Call to worship:
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9 For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.Psalm 33:6-9
Gathering Video
Questions for reflection:
What do you see in Paul’s travels and the companionship of early Christians?
How does Christ gift humility and unity to his people?
In what ways can congregations today be a “counter culture” society?
Corporate Prayer:
Our Father in heaven,
We are in awe of Your work. We see how the gospel of Jesus brings life, beauty, grace and freedom. May Your glorious truth be the center of our lives. Empower us by Your Spirit to remain connected to You and one another in everything we say and do.
In the name of Christ we pray,
Amen
Notes//Quotes//Slides:
Acts 21:1-36
The same forebodings marked Jesus’ journey—the same strong resolve on Jesus’ part, the same misgivings on the part of his disciples. In the Gospels Jesus’ predictions of his coming passion provide the ominous tone. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ journey is particularly marked by sayings regarding Jerusalem as the place of rejection for God’s messengers. In Jerusalem Jesus was arrested and executed. In Jerusalem Paul also was arrested and his life put in extreme jeopardy - John Polhill
Map
“The primary reality of which we have to take account in seeking for a Christian impact on public life is the Christian congregation. How is it possible that the gospel should be credible that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? . . . The only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it.” Leslie Newbigin
It will be a community of praise in a world of doubt and skepticism.
It will be a community of truth in a pluralist society that overwhelms and produces relativism.
It will be a selfless community that does not live for itself but is deeply involved in the concerns of its neighborhood in a selfish world.
It will be a community prepared to live out the gospel in public life in a world that privatizes all religious claims.
It will be a community of mutual responsibility in a world of individualism.
It will be a community of hope in a world of pessimism and despair about the future.
“Are we to blame Paul for his obstinacy or admire him for his unshakeable resolve?” John Stott
1 Cor 9:19-23
“We can only thank God for the generosity of spirit displayed by both James and Paul. They were already agreed doctrinally (that salvation was by grace in Christ through faith) and ethically (that Christians must obey the moral law). The issue between them concerned culture, ceremony and tradition. The solution to which they came was not a compromise, in the sense of sacrificing a doctrinal or moral principle, but a concession in the area of practice.” - John Stott
The church is beautiful because the lens through which Christ regards her is his cross – the focal point of blood, righteousness, forgiveness, union, justification, regeneration, and grace. God could have chosen to make his beauty known exclusively through breathtaking landscapes, undulating oceans, and sublime sunsets. Instead, he has decided to display his radiance within the hearts of the crown of his creation, humanity. - Dustin Benge