Reaching Seekers August 10, 2008

Opening Activity:
Think about a question that someone with a incomplete understanding of Christianity might ask.
Lesson Goal:
To help you assist people who have an incomplete understanding of Christianity.

Acts 18:24-26 Learn What to Say to Others
Meanwhile a Jew names Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately though he only knew of John's baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

John's baptism indicated repentence, symbolized an inner cleansing, and anticipated the Messiah's coming. A Christian baptism pictures Jesus' death and resurrection. It symbolizes a believer's dying to sin and being raised to a new life.

Priscilla and Aquila saw that Apollos needed a little more guidance and gently instructed him in the truth. Some scholars would say Apollos was not yet a Christian, but since Luke does not mention a "rebaptism" it most likely suggests that Apollos was indeed a believer, yet a little misguided.

Can a non-believer lead people to Christ?

Today: Listening to what seekers say about Christianity will help us know how to complete their understanding.

Acts 19:1-3 Ask Questions
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not evern heard that there is a Holy Spirit." So Paul asked them, "What baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied.

What are some "qualifying" questions we may ask seekers or new believers?
What keeps us from questioning people about their understanding of Christianity?

Acts 19:4-7 Teach What's Needed
Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about 12 men in all.

"They were baptized" This is the only mention of rebaptism in the New Testament. They may not have been Christians yet.

Should someone who was baptized as a baby be rebaptized as an adult?

v6 They spoke in tongues.

I publically accepted Christ as savior when I was 15, but about 2 years later at a youth camp I feel like I really surrendered my life to Christ. While walking near the lake in The Ozarks I prayed for God to take all my burdens away and help me fully give my life to Him. At that moment I physically felt different. Almost lighter as if my burdens were indeed physical.

I don't know if you've had a life changing moment or have had a "happening" when you had the Holy Spirit enter your life, but I feel like I did. I didn't speak in tongues, but something happened.

Acts 19-8-10 Seek Opportunities
Paul's main focus was the Gentiles, but he did not give up on the Jews. He spent 3 months teaching in the synagogues. Some became hardened and even began to slander his ministry. At this point Paul moved his teachings to a lecture hall where he basically taught every day from 11am to 4pm. This, after having worked on his tent business in the morning. The bible says he did this for 2 years so "all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord."

Be ready to help seekers find the truth.

Defending Our Faith

Lesson Goal: to help expand your understanding of Christianity's uniqueness.
Scripture Background: Acts 17:16-31(we briefly touched)

The defending of one's faith or answering questions about what the bible says is done through apologetics. The Greek word "apologia" means, "a verbal defense." I started our lesson out with a few objections that someone might have about Christianity.

Books say dinosaurs are millions of years old and the bible says the earth is only about 6,000 year old.

I don't want to go to a place full of hypocrits.

If God is in control of everything then why do bad things happen to good people?

I tied this into 1 Peter 3:15 "Always be prepared to to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.........."

I retrieved information from 2 websites: www.christiananswers.net and www.carm.org (Christian Apologetics and Research Ministries). We took a 20 question quiz about how well we know the doctrine that we base our faith on. We discussed why there are different denominations(different interpretations of the core values) and different religions(wrong interpretations of core values).

If you are struggling with questions about your faith or have been challenged by someone about your faith visit Carm.org and search for the answers. Christiananswers.net also will help guide you in things such as movies and if they contradict bible teachings and if the content is appropriate for mature Christians.

I do know that I need to be reading more books that will help solidify my faith or help me be ready to defend it or lead someone else to the faith that I have. One book that is recommended was, More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell. He also wrote a powerful book Evidence that Demands a Verdict which talks about how he tried to disprove Christ as the savior and in this quest the evidence was so strong FOR the case of Christ that he became a Christian in his passion to discount the faith.

Why the Christian faith? It only has 2 simple rules: 1) Love God with all your heart, strength, mind and soul. 2) Love your neighbor and others as you would love your self. The rest would then be for you to figure out.

Last, the following 7 are non-negotiables to the Christian faith:
1. Jesus is/was both God and man.
2. Jesus rose from the dead physically in the same body.
3. Salvation is by GRACE thru FAITH.
4. The gospel hangs on the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus.
5. There is only ONE God.
6. God exists as a Trinity of persons: Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
7. Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary.

All other things are not deal breakers: church on Saturday or Sunday, music lead by a man or women, okay to consumer alcohol or not, which denomenation is correct, etc.

We had 5 in attendance, but had good conversation.