1 Session 1
\
\\
...
August 8, 2020, Saturday,
Manila Philippines
CCF 4W'S DISCIPLING THE NATIONS IS EVERYONE'S MISSION
WELCOME
Have you missed out on something important to you during the past week? (Example: your favorite TV show, work deadline, quiet time, famiky activity, DGrouo meeting, etc) How did you feel about it? Did you make time or found ways to make up for what you have missed? How?
WORD
Acts 20:1-16
Through Macedonia and Greece
20 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,3 where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaiusfrom Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,where we stayed seven days.
Eutychus Raised From the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.
Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
As we learned in the previous chapter of Acts, Paul was the epicenter of a riot in Ephesus, so he left & moved on to visit & encourage other churches he previously planted. Paul has taken the gospel, made disciples & planted churches in key cities from Turkey to Greece. Those churches in turn have sent people out who did the same in all the surrounding areas. Now the apostle returns to encourage them, knowing that he may never see them again. We can learn four principles from Paul that we can apply in our lives as we fulfill the mission God has given each one of us: DISPLING THE NATIONS.
1) FOLLOW GOD'S MISSION
From the beginning, God had a clear plan for Paul's life. We see this in
Acts 9:15-16
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
when God instructed Ananias to visit Paul, "But the Lord said to him, go for he is a chosen instrument of mine, to bear my name before the Gentiles & kings & the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake." Paul was called to pioneer, to take the gospel where people had never heard it.
Romans 15:20
20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.
By the end of the 2nd century, almost all of the Roman Empire had heard the gospel because of the faithfulness of Paul to the challenge & mission God had given him.
Acts 26:19
19 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
Likewise, our real ambition as a church is to reach out to people who do not know Jesus, to take the gospel where it has not been preached. We all know somebody who does not know Jesus yet; our loved ones, friends, officemates, classmates, neighbors. But we should also realize that all over the world, there are people who literally have never heard the name of Jesus. What has God called us to do? Our mission is to glorify God & make Christ Committed Followers who make Christ Committed Followers. Our vision is to see a movement of millions of committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ meeting in physical & online SMALL GROUPS & transforming lives, families, communities & nations, for the glory of God. This is what God has called us to do as a church & this is something worth living & dying for.
2) OVERCOME OBSTACLES
The journey of Paul was not easy; he needed to overcome a lot of challenges. Because of the gospel, he was driven out by the Jews in Pisidian Antioch, faced a plot of stone him in Iconium, stoned & left for dead in Lystra, beaten & jailed in Philippi, driven out of Thessalonica & Berea, attacked in Corinth & escaped from a riot in Ephesus! Yet he went back to these very places where he was mistreated so he can encourage the believers there & build them up in the faith. Like Paul, we also have to overcome challenges in order to do what God has called us to do.
3) MAKE DISCIPLES
The names listed in
Acts 20:4-6
4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaiusfrom Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas,where we stayed seven days.
were people from different places & they were all disciples of Paul, representing the different churches. We usually think of discipleship as a weekly meeting where we study the Bible, fellowship & eat a lot of food. But for Paul, discipleship was much more than this. He travelled with these people for days & weeks & months; he knew their family issues, weaknesses, strengths & how to develop them. Paul made disciples by spending time with people through life on life discipleship. The great need of Christianity today is to rediscover our disciple making mission
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
to become TRUE DISCIPLERS. Sadly, many Christians are not disciplers. Many are not Christ like to model transformed lives that appeal to others. A DISCIPLER is a follower of Christ who makes disciples intentionally by sharing the gospel (SALVATION) & modeling obedience to all (TRANSFORMATION) to their family & friends, resulting in transformation unto Christ like maturity (CHARACTER) that ushers in God's presence (FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT) & therefore, spiritual multiplication (CREDIBILITY) for the glory of God.
4) OBEY GOD'S DIRECTION
Paul had been given clear instructions from God to go to Jerusalem. He was sensitive to the Holy Spirit to obey His direction. He was told many times that going to Jerusalem was dangerous; he was sure to be arrested. But he knew that, that was exactly what God wanted him to do. So he obeyed. He never hesitated. Likewise, when God speaks to us, we should IMMEDIATELY OBEY what He tells us to do. Discipling the nations is everyone's mission. This means to disciple people from all cultures, of various family background God has called us to do something incredible; to expand His kingdom. He takes very ordinary people like us to be able to make an eternal impact for Him around the world. This is a privilege that we do not ever want to miss. So take part in the challenge to make disciples of all the nations!
Questions and Answer Portion:
DISCUSSION QUESTION: (DONT INCLUDE HERE YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WE ARE NOW AT THE PRESENT, POST THIS IN YOUR WATTPAD)
1. Are you obeying God's commission to disciple? Why or why not?
Mia's Answer: I am obeying God's commission to disciole; because I really love God that why I obey Him
Kathy's Answer: Yes, I am obeying God's commission to disciple BUt, I am still waiting for God's calling or sign for me if I am ready to disciple others.
2. What has been the price you paid for making disciples? What were your difficulties & challenges?
Mia's Answer: The price that I paid for making disciples is my time & effort; the difficulties & challenges is making time manage to have our online bible study
Kathy's Answer: The price I paid for for making disciples is my own deeds, time and hardwork
3. Based on the definition of a DISCIPLER, in what areas do you need to improve on? What steps will you take so you can help in discipling the nation?
Mia's Answer: Based on the definition of a DISCIPLER, the areas I need to improve on is to explain properly the meaning of the verse in my disciple; the steps that I will take so I can help in discipling the nation is through praying
Kathy's Answer: Based on the definition of "Discipler", the areas I need to improve is how to explain to others base on their standards of understanding regarding reading God's words. I also would pray for them or intercede with them which helps them uplift their spirits up.
\
\\
...
-END-
