Communicating the Gospel

Travis Whitcher

Jr. Church, Section 3, Unit 3, Lesson 10 • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

Acts 21:17–40

Communicate

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Agenda

Welcome - Chatty the Chicken

Song: Deep and Wide

Song: Jesus in my Boat

Game: Leading the blind

Song: God is so Good

Activity: Light Bulb / Memory Verse Matthew 5:16

Matthew 5:16 KJV 1900

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Lesson: Communicating the Gospel

Review Game: Romans Roman Road Hopscotch

Lesson Time-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Memory Verse

Lesson Time

What is the gospel? (Good News of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection)

What are we suppose to do with the gospel? (accept it and share it).

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

But how do we do this? (By supporting Missionaries and sharing it with others ourselves.)

Did you know you can share the gospel with someone even as a kid. But it takes knowing how. Today in our lesson we will see someone who was really good at communicating the gospel to everyone he saw or had a chance to speak to.

Before we get into the story about Paul. I want to walk through a really simple way of sharing the gospel with someone. Using the Romans Road and a Bridge.

Gospel- Romans Road

Paul is my favorite person in the whole Bible. He was excellent at sharing the gospel with others. In fact he took every chance he could to make sure that everyone he talked to knew that Jesus died for them and wanted them to go to heaven. But even in hard times Paul so desperately wanted others to go to heaven that he made sure to share Jesus.

Let’s catch up to Paul in the book of acts. In Chapter 19 you would have learned last week about Paul preaching the gospel in Ephesus to the Ephesians. In the next chapter he gives the believers there a farewell challenge and starts heading towards Jerusalem. Like Missionaries do even today. Paul wanted to return to Jerusalem to report back to the church there what God had been doing.

But on his way in Chapter 21, God sends a prophet to warn Paul that they were going to arrest him and put him in Jail in Jerusalem.

Now Paul started churches all over the place and each church was made up of 3 groups of people and one of those groups did not like Paul and caused all kinds of trouble for him. Gentile believers, Jewish believers, Jedisers.

Acts 21:17–26 KJV 1900

And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

I. Distinctive Communication (awkward)

V.20-26

(don’t be a stumbling block)

Paul grew up with a mix of a Roman gentile man and Jew. Paul had a good understanding of both and could go back and forth between both.

There was a big number of Jews who got saved and trust that Jesus is the only way to heaven but liked being a Jew. They did things still based on their traditions.

A. Awkward request

V. 22-24

Here is James the Pastor asking Paul while is was in town to not be a stumbling block to those Jews.

This would be like a Jewish friend of ours asking us to not eat pork while eating dinner with his family.

B. Actions speak louder than words.

V.26

Paul didn’t have to obey yet he simply did what he was asked to do. Paul’s willingness to obey this awkward request showed his humble heart and his trust in his friends.

Sometimes what we do or don’t do speaks a lot louder than what we are speaking or even typing.

II. Communication in Adversity

V. 31-37

Acts 21:31–37 KJV 1900

And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

What we do when faced with Adversity speaks volumes to who we are. It’s easy to respond as we should when someone is kind to us. Much harder to respond as Christ would when someone is unkind.

(story of Scott in middle school fight)

A. Wrong Communication

1. Beware of word Vomit

2. Beware of attitude

B. Right Communication

1. Slow to speak

2. Give respect (ask to speak)

3. Remember your audience

Acts 21:38–40 KJV 1900

Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

III. Communication the Gospel

Acts 22:1–2 KJV 1900

Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

Acts 22:3–8 KJV 1900

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Because of Paul’s correct communication he was able to communicate the gospel. There are two ways to share the gospel Witness- sharing your story (what Christ did in your life)