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Copyright ©2011 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org
Family Worship Guide – Week 15
READ This week, our study in the book of Acts focuses on examples of the early church serving the world. As followers of Christ, we know we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus Himself tied love for God to love for our neighbor and said the entire law hinged on these two commands (Mt. 22:37-‐40).
The primary way the early church carried out this mission to serve the world, at least as we see it presented in the book of Acts, was through the preaching of the gospel. While the early church sacrificially provided for one another with their material resources (Acts 2:43-‐46; 4:32-‐37), the primary way they sought to love the world was through the proclamation of the gospel. In other words, while we see the early church’s passionate concern for urgent physical needs among the members of the covenant community, they focused on meeting the urgent spiritual needs of the world meaning those who were not in Christ.
The church served the world in the book of Acts by obeying Jesus’ command to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
This week’s family worship passage focuses on the beginning of the apostle Paul’s first missionary journey. Read Acts 13:13-‐43. In this passage, we see Paul and Barnabas taking the gospel to a city called Antioch in Pisidia. When they got to the city they entered into the synagogue (the place where Jews met to study the Old Testament) and preached the gospel when they were given the opportunity. In his sermon, Paul shows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises to Israel. He is the Messiah, the Son of David that the Old Testament had promised. Read Acts 13:44-‐52. At first, the Jews who heard Paul’s sermon were interested in it and asked him to come back and preach again the next week. But some of their rulers became jealous and began to argue with Paul. These leaders led the Jewish people to reject the gospel that Paul was preaching to them. In response, Paul and Barnabas declared that they would now take the gospel to the Gentiles (13:46). It is extremely important that we recognize this was not God’s Plan B. God planned to send the gospel to the Gentiles as part of His eternal plan to bless all nations in Christ. In order to demonstrate this, Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:6 (Acts 13:47). The point is that God’s plan from the beginning has been for all nations to worship Him, not just one nation. As the church preaches the gospel, God carries out His plan to bring salvation to all nations. When the Gentiles heard that God had sent Christ for their salvation and not only for the salvation of the Jews, many of them rejoiced and believed the gospel. Verse 48 tells us that “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.” In other words, God gave them the faith to believe the gospel that Paul had preached to them. This is why we can have confidence when we preach the gospel to our neighbors in Birmingham and when we take it to all nations, because God is the One who powerfully works to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ. The result was that the Word continued to increase throughout the whole region (13:49). The Word of the Lord could not be stopped. This does not mean we will never experience trials. The Jewish leaders were not happy the gospel was spreading to the Gentiles, so they persecuted Paul and Barnabas and they had to flee the city (13:50). But even this could not stop the spread of the gospel. Paul and Barnabas left Pisidia in Antioch and took the gospel to other cities (13:51), and the disciples in the city were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit (13:52). Questions: How can you individually and as a family serve the world through taking the gospel to Birmingham and all nations? How does the reality that God appoints people to eternal life give you confidence in preaching the gospel? Why do you think Paul and Barnabas continued preaching the gospel in the face of persecution? How will you continue to serve the world through preaching the gospel when persecution comes your way? Why do you think the disciples in Pisidia were filled with joy, even after they saw Paul and Barnabas chased out of the city?
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Bottom Line: God desires to bring salvation to all nations, and He accomplishes this plan through the church’s preaching of the gospel.
PRAY On March 11, 2011 at 2:48am a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan of the eastern coast. This is the largest recorded earthquake in Japan’s history. The earthquake was immediately followed by a devastating tsunami that swept away everything in its path. Since then, there have been many aftershocks that have continued to destroy weakened buildings and strike fear in the lives of those who have lost so much. The devastation is overwhelming. As of this week, news reports show that more than 15,000 people have perished and over 12,000 are still missing. Buildings and homes have been destroyed and approximately 150,000 people have been left homeless. As we hear stories and see pictures of death and disaster, let us remember that more than 99% of those who died never heard the gospel. The areas affected by the earthquake and tsunamis of Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki are some of the most spiritually needy places in Japan. With over 4.9 million people only 0.15% are evangelical Christians. Japan is a physically rich country but spiritually impoverished and the church is weak in unity and discipleship. With the added devastation of the earthquake and tsunami, let us pray for the strengthening of the church and for the gospel to spread to those in great physical and spiritual need.
SING This week’s song is ‘Emmanuel’ written by Josh Poore. As we have studied in Acts about how God has made salvation available for the whole world (Jews and Gentiles), we are reminded about how the Gospel really is “good news.” Creator God has made us in His image. He is holy and hates sin. However, we choose sin rather than choosing Him. He is gracious towards us and has provided a way back to Him. He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be born as a man, to live life here on the earth, to die a cruel death on a cross, appeasing God’s wrath towards sin. Through the death of Christ, we can now have a relationship with God because our sins are forgiven, and we are made right with Him. This grace has been made available to all people. ‘Emmanuel’ is a song about the Gospel. It speaks of God’s unchanging nature, His promise to provide a way back to Him, the fact that He has become one of us. This results in our heartfelt praise to Him: “You are our God, You do not change, Emmanuel God with us, everyday!” We must be careful never to take the Gospel for granted, but we must remind ourselves and we must remind each other of His great love for us. Then we sing of our desire to follow Him and accomplish the great commission, taking the Gospel to all peoples. We have been saved from sin and death. We must spend our lives to tell the world that Jesus saves.
MEMORIZE Acts 13:47 “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
SUGGESTIONS These suggestions were created by the age-‐group ministry leaders as a way to help parents better communicate the biblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These suggestions are intended to help parents facilitate God-‐centered discussions with their children. Parents should prayerfully use these suggestions, and any other means necessary, to help their children discover the truths of God’s word and worship Him together.
Preschool
• Before you begin, locate several candles, a candle candleholder that will hold three or more candles, and a lighter. • Read Acts 13:47. • Tell your preschooler you are going to show them something, but they are to be very still, remain seated and watch only
with their eyes. • Light one candle and turn out the lights. • Explain to your preschooler this one candle puts out a little light and can help us see when the room is dark. • Say: Jesus wants us to be a light to those around us. What do you think would happen if I use the one lit candle to light all
of the other candles together? (Light each candle.) What did you see happen? (There is more light.) We can see better, and by passing the flame from one candle to the next, we could light up this room in no time.
• The light helps us see everything in the room and see the way we need to go. Jesus wants us to be a light as we tell
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Copyright ©2011 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org
people about Him and show them the way they need to go.
• Say: When God’s followers shine their lights, we are bringing the good news of Jesus to everyone around us. God wants us to carry the news to all the people of the world. God wants everyone to know that Jesus is the Savior of the world.
• Questions: Did you know that some people live their whole lives in darkness without ever knowing Jesus? What if there were no candles, lights, stars, sun or streetlights? What if it were completely dark all the time? That one small candle added a little light, but all the candles together lit up the whole room. Whose job is it to spread the good news (the light) about Jesus? It’s our job as believers and followers of Jesus. God wants us to tell all the nations about Jesus. We can show Jesus’ love to others and be like a light for them in the darkness. Jesus says that we should shine brightly for Him, just like the candles. That means we should show others Jesus’ love so they will praise Him and know Him, too.
• The Bible says Jesus wants us to be a light and guide to others. Let’s think of some ways to shine our lights to others. Jesus wants to use you to make a difference in the world.
• Conclude by re-‐reading Acts 13:47.
Children • This week’s reading focuses on an event during Paul’s first missionary journey. It may not be very familiar to your
children, so simply reread the passage focusing on who Paul and Barnabas are interacting with in Pisidia. • Use a map of Paul’s missionary journeys from your Bible to show how far the gospel message has traveled from
Jerusalem where Christ was crucified. • As Paul and Barnabas serve the world, they are going farther and farther from home to share the good news about Jesus.
This is because God never intended for salvation to be only for the Jews but for all people in the world. • When Paul and Barnabas entered this town, where did they go first? (Jewish synagogue) What was the Jews’ response
to the good news that Paul shared (vs. 42-‐44)? This must have been very exciting for Paul and Barnabas, and they probably looked forward to teaching again the next week.
• On the following Sabbath, the rulers of the town became jealous of Paul’s new teaching. How did they treat Paul and Barnabas now (v. 45)? A week prior everyone wanted to hear their message, but this time they are in the middle of opposition and persecution again.
• This might seem like things aren’t working out for Paul and Barnabas. But actually this is exactly how God had planned it. The gospel is rejected by the Jews, but the Gentiles (non-‐Jews) are “rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord” (v. 48). This doesn’t mean that Paul and Barnabas had to find a new plan or strategy. This, however, is God fulfilling a promise he made 2000 years before to the father of the Jewish nation, Abraham. God had promised Abraham that He would bless all nations through him (Gen. 12:3), and now the Gentiles are receiving the blessing of salvation.
• Read Acts 13:40. How many Gentiles believed? (“…as many as were appointed to eternal life…”) This should give us amazing confidence and boldness as we serve the world by being witnesses to the gospel.
• God doesn’t need us to save anyone, but He allows us the joy of sharing our faith with others so we can see Him at work. We simply tell the story, and God draws people to Himself.
• How does this truth give you confidence as you tell your friends and neighbors about Jesus? It is your job to tell the story, and God will draw people to Himself.
• Lastly, how did Paul and Barnabas respond to continued persecution as they preached the gospel (vs. 51)? They just continued on their mission. They didn’t stop because someone didn’t receive the message. They simply went on to the next person and the next town with full faith that God was in control.
• What will you do if you tell your friend about Jesus and they don’t want to become a Christ-‐follower? Or what if they make fun of you? Let’s follow Paul and Barnabas’s example and trust God as we pray for that person, but then continue in faith to share Jesus with someone else. This is how we serve the world.
Students • Read Acts 13:47. • In this passage, it’s easy for us to see the Lord commanding Paul to be the preacher. We must remember that Paul was
quoting from Isaiah 49:6 where the responsibility to be “a light to all nations” was given to all servants of the Lord. • As a family, discuss what it means to be a servant of the Lord. • Ask each member of your family to list ways they could be a light for the gospel. What opportunities have you had to “be
a light” in the last month? • Parents, remind your family of your own fears and feelings of inadequacy when proclaiming the Word. It’s ok to have
feelings of fear as long as we don’t let them stop us from being obedient to God, and it’s feelings of self-‐sufficiency that will destroy us. Both should drive us toward greater dependency on the Lord.
• Close your time together reading 2 Corinthians 12:9.
Pra
yer
W
eek
15
Loca
l
Loca
l Chu
rch:
Asb
ury
Met
hodi
st -
Kip
Laxs
on
Focu
s: O
ssie
War
e M
itche
ll M
iddl
e Sc
hool
O
utre
ach
- an
East
Lak
e ar
ea 6
th-8
th g
rade
sc
hool
in th
e Bi
rmin
gham
City
Sch
ool D
istr
ict.
Mon
day:
Pra
y fo
r G
od to
gra
nt w
isdo
m a
nd
unde
rsta
ndin
g to
the
prin
cipa
l, ad
min
istr
ator
s,
teac
hers
, vol
unte
ers
and
staff
as
they
inve
st in
le
adin
g an
d ed
ucati
ng s
tude
nts.
The
pri
ncip
al,
Mrs
. Jon
es, i
s a
Chri
st-f
ollo
wer
.
Tues
day:
Pra
y th
at G
od w
ould
pen
etra
te
OW
MM
S w
ith th
e go
spel
thro
ugh
stud
ents
, te
ache
rs, v
olun
teer
s, a
nd s
taff
mem
bers
that
are
Ch
rist
-fol
low
ers.
Wed
nesd
ay: P
ray
that
stu
dent
s’ p
aren
ts o
r ca
regi
vers
wou
ld ta
ke a
n ac
tive
role
in th
eir
spir
itual
and
aca
dem
ic e
duca
tion.
Thur
sday
: Pra
y fo
r G
od to
pro
tect
the
hear
ts
and
min
ds o
f stu
dent
s as
they
are
exp
osed
dai
ly
to m
any
nega
tive
influ
ence
s an
d te
mpt
ation
s in
th
e ar
ea.
Frid
ay: P
ray
that
God
wou
ld p
rovi
de O
WM
MS
with
the
fund
ing
and
lead
ers
need
ed to
giv
e st
uden
ts in
Eas
t Lak
e a
qual
ity e
duca
tion.
Satu
rday
: Pra
y fo
r G
od to
sen
d m
ore
Broo
k H
ills’
m
embe
rs a
nd o
ther
s to
vol
unte
er to
men
tor,
tuto
r an
d co
ach
stud
ents
.
Cop
yrig
ht ©
2011
The
Chu
rch
at B
rook
Hill
s
Glo
bal
This
wee
k w
e ar
e pr
ayin
g fo
r th
e ch
urch
and
pe
ople
of J
apan
.
Mon
day:
Pra
y fo
r th
ose
who
hav
e lo
st th
eir
love
d on
es a
nd fo
r th
ose
who
are
stil
l sea
rchi
ng.
Pray
that
God
wou
ld re
veal
Him
self
amid
st g
rief
an
d pa
in.
Tues
day:
Pra
y fo
r th
e ch
urch
in Ja
pan
and
arou
nd th
e w
orld
to re
spon
d w
ith c
ompa
ssio
n an
d th
e go
spel
. Pr
ay fo
r w
isdo
m to
kno
w b
est
how
to re
spon
d an
d se
rve
the
peop
le o
f Jap
an.
Wed
nesd
ay: P
ray
for
God
to o
pen
the
hear
ts o
f m
any
Japa
nese
and
for
peop
le to
kno
w C
hris
t.
Thur
sday
: Pra
y fo
r offi
cial
s an
d w
orke
rs w
ho
are
tryi
ng to
con
tain
the
spre
ad o
f rad
iatio
n du
e to
the
dam
aged
Fuk
ushi
ma
nucl
ear
pow
er
plan
ts.
Pray
for
the
peop
le w
ho h
ave
been
ev
acua
ted
from
thei
r ho
mes
in th
e su
rrou
ndin
g co
mm
unity
.
Frid
ay: W
eeks
aft
er th
e ea
rthq
uake
, hea
vy
after
shoc
ks a
nd o
ther
unr
elat
ed e
arth
quak
es
are
still
bein
g fe
lt th
roug
hout
Japa
n, w
ith n
o w
ay o
f kno
win
g ho
w lo
ng th
ese
eart
hqua
kes
will
con
tinue
. Ple
ase
pray
that
the
eart
hqua
kes
will
cea
se.
Satu
rday
: Pra
y fo
r G
od to
gra
nt w
isdo
m to
the
Japa
nese
gov
ernm
ent a
nd to
thos
e de
alin
g w
ith
the
ongo
ing
cris
is.
Live
s/Ch
urch
God
is s
over
eign
and
sup
rem
e an
d w
orth
y of
our
wor
ship
. Pr
ay th
is w
eek
that
you
wou
ld b
e ca
ptiva
ted
by th
e gl
ory
and
beau
ty o
f God
in a
ll H
is a
ttri
bute
s. P
ray
as w
ell t
hat o
ur in
divi
dual
live
s w
ould
be
a pl
easi
ng a
rom
a to
Him
as
we
are
com
pelle
d by
the
gosp
el to
live
in h
olin
ess,
pur
ity a
nd
trut
h. A
lso,
pra
y th
at o
ur c
orpo
rate
tim
es o
f wor
ship
wou
ld b
e G
od-c
ente
red,
Chr
ist-
focu
sed
and
Spir
it-em
pow
ered
. Em
man
uel
By Jo
sh P
oore
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righ
t©20
09 Jo
sh P
oore
/Bro
ok H
ills
Mus
ic
Scri
ptur
e M
emor
y“F
or s
o th
e Lo
rd h
as c
omm
ande
d us
, say
ing,
‘I h
ave
mad
e yo
u a
light
for
the
Gen
tiles
, tha
t yo
u m
ay b
ring
sal
vatio
n to
the
ends
of t
he e
arth
.’” A
cts
13:4
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