Acts (10)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptur es the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Be sure to view the video introducing our study of Acts 11 (Lesson 10) by clicking here.

Read and meditate on Acts 11.1-3.
It’s still early in the progress of the Gospel, so we can perhaps understand why some were reluctant to accept that God’s promised Kingdom was being extended to the Gentiles.

For reflection
1.  It’s neither sinful nor uncommon for believers to disagree about various matters. We all come to the Gospel and are reared in the faith within particular contexts and traditions, and we’re naturally reluctant to accept perspectives, points of view, or developments that don’t comply with our familiar take on things. In your experience, what are some areas where Christians tend to disagree with one another?

2.  So before Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the news of events in Caesarea had already preceded him, and some folks were not happy about what they’d heard. But if we look carefully, the problem surfacing here seems to have very little to do with the Gospel. Instead, this is a racial issue: “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Besides race, what are some other areas of life, external to the Gospel, that can get in the way of the unity and peace the Gospel brings (cf. Eph. 2.14-18)?

3.  Peter’s transgression, according to these men, was not that he had preached the Gospel to Gentiles, but that he had accorded them what amounts to an equal standing with Jews in the Kingdom of God. He had gone into the home of a Gentile and shared a meal with him! These Jews didn’t mind Gentiles coming to faith; rather, they were zealous to preserve the “first class” status of Jews, so much, in fact, that they would continue to insist on ways of preserving their presumed elite status, and of keeping the Gentiles second class citizens in the Kingdom. Do we see such theological hubris at work in the Church in our day? How can we tell when that is beginning to be so in our own lives?

4.  With the conversion of Cornelius and his household, it looked as if a major watershed had been crossed, and a great season of Gospel expansion was about to begin. But there will always be opposition, even from within the ranks of the household of faith. When personal agendas get in the way of the Lord’s, problems arise. The next several chapters will school us in how to deal with these problems and to continue the ongoing work of Christ at the same time. What course should Christians follow when these differences and disagreements arise, so that we continue on course together in the ongoing work of Christ?

5.  Are any personal agendas hindering the ongoing work of Christ in your church at this time? What should your role be in trying to help your church stay on course with Christ and His Kingdom?

Summary
Believers remain sinners even after they have been redeemed. The law of sin operates within us still (Rom. 7.21-25), and if we’re not careful and prayerful, it can cause us to value our own agendas more than the Lord’s. What might be some telltale signs that personal agendas were disrupting the ongoing work of Christ in your church?

Closing Prayer
Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to be moved.
For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.

Psalm 66.5-10

T. M. Moore

Each week’s studies in Acts are bound together into a free PDF that you can download for personal or group use (click here). Each week also features a video related to the studies of the week, which you may find helpful as you work through our studies in Acts.

Acts is the record of Christ’s ongoing work as King and Lord. This is the work of bringing the Kingdom of God to earth as it is in heaven. Read more about the implications of this work in our new book, The Kingdom Turn (click here).

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