Metro Youth Network

Friday, July 23rd
Read: Acts 28

“‘I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could tell you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.’ They replied, ‘We have heard nothing against you. We have had no letters from Judea or reports from anyone who has arrived here. But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere’ (vs.20-22).

Love is our greatest weapon because it never fails. This can translate into evangelism, and this can lead to persecution, suffering, and martyrdom. Many people consider this teaching to be very extreme. Most “normal” Christians would say that being tortured for Christ’s sake is only something which is set apart for “extreme Christians.” Perhaps this teaching is not extreme but, rather, normal. Perhaps this suffering should not surprise us as Christians, and that those who claim to love Christ but sit in their pews and never get persecuted for what they believe are actually the abnormal ones.

Two definitions of the word “extreme” suggest “Most remote in any direction; outermost or farthest” and “Extending far beyond the norm.” So, in order to understand the meaning of extreme, we need to discern what the norm is. The apostles, whose lives and ministries are recorded in Acts, were some of the very first Christians. The book of Acts is a history of the grass roots of Christianity. Here, we can learn the basics and the standard.

This was the early Church’s experience—people being healed, the dead being raised, people having demons kicked out of them, persecution, martyrdom, and people getting saved every day. This is generally not your experience in church today. Why is this the reality today? Has God’s agenda changed? Or has the Church’s agenda changed? There is still so much we can learn from the early Church and it all is very extreme.

In Acts 28 Paul meets some guys who have heard of Christians. Their reputations were extreme and they were denounced everywhere and were bound in chains because of their beliefs. This is the normal. Being tied up in chains for Christianity is normal. Being persecuted and kicked out of a town for your faith in Jesus is normal. Hundreds of people getting saved every day is normal. God’s normal is extreme! Are you willing to be a part of it?

Process:

1. What is your experience? What do you consider to be normal? What do you consider to be extreme?

2. What is something that goes back to “normal” Christianity that you find very different from your own experience?

3. Do you believe that God is working or can work today the same ways he did in the book of Acts? What might that look like in our world today?

4. What from the book of Acts has encouraged you to live a life of radical Christianity?

Thursday, July 22nd
Read: Acts 27

The word ‘hero’ may conjure up a mental picture for you of someone who is strong and courageous, intelligent and persuasive and who beats the odds. The truth is, heroes often come from the most unlikely circumstances. Think of Jesus, savior of the world. He came from the most weak and humble of beginnings yet conquered sin and hell and did so through a life of servant hood. Think of your favorite superhero. He/she likely came from humble beginnings too or appears with the natural eye to be feeble and unlikely to accomplish much.

In this chapter of Acts we see some of the heroic nature in Paul. Paul was a man who had been entirely humbled by the Lord. His conversion was a dramatic one that caused him to change the entire course of his life. All that he knew and pursued was wrong, and he died to himself in order to live a servant life for Christ. He endured suffering and imprisonment at the hands of his enemies for the sake of the gospel. That doesn’t sound much like a typical hero to me.

Paul’s encounter with Jesus was revolutionary. From that time on, no matter the circumstance, God’s power was displayed and used for Christ’s glory. This truth is evident as we read about his experience on a boat during a disastrous storm, in the middle of nowhere. He was a prisoner and had no rights; the authorities cared far more about themselves than him, a filthy, no-good lawbreaker. Waves and winds were strong and hope was small. Paul knew lives may be lost. He warned the ship’s crew of the impending disaster—shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries and loss of life—but they cared little about what he said.

In this situation you would probably feel panicked and angry that no one listened to you. Paul encountered an angel who assured him that they would be safe and eventually arrive at their destination. In typical Paul fashion, he took the risk to speak up again to the ship’s crew and assured them that they would survive. He gained their confidence and was then able to give them further instruction on how to survive the storm (vs. 31-38). His help and wisdom also gained him favor as the commander of the ship spared him from death by the soldiers.

Paul didn’t panic; he knew God had everything in His hands and nothing Paul could do could save them. God was faithful and spared their lives and only the ship was destroyed. Would you, a prisoner, be so sure of God’s faithfulness and tell your captors that God would save you? Or would you do all you could in your own strength to escape or save just yourself?

The only reason that Paul was a hero is because he allowed Jesus to revolutionize his life. Paul held fast to the promises of God and pressed in to them even when times were tough. Paul gained safety and protection and favor with man because of his faithfulness to the Lord. The hero in Paul was Jesus. This means, for us, being a hero is inevitable, we just need to live as servants who aim to please our master.

Process:

1. Have you been in a situation where you tried to do everything yourself?

2. When faced with trials, do you rely on God or on your own strength?

3. How does Jesus want you to be a hero?

4. Is your faith strong, like Paul’s?

Wednesday, July 21st
Read: Acts 26

Paul asks us, “Why does it seem so incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?” Good question. Unfortunately, it’s true for the majority of believers today. We are often caught remarking either mentally or aloud as Festus did, “Too much study has made you crazy!” (v.24) But things SHOULD be on the flip side. As Paul asserted, so should we: “I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth.” (v.25)

BUT…First we need to sort out our identity crisis. Are we truly firm believers with Paul, or are we on the fringes of legalistic religion with Festus and Agrippa? Too often, we’ve allowed Satan to feed us thoughts and we receive them without even thinking. Too much of this has led us to a place where we are shocked when God raises someone from the dead or answers our prayers in abundance. Now, I don’t mean to say that God is not incredible. He most certainly is. Yahweh is MOST HIGH (see Psalms 7:17) and there is no one like Him (see Exodus 8:10). Indeed, our awe and wonder should provoke us to praise, but not to be surprised.

Scripture tells us that “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:2). The question is, then, why don’t we ask? Because our faith is weak and we doubt God. Satan takes the truths we’re taught in Bible Study, at camp, in church…and twists them around until all we’re left with is confusion and complacency. Friends, this should not be. It should not be surprising to any of us that God can raise someone from the dead. It’s in His character!

Check out Ezekiel 37 where it tells of how he raised a whole army! Just because it doesn’t happen frequently doesn’t mean God can’t do it. Usually, we don’t ask and that’s because we’re not expecting, watching, or waiting for the Lord. How do we fix this? We need Jesus. We need God to reveal more of Him to us so we can know Him and expect Him to show up. Let’s face it, if Jesus isn’t with us, what’s the point?

Get to know the Lord. Ask Him to tell you about Himself and show you some of His characteristics. Let’s partner with God to minimize the shock factor and heighten the expectancy. As He reveals Himself, praise Him for His awesomeness!

“Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.” (Proverbs 8:33-35) Expect the Lord to show up in your life. Train your heart and mind to ask Him as often as you can to show you His glory. Expect that He’s with you always and live like you believe it.

Process:

1. Do you have faith to believe in the miraculous? Do you truly know the character of God? Study him! You won’t be surprised, then, when he does the incredible and shows his revolutionary power.

2. Do you have faith that God will show up when you ask him to? Have you ever asked God to show you his glory? In what ways has he?

CHALLENGE

Discuss Paul’s testimony. By now we’ve heard it several times. What sticks out to you? Does King Agrippa hear the gospel in this testimony?

Tuesday, July 20th
Read: Acts 25

The religious leaders hated Paul. They made up stuff about him and planned to ambush and kill him. It wasn’t him that they hated exactly, it was his message and that he was so darn successful at preaching it! Little did they know that the ‘damage’ was already done. Paul was responsible for the spread of Christianity around the world.

It would not be easy to be in Paul’s shoes. He was locked up by the cops, stuck in prison for two years and still hadn’t had any real charges brought against him! In chapter 25 of Acts we find Paul still in limbo, seeming to go nowhere because of the situation caused by the authorities. And why? Simply because they weren’t sure what to do with him as we read Festus’s remarks, “For it doesn’t seem reasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!” (v.27). Festus has no idea what charges to press and so Paul continued to sit in prison for what seemed like forever.

Praise the Lord, because Paul had a really good outlook on life—after Jesus revolutionized him, that is. But it’s likely that some days he struggled to trust in the ‘big picture’ plan that Jesus had for him. Sitting in a prison cell, day after day, not knowing what tomorrow would bring, feeling like so much time was being wasted might have really got to him! It didn’t, though- not enough to immobilize or discourage him, anyway! He was still fighting and writing and praying and reaching others just like always. He didn’t lose heart and he didn’t give up. His passion and zeal could not be stopped.

Sometimes it is easy to have a negative perspective on life. We may not find ourselves in a prison cell for two years but nevertheless are dissatisfied with life for several reasons. We might feel like the place we find ourselves at the moment is not where we should be. We might feel like we’re imprisoned by the impositions of others on us. We might feel like the future is friendlier and more fulfilling than today. We might feel like the grass is greener on the other side.

No matter what the case, we can learn from and follow Paul’s example and live life day by day. When we have eyes to see and ears to hear what the Lord is doing today, in our present circumstance, revolution is possible. It can be so easy to miss out on what God is doing and teaching when our focus is on tomorrow. God does reveal future plans to us in His time but that should not be all we strive after. Keeping in step with the Holy Spirit each day is when God’s power will be seen and be made evident to others. Not only will our attitudes and outlook on life be revolutionized but so will the perspective of others when they see our example.

Process:

1. Is there something about ‘today’ that makes you dissatisfied with your life? Ask Jesus to reveal how today fits into the big picture and let his revelation change your attitude!

2. How can bad things happen to us and God still be a good and loving God?

3. How should our attitudes be through these times? How do we keep from having a “life that is tinged with negativity?”

4. What can you start doing today to love God and love others more deeply?

CHALLENGE

Now that we are a good way through BOS, how are you going to implement what you are learning in your corps/at home? Pray with your group. Focus on specifically identifying tough situations and/or sins that are getting in the way of your relationship with Jesus. Pray for power to overcome these things through the power of the Holy Spirit.