Monday, April 21, 2014

Invite People to Church

I wanted to get this posted last night but didn't get around to it. I did manage to remember as was looking and reading over my study for today and realised I forgot to post it.. I will post my commentaries in a bit after supper..
That being said here's today's bible study.
~B

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Have you been inviting people to attend church? The word for “church” in the Bible means “the called out ones.” It does not mean a church building. Today we are here gathered in Jesus’ name to worship Him, to encourage one another in the faith, to listen to Him speak to us through His word and to obey what He tells us to do.

One of the early churches the Bible was in the city of Philippi. Let’s look at how that church get started In Acts 16:11-15, 16-24. 25-34. As you read this, look for the main three people whose lives were changed because of the things they heard and believed about Jesus.

The three main characters in this story whose lives were changed were Lydia, the slave girl, and the jailor. A relationship with Jesus Christ dramatically changed the lives of these three people. If you lived in those days, which life story among the three would you most liked to hear? And why?

As you think about this story, some of the things we see in Paul and Silas’s lives are: • Victory over Satan’s power - the evil spirit left the slave girl (v. 16-18) • Rejoicing even in times of trials - even in prison (v. 25) • Being able to tell others about Jesus clearly and simply (v. 30-32)

Which one of these would you like to see more of in your life? Why?

Pray: Think of some people you know that are like Lydia, the slave girl or the jailor that you would like to bring to church. How can you pray for them?

Go: Look for opportunities to reach out to others to share the love of Christ with them. Share with others what God has done in your life.

11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. 16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. 19 When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24 When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” 29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. - Acts 16:11-34 (NIV)

1 comment:

  1. Thinking on this, we all have peole like these in our lives... I seem to have more people like the slave girl in my life though. What I meanis that people who come into our lives that present us with a means to witness in ways that you wouldn't normally get the chance to do so. The slave girl by saying Paul and Silas were followers of Jesus was causing them problems I'm sure because of it being illeagal to do so. This would have been a reason for Paul to cast out the spirit and then they were arrested for that very reason, only to allow them to witness and teach the ways of Jesus to the Jailer and all the prisoners .... it leaves ya in a wow moment doesn't it? To show just how God places things in a way that even when satan tries to trip you up, God still makes it to where He shines through...

    ~W

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