March 27, 2016

Sunday School
Acts 12-14

Chapter 12 

• King Herod Agrippa began persecuting believers in the church. He had James (John's brother) killed and had Peter arrested and thrown into prison with guards around and about him.
• During the night an angel appeared to Peter as if in a dream and told Peter to get up, cloak himself and follow him (the angel).
• When Peter was discovered missing, the guards were put to death and King Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
• Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon so they sent a delegation to make peace. They made friends with Blastus, Herod's personal assistant and an appointment with Herod was granted.
• On the day they were to meet with Herod, the King put on his royal robes, sat on his throne and made a speech.
• The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, "It is the voice of a god, not of a man!"
• Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship instead of giving the glory to God.
• Herod was consumed with worms and died.  But God's Good News was spreading rapidly and there were many new believers.

Chapter 13

• Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen and Saul were, one day, worshiping the Lord and fasting, when the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them." So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
• Saul and Barnabas preached in the Jewish synagogues. They were invited to speak to the governor.
• They encountered Bar-Jesus, a false prophet. He had attached himself to Sergius Paulus, the governor, who had considerable insight and understanding.
• Elymas, the sorcerer, interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Saul said.
• Elymas was trying to turn the governor away from Christian faith.
• But Saul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked the sorcerer in the eye and said, "You son of the Devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord? And now the Lord has laid His hand of punishment upon you and you will be stricken awhile with blindness.
• Instantly mist and darkness fell upon him.
• Paul delivered a message to the people of Israel and to the devout Gentiles.
• God's promise to our ancestors has come true in our own time, in that God raised Jesus. This is what the second psalm is talking about when it says concerning Jesus, 'You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."

Chapter 14

• Paul and Barnabas preached and did many miracles in Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.
• They returned to Antioch where they called the church together and reported abut their trip, telling all that God had done and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles as well.

Sermon

Rev. Mittie Muse, Sr. and Mrs. Mavis Muse were in attendance. Rev. Mittie Muse, Sr. is our Tyler District Presiding Elder. Rev. Muse delivered the message.

Acts 7:51-60

v51 - "You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit; as your ancestors did, so do you.  v52 - Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.  v53 - You received the law under the direction of angels and yet not kept it.  v54 - When they heard these things, they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.  v55 - But Stephen, filled by the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw God's glory, with Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and he said,  v56 - "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"  v57  - Then they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him.  v58  - They threw him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  v59 - They were stoning Stephen as he called out: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"  v60 - Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin!" And saying this, he fell asleep.

Subject: What Are You Willing to Die For?

Snippets from sermon: