Thursday, May 19, 2016

MAY 22: REDEEMED FROM AN UNBELIEVING PAST

Just a note... Vev and I will be in Birmingham this weekend attending the wedding of our nephew. We hope all of you will have a great lesson this Sunday... I am very sure Ms. Pat will handle the lesson as she always does...

Last week we used Cliffs Notes for those of you who had not read the lesson... this week we are using Sparknotes

MAY 22: REDEEMED FROM AN UNBELIEVING PAST

MAY 16, 2016

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Acts 26:9-20

Throughout the book of Acts, we are introduced and exposed to the workings of the Holy Spirit. The focus of Acts is primarily on two individuals, Peter and Paul. For the study of this lesson, our focus will be on Paul. Paul was converted in Acts 9 and God’s purpose for Paul was mainly to take the gospel message to the Gentiles. In our text, Paul finds himself before King Agrippa and Paul shares his conversion experience with one of the most powerful men in the world.

Looking more closely at Paul’s testimony, we find that he shared what his life was like before his conversion experience. Paul explained to Agrippa that before his conversion experience, he hated the cause of Christ and gladly persecuted followers of Christ. In his journey to Damascus in which he was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” Paul was confronted by the Christ whom he had been persecuting. Like many who do not have a relationship with Jesus, Paul tried to justify his previous actions as noble. Paul enjoyed arresting, persecuting, and putting to death various Christians. In Philippians 3:5-6, Paul said that this persecution was caused by the zeal of his former religion. Paul discovered that hunting down Christians was clearly not God’s desire. Paul is typical of many today who are not followers of Christ – in that they love to persecute those who follow Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 24 that the hatred of believers would intensify before He returns.

Paul then shared the nuts and bolts of the encounter with Jesus that changed his life. On the road to Damascus Paul saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, which caused Paul to fall to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” which meant to persecute the followers of Jesus is to persecute Jesus Himself. Jesus changed Paul’s life and Paul was commissioned to carry the gospel to the Gentiles (v. 17). Faithful he was! According to Galatians 6:17, Paul had scars on his body for the cause of Christ. Paul’s life demonstrates the fact that God can save anyone because Paul referred to himself as the “chief of all sinners.”

After surrendering himself to the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul’s commitment proved that he was radically changed. Immediately after his conversion experience, a person could see Paul’s lifestyle changed. He was consistently obedient to Christ. Paul was blinded by the light on the Damascus Road but after having his sight restored he immediately began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying “He is the Son of God.” Paul began to preach in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles. This commitment to Jesus Christ is proven by the events that caused much personal suffering for Paul. II Corinthians 11:23-27 tells of many of the things Paul suffered: imprisonment, floggings, lashes, stoning, shipwreck, and danger. God spoke to Paul on the Damascus Road telling Paul of the things he would face as a believer, but that was not the last time God spoke to Paul. God continued to give guidance and direction to him for the rest of his life.

Paul shared his testimony before King Agrippa. Never underestimate the power of your personal testimony. Paul shared what his life was like before his encounter with Christ, about the day he responded to Christ, and then illustrated this change through a consistent lifestyle of obedience to Christ. Your testimony may be different from Paul’s, yet all who respond to Christ respond in the same way — by faith followed by a lifestyle of obedience in whatever Christ calls us to do

Thursday, May 12, 2016

For Sunday, May 15th, 2016

If you have not read the lesson for this week, here is the Cliff Notes for this week!!!!!

MAY 15: REDEEMED FROM DEVASTATING FAILURE

By Gene Price
Pastor, Tumbling Creek Baptist Church, Gleason

Focal Passage: Luke 22:54-62; Acts 4:8-13

At the Olympic Games every four years, 90 percent of the best athletes in the world do not win a medal. They try but they fail. Likewise, the Bible records many people who failed. Oftentimes we fail at the point of our greatest strength. The Bible says that Moses was a meek man, yet he lost his temper and struck the rock. Abraham was called the father of faith, but he lied twice, stating that Sarah was not his wife. David was called a man after God’s own heart, yet he committed adultery.

Peter’s name is added to that list in that he boasted that even if all the other disciples forsook Jesus; he would not. This is the same Peter who had courage to get out of the boat and also the same man who pulled out a sword to defend Jesus in the Garden. Now that Jesus had been arrested Peter followed at a distance. Peter ended up warming himself by the fire in the courtyard of the High Priest. There by the fire Peter denied Jesus three times just as Jesus said he would. It appeared that Peter was a failure but thankfully failure was not final in Peter’s life.

Peter realized that he was not as strong as he first thought. Peter had said that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not deny Jesus. Peter was confident of his strength and loyalty. After denying Jesus three times, Peter heard the rooster crow. At that point, Peter realized he had failed in his loyalty to Jesus. Peter had a desire to be a faithful follower of Jesus but now, when put to the test, he had failed.

Peter discovered that God’s love and forgiveness was not dependent on success. Peter discovered that Jesus still loved him in spite of his failure. Verse 61 states that “the Lord turned and looked at Peter.” Warren Wiersbe writes, “It is to Peter’s credit that all that the Lord had to do was look at him to bring him to (the place of recognition of what he had done) repentance.” Peter probably remembered the words of Jesus in Luke 22:32: “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Peter learned from his failures. Peter went out and wept bitterly. He had great remorse. Peter’s remorse was different from Judas’ remorse.

Unlike Judas, Peter’s remorse led him to make some changes in his life. Just as Peter denied Jesus three times by the fire, in John 21 Jesus asked Peter “Do you love Me?” three times by the fire.

Peter proved by his actions that he was serious in his love for Jesus. In Acts 4, Peter stood in the same courtyard in which he denied Jesus and boldly proclaimed Jesus before the same crowd in which he had denied Jesus. Filled with the Holy Spirit, the same man who had cursed and denied Jesus earlier was now standing unafraid before the same crowd that called for the crucifixion of Jesus. This crowd realized that there was something different about Peter. They knew Peter was uneducated and unschooled, yet they were amazed and recognized that they (Peter and John) had been with Jesus.

Spending time with Jesus made all the difference in Peter’s life. Jesus wants to make that same difference in our lives. Do others see through your life that you have “been with Jesus”? The same Jesus that impacted and changed Peter’s life waits to impact and change our lives as well.