Author: Tom

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The Pot Calling The Kettle Black — Genesis 38

I guest taught a lesson in a Bible study class that is working its way through Genesis.  This is the study guide/discussion questions that I used with the class.

Genesis 38

“The Pot Calling the Kettle Black”

 

  1. Chapter 38 opens with the phrase, “At that time” – what was “that time”?  What had taken place?  What was Judah’s role in it?  How did it turn out?  Where did Judah go?  Why?  What takes place?
    –
  2. Who are Er, Onan, and Shelah?  What did Judah do for Er?  How did Er live according to God’s view?  What happened to him?  What was Onan’s responsibility?  How did he respond to that?  What was God’s response?
    –
  3. What instruction does Judah then give Tamar?  Why?  After time passes and his wife dies, where does Judah decide to go?  Who hears about it?  What does she do?  Why?  When he sees her, who does Judah think she is?
    –
  4. What arrangement does Judah make with the woman he meets?  What does he leave as a guarantee of payment?  What happens when Judah tries to send what was promised?  What is he told?  What does he do?
    –
  5. What news is brought to Judah three months after this incident?  What does he want to have done?  What message does Tamar send to Judah?  How does he respond to this?  What takes place in the proper time?  Who are Perez and Zerah?  Where do we read of them again?

So what?

  1. How often do circumstances and bad choices take you down a path you shouldn’t be on?  Is it easier to hide from regrets or face them?  Which is better?  Why is it so hard to see that at the time?
    –
  2. How bad is too bad?  How do you respond to things that you aren’t given a choice about?  How much do you consider what’s in it for you when you decide a course of action?  How long do you think you would live if God punished all selfish actions in the way Onan was punished?
    –
  3. Are there things that you try to keep to yourself that really belong to someone else?  Are there times that you fail to take the circumstances into account and begin to believe something will happen simply because it has happened before – forgetting why it happened and so, how to avoid it?  Have you ever used deceit to persuade someone to do what is right?  Is that a good idea?
    –
  4. Do you have possessions that people would generally identify as belonging to, or coming from, you?  How willing would you be to give these up, particularly to a stranger?  How might trying to retrieve something that was “lost” in a questionable manner make you look?  Have you ever given up on something simply to avoid others noticing, and reacting to, what you did?
    –
  5. How quick are you to judge people based on what others say about them?  Do you tend to be harsher or more lenient on those who fall to the same sin you struggle with?  Why?  How do you respond when your hypocrisy is exposed?  Do you have confidence that God can use the messed up circumstances in your life to accomplish great things?  You should!
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1 Kings: Lesson 12 — Dividing A Nation

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 12 (Dividing A Nation)
1 Kings 12
 September 18, 2013

The Text:

 

  1. Who was Rehoboam?  What was the purpose of his trip to Shechem?  What message does Israel give to Rehoboam?  How does he initially respond?
    –
  2. What advice does Rehoboam receive from the elders who had served Solomon?  What does Rehoboam think of this advice?  Who does he go to for another opinion?  What response do they suggest?
    –
  3. When the people of Israel gather back together to hear Rehoboam’s response, what does he say to them?  Why?  How did the people of Israel respond to the king’s decision?
    –
  4. What did the people of Israel do to the man Rehoboam sent out to gather people for forced labor?  What did this do to the nation?  Who did the people of Israel turn to as their leader?  What did Rehoboam want to do?  Why didn’t he?
    –
  5. What concern did Jeroboam have about the people going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices?  How did he attempt to resolve that problem?  How much attention did Jeroboam give to the way God had instructed worship to take place?  What does God say about it?

 

 

The Application:

 

  1. In what settings do people look to you for leadership?  How do you address someone when you want things done differently?  How much thought do you put into the answers that you give people?
    –
  2. Do you seek advice from people who have more experience than you?  Do you prefer to listen to the advice of people who would be your peers?  Why is it sometimes difficult to take advice from people from another generation?
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  3. Why is it that control and power seem to be so addictive?  Why is it so easy/hard for you to part ways with someone who does not have your best interest in mind?
    –
  4. How do you respond when people try to force you to do something?  What seems to be the typical effect of a person insisting that everything has to be their way?  What would it take for brothers & sisters in Christ to cease fighting one another?
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  5. What role does genuine worship have in uniting people?  What do you think this says about the enemy’s efforts to get us to make worship about us and what we like?  How does God respond when we ignore Him in our worship?

 

 

Next Week:  A Hard Lesson
1 Kings 13

 

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The Act of ANSWER (Acts 22)

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
1 Peter 3:15

After having the month of August off, it is a joy to return to preaching through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 22 in our sermon series we find Paul publicly giving his testimony as a result of being arrested for being at the center of a riot.  Paul seemed to understand what Peter would write about being ready to give an answer — even in times where it might seem safer to just blend in and not speak up.  As we seek a greater obedience to living the word of God, we must also be ready to give an ANSWER.

  • Acknowledge:  As we prepare to be ready to give an answer for the hope that is within us, it is important that we acknowledge we started at the same place as the person who needs to meet the hope we have.  Paul begins his defense — his answer — in chapter 22 by acknowledging that he not only understands their concerns but for much of his life he was right there with them leading people in the very actions they were involved with.  Sometimes as Christians our answer falls on deaf ears, at least in part, because we don’t acknowledge we were once just as lost as they were.  We want to forget that part of our life.  We want to believe we have always been in a right relationship with God — but we haven’t been!  Our acknowledgement is a necessary part of our answer so that people can see there is hope for them to experience the change that Jesus offers.  When we are engaged in the Act of ANSWER, our Acknowledgement of where we’ve been can help others see they are not beyond the reach of God’s grace. 
  • Notice: For our answer to be as effective as possible, it is important that we actually notice who we are talking to!  Paul appears to do this as he chooses to address the crowd in Aramaic.  As you read the text, it is obvious that using this language gets the crowd’s attention.  Remember, this wasn’t a friendly crowd wanting to hear what the traveling preacher was saying — it was an angry mob already in turmoil over what Paul had been teaching.  If we are going to excel at giving an answer with gentleness and respect, it is imperative that we notice everything we can about who we’re talking to!  Too often we put our foot in our mouth because we’ve not paid attention to the details.  So, our mouth opens and out comes something offensive, making whatever truth we may have shared to fall on deaf ears.  When we Notice as much as possible about the people around us, God will use those details to guide our words in the Act of ANSWER.
  • Speak:  While this part of our answer should be obvious, it is often the most difficult because it represents the point of no return.  Paul writes to the Romans that faith comes by hearing the word of God and that hearing the word of God requires that someone speaks it.  Paul would not only speak as part of his answer about his faith, he would speak as much as possible in a language that his audience would understand.  A life lived fully in the hope Jesus offers will often get people’s attention but what will we do with it?  The speaking we do about our faith in Jesus must come from both our acknowledgement of where we started and from the things we notice about those we speak to.  When it comes to living out the Act of ANSWER, there does come a point where we must Speak about the incredible hope that we have in Jesus.
  • Willing:  To know these first three elements of the Act of ANSWER is good, but doing it typically requires that we ask the question of ourself, “Am I willing?”.  Even when we know the importance of the hope that we have, many times we are intimidated into not being willing to share it.  Paul had been told he would suffer much for sharing about Jesus yet he was willing to keep giving an answer because he knew it was the only way others would know about an everlasting hope.  Instead of letting fear drive our silence, we must be willing to step up and speak up every time God gives us an opportunity to share about our relationship with Him.  Are there people we are not willing to speak to because we think they’re unreachable or undeserving?  According to God, knowing the good we ought to do and not be willing to do it is sin.  The Act of ANSWER will never by attempted by us until we are Willing to be obedient to God in all things and make the most of every opportunity He gives us.
  • Expose:  There is a perceived downside to the Act of ANSWER and that is that it has a tendency to Expose both us and those we give the answer to.  When our answer is filled with the honesty and integrity that it requires, it reveals that we started at the same place as those hearing our answer — we were a sinner in need of God’s grace.  Paul’s answer to the crowd exposed to them that even in his strongest held beliefs before meeting Jesus, he was wrong.  God uses that same answer to also expose the need in the lives of those listening.  It appears that Paul was being listened to, and perhaps even had agreement from among the crowd, until his answer exposed a great sin of prejudice.  Everything was good until Paul stated that God had sent him to the Gentiles.  That was more than the crowd could stand!  Their racial prejudice was so ingrained that they would seek to rid the earth of Paul rather than accept that God desired all people to be saved.  Our answer, or lack of one, can expose just how much, or little, we believe that Jesus is the only way to God.  Who we tell, or don’t tell, can expose our layers of prejudice and lack of faith in God’s power to change anyone who would turn to  Him.  Our speaking the truth in love will many times expose the hatred, hurt, and rejection in the lives of those listening.  The problem isn’t the exposure, it is what do we do with it.  God’s call is for His light to expose, and dispel, the darkness so that mankind would no longer live and walk in it.  When done effectively, our Act of ANSWER gives out the light of Jesus so that the deeds of darkness are Exposed.
  • Respectful Rights:  As we give an ANSWER for the hope that lies within us, we do so recognizing that we have Rights that must be used with Respect.  Paul was not afraid to speak up for his rights in a respectful way in order to have even greater opportunity to speak about his faith in Jesus.  When about to be flogged in an attempt to get the truth out of him, Paul simply asks, as a Roman citizen, if doing so is right.  While some of our rights vary based on the country we reside in and the government we live under, God tells us that our relationship with Him through Jesus gives us the right to be called children of God.  Even when our rights seem to be non-existent or eroding away, do we use what we have to increase our opportunity to speak about our hope in Jesus?  When exercising our rights with respect will lead to hardship for us, are we willing to still speak up about Jesus?  Sometimes it is not so much that we have our rights taken away from us as Christians as that we have given up our rights as Christians because they create a hardship for us.  The opportunities we have in the Act of ANSWER often increase when we know the Rights given us by both God and our earthly authorities and we exercise these Rights with Respect.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of ANSWER?  Do you Acknowledge that you started at the same place in regard to God as those that you are giving your answer to are in?  Will you take the time to Notice everything you can about those to whom you will express the answer you have for your hope?  Can you Speak up and put your answer into words that others can understand?  Are you Willing to make the most of every opportunity?  Do you allow the light of Jesus Expose the truth about Him, about you, and about those you share with?  Will you be Respectful when you use your Rights to gain greater opportunity to share about your relationship with Jesus?  I pray that your response to the Act of ANSWER will boldly show, and tell, the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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1 Kings: Lesson 11 — It’s All Downhill From Here

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Lesson 11 (It’s All Downhill From Here)
1 Kings 11
 September 11, 2013

The Text:

  1. Where were the foreign women from that Solomon loved?  What had God said about these nations?  What eventually happened as a result of Solomon’s love for these women?   
    –
  2. How was Solomon’s obedience to God compared to that of David?  How did God respond to Solomon’s actions?  What influence did the relationship David had with God have on God’s dealings with Solomon?  
    –  
  3. Who was Hadad?  Where did he grow up?  Why?  What did he set out to do after he learned that David and Joab were dead?  Why?  What did Hadad have in common with Rezon?
    –
  4. What was Jeroboam’s early relationship with Solomon?  What did Solomon notice about him and how did Solomon respond to that?
    –
  5. What did the prophet do when he met Jeroboam heading out of Jerusalem?  What did he tell Jeroboam this represented?  What reason did God give for doing this?  What instruction is given to Jeroboam?  Does this sound familiar?

The Application:

  1. Are there people or things that have the potential to turn your heart away from God that get you attention?  Why is it hard to avoid such situations?  Even though you likely wouldn’t claim it, do your actions show that you think you are wiser than Solomon?
    –
  2. Would God say that you have a heart after Him or that your heart is not fully devoted to Him?  What should you do when it appears your heart is divided?  Does your relationship with God, your intercession for others, make a difference in God’s dealings with them?   
    –
  3. Do you know people who seem to be your adversary?  Have you ever given serious thought as to why and if God might be using them for your discipline?   
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  4. Who are some people that you trust so much that you would put them in charge of things you are responsible for?  Do you work in such a manner that people would trust you to be in charge of their responsibilities?
    –
  5. How do you respond when it feels like someone you trusted is betraying you?  What if you knew it was at God’s direction?  How important is doing what is right in God’s eyes?

 

Next Week:  Dividing A Nation
1 Kings 12

 

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1 Kings: Mid-Term Review

The following are discussion questions from a weekly study I am leading through the book of 1 Kings.  We meet each Wednesday evening at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Starting Strong Isn’t The Same As Finishing Strong

A Study of the Book of 1 Kings

Mid-Term Review
1 Kings 1-10
   September 4, 2013

 

  1. “Who’s In Charge” — How do you feel when you realize you have chosen the “wrong side”?  How afraid are you of the judgment you deserve?
    –
  2. “Settling Accounts” — What things do you think are important to pass on to others while you can?  How important is it for you to challenge others to keep the Lord’s commands?  What benefits of  keeping God’s commands have you experienced that you could tell others about?
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  3. “Asking For Anything” — How do you think God would react to your request if you were to ask Him for what you felt you needed most?  In what ways has God given you immeasurably more than you could think or ask?
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  4. “Collecting Taxes” — Do you believe that God wants to supply your every need?  What things make that seem more believable or less believable?  What influence does contentment have on your willingness to give?
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  5. “Building Preparation” — When starting something new, how important is it to remember why it hadn’t been done yet?  Who benefits from that reminder?  Should we consider how our circumstances are different from those of our predecessors when evaluating doing something they couldn’t?
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  6. “Building Project 1” — How much “living space” does God want in your life?  Does He receive it?  How concerned are you about distractions as you prepare your temple for God?
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  7. “Building Project 2” — How do you define justice?  What areas of injustice concern you?  Are you more concerned about justice in the sense of punishing wrongs or righting wrongs?
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  8. “Building Dedication” — Is God at the center of every aspect of your life?  Do you find it easier to look to God during good times or bad?  Do you act like God really wants all people to know His name and fear Him?
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  9. “A Special Guest” — How much do you think about God inspecting your work?  What does He look for?  How has God revealed himself to us?  What does He say to you about His temple?
    –
  10. “What’s It Worth?” — Do you live like you are in possession of the great riches of God’s grace?  What would need to change so that people would want to hear the wisdom God has given you?  Are you a hoarder, a spender, or a giver?

 

Next Week:  It’s All Downhill From Here
1 Kings 11

 

 

 

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The Act of [Good]-BYE (Acts 21)

“After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.”
Acts 21:6

It is a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 21 in our sermon series we find Paul continuing to say good-bye to people as he makes his way to Jerusalem.  As he travels, he always seeks out believers at every stop to spend time with them and say, “BYE”.  Even when warned of trouble ahead, Paul presses on to accomplish the work God has equipped and called him to do.  Let’s learn from Paul how to make our “good-bye’s” become Godly BYE’s.

  • Beliefs:  Being able to say a Godly BYE when the time comes is based on having Godly Beliefs.  Paul sought out believers everywhere he went because his life was completely about his belief in Jesus.  Even when faced with warnings of danger, Paul could say “bye” to his fellow believers and continue the journey to Jerusalem because of the firm belief he was doing what God had called him to do.  It was at Paul’s conversion recorded in Acts 9 that Jesus made it clear that Paul would proclaim Jesus to the Jews, to the Gentiles, and to their kings and rulers.  It is also stated that Paul would be shown how much he would suffer for the name of Jesus.  It seems Paul knew what was coming.  Perhaps the warnings that the Spirit was giving through other people was for their sake and not Paul’s.  When we are engaged in the Act of BYE, our belief in Jesus and His calling in our life must be firm enough to move forward even when people try to persuade us not to. 
  • Yielding: In order for our Godly belief to do us any good in the Act of BYE, we must also live a Godly Yielding.  It is one thing to know what God is calling you to do and quite another to actually do it!  Again, Paul had been shown by Jesus what to expect in his life.  Even when his heart was torn by heartfelt and personal pleas, Paul was committed to yielding fully to the will of God.  He did not allow his love for God to be overtaken by his love for people and their love for him.  He was able to keep the first and greatest commandment first, and the second one second.  Sometimes we have great difficulty in saying a Godly bye because we struggle in the area of yielding to God.  We let our relationships with people get in the way of full obedience to God.  Other times we are on the reverse side of the situation and do our best to hold someone else back from yielding to God because it might mean they have to say a BYE that we don’t want to hear.  Learning to yield fully to God and to allow others to do so as well is an important part of living the Act of BYE.
  • Equipping:  Probably the secret to an effective Godly BYE is a thorough Godly Equipping.  It is nearly impossible to read the writings of Paul and not see the importance he placed on his role in equipping people to be complete believers in Jesus.  Even as he journeyed to what he knew would be trouble and hardship — even the end of his life — he constantly stopped to equip people to be ready for his ultimate departure.  The equipping wasn’t simply preparing them for what he would face, more importantly it was preparing them to carry on with the gospel message when he no longer could.  While the elements of belief and yielding are imperative to being able to say a Godly BYE, it is this element of equipping that allows the BYE to be said with full confidence that his race had not been run in vain.  We can have the most Godly belief and pursue a completely yielded life but we will never be ready to fully express a Godly BYE until we have equipped those around us to “follow me as I follow Christ”.  When we are growing in the Act of BYE, we need to be deliberate about our role in equipping the people around us to be disciple making followers of Jesus.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of [Good]-BYE?  Are your Beliefs firmly grounded in instruction from God through His Spirit and His Word?  Do you constantly examine your life in light of God’s Word so that you are fully Yielding every aspect of your life to God?  Are you actively involved in Equipping the people around you to be ready to take up the baton once you’ve finished the race?  I pray that your response to the Act of [Good]-BYE will boldly show the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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The Act of LIFE (Acts 20)

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”
Ephesians 5:15-16 

It is a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 20 in our sermon series we find Paul completely engaged in the Act of LIFE, even knowing that he is nearing the final leg of his journey.  Paul’s relationship with Jesus had not simply become a part of his life — it was his life!  It is in the midst of this Act of LIFE that we find Paul speaking until midnight only to be interrupted by a young man falling out a window and dying.  Not to worry — Paul raises him to life, takes a short break, and resumes teaching until daybreak!  Lets look at some key characteristics from Paul’s Act of LIFE.

  • Living:  Some have said that life is what happens while you are busy trying to figure out how to make a living.  Paul understood that life was all about who you were living for!  Paul would make plans and express desires but always sought, and listened to, God’s direction for his travels and life.  He wanted to live in obedience to God.  While he had his preferences, it didn’t matter where he was or how he got there, he was living for Jesus.  If we want to see the world turned upside down for Jesus as it was in the first century, we must begin by living completely for Jesus at all times.  Day in and day out, Paul lived for Jesus no matter what.  Wherever he went he would worship God, seek out believers, and teach publicly and privately about Jesus being the only way to God.  When we are engaged in the Act of LIFE, our living for Jesus must be full-time and evident to all who are around us. 
  • Instruction: Another part of the Act of LIFE that Paul lived out was the act of Instruction.  Even on a tight time schedule, Paul does not neglect his responsibility and calling to pass on instruction in The Way to the people around him.  In this chapter, as Paul heads toward Jerusalem, there is a quick stop in Troas where Paul teaches all night because he is leaving in the morning.  Part of the great commission is a command to teach everything that Jesus commanded.  Unfortunately, far too often we fail to be involved in instruction from either side.  Either we think we know everything and don’t need instruction or we’re intimidated by others and let fear keep us from giving instruction — or more likely, a combination of both.  Paul understood the great need to pass on all that he had learned from his pursuit of God.  The Act of LIFE calls us to be involved in bringing up, discipleing, those who are coming up behind us.  Learning to take Godly instruction and to be involved in passing on Godly instruction is an important part of living the Act of LIFE.
  • Farewell:  Part of the Act of LIFE that can be very difficult for many people is the act of Farewell.  Goodbyes can be very difficult because they seem so final and we’re not always prepared for that.  Paul understood the importance of using farewells to warn and prepare people for what they would face in the future.  As Paul headed toward Jerusalem, he called for the Ephesian elders to come to him so he could say goodbye in person.  This farewell was an important time for Paul to let the elders know what he was about to face — and that he was okay with it.  It was also a time to warn them of things that they would face and help them to be prepared to handle the difficult times.  When we are growing in the Act of LIFE, we need to be deliberate about our Farewells for both our benefit and the benefit of those around us.
  • Embrace: At the very heart of Paul’s Act of LIFE was this act of Embrace.  I find it interesting that after Paul warns the Ephesian elders of the terrible things that are to come, Acts 20 ends with the statement that what grieved them the most was Paul saying they would never see him again.  Even as Paul would travel from place to place, his hearts desire was to embrace people with the love he had found through Jesus.  Even when he would write very pointed and corrective letters to the churches, he made it clear that his love for them was not diminished.  I’m not too sure we get that concept too often in today’s church culture.  Churches split and divide, people are excluded and leave a church fellowship, and “church hopping” runs rampant many times because we’ve not learned the act of Embrace even in times of difficulty and disagreement.  While that activity is harmful to the church, the greater problem is that it makes us very ineffective in reaching the unchurched.  We will never learn to truly embrace those who are completely outside of a relationship with Jesus if we can’t learn to embrace those who are fellow believers.  Embracing someone, whether within the church family or outside of it, doesn’t mean that we agree with or accept everything they do or say — it simply means we love them with the love Jesus has called us to have.  The Act of LIFE calls us to learn to embrace one another as brothers and sisters in Christ and to embrace the hurting and lost with the love of Christ.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of LIFE?  Do you daily recognize and accept the call for every aspect of your Living to be done for Jesus?  Are you willingly involved in receiving and giving Instruction in God’s Word?  Do you make your Farewells meaningful in preparing people for what is to come?  Are you able to Embrace people who need to feel the love of Jesus even when it calls them to go and sin no more?  I pray that your response to the Act of LIFE will boldly show the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!

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The Act of CORRECT (Acts 19)

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 
2 Timothy 3:16-17

It is a joy to preach through the book of Acts!  It is filled with examples and lessons that I need to learn and apply.  As I continue to look at the “Acts of Acts” in this sermon series, it seems like each chapter has the apostles, or early Christians, involved in an act that we have a tendency to try to avoid.  Yet it was these very acts of God in their lives that transformed a fledgling group disciples in disarray into a mighty force that turned the known world upside down with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  We live in a time where we need such a transformation in the church and in the lives of the individuals who follow Jesus.

As we arrive in Acts 19 in our sermon series we find Paul arriving at Ephesus and evidently noticing a need to correct some incomplete teaching.  Because we don’t have a full time-line of the events, it seems to be an interesting approach as Acts 19 opens with Paul finding some believers and the conversation that Luke finds worth writing down revolves around a simple question, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”.  I’m guessing that I’m not alone, but I’ve never even thought of asking that question of a group of believers as I travel and meet new people!  I believe there was either something about the fruit of their life, or perhaps knowledge of the incomplete teaching of Apollos, that led Paul to suspect that they had not been immersed into Jesus Christ.  And so, Paul takes on this Act of CORRECT in order to bring some believers into a greater understanding of their belief in Jesus.  We’re typically not good at the act of correct because we miss some important elements — and because they are missing the outcome is often worse than the beginning.  Instead of letting our past failures keep us from the good work of correction, let’s look at some lessons we can learn from the example of Paul’s as we consider the need to be skilled in the Act of CORRECT.

  • Concern:  At the very heart of being effective in our attempts to correct is a need to have genuine concern!  Too often, our attempts to correct are simply born out of a desire for everyone to agree with our opinion.  Paul’s act of correction was designed to express his concern that the believers were not fully informed of, therefore not fully obedient to, the commands and promises of Jesus.  When we approach the act of correct out of genuine concern for others, we always begin by examining and allowing God to purify our motives.  Real concern will usually soften our approach to correcting honest mistakes and simple oversights.  Sometimes our attitude in the act of correct makes our attempts appear to be more of an act of condemn.  Correction is always more effective when it is obvious the one doing the correcting has great, and real, concern for the one being corrected.  When God calls you to grow in the Act of CORRECT, recognize that God’s desire is that your interaction with people would be done from an attitude of Concern.
  • Obedience:  Also at the very heart of the Act of CORRECT is an unwavering act of Obedience!  Correction by its nature is designed to bring someone, or something, into line with an existing standard.  For the act of correct to work within a church family, it must always center around an obedience to God’s Word and a desire for the family to be brought up to the standards set by God.  After hearing that the believers had not received the Holy Spirit, had not even  heard of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s next question is interesting — “Then what baptism did you receive?”.  There was an evident assumption because they had believed in Jesus that they had been baptized!  Their intent was to respond to Jesus in obedience but they had only heard of John’s baptism of repentance.  Paul’s act of correct calls them to a more accurate obedience to which they responded by being immersed in the name of Jesus Christ.  Too often, we forget that it really is all about obeying Jesus and we make our attempts to correct people all about getting them to obey us!   For our Act of CORRECT to be effective, we must always center the need to correct around a full Obedience to the Word of God.
  • Repentance: The act of correct also calls for repentance — not only in the life of the one being corrected, but also in the life of the one correcting!  Because we associate repentance so closely with a turn from evil, we often miss that it really is all about a change of direction or a change of mind in the way we think.  The act of correct is simply calling on people to have a change of mind or direction in the way they respond to Jesus.  A similar change of mind is often needed in the “corrector” so that the correcting is really being done out of concern and obedience to God.  Sometimes we do the right things with the wrong motives and God needs to apply the act of correct to us in order to bring about repentance.  In Acts 19 some Jews were evidently known for driving out evil spirits and when they saw the effectiveness of the name of Jesus in doing so, they thought they would join the bandwagon.  Unfortunately for them, an evil spirit could see them as pretenders and instead of coming out of the man it possessed it attacked and beat seven of the Jews at once.  It was this revealing by God of the imposters that brought many believers into the open with their acts of repentance and confession.  God uses many things to get our attention with the desire that we would recognize anything false within us and turn to Him in repentance.  When we are growing in the Act of CORRECT, we also grow in the act of Repentance as we change our way and our mind to be more like Jesus and call others to do the same.
  • Rejection: We like it when the act of CORRECT brings about repentance in people — even in us!  Unfortunately, there are times when the response is one of Rejection rather than repentance.  While it is not nearly as pleasant to talk about, it is important to understand that even when correcting is done out of genuine concern and complete obedience to God’s Word, the will of mankind still has the option to reject the correction.  Throughout the book of Acts we see the Apostles and early Christians preaching, teaching, and correcting yet not everyone who hears responds in a positive way.  Most of the time it seems like the magnitude of the acts of acceptance and genuine repentance is met with a corresponding and magnified force of rejection.  I include this point because we must realize the rejection is not really of us, but of the one who sends us.  Fortunately, the rejection of our work of correction is not always the end of the story.  We must continue on, trusting that God will continue to work with the seeds we are planting.  The Act of CORRECT lived out in our life not only finds acceptance at times, but will often find strong Rejection that we must not take personally.
  • Excuses:  Sometimes instead of outright rejection, the act of CORRECT is met with Excuses.  While there were many who repented of the evil they had clung to, there was another group in Ephesus that made excuses for why they couldn’t accept correction.  If you look at them in Acts 19, you will probably notice they are actually quite common excuses we use to hold on to things we shouldn’t — “It will cost us time, money, and/or business.” . . .  “It disrupts our normal routine of life.” . . .  “What about our reputation?” . . . “That’s not the way we do things here.”.  Do any of those sound familiar?  It has been said that an excuse is just the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie!  We want our excuses to sound right, but really we know they’re not.  When God calls us to be involved in someone’s life through the act of correct, we must be willing to put aside our excuses and be obedient.  When we are on the other side and God is using someone to correct us, it is imperative that we knock the lie out of the excuses  we use and accept the correction God wishes to bring.  To honor God in the Act of CORRECT, we must call out, and be done with, Excuses wherever they are found.
  • Change:  At the heart of the Act of CORRECT is a call to change!  We must never forget that God’s desire for all of us is that we are changed — transformed into the image of Jesus Christ through the power of His blood and the help of His Spirit.  Very few of us like change.  We resist the act of correct because we don’t want to admit we’re wrong, but also because we don’t want to move out of our comfort zones.  Before we try to correct the actions or attitudes of someone, we must thoroughly examine if the desired correction will bring about change that results in a more Christ-like person or if the correction is designed to make a more “me-like” person.  Jesus says that unless we change and become like little children we will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  I’m pretty sure that means we all need to take the idea of change seriously.  It is within this act of Change that it is important to apply the teachings of Jesus and fully remove the plank from our own eye before we try to remove the speck from our brother’s eye.  For God to use us in the Act of CORRECT we must allow Him to always be involved in the Change that must take place.
  • Truth: Another vital element to the Act of CORRECT is the act of Truth!  It is the act of truth that has the power to dispel excuses and overcome rejection.  When we hold fast to the Word of God as being truth and use it as the sole basis for the act of correct, we are able to set aside the pettiness, favoritism, and partiality that far too often creep into our attempts to correct others.  It is when we value truth that we are willing to accept correction in our own life.  As one who was headed in a very wrong direction when confronted with the truth of Jesus, Paul would speak and write boldly about the need for the truth of Jesus to be foundational in life.  In talking with people who claimed to be following God yet were in great need of correction, Jesus stated, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  As we are involved in correcting and being corrected, we must never forget that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  When we spend the time needed to fully engage in the act of CORRECT, we must do so while standing on the foundation of Truth.

So, how are you doing in living out and growing in the Act of CORRECT?  Do you fully approach people with a genuine Concern?  Are your efforts and motives completely in Obedience to God?  Do you keep true Repentance in mind as a desired outcome?  Do you recognize your role as a servant and ambassador of Jesus so that you’re better prepared should people Reject Him?  Do you constantly put aside Excuses and pray that God will help you to see through them?  Are you one who seeks Godly Change in your life, as well as in the lives of others?  Will you be committed to God’s Truth being the foundation for all correction?  I pray that the act of CORRECT expressed through your life will boldly show the world that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior!