THE CHURCH OF
PENTECOST – 2017 BIBLE STUDY OUTLINE
WEEK 24 – SUNDAY MORNING,
JUNE 11, 2017.
TOPIC: REACHING
THE ELITE WITH THE GOSPEL
Main Text: Luke
19:1-10
Memory Verse: For
the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost -
Luke 19:10
Introduction
In this study, Jesus
provides us another perfect example to follow. He does this with His passionate
desire to reach out to the lost at all cost. His aim as seen in the passage was
to reach out to the elite and rich who are neglected in society. Such people
hardly approached with the gospel because of their position and status. Under
Roman rule, the Jews were subjected to taxes; they therefore, considered it
offensive for a Jew to be collecting taxes for the Romans; Zacchaeus was no
exception. His condition was also worsened because he used the opportunity to
make dishonest gain. Normally, no one would want to associate with such people,
let alone share the gospel with them. Yet God loves such people too and Jesus’
encounter with Zacchaeus provides a beautiful model we can emulate.
Questions for Discussion
1. Who was Zacchaeus?
Verse 2
2. What was his desire
and how did he meet it? Verses 3-4
3. How did Jesus reach
out to Zacchaeus? Verses 5-7
4. Identify some of the
elite groups in our communities. Why is it is it difficult to share the gospel
with them?
5. How can we address the
challenges of taking the gospel to the elite in our communities?
Conclusion
The agenda of Jesus was
to seek and save that which was lost and He pursued it even to the cross. Like
Zacchaeus, the rich tax collector who desired to see Jesus, there are lots of
people who appear fulfilled physically and materially but are empty in their
souls and are yearning for Christ. These include politicians, chiefs, business
leaders, professionals, diplomats and many more. Many times, we are restrained
because of fear, ill-preparation, inferiority complex and financial
constraints. But like Zacchaeus, who climbed the tree, some of these people are
searching for an opportunity to respond to the gospel. We could therefore,
adopt various methods including breakfast meetings, corporate social outings,
and evangelism dinners among others in reaching out to the elite.
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THE CHURCH OF
PENTECOST – 2017 HOME CELL OUTLINE
WEEK 24 – SUNDAY EVENING,
JUNE 11, 2017.
TOPIC: PREACHING
REPENTANCE LIKE JESUS
Main Text: John
4:16-29
Memory Verse: I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance -
Luke 5:32
Introduction
A careful study of the
evangelistic activities of Jesus Christ reveals that His main objective was to
call sinners to repentance. We can tell from Jesus’ ministry that His concern
was to proclaim repentance to the lost (Matt 4:17). However, in contemporary
times, some evangelistic activities do not aim primarily at bringing people to
repentance but rather to fill our churches, write nice reports and making a
name for ourselves. In the passage for our study, we observe how Jesus sets a
perfect example by ministering repentance to the Samaritan woman.
Questions for Discussion
1. What was the situation
of the woman Jesus spoke with? Verses 16-18
2. How did the woman
respond when her situation was revealed to her? Verses 19-20
3. How did Jesus reveal
Himself as the Messiah to the woman? Verses 25-26
4. Describe the situation
of the woman after she encountered Jesus Verses 28-29
5. Identify the marks of
a genuine convert.
Conclusion
Jesus’ interaction with
the Samaritan woman gives us a perfect example that our evangelistic activities
should touch on the sinful conditions of our hearers and bring them to
repentance. The woman had already had five husbands and was involved in an
illegitimate relationship. When Jesus revealed her condition to her, she marveled
and concluded that He was a prophet. But Jesus went further to prove to her
that He was the Messiah. In the end, she left her jar and run into the city
proclaiming her encounter with Him. The woman’s swift response to the message
and immediate action are tangible marks of a repentant person. Jesus did not
disregard her sinful situation but exposed it and offered her the way of
salvation. In the same way, we must engage people with the message of Christ,
reveal their sin through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and bring them to
the saving knowledge of Christ.
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READ
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR GUIDE
Week
24 (Sunday 11th June to Saturday 17th June, 2017)
- Sunday: Psalms 43-48
- Monday: Psalms 49-54
- Tuesday: Psalms 55-60
- Wednesday: Psalms 61-67
- Thursday: Psalms 68-71
- Friday: Psalms 72-75
- Saturday: Psalms 76-78
