Acts Manuscript Study Notes - Ministry Exchange (MX)

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Acts Studies May 2000.PDF Mission of Paul
May 21-28, 2000
Various passages in Acts
Chapter Camp 2000
To self: A reminder in teaching Scripture
Manuscript studies with IVCF are wonderful times of studying the Scripture with new intensity, as if we
were focusing the beams of the sun through a magnifying glass. It's been a source of great joy and
understanding of the Scriptures for me, and I've appreciated greatly the truths I've learned through the
manuscript study format.
However, in our love and thirst for the new Biblical insight or connection, perhaps we've been a little lax in
application. Or, in its application, we haven't honored the integrity of the text as a whole. We come close to
the edge of dangerous exegesis by making obscure applications from discrete details while missing the entire
point of the passage. Perhaps we can help the students grow in love with Scripture, while maintaining the
integrity of the passage and by helping them make the connection to everyday life.
To the students: Learning from Scripture
First, take a look at the passage, and try to make connects to your life as soon as possible. In your thinking,
focus not only on the details of the passage, but how this may affect your life. Too few people try to make the
connect from Scripture to their own lives, and I want you to be conscious to see how these passages may
actually affect your life.
List of supplies needed
·
Map of Paul's Missionary Journeys
·
Oaktag
·
Markers
·
"Braveheart," 2 copies of the video
·
"Mr. Holland's Opus"
·
Truth-telling worksheet from Empowering Leaders
Study #1: Conversion and Vision
Acts 7:54-8:4, 9:1-19a, 22:1-21
Show "Braveheart clips," Desire for farming and Speech.
William Wallace wanted to be a simple Scottish farmer. But, when the English finally kill his
wife, his life is radically changed. He is in rebellion against an unjust system; he goes from
protecting himself to challenging a King.
Movies like "Braveheart," "Gladiator," and other movies are truly inspirational. We see how
the honor and passion of a downtrodden person beats the system. In all these movies, we're
given a glimpse of life before, then a picture of the life-changing moment, and the eventual
victory. It's inspiring! And our hearts pound, our nerves are on edge, and we wait excitedly
for the outcome of the plot.
And, I believe we connect so vividly because we too want to be inspired. But, few things
truly inspire us today, particularly in our love of God. Maybe we're scared of the cost that
comes from an impassioned life.
In our study of Acts, we'll tell the story of a changed life. We'll catch a sense of the life
before, of life changing events, of the life afterward. We will see a life impassioned for Jesus.
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

But, we'll have to take it one step at a time. Today, we'll study the very foundations of Paul's
life: what got his pulse moving at the start of the day!
Questions: (Need posterboard)
· In what ways do Stephen's words reflect his character? Compare with Lk 23.
· What was Paul like (gifts, personality, passions)?
· Before his conversion?
· After his conversion?
· What stayed the same?
· What was different?
· What made him change?
· Why would God choose Paul?
Main Points:
1. When people follow Jesus, they become more like Him (7:56, 59). It's a theme that
will be picked up throughout Acts. They may start out like a Paul, but in the end, true
followers start looking more and more like Jesus. (Ex. Swimmers, runners, wrestlers,
basketball players). In this passage:
·
Stephen talks like Jesus at his death ("do not hold this sin against them" (cf.
Lk 23:34), "receive my Spirit" (cf. Lk 23:46)) and goes through the same experiences
(persecution, and dies a violent death (7:58-60).)
·
Paul, too, starts hanging out with Gentiles (22:21).
1. Sovereign foundations: God made Paul for His purposes (9:15-16). Our spiritual
gifts, our personalities, our abilities, our passions and our experiences all shape us. God
wants to take all these things and not merely throw them away, but to redeem them for his
purposes.
We see Paul with all of his personality (zealousness, passion, etc. (9:1-3)) and his
experiences (openness to travel (9:1), witnessing the murder of Stephen (7:58), meeting
God on the road to Damascus (9:8)), and God redeems these once "bad" traits into
"good" traits. All of our traits are either good or bad. (Ex. Am I rebel or a prophet?)
1. Telling your story (22:1-21). Was Paul convincing? Why? What made his speech so
compelling? He told a story that no one could refute, a story that gave shape to the rest of
his sold-out life! What turned Paul around? It was his experience on the road to Damascus.
How had that one event affected the rest of his life?
Applications:
·
Ask yourself: what honestly inspires you these days? Is there any causes that
I would lay down my life for?
·
Learn to tell your story. Take some time to prepare and share your story
within three to five minutes.
·
During your retreat of silence, think about your SHAPE (Spiritual gifts,
Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences). Make a timeline of your life and see
what God has brought you through. What has following Jesus meant to you so far?
· What past events have influenced you greatly?
· What are the personality traits that are always you?
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

· How will God use what you've been through for His purposes today?
· What "purposes" has he placed on your heart
Study #2: Introduction to Mission
Acts 9:19b-31, 13:1-12, 13:42-52
Last time, we were inspired; tonight, we're looking for answers. Inspiration can only take
you so far. Last time, we felt good and emotional; tonight, we want to know how to make
this concrete. If last time was the Sunday service, tonight is the Monday morning. Tonight,
we'll see the beginnings of this inspiration lived out.
Questions:
·
How could Paul start preaching "immediately"?
·
How did the community make decisions? How would that look for your
fellowship?
·
What's the role of Barnabas in Paul's ministry? What risks did he take?
·
How effective was Paul's ministry? How was his first time out in ministry?
Main Points:
1.
A life of sponsoring: looking for Paul (9:27). Barnabas puts his own
reputation on the line to sponsor this hot-headed new convert. He even takes him
to the Apostles for approval, and puts his approval behind him. Where would Paul
be without Ananias and Barnabas, people who took risks to bring him in ministry.
Show "Mr. Holland's Opus." Sponsor leaders not in the organization. Don't be greedy
with leaders; be willing to send people out as well (13:1).
2.
Ingredients to guidance: prayer, worship and fasting  in community
(13:2). It makes sense that the Spirit of God would move while the community is
seeking Him. It would make great sense to include more of these activities in our
corporate structures, particularly in leadership meetings.
3.
Speaking truth against the opposition (13:1-12, 42-52). The speaking of
truth for those who are opposed; this is for their sake! When young, it's easy not to
confront and challenge. We want everyone to like our leadership. However, there is
a great need for truth-speakers in our post-modern, relativistic society. Josh
McDowell once wrote, "It's great to be open-minded, but not so open-minded that
your brains fall out!"
Applications:
·
Who are some people you can sponsor? Make a list. Think of two
people that you will actively sponsor next year, so that person will come to
know Jesus better. (Ex. Danny).
·
How can you be a champion of worship, prayer and fasting in our
fellowship? We will take some time in the worship session to do some
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

worship and prayer for future guidance.
·
Give truth-telling sheet. To whom do you need to speak truth?
Study #3: Sharpening of Mission
Acts 14:1-15:22
We see the sovereign foundations of Paul's life. We see how he had been groomed for the
work God had called him too. We see what turned his life around. We see what inspired
Paul, and what would forever last as the literal "cross"-roads of his life.
Second, we saw Paul put into concrete action what he was inspired and called to do. Now,
in our third study, Paul is already on his way with some success, but it could have easily gone
to his head. In this study, we'll see how he progresses in his maturity. And how he happens
to tackle some tough issues along the way.
Questions:
·
How do Paul and Barnabas grab people's attention?
·
How would you have reacted to the crowd in Lystra?
·
Why was the outcome of the Council of Jerusalem so important? What
implications would this have for our communities of faith?
Main Points:
1. The "worship-me" temptation: worshipping the messengers as "gods."
(14:12-13). The temptation for people around us is to worship success. In an upstart
culture like America, we fully respect and desire to worship those who made it to the
top on their own hard work and effort. We don't really admire the spoiled kid who's
rich by inheritance, but we admire the pioneers.
It's very scary how easily that can be translated into ministry. Christian leaders who
are "successful" are sought out for wisdom and counsel; they are often
"worshipped." (Ex. your pastor or staffworker, Bill Hybels.) So, we replace one
idol-worship for another, and ministry can be another tool to focus on the self;
"worship-me" is just the flip-side of "I'm-no-good." They point people back to
Jesus (14:15).
1. (Sponsoring, pt. 2: need to appoint leaders, elders (14:23). A model of
self-sustaining ministry: it needs to reproduce itself! (Ex. PKT). Paul was not merely
interested in bearing fruit for himself, but also lasting, reproducing fruit. He's becoming
more like Jesus (cf. Jn 14:12)).
2. We need "new wineskins" in thinking about ethnicity, race and culture
(15:1-22). Paul made it his aim to reach the Gentiles; Peter, the Jews. But, the Council's
job was important because it figured out who was in or out of the Christian community.
Ethnic specializing was always used to make outreach easier, not more difficult. What is
the cost of inclusivity? (Ex. KCF).
Applications:
·
What would it mean to be pointers to Jesus in failure and success?
·
How can we sponsor new leaders for the long-term growth of the Christian
community.
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

·
Is ethnic-specific ministry Biblical? Is being an ethnic-specific ministry helpful or
hurtful to our outreach?
Study #4: Society and Mission
Acts 16:16-40, 18:1-11, 19:1-22
If you've ever seen "Outbreak," you have an idea of how viruses can destroy communities.
They start with an individual, a host if you will, and begins to spread to other people,
spreading as a vicious plague. Christianity is supposed to work through the warp and woof
of our society in the same way. C.S. Lewis called Christianity the "good infection." The
mission begins its affect on individuals, and if Christianity is doing what it's supposed to, we
can expect changes on societal levels as well.
Questions:
·
Examine the various uses and abuses of money and power.
·
How do Paul and Barnabas respond to hard times? What happens?
·
Make a list of reasons Paul might be tempted to quit sharing the Gospel.
How do you see God caring for Paul?
·
Look back at Acts up until now. What seems different about the early
church when compared to today's church?
Main points:
1. Costly choices could mean life for others (16:28). Paul and Barnabas are wrongly
imprisoned, but end up singing and worshipping. (Miracles happen during worship?)
Instead of fleeing the prison when God shows up, Paul and Barnabas decide to stay in
jail. This selfless action results in the salvation of the jailer and his family. What costly
choices could we make that would result in life for others.
2. Christians threatened the status quo (16:19, 19:18-20). Paul and Barnabas also
managed to threaten pocketbooks. Paul cast out a fortune-teller's ticket to money
(16:19), which brought a huge reaction from the business community. Christianity freed
the slave of the economic oppression. Later, people give up the most devoted things to
them, costing a total of 50,000 silver coins (19:19). Not only did people cast away their
worthless beliefs, but there was an embracement of downward mobility by the citizens
of Ephesus. Christianity has a way of upsetting the balance of power, so that those who
held power in society now feel threatened. And, this is what Jesus did in his time,
elevating the status of women and Gentiles, even prostitutes and tax collectors. Jesus is
the great equalizer.
Christianity has failed to hit the pocket books, and the idea of justice as a whole of
Evangelicalism has been lost for too long. How can Christians make a difference in
society today? (Ex. Tufts Christian Fellowship and the right to exercise freedom?).
1. The power of the Holy Spirit dwells in the community of believers! (19:11-17).
The Spirit shows up in power! We are neglecting an all-too important part of our
witness. Do you believe in miracles? (Ex. Spirit life.)
Applications:
·
In what ways is Christianity threatening to our society today? How can
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

Christianity affect society today?
·
In the light of Jesus, people threw away their worthless beliefs. What are
some worthless beliefs we are to throw away?
·
What are some costly choices for us that would mean life for others?
· Monetary sacrifices, budgeting
· New student outreach
·
Think of a time you were tempted to quit this past year. How has God
encouraged us to continue?
·
Do you believe in miracles? Can they happen today? Pray for them!
Study #5: Legacy of Mission
Acts 20:1-38
It's nearing the end of the movie. The hero is dying the arms of his friends, and he starts to
explain what needs to happen next. Paul too is near the end of his ministry, and he has no
regrets. He's in afterglow. But, even though his work on earth in drawing to an end, he has
other concerns that go beyond his own life. He is concerned for much more.
Questions:
·
How does Paul describe his own ministry?
·
How did Paul relate to his disciples?
·
What did Paul do to make disciples?
Main points (Need posterboard):
1. Pour into the lives of others (20:18-35). He is concerned about the growth of the
Church and the cause of Jesus, even more than his own life. And without begin dishonest
or manipulative, he's intentional about raising up new leaders.
· Intimate, "you yourselves know" (20:18, 34). Howard Hendricks, "You can impress
people from far away, but you can only impact them up close." In Korea, I heard all the
time that I didn't act like a pastor...
· Compassionate, "all humility and tears" (20:19). Paul's heart is in it. He cries with
people. Do we cry with others (20:19)?
· Giving of himself, "did not shrink from doing anything helpful" (20:20, 27; cf. Jn
15). He had a deep pocket. Are there helpful things that I won't do because it doesn't
feel like my job? He wasn't scared.
· Use his gifts well, "proclaiming the message... teaching you... testified..." (20:20).
Paul's way of helping was proclaiming the message. What's yours?
· Holy Spirit and foresight, "Holy Spirit testifies..." "I know that after I have
gone..." (20:22, 25, 29; cf. Jn 16). Acting like Jesus again.
· Healthy sense of responsibility, "I am not responsible for the blood of any of you"
(20:26). Responsible to not responsible for.
· "Keep watch" (20:28). Yourself and the flock. How are ways we watch out for
others, but not of ourselves?
· Holy Spirit made them overseers (20:28). God is the owner of the church, and he
paid for it in blood. How am I tempted to see ministry as mine?
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.

· Do my warnings come with tears (20:31)? Or simply with impatience or annoyance?
Or do I shrink back form warnings altogether?
· He entrusts people to God (20:32, also back in 14:23).
1. Modeling is not enough; explain your actions (20:18-35). If you're going to lead and
influence, you have to tell why you're doing the things you do. Paul is willing to call
attention to his model, so should you. We may risk something in not doing so: people may
conclude that I am truly a servant, instead of realizing that I've come across a key insight of
Jesus', it's better to give than to receive.
2. Be walking inspirations (20:24)! Paul, like Jesus, was willing to do anything it would
take to live according to his purpose! "But I do not count my life any value..." (20:24).
Everything else was rubbish (cf. Ph 1), compared to following Jesus. All-out. Everything
that made sense doesn't anymore. And, there's great power when there's nothing else to
lose. For example, one night I was playing Risk with the brothers at my church... William
Wallace was alluding to it, "They may take our lives, but they cannot take our freedom!" A
person who has nothing to lose has everything to gain! That's inspiration!
And his stories are not merely about the past, but about the present! Inspiration doesn't
merely come from what has happened, but what is happening today! I hope and pray for
a community of walking inspirations. (Ex. You). We are in need of more people who are
willing to give it all for Jesus!
Applications:
·
What would it mean to be sold-out? Is this attractive or intimidating?
·
Pick a few characteristics from Paul that you would like to work on? How will you
seek to grow in these areas?
·
What would it mean for you to "explain your actions?"
·
Practice interpreting. Take some time to explain your actions of the past year to
each other.
Overall themes:
·
The followers of Jesus are becoming more and more like Jesus as they go
along.
·
God uses most effectively those who are sold-out for him, holding nothing
back.
·
The power of the Spirit is evident in the community of believers. (Optional:
During worship, we can expect the Spirit to guide us and to perform miracles.)
By James Choung. ©2000 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. Please do not reproduce without permission.