Part 2 - A Consuming Love for People

Keys to the Movement of Jesus Christ - Lessons from Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15.36-18.21, Phil, 1 Thes, 2 Thes, 1 Cor, and 2 Cor)

Part 2 - A Consuming Love for People

Paul is a shining example of the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. As the churches’ spiritual father, he took his parental role as seriously as that of a natural father and mother. He openly expresses his affection for them and is keenly aware of their feelings. He instructs, comforts, protects, exhorts, rebukes, disciplines, forgives, and encourages them as a loving parent. He even remembers scores of people by name. He forfeited personal rights and comfort for them. He traveled great distances to visit them and when he couldn’t be there personally, he sent only the most compassionate and loving members of his team and fervently prays for them night and day. He endured great hardship and persecution for their sake. He literally gave blood, sweat, and tears for the churches under his stewardship. And he never took advantage of their relationship by over stepping his influence or apostolic authority. He provided for his own and the apostolic team’s needs. He rejoices in them, is thankful for them, and longs for them even when they have strayed from the truth. Paul’s love for people is certainly one of the key elements in fanning the flames of the movement of Jesus Christ.

Am I in the "movement" for personal benefit and gain or for the sake of those I reach and shepherd for Jesus sake?       

 Key Passages: Acts 15:36, Acts 16:27–28, Acts 16:40, Phil 1:3–4, Phil 1:7–9, Phil 1:16, Phil 1:24–25, Phil 2:1–5, Phil 2:12, Phil 2:17–18, Phil 2:19–21, Phil 3:1, Phil 3:17, Phil 3:18, Phil 4:1, Phil 4:2–3, Phil 4:10, Phil 4:14–20, 1 Th 1:2–3, 1 Th 2:7–8, 1 Th 2:9–12, 1 Th 2:13, 1 Th 2:17–20, 1 Th 3:1–2, 5, 1 Th 3:6–10, 1 Th 3:11–13, 1 Th 4:9–12, 1 Th 5:11, 1 Th 5:12–15, 1 Th 5:25–26, 2 Th 1:2–4, 2 Th 1:11, 2 Th 2:13, 2 Th 2:15–17, 2 Th 3:3–5, 2 Th 3:6–13, 2 Th 3:16, 2 Th 3:18, 1 Cor 1:3, 1 Cor 1:4, 1 Cor 1:10, 1 Cor 2:1–5, 1 Cor 3:1-3, 1 Cor 4:6, 1 Cor 4:14–16, 1 Cor 4:17, 1 Cor 4:21, 1 Cor 6:7–8, 1 Cor 7:12–16, 1 Cor 7:25–40, 1 Cor 8:1–3, 1 Cor 8:9–13, 1 Cor 9:1-2, 1 Cor 10:14, 1 Cor 10:24–29, 1 Cor 10:31–33,1 Cor 11:18, 1 Cor 11:33, 1 Cor 13-14.1, 1 Cor 14:12, 1 Cor 14:26, 1 Cor 16:7, 1 Cor 16:10–11, 1 Cor 16:14, 1 Cor 16:19–24, 2 Cor 1:3–7, 2 Cor 1:12, 2 Cor 1:15, 2 Cor 2:1–4, 2 Cor 2:5–11, 2 Cor 2:12–13, 2 Cor 3:2–3, 2 Cor 4:5, 2 Cor 5:13, 2 Cor 6:6, 2 Cor 6:11–13, 2 Cor 7:1, 2 Cor 7:2–4, 2 Cor 7:5–13, 2 Cor 7:13–16, 2 Cor 8:1, 2 Cor 8:7–15, 2 Cor 8:22–24, 2 Cor 9:12, 2 Cor 11:2, 2 Cor 11:7–11, 2 Cor 11:28–29, 2 Cor 12:12, 2 Cor 12:14–18, 2 Cor 12:19, 2 Cor 12:20–2, 2 Cor 13:11–14

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House of Peace Search with Our House of Peace

Last December we took some Christmas cookies to Randy and Stephanie, our neighbors across the street. We told them that we care about our neighbors and we'd like to pray for them. Randy asked us to pray for his Mom who was having liver trouble. We came back in January to ask how his mother was doing. She had recovered quite nicely but Randy was still a little skittish. In March we went back to see how Mom was doing. Randy seemed warmer to our visit so I shared my one minute story with him and asked if his family would be open to reading more about Jesus. After two Stories of Hope they committed their lives to Christ. We have been taking them through a discipleship process called the Commands of Christ. They were baptized, reading their Bibles and praying several days a week. In the last month this little church of five people shared the gospel with 95 people. They are learning to love God, love people, and make disciples. Today we did Jesus' command to "find a house of peace" (Luke 10.1-11) as the new lesson. I asked them if they were ready to obey Jesus and go find a house of peace and talk to their neighbors.  They were a little fearful but ready to go! They obeyed the command immediately by doing exactly what we did to lead them to Christ. We went to four neighbors and all received our prayers. The discipleship process is coming full circle.

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Singular Devotion to Jesus

Keys to the Movement of Jesus Christ - Lessons from Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Lessons Learned: In my study of Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 15.36-18.21, Phil, 1 Thes, 2 Thes, 1 Cor, and 2 Cor) and the movement that ensued, I picked up several key elements that threw gas on the movement fire. First and foremost, Paul and the Apostolic team were completely committed to Jesus, His message, His methods, and His mission. To write off this observation of Christ-centeredness as an obvious assumption would be very dangerous as I have witness the conspicuous absence of Jesus in many ministries that claim His name. Paul and his Apostolic Team preached Jesus with simplicity, clarity, and integrity. Their preaching came not only with word but in power, the Holy Spirit, conviction, and their very lives. Paul sums it up nicely when he states; "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2) This singular devotion to Jesus was by far the most potent ignition, fuel, velocity, and vector of the rise of Christianity and ensured the movement continues to this day.  

 Would I be willing to remove what ever stands between me and this kind of singular devotion to Jesus Christ?

Key Passages: Acts 15:36, Acts 16:10, Acts 16:30–32, Acts 17:2–4, Acts 17:10–12, Acts 17:17–34, Acts 18:4–11, Phil 1:1–11, Phil 1:18–26, Phil 2:1–11, Phil 2:19–30, Phil 3:3, Phil 3:6–11, Phil 3:12–14, Phil 3:17–21, Phil 4:19–20, 1 Th 1:1–5, 1 Th 2:1–8, 1 Th 2:13, 1 Th 3:11–13, 1 Th 4:1–2, 1 Th 5:8–10, 1 Th 5:23–24, 1 Th 5:28, 2 Th 1:1–2, 2 Th 1:7–12, 2 Th 2:1, 2 Th 2:13–14, 2 Th 2:16–17, 2 Th 2:17–3:5, 2 Th 3:6, 2 Th 3:12, 2 Th 3:16,2 Th 3:18, 1 Cor 1:1–3, 1 Cor 1:4–9, 1 Cor 1:9–17, 1 Cor 1:18–25, 1 Cor 1:26–31, 1 Cor 2:1–5, 1 Cor 2:6–13, 1 Cor 2:14–16, 1 Cor 3:1, 1 Cor 3:5–9, 1 Cor 3:10–11, 1 Cor 3:23, 1 Cor 4:1–5, 1 Cor 4:10, 1 Cor 4:14–17, 1 Cor 5:4–5, 1 Cor 5:7, 1 Cor 6:11, 1 Cor 6:13–20, 1 Cor 7:23–24, 1 Cor 7:32–35, 1 Cor 8:6, 1 Cor 8:11, 1 Cor 9:1–2, 1 Cor 9:12–14, 1 Cor 9:16–18, 1 Cor 9:21–23, 1 Cor 9:26–27, 1 Cor 10:1–4, 1 Cor 10:16, 1 Cor 10:21–22, 1 Cor 10:31, 1 Cor 11:1, 1 Cor 11:3, 1 Cor 11:23–26, 1 Cor 11:27, 1 Cor 12:2–3, 1 Cor 12:4–11, 1 Cor 12:11–13, 1 Cor 12:27, 1 Cor 14:37, 1 Cor 15:1–8, 1 Cor 15:12–28, 1 Cor 15:31, 1 Cor 15:50, 1 Cor 15:56–58, 1 Cor 16:22–24, 1 Cor 16:24; 2 Cor 1:1–5, 2 Cor 1:9, 2 Cor 1:12, 2 Cor 1:14, 2 Cor 1:18–22, 2 Cor 2:10, 2 Cor 2:12, 2 Cor 2:14–17, 2 Cor 3:3–6, 2 Cor 3:8, 2 Cor 3:14–18, 2 Cor 4:1–6, 2 Cor 4:7–12, 2 Cor 4:13–15, 2 Cor 5:6–10, 2 Cor 5:11–15, 2 Cor 5:16–21, 2 Cor 6:1–10, 2 Cor 6:14–18, 2 Cor 7:1, 2 Cor 7:9–10, 2 Cor 8:1, 2 Cor 8:9, 2 Cor 8:18, 2 Cor 8:23, 2 Cor 9:13–15, 2 Cor 10:1, 2 Cor 10:5, 2 Cor 10:7–8, 2 Cor 10:13–18, 2 Cor 11:2–4, 2 Cor 11:10, 2 Cor 11:23, 2 Cor 11:31, 2 Cor 12:1–2, 2 Cor 12:8–10, 2 Cor 12:19–20, 2 Cor 13:3–4, 2 Cor 13:5–6, 2 Cor 13:10, 2 Cor 13:11–14

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