Read a scripture and sing worship songs.

(Optional) Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator also between God and man, the man Jesus Christ, who gave himself as a ransom for all. (Philippians 2:11b; 1 Timothy 2:4-6a)

Choose a way to cast vision for who they can become in Christ or what God can do through them by:

• a scripture that reminds them of the Father’s Heart and of the end vision.
• reflecting on the changes in their life since they started following Christ
• reminding them of what God wants to do through them

Share BIG vision “A church for every village and community, and the gospel for every person.”

Paul Arrested

²⁷ When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,²⁸ shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.”²⁹ (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰ The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut.³¹ While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.³² He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

³³ The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done.³⁴ Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.³⁵ When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers.³⁶ The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Get rid of him!”

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Jews from the province of Asia were very familiar with Paul and Trophimus from Paul’s long stay in Ephesus. They saw an opportunity to try to stop Paul, so they stirred up the crowd against him. When they came against Paul, he was actually in the temple practicing purification that the Jewish law required. The Jews’ accusations were false, but their actions demonstrated the common misunderstandings about what Paul was teaching. The Jews were so passionate about their religion that they quickly moved to respond with violence. The Lord used the Roman authorities to rescue Paul from the mob. The prophecies made by the Spirit came true (Acts 21:4, 

Acts 24:11)  and Paul was bound in chains by the Gentiles. Even in the midst of violent persecution, the Lord fulfilled His purpose by protecting Paul’s life.

 

• Practice needed skills or previous topics to help prepare to minister to others:
  o Prayer, Care, Share
  o Gospel
  o Foundational Bible Studies.