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Family  Worship  Guide  –  Week  45     READ  

o Read  Acts  1:1-­‐3  The  book  of  Acts  is  the  second  volume  in  a  two-­‐part  history  written  by  Luke.    Luke  was  a  doctor  and  a  travelling  companion  of  the  apostle  Paul.    Luke  joined  Paul  at  Mysia  on  his  second  missionary  journey,  just  before  they  entered  into  Macedonia  and  preached  the  Gospel  in  Europe  for  the  first  time.    We  are  quite  certain  that  Luke  joined  Paul  at  Mysia  because  Acts  16:8  refers  to  the  missionary  group  in  the  third  person  plural  (“they”),  but  beginning  at  Acts  16:10,  the  first  person  pronoun  is  used  (“we”).    This  means  that  the  book  of  Acts  provides  reliable  historical  testimony  about  the  earliest  days  of  Christianity.    Luke  was  an  eyewitness  of  the  events  of  the  second  half  of  the  book,  and  he  had  access  to  firsthand  testimony  from  the  eyewitnesses  of  the  first  half  of  the  book.  

o The  first  book  that  Luke  refers  to  in  verse  1  is  the  Gospel  that  we  today  call  the  Gospel  of  Luke.    Both  books  are  addressed  to  a  man  named  Theophilus,  whose  name  literally  means  “lover  of  God.”    There  is  some  debate  as  to  whether  Theophilus  was  an  actual  historical  person  or  whether  Luke  uses  him  as  a  symbolic  name  for  any  Christian.  

o Luke  says  that  his  first  book  (the  Gospel  of  Luke)  dealt  with  what  Jesus  “began”  to  do  and  teach.    The  book  of  Acts  is  the  second  part  of  this  story,  which  tells  the  story  of  what  Jesus  began  to  do  through  His  disciples  after  His  ascension  to  heaven.    What  we  find  in  this  book  is  that  Jesus  is  continuing  His  mission  of  bringing  salvation  to  the  nations  through  His  church.  

o Read  Acts  1:4-­‐5  After  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead,  He  commanded  His  disciples  to  wait  in  Jerusalem  for  the  promised  Holy  Spirit.    Throughout  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  we  see  that  Jesus  did  many  miracles  and  performed  His  entire  ministry  in  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.    Jesus  promised  His  disciples  that  they  would  receive  this  same  Holy  Spirit  so  that  they  would  be  able  to  carry  on  the  same  ministry  that  He  began  with  the  same  power  He  had.    All  believers  have  this  same  Holy  Spirit  living  inside  of  them.    We  need  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  order  to  carry  out  the  mission  that  Jesus  has  given  to  us.  

o Read  Acts  1:6-­‐11  After  Jesus  promised  that  He  would  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  disciples  asked  whether  He  would  now  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel.    They  still  did  not  understand  that  Jesus’  kingdom  was  not  limited  to  one  ethnic  group  (the  Jews).    Jesus  corrects  their  misunderstanding  by  telling  them  that  their  mission  is  to  be  His  witnesses  “in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  to  the  end  of  the  earth  (Acts  1:8).”    In  other  words,  they  will  tell  the  story  of  Jesus’  death  and  resurrection  not  only  to  Jews,  but  to  Gentiles  as  well.    Jesus  will  set  up  a  kingdom  that  includes  people  from  every  nation  under  heaven  and  the  disciples  will  be  the  means  by  which  He  will  extend  His  kingdom.    They  will  announce  that  Jesus  is  the  King  and  will  call  people  from  every  tribe  and  tongue  and  nation  to  submit  to  His  Lordship.  

o This  picture  of  the  Messiah’s  kingdom  was  very  different  from  the  picture  that  many  Jews  had  in  Jesus’  time.    Most  Jews  at  this  time  viewed  people  from  Samaria  and  the  end  of  the  earth  as  outside  of  God’s  saving  purposes.    Jews  did  not  associate  with  Samaritans  or  Gentiles  because  Jews  thought  that  these  people  were  unclean  and  wicked.    Throughout  the  book  of  Acts,  we  will  see  that  the  Holy  Spirit  uses  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  extend  the  borders  of  Christ’s  kingdom  throughout  the  earth.  

o Acts  1:8  provides  an  outline  for  the  advancement  of  Jesus’  kingdom  in  the  book  of  Acts.    In  Acts  2-­‐7,  the  disciples  are  preaching  the  gospel  in  Jerusalem  and  the  church  is  formed  there.    In  Acts  8-­‐12,  the  disciples  begin  to  preach  the  gospel  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria  and  the  church  extends  to  these  regions.    In  Acts  13-­‐28,  we  see  the  apostle  Paul  taking  the  gospel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  and  churches  springing  up  all  over  the  Roman  Empire.  

o We  are  a  part  of  this  story  today.    We  are  disciples  of  Jesus  who  have  been  commanded  to  preach  His  gospel  in  every  place  on  earth.    We  are  witnesses  who  are  called  to  proclaim  the  death  and  resurrection  of  King  Jesus  and  to  call  all  people  to  submit  to  Him  as  Savior  and  Lord.    We  will  continue  to  do  this  as  we  look  forward  to  His  promised  return  (Acts  1:9-­‐11).    Bottom  Line:  Jesus  has  commanded  and  empowered  His  disciples  to  take  the  gospel  to  all  nations.    Questions:  Jesus’  kingdom  includes  people  from  every  nation.    How  will  you  as  a  family  be  a  part  of  extending  His  kingdom?  Jesus  commanded  the  disciples  to  take  the  gospel  to  people  who  were  different  from  them,  people  with  whom  they  didn’t  normally  associate,  even  to  people  they  didn’t  like.    How  is  God  calling  you  to  share  the  gospel  with  people  who  are  different  from  you,  people  who  you  don’t  know  or  don’t  like?      

PRAY  o Read  Window  on  the  World,  pg.  170-­‐171  United  Arab  Emirates  o Use  Prayer  Card  

SING  o Use  lyric  sheet  and  mp3  download  of  “O  Church  Arise”  o In  the  book  of  Acts  we  see  that  Christ’s  kingdom  began  to  spread  to  all  nations  through  the  faithfulness  of  the  church  to  proclaim  

His  gospel.  Although  it  was  close  to  2000  years  ago  that  this  work  commenced,  the  message  of  Christ  and  Him  crucified  has  not  

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yet  reached  the  ends  of  the  earth.  As  Christ’s  church  today,  we  stand  in  a  long  line  of  faithful  disciples,  and  from  them  we  have  inherited  the  joy  of  being  His  witnesses  to  lost  and  unreached  people.    In  light  of  this  week’s  reading  from  Acts,  we  chose  “O  Church  Arise”  by  Keith  Getty  and  Stuart  Townend  as  our  family  worship  song.  This  modern  hymn  gives  us  an  opportunity  to  remind  each  other  of  our  purpose  as  the  church.  We  are  not  a  country  club,  whose  delight  is  in  the  trappings  that  this  world  has  to  offer.  Instead,  we  are  “an  army  bold,  whose  battle  cry  is  love,  reaching  out  to  those  in  darkness.”  As  we  sing  together,  let  us  remember  Christ’s  work  on  the  cross,  “where  love  and  mercy  meet.”  Let  us  remember  how  we  have  been  given  salvation  through  this  work.  And  let  us  remember  that  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  we  take  part  in  “retelling  the  triumphs  of  His  grace.”  

MEMORIZE  o Acts  1:8    But  you  will  receive  power  when  the  Holy  Spirit  has  come  upon  you,  and  you  will  be  my  witnesses  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  

Judea  and  Samaria,  and  to  the  end  of  the  earth.    

   

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 SUGGESTIONS  

These  suggestions  were  created  by   the  age-­‐group  ministry   leaders  as  a  way   to  help  parents  better   communicate   the  biblical   truths  discussed  in  the  Family  Worship  Guide.    These  activities  and  questions  can  replace  or  serve  as  a  supplement  to  the  questions  under  the  “Read”   section  on  Page  1.    Remember   that   these   suggestions  are   intended   to  help  parents   facilitate  God-­‐centered  discussions  with  their  children.    Parents  should  prayerfully  use  these  suggestions,  and  any  other  means  necessary,  to  help  their  children  discover  the  truths  of  God’s  word  and  worship  Him  together.          

   Preschool  (Birth-­‐Kindergarten)  o Before  you  begin:    Have  your  family  sit  on  the  floor  in  a  circle.    Play  a  game  of  “telephone”  (pass  the  message).  Start  the  message  

by  whispering  it  into  the  ear  of  the  person  on  your  right.    Each  person  continues  in  this  manner  until  it  gets  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  circle.  Then,  say  what  the  message  has  become.  Use  the  message:    God  loves  you!    Play  again  using  the  statement:    Tell  everyone  God  loves  you!  

o How  do  people  know  God  loves  them  and  Jesus  wants  to  be  their  Savior?    God  tells  us  to  be  ready  at  all  times  to  tell  others  about  His  love.    Everyone  can  share  the  good  news  about  God’s  love.    We  just  went  around  the  circle  and  said,  “God  loves  you!”    Now,  we  must  tell  others  too.  

o In  the  book  of  Acts  God  commands  us  to  tell  others  about  Jesus.  This  is  called  being  a  witness.  A  witness  is  a  person  who  shares  and  tells  about  what  they  have  seen  or  what  they  know.    We  must  be  witnesses  and  tell  others  about  God.    The  only  way  people  will  know  about  who  Jesus  is  and  what  He  has  done  is  for  us  to  tell  them.  God  wants  everyone  to  be  told  no  matter  where  they  live  or  what  they  do.    

o Let’s  pray  and  ask  God  to  help  us  tell  others  about  Him  and  His  love  and  what  He  has  done  for  us.    

  Children  (Grades  1-­‐5)  o As  a  family,  read  Acts  1:1-­‐11  out  loud.  Tell  your  children  in  advance  that  you  will  be  asking  them  questions  about  what  you  read.    

Verse  1  says,  “in  my  former  book”.  Do  you  know  who  is  writing  Acts?  (Luke)  What  was  the  former  book  he  wrote?  (The  Gospel  of  Luke)  Can  you  name  the  four  Gospels  for  me?    (Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John)  Great  job.  

o What  is  verse  3  talking  about  when  it  says  “after  his  suffering,  he  showed  himself…”?  (Jesus  died  on  the  cross  defeating  sin  and  death.  Then  after  3  days,  He  rose  from  the  dead  and  showed  Himself  on  earth  to  prove  His  victory.)  

o Did  you  catch  how  many  days  Jesus  showed  Himself  on  earth  after  He  rose  from  the  dead?  (40  days).  Then  He  was  taken  up  before  their  very  eyes  in  the  clouds  and  that’s  how  He  will  return  again.    

o Verses  3-­‐8  tells  of  some  things  that  Jesus  did  and  said  to  His  eleven  disciples:  o V.  3  says  He  spoke  about  the  kingdom  of  God.  o V.  4  says  He  was  eating  with  them  -­‐  there  is  no  question  about  it,  He  was  very  much  alive  if  He  was  eating  with  them.  o V.  4  says  while  He  was  eating  Jesus  told  them  "Do  not  leave  Jerusalem,  but  wait  for  the  gift  my  Father  promised,  which  you  

have  heard  me  speak  about…”  o What  is  this  gift  that  Jesus  spoke  about?  (The  Holy  Spirit)  Jesus  was  not  going  to  leave  them  alone.  He  was  going  to  send  them  the  

Holy  Spirit.  (For  further  reference  read  John  16:7-­‐11)    o Jesus  told  His  disciples  in  V.  4  not  to  go  out  and  be  a  witness  without  the  Holy  Spirit.  You  see,  Jesus  was  with  them.  He  knew  He  

was  going  to  go  to  the  Father  in  Heaven  soon,  so  He  promise  that  the  very  powerful  Holy  Spirit  would  come  and  be  with  them  forever.  They  were  never  going  to  be  on  their  own.  (For  Further  reference  John  15:15-­‐21)    

o What  did  Jesus  tell  the  disciples  they  were  to  do  when  they  received  the  Holy  Spirit  in  v.8?  (Be  His  witnesses  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Judea  and  Samaria,  and  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.)  

o As  Jesus’  disciples,  the  same  powerful  Holy  Spirit  lives  in  us.  We  are  to  be  witnesses  and  share  the  truth  of  Jesus  in  Birmingham,  in  our  country  and  all  over  the  world.  We  do  this  with  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  that  lives  in  us.  We  don’t  do  it  on  our  own.  And  we  do  this  because  we  love  Him.    “Whoever  has  my  commands  and  obeys  them,  he  is  the  one  who  loves  me.”  John  15:21  

o Discuss  how  you  as  a  family  can  obey  the  call  of  Jesus  to  take  the  gospel  to  all  nations.  Pray  together  that  God  would  allow  you  to  be  faithful  to  this  call  and  that  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  would  enable  you  to  live  this  out  day  by  day.  

    Students  (Grades  6-­‐12)  

o Discuss  the  difference  between  someone  giving  advice  and  someone  giving  commands.  What  advice  have  your  parents  given  you  lately?  What  commands?    

o Have  you  ever  been  told  to  do  something  without  being  given  the  tools  to  accomplish  the  task?  How  did  that  make  you  feel?    o What  were  the  disciples  told  to  wait  on?  Why  was  it  important  for  them  to  wait  and  not  go  out  on  their  own?  Jesus  did  amazing  

things  while  He  was  on  this  earth  and  then  He  ascended  into  heaven.  He  knew  His  followers  would  be  powerless  without  His  power  and  presence.  Without  His  Spirit  we  too  are  powerless  to  accomplish  anything  of  eternal  significance.  In  Acts  1:8  believers  are  promised  His  Spirit  who  will  come  and  dwell  within  them.    

o Have  each  member  of  your  family  turn  to  one  of  the  following  passages.  Matthew  28:19,  Mark  16:15,  Luke  24:46-­‐47,  John  20:21.  Now  have  everyone  look  at  Acts  1:8  together.  These  were  Christ’s  final  orders  to  the  disciples  before  He  ascended  into  heaven.  What’s  the  main  point  Jesus  is  trying  to  convey  to  the  disciples  in  these  passages?  Why  do  you  think  this  was  so  important  to  Jesus?    

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port

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stil

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cur

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e w

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vang

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stian

•

liter

atur

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ray

for b

elie

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to d

emon

stra

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hris

t in

thei

r life

with

dis

cern

men

t and

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fiden

ce.

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th

at th

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ould

str

engt

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as

they

witn

ess.

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for

the

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rab

popu

latio

n in

the

UA

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ray

for

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stian

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ratu

re t

o be

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elop

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nd

• fo

r m

issi

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pel a

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oup.

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ere

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reso

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UA

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stri

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at m

any

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ight

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e to

acc

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our

and

grow

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spite

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Scr

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Wee

k 45

Act

s 1:

8 …

But

you

will

rec

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pow

er w

hen

the

Hol

y Sp

irit

has

com

e up

on y

ou, a

nd y

ou w

ill b

e m

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itnes

ses

in Je

rusa

lem

and

in

all J

udea

and

Sam

aria

, and

to th

e en

d of

the

eart

h.

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hurc

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rise

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put

you

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inFo

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capt

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mak

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figh

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our

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tric

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see

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foes

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ath

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the

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uero

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ston

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vic

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mar

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ayEv

ery

eye

and

hear

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im

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t str

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eve

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trid

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at w

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the

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f a s

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and

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As

sain

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f old

stil

l lin

e th

e w

ayRe

telli

ng tr

ium

phs

of H

is g

race

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hear

thei

r ca

lls a

nd h

unge

r fo

r th

e da

yW

hen

with

Chr

ist w

e st

and

in g

lory

Copy

righ

t©20

05 T

hank

you

Mus

ic

Due

to c

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ight

lim

itatio

ns, w

e ar

e on

ly

allo

wed

to p

rint t

he ly

rics

to th

is s

ong

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rds.

We

enco

urag

e yo

u to

dow

nloa

d an

mp3

of t

his

song

from

iTun

es.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

2010

The

Chu

rch

at B

rook

Hill

s