LOOK:

As we close our time this morning, I want to first encourage us to thank God for the people He brought into our lives along the way who invested in our spiritual upbringing and growth as a Christian. Aren’t we glad they were willing to pour themselves out in the name of Jesus to help us grow?!

Second, I want us to seek God’s will as to who He wants each of us to spend more time with those who need to hear the good news, or those who need encouragement in their walk with God, or those who need our prayers, or whatever God wants us to do. We need to pray about our availability to disciple others/invest in others, and we also need to trust our adequacy to disciple others because it is the Holy Spirit through us who is really doing the work! Let’s pray.

LOOK:

Paul’s methods used to reach others for Christ were really basic:

• He was willing to adapt to whatever culture he was in:
  • He was willing to go to synagogues where many Jews and Gentiles gathered. He had a heart for his lost Jewish fellows.
  • He was willing to speak in the marketplaces and Areopagus to witness
• He always reasoned with others using the Scriptures.
• He always spoke of Jesus as the Messiah and King and His resurrection
• He was willing to introduce who God is and how He provides for us.

Q: Where is your “marketplace?” What group of people are you around whom you can reach for Christ? Will you commit to utilize the same methods Paul used to reach others for Christ?

LOOK:

We can be used of God to fulfill His purposes by listening, praying, and watching how the Holy Spirit IS leading us RIGHT NOW, NOT LATER. I want you to leave class today understanding that the Spirit is actively leading you, but our part is to pray, listen to His voice, and pay attention to when He’s opening or closing doors. We need to TRUST that if we didn’t listen to Him well, He knows how to redirect us because His purpose for our lives cannot be thwarted!! It took the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, and God to redirect Paul (Acts 16:6-10). It’s time to live more adventurously instead of in automatic pilot. Risk with Him. Talk to Him. Ask for a sign like Gideon did. Accept when the door is closed – for now. The timing may not be right, or maybe He has something even better in mind.

Q: Are you all in? Are you willing to be fully yielded and ready to respond with immediacy to follow the Spirit’s leadership? Let’s pray about that as we close.

LOOK:

Here’s your challenge: Listen carefully to the conversations that you’re having to make sure people are hearing an accurate gospel message. It is my experience that there are many who are seeking God, but who incorrectly believe that they have to “clean up their act” (be a good person = works) before they can even seek salvation from God. That is a form of trying to gain salvation by works. There are people who feel unworthy of God’s love and therefore the salvation he offers. You and I have a great opportunity to convey hope through the TRUTH that salvation is by grace through Jesus.

In the meantime, if you hear false teaching in the church, you need to address it with the person you heard it from to see if there is resolution. If it’s not resolved, we need to bring the issue to our spiritual leaders and let them deal with it. We need to trust that the Lord will work through the spiritual leaders of the church to address false teaching appropriately.

Close in Prayer

LOOK:

Q: How were Paul and Barnabas able to handle all of their adversities? Do you think they did this in their own strength? [The Holy Spirit empowered them to handle all of their adversities.]

I want you to consider what adversities you’re facing today. I want you to walk out of this class knowing that the Spirit has enabled you to deal with your adversities. Our challenge is to honor God in the midst of these adversities by pointing people to Lord as often as we can and to make sure God gets full credit for the strength you show others.