Paul’s Journeys, Part 1
August 26, 2010
Paul’s Journeys — How Am I Traveling? Part 1
Adult Wednesday Bible Class
West Broad Church of Christ
August/September 2010
J.L. Nesmith, Jr., D.Min., Facilitator
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Introduction:
We will study the work of a person who is recognized by many. He is a person of superior intellect and faith. He is a person who gave up everything in order to gain everything. He is the apostle Paul. The book of Acts records three missionary journeys he undertook.
· Summation of Journey 1 (Acts 13:1-14:28)
· Summation of Journey 2 (Acts 15:36-18:22)
· Summation of Journey 3 (Acts 18:23-21:16)
How does Paul handle himself on these journeys? How should the choices of his journey in the first century influence our choices in the 21st century?
I. On the Journey (13:1-14:28)
Luke begins with mention of the church at Antioch. What can we know about this city?
· Antioch — a brief peek. Question: How does Antioch compare to Richmond? Do you see parallels between Paul’s situation in Antioch and ours, here?
Consider now Paul’s first missionary journey. Remember to constantly ask yourself, How does his journey compare to mine?
· A moment of separation (13:1-4a). Question: Is your journey Spirit-directed, or self-directed?
· A place of impartation (13:4b-5)
· Tension and demonstration (13:6-12). Question: What can we do as the West Broad Church of Christ that would allow us to enjoy Paul’s result? What can you do?
· “Family” and communication (13:14-50). Question: What do you do when you are derailed during your journey?
· Reception and resistance (14:1-7). Question: Can you recount a time when it was clearly dangerous to share Jesus? What did you do?
· Power and pronouncement (14:8-18). Question: When the temptation for elevation presents, are you humble in your journey?
· Planning and pain (14:19-20). Question: Sometimes you can avoid pain on your journey (14:6), and sometimes you cannot. What do you do when a painful journey is unavoidable?
· Return and report (14:21-28). Question: What do you learn from your journey? Do you share those learnings with others? What is the result?
Conclusion:
Paul faced many obstacles during his first missionary journey, but he also enjoyed many accomplishments. The journey is often painful, but it is not the journey but the destination that must be borne in mind. We will continue to learn from the apostle as we explore his second missionary journey, together. I will see you here, God willing!
