS   May 16-22,    Acts 24-25  

Text:  Acts 10; 2 Cor. 4:7; Matt. 28:20

IN A NUTSHELL  (We need to intentionally reach out in friendship with the love of Jesus to all people of our community, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, political party, or personality type.)

ICE BREAKER   (When was the last time you had dinner with a family who has a different skin color or different nationality or different ethnicity. Share your experience. What did you learn? What did you have in common? What was hard to understand about them? Was there a language barrier?)

HIS WORD

  1. Read Ac. 10. Was it Peter that was seeking to reach out to Gentiles or was it God that was wanting to include Gentiles? 
  2. What was the main obstacle that God had to remove in Peter's life before he could effectively be used by God? Read Ac. 10:15, 28. 
  3. What was happening in Cornelius' life when this all took place? Ac. 10:2
  4. What was the initial reaction of the Jews when they heard the news? Ac. 11:1-3
  5. What were the signs that God was the one who wanted the Gentiles to be saved? Ac. 10:30-48
  6. 2 Cor. 4:7 says that we have the treasure of the good news of salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in jars of clay. How do you think this emphasizes that God doesn't care about the outward appearance or various skin colors of a person? What does God really care about? 2 Cor.4:15
  7. So, just for the record, read Matt. 28:18-20. An old translation reads, "And lo, I will be with you always." Well, the "Lo" is for those who "Go!" Jesus commands us to make disciples and he goes with us when we do. That means learning and growing and obeying Jesus. And then helping others to learn and grow and obey Jesus! If we love Jesus, we will obey his commands. John 14:15, 24

YOUR WORLD

  1. Who might God be trying to reach in our community that is "outside" your normal circle of friends?
  2. Are there neighbors around you who are not Christians, who are a different race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity? If so, what have you done to reach out to them in friendship with the love of Jesus? 
  3. Since we know Christ died for ALL mankind, what are some groups in our community that would be difficult for you to reach out to? (Rich/Poor, African-American/Mexican/Asian, Democrats/Republicans, etc.) 
  4. What can you intentionally do that could cross those cultural lines for the gospel? Through what opportunities would you develop a friendship with those you want to reach for Christ?
  5. What neighbor or group, is God preparing for YOU to come share your story of God's grace? List 3 possibilities. Now you just have to obey and look for opportunities to share. 
  6. If we were all reaching out to our community for Christ, what would our Sunday morning worship look like, sound like, feel like? (More ethnic music, cultural expressions, more color, more excitement of what God is doing in our lives!?) 

SMALL PIECES

  1. How do your social media posts show the love of Jesus to those you disagree with? (Muslims, Trump/Hillary, BlackLivesMatter, Homosexual/Transgender, Gun Control, Immigration, etc.)
  2. Love, Joy & Peace are fruits of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. Discuss how that looks in a world that is so angry, confused,  twisted and perverted. How do you love people who are lost? What does that look like?
  3. When we get sidetracked with our RIGHTS about any issue, we will find ourselves treating people like enemies. But Satan is the enemy. Christians are called to love, submit, pray and trust the Lord rather than fight with weapons of this world. Hate, violence and division are what hampers so many from coming to Jesus and causes many believers to fall away. 2 Cor. 10:3-5

BIG PICTURE

  1. The Global church is growing and spreading the love of Jesus! The American churches that are growing, are blended groups of people who are crossing borders of race, socio-economic status, ethnicity and politics in order to reach the lost for Jesus. Are we growing and reaching our community for Christ?

 Online Resources:

(The Next Evangelicalism by Soong-Chan Rah challenges predominantly White North American churches to embrace a more diverse and multiethnic evangelicalism that is flourishing in North America.)

(Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a changing church by Soong-Chan Rah applying principles from the business concept of cultural intelligence, Rah explores how God's people can become more multiculturally adept.)

(Disunity in Christ by Christena Cleveland shares a psychologist's trained observations of why people who want to be united have such a hard time uniting. She provides real insight for leaders who want to build bridges and tools to overcome the forces that divide us.)

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