Life Church Message 2007-11-11 - The Resurrection Revolution (Part 5)

The Resurrection Blues

The Trial

The Sanhedrin Convicts Jesus - Luke 22:66-71

Pilate finds no basis for Jesus to die

Pilate Sentences Jesus

The Crucifixion - Luke 23:26-49

The Burial - Luke 23:50-56

The Resurrection - Luke 24:1-12

The Road To Emmaus - Luke 24:13-53

The Setting

The disciples are deeply disappointed - "It's over - I'm out of here"

They were withdrawing.

Jesus Enters the Picture - Luke 24:15

Jesus is not absent during your times of disappointment.

Jesus is relational - he engages you "where you're at".

God wants to relate to you

"But we had hoped . . ." - Luke 24:21

Many of you are experiencing disappointment but were hoping for something else.

"How foolish you are . . ." - Luke 24:25

Jesus directed them to the scriptures.

You are responsible for interpreting your life and your experiences based on God's Word.

The Word explains what's taking place in the world around you.

"Then their eyes were opened" - Luke 24:31

Once they recognized Jesus they returned to Jerusalem.

Stop focusing on yourself and relying on yourself.

Allow Jesus into your situation.

They rejoin the disciples in Jerusalem - Luke 24:36-53

Jesus enabled them to understand the scriptures.

God wants to speak to your situation through his Word.

Jesus coached the disciples back to faith so that they could see him.

Once you recognize Jesus you need to stop withdrawing and return to the fellowship and your ministry.

Resurrection Revolution

Introduction Eph 1:1-14

Revolution Power - Eph 1:15-23

Revolution Promise - Wait for the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:1-14

Revolution Pattern: People, Power, Proclamation, Persecution, Persistence

The Revolution - Round 1

People - Acts 2:1

Power - Acts 2:2-4

God's power can reach anyone.

Proclamation - Acts 2:5-12

Persecution - Acts 2:13

Persistence - Acts 2:14-41

Peter spoke in spite of the persecution.

Questions

Where will you be the next time the Holy Spirit shows up?

What do you do when the Holy Spirit simply shows up?

The Revolution - Round 2

People - Acts 2:42-47

Power - Acts 3:1-8

Proclamation - Acts 3:9-26

Persecution - Acts 4:1-22

Persistence - Acts 4:23-31

Principles

Prayer increases our capacity to be a channel for God's power.

People provide opportunities for us to be channels of God's power.

"Who touched me?" - Luke 8:40-56

Preparation increases our ability to benefit from God's power.

Elisha and the Widow's Oil - 2Kings 4:1-7

Position is critical for maximizing the effectiveness of God's power.

Jesus sends out the 12 - Mat 10:1-16

Jesus sends out the 72 - Luke 10:1-12

Questions:

What are you devoting yourself to?

What are you sharing with your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Have you asked God to make you bold?

How's your prayer life? Are you praying for God to use you?

What needs are you encountering in the people around you? Are you asking God to enable you to meet them?

How are you preparing for God to use you?

The Revolution - Round 3

People - Acts 4:32 - 5:11

Vision - You need a vision!

Jesus' Vision - Heb 12:1-3

Early Church - Transforming the way Judaism was done - one household at a time!

Life Church Vision

Mission

Directed by Jesus - Mat 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-18; Acts 1:8

Bringing God's river of life to others - Rev 22:1-2 (Ez 47:1-12)

Prayer - increases our capacity

Preparation

None of them had done this before. When they were with Jesus, the crowds would come and go - now the crowds were staying.

Radical sharing; pouring into their brothers and sisters

Contrast with Hag 1:1-11

What's my role in making the vision happen?

Power - Acts 5:12-16

People provide opportunities for God's power to be demonstrated

Position - Solomon's Colonnade

Proclamation - Acts 5:17-25

Persecution - Acts 5:26-40

Persistence - Acts 5:41-42

Principles

Plant Kingdom Outposts

Kingdom Outpost

A geographical or virtual network of people

Centered on a man or woman of peace

Infiltrated by mature believers

Where outbreaks of God's power happen regularly

The Church is like a "Green Lantern power battery for local Kingdom Outposts.

The apostles proclaimed Jesus in the temple courts and from house to house.

Questions:

What are you doing to meet the needs of other believers?

Can you rejoice at suffering disgrace for the name of Jesus?

The Revolution - Round 4

People - Acts 6:1-7

Serving (diakonew)

Chosen by the people

Confirmed by the apostles

Taking responsibility

"FAT"

Faithful

Available

Teachable

Full of the Holy Spirit and Wisdom

Surrender

Obedience

Deny yourself; take up your cross - Luke 9:23-25

Let God choose the time and manner in which you "have fun"!

Preparation

Main Passage

NIV

Hebrew Study Bible

KJV

The Message

NASB

RSV

Exegetical Idea

Subject

Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why

Complement

Developmental Questions

Explain It: What does this mean?

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

Homiletical Idea

Purpose of the Sermon

Make it plain

Use accessible language and modern parables

Make sure people do something with the word God gives you for them.

Resurrection Revolution (continued)

Revolution Pattern (continued):

The Revolution - Round 4 (continued)

People - Acts 6:1-7 (continued)

Vision - taking God's Word to others

Power - Acts 6:8

Things of the Spirit Rom 8:5-6

Stephen moves from waiting on tables to martyrdom

Assuming responsibility results in leadership - Mat 20:20-28

Proclamation - Acts 6:9-10

Persecution - Acts 6:11-15

Suffering - 1Pet 4:12-19

Obedience through suffering - Heb 5:1-7

Jesus' reverent submission

Jesus learned obedience

Persistence - Acts 7:1-60

Spirit-guided response - Acts 7:1-53

Stephen interpreted Jewish history in light of scripture

Abraham - Joseph - Acts 7:1-16

Moses - Acts 7:23-29; 35-43

The Jews are just like their fathers - Mat 23:29-32

Dying for the gospel - Acts 7:54-60

Deny yourself; take up your cross - Luke 9:23-25

Let God choose the time and manner in which you "have fun"!

Lovers of pleasure - 2Tim 3:1-14

Pleasure - 1Tim 5:6

Aftermath - Acts 8:1-8

1Sam 22:1-2 - The hurting and unhappy came to David.

What impact did the fighting men have on them?

How did it mold them?

Neh 4:1-23 - Keep a brick in one hand and a sword in the other.

Some people prefer to fight.

Some people prefer to build.

Everyone must do both.

Principles

You have to fight

Questions:

Can you be faithful to the point of death?

Can you forgive your persecutors?

Conclusion

The disciples responded to the great commission by filling Jerusalem with their teaching - Acts 5:28

What is your Jerusalem?

Who is your team?

What are you doing fill your Jerusalem with the gospel?

Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)

Group A: Acts 5:1-11; Hag 1:1-11 (from last week)

Are you pretending to be more committed than you really are?

Are you afraid to let your life group see your real commitment level?

Would your life group accept you if they knew the real you?

Group B: Acts 6:1-7 (from last week)

Are you full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom? In what ways?

Do you put others first when dealing with problems?

What commitment have you made to serve in God's Kingdom?

Are you FAT (faithful, available, teachable)?

Are you serving on Sunday? If so, in what way; if not, why not?

Are you serving your life group? If so, in what way; if not, why not?

How is your devotion to Jesus Christ reflected in your Sunday service attendance and in your life group meeting attendance?

Do you get to Sunday service on time? How about your life group meeting? What does this say about your devotion to Jesus Christ?

Group C: Mat 20:20-28

Has anyone ever tried to "lord it over" you? If so, how did that feel?

Has anyone ever genuinely served you? If so, how did that feel?

Do you want to be a leader? What are you doing to become a leader?

Do you want to be a servant? What are you doing to serve others?

Do other believers see you as a servant-leader?

Group D: Acts 6:8-10 (from last week)

Are you full of God's grace and power? Would you like to be?

What are you willing to do to be full of God's grace and power?

How well do you stand up against anti-Christian arguments?

Group E: Acts 6:11-15 (from last week)

Have you ever had to explain to unbelievers what God was doing?

Has anyone ever been jealous of what God was doing through you?

How do you respond when people are jealous of you or lie about you?

What does your face look like when people falsely accuse you?

Group F: Acts 7:1-60 (from last week)

Have you experienced persecution as a result of being a Christian?

Stephen summarized Jewish history for his accusers. How is your grasp of Bible history?

How have you used scripture to respond to critics?

Present the gospel as simply as you can in your own words.

Have you asked God to enable you to speak his Word boldly?

Have you forgiven everyone who has ever persecuted you?

Group G: Mat 16:13-26; Mark 8:27-38; Luke 9:18-25 (from last week)

Are you trying to save your life or lose it? In what ways?

In what ways have you denied yourself recently?

In what ways have you taken up your cross today?

Group H: Acts 8:1-8

Have you experienced persecution as a result of being a Christian?

Have you ever left an organization or a location as a result of persecution?

Has persecution in one place ever resulted in you sharing the gospel someplace else?

Witnessing Activities For This Week's Life Group Meetings

Make sure everyone in your life group has a prayer partner.

Pick a base of operations as a focus for your group's outreach ministry.

Plan a social event for your group to which you can invite some of the unbelievers you've been praying for.

The Resurrection Revolution (Part 5)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday November 11, 2007