GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Scripture Reading        : Acts 21:1-16

Theme                         : Commitment to Christ

1. The object of commitment. Paul was fully committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the extent that he was willing to lay down his life “for the name of the Lord Jesus” (21:13). No other cause is worthy of anyone laying down his life, except to follow the Lord Jesus, who also laid down His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

2. The plan of commitment. Paul intended to bring the offering that he collected from the Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem as soon as he could. To sail along the coast would have been safer, but Paul took the more risky route of sailing directly across the Mediterranean Sea to Tyre.

3. The determination of commitment. The Holy Spirit did not forbid Paul from going to Jerusalem, but revealed to the believers that suffering awaited Paul in Jerusalem. In fact, Paul was “constrained by the Holy Spirit” to go (20:22). Paul’s well-meaning friends persuaded him not to go because they feared for his safety, but Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem, because of his commitment to obey God and the church.

4. The cost of commitment. The ultimate cost of commitment to Christ on this earth is to lose one’s life. Paul was fully prepared to do so as he continued his journey to Jerusalem. He was able to pay the price of commitment to Jesus because he did “not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself.” (20:24)

Praying the Scripture

1. There are religious fanatics who lay down their lives for the wrong cause, and they are most to be pitied. Genuine Christians who truly believe that the Lord Jesus laid down His life for sinners ought to be fully committed to Him. Pray that we will be willing to die “for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

2. Sometimes, well-meaning Christians may give us advice out of love, but it is always more important to obey God than hear the voice of man. Pray that we will always obey God as the first priority. Also pray that when we counsel others, may we provide godly counsel that does not violate God’s will.

3. Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Pray that we will be willing to give up our earthly lives for Jesus Christ, so that we may receive eternal life in heaven.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 20:25-38

Theme                         : Biblical Eldership

1. Paul’s illustration for the elders. Paul lived a life of integrity amongst the people to whom he preached the Gospel (20:18). He laboured among the people and preached the Gospel and “the whole counsel of God” to them. Also, Paul worked whenever he could so that he did not burden the church financially (20:33-35) and to “present the Gospel free of charge” (1 Cor. 9:18). He set the example for the elders of the church to follow.

2. Paul’s instruction to the elders. The responsibility of the elders is to shepherd the sheep – they must take care of the believers whom God has entrusted to them. The sheep does not belong to the elders, but to Christ who obtained them “with His own blood”. Shepherding the flock includes teaching them God’s Word (20:27), counselling them to direct their steps back to God (20:20), helping them when they are weak (20:35), and protecting them from false teachers (20:31).

3. Paul’s intercession for the elders. After giving them instructions, Paul prayed for the elders, commending the elders “to God and to the Word of His grace”. Prayer reflects trust and dependence on God, rather than man. The challenges that the elders faced are enormous, and only by God’s power can they do the work.

Praying the Scripture

1. Paul set an example for the elders to follow. In the same way, he instructed Timothy to set an example for believers in the church (1 Tim. 4:12). Pray that the elders in our church will also set a godly example for the believers. Pray also that we too may be godly examples for others to follow.

2. Pray for the elders of the church, that they will “not shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God” and will “not shrink from declaring anything that is profitable.” Pray that we will be humble and teachable and submit to the teachings of the elders.

3. The task of the elders, especially the pastor, is an impossible thing to do, without God’s help. We need to pray unceasingly for our pastor and elders. Pray that they will “pay careful attention to themselves and to all the flock”. Pray also that they “be alert” against “fierce wolves” (false teachers). Pray also that they be godly examples who “coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel”.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 20:17-24

Theme                         : Paul’s Philosophy of Ministry

1. Serving the Lord heartily. Paul’s whole heart was devoted to God and he served God “with all humility”. Paul was a Pharisee and had an outstanding religious career, but he gave it all up when he realised that all those things that he practised as a Pharisee did not please God. Instead, he took on a life dedicated to the Gospel, even though it meant hardship and danger (“with tears and with trials”).

2. Serving the church unreservedly. Paul dedicated his life to preaching the Gospel and teaching the Christians wherever he went (“in public and from house to house”). He also counselled the believers by declaring to them “anything that was profitable”. With regards to the Word of God, he declared to them “the whole counsel of God” (20:27), without concealing anything.

3. Serving the world inexhaustibly. Paul did not know what exactly awaited him, but he did know that it would be hardship and persecution in every city (“imprisonment and affliction await me”). Despite the danger and hardship, Paul simply pressed on to preach the Gospel to all the cities that he went to, so that sinners might be saved.

4. Serving his calling single-mindedly. Paul understood that the calling he received was from the Lord Jesus. He gave up his life to serve this calling, dedicated to being faithful to God to the very end (“finish my course”).

Praying the Scripture

1. Christians should not think of serving God only when it is convenient and easy for them to do so. We are to serve God heartily, even if it means hardship and danger. Pray that we will serve God “with all humility and with tears and with trials”.

2. Paul served God through serving the church, by teaching them the Word of God and counselling the believers. Pray that we too will serve the church unreservedly, by counselling one another and declaring “anything that is profitable” in order to build one another up.

3. The world needs the Gospel, not political, economic and social change. Pray that we will serve the world inexhaustibly, by sharing the Gospel with all the people around us.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 18:18-19:7

Theme                            : Forget the Past

1. Caught in the OT laws. Paul took a Nazirite vow, which was a vow to be separated and devoted to God (Num. 6:2-5, 13-21). At the end of the vow, the devotee would shave his head, as Paul did. Paul likely took such a vow because God protected him in Corinth. Even though Paul was absolutely clear that obeying OT laws did not earn salvation, he was still caught in it (though it was a sincere devotion).

2. Caught in the OT teaching. Alexandria was an important city in Egypt. Coming from a city far from Jerusalem, Apollos did not know about Jesus’ death and resurrection, because he was teaching the OT prophecies concerning Jesus. He might have heard John the Baptist and believed his message concerning the Messiah, but had no personal knowledge of Jesus yet. Priscilla and Aquila heard Apollos in the synagogue and they explained the full Gospel to him. Apollos became a powerful Christian preacher, notably at Corinth (Acts 19:1; 1 Cor. 1:12).

3. Caught in the OT baptism. Paul came to Ephesus and found some disciples of John the Baptist. They were baptized by John, which was an OT form of baptism signifying repentance and preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. They had not heard the Gospel, but when Paul preached the Gospel to them, they were baptized in the name of Jesus, signifying not only repentance, but also death (of sin) with Jesus and future resurrection (Rom. 6:3).

Praying the Scripture

1. There are some people who might be sincerely abstaining from certain things as devotion to God (e.g. no wine, no food offered to idols, etc.). The Bible has clear teachings on this, but let us pray that those who have a stronger conscience not judge those who are weaker, and pray that we will treat brethren who have personal convictions with grace and patience.

2. Apollos was already eloquent in the OT, but that did not cause him to be puffed-up in pride. He gladly received instruction from Priscilla and Aquila concerning Christian doctrine. Pray that we will be humble and teachable like Apollos.

3. Believers in the Bible were willingly baptized as soon as they believed the Gospel. Pray that the believers in our congregation who are not baptized yet to obey our Lord’s command to be baptized.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 19:21-41

Theme                             : The Riot in Ephesus

Paul wanted to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. These provinces were in the opposite direction from Jerusalem, and Paul wanted to take this way in order to collect offering for the poor in Jerusalem due to the famine (Acts 11:27-30). After sending Timothy and Erastus ahead of him to Macedonia, Paul stayed longer in Ephesus.

1. The cause of the riot. An idol-maker called Demetrius stirred up the craftsmen to riot against Paul and the Christians. This is most likely not the same Demetrius commended by John in 3 John 12, since it was a common name. The main cause was that the craftsmen suffered financial loss, since more and more Ephesians turned from worshipping idols to the true God. The goddess Artemis was also known as “Diana”.

2. The chaos of the riot. The riot was mainly led by Demetrius and the craftsmen, but many people joined the riot, most not knowing the reason (19:32). These people were simply following the crowd and did not even know what they were rioting for.

3. The calming of the riot. The city clerk was like the Mayor of the city of Ephesus. He reasoned with the crowd, correctly attributing the cause of the riot to them. The image of the goddess which fell from heaven was likely a meteorite that fell from space. The city clerk appealed to the people to go through the proper legal channels of charging Paul, because a riot could bring down the Roman cohort to destroy the city.

Praying the Scripture

1. In our day and age, there continues to be many businesses that thrive because of idol-worship and many idol-worshippers. Pray that God will have mercy on the unbelievers who are idol worshippers, especially our family members, convict their hearts of idolatry and grant them repentance.

2. Many people join street protests without knowing the reason or are not as convicted as the leaders of the protest. Pray that as Christians, we will be discerning and not participate in any protests or demonstration. Pray that we will change the world through the preaching of the Gospel, not through protests or demonstrations.

3. God protected Paul and his companions using the city clerk. In a similar way, God can protect us using the local government. Pray that we will be bold to preach the Gospel, but be wise in our ways so that we will not be guilty of breaking the law when sharing the Gospel.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 20:1-16

Theme                            : A Glimpse into the Heart of a Pastor

1. The spiritual need of the church. As Paul travelled throughout Macedonia, he spent much time preaching and encouraging the believers. At Troas, Paul continued to preach late into the night, because he was going to leave the next day. Instead of resting, his concern for the spiritual need of the church compelled him to preach until the morning (20:11).

2. The physical need of the church. The author of Acts (Luke the Physician) did not give details of the reason Paul travelled through this region, because Luke wanted to show the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, but we can reconstruct the scenario from Paul’s epistles. There was a famine in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30), and Paul went to the Gentile churches throughout the region to collect monetary gifts to help the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-4). Paul was concerned for the physical need of the church, and went to different churches that he established to collect offerings. The different names mentioned in 20:4 were representatives from the churches that contributed to the offering.

3. The overall health of the church. Even as Paul was hurrying to Jerusalem, he still had the church of Ephesus in mind. After leaving Ephesus, on his way to Jerusalem, Paul would stop over at Miletus, where he would send for the elders of the church in Ephesus (20:17), in order to teach, warn and encourage them once more before he left.

Praying the Scripture

1. Just like Paul, many godly pastors labour day and night because they are concerned for the spiritual need of the church. Pray for our pastor, that he will have the strength to continue the work that God has given to him.

2. Pray that we will be generous in our giving, so that our own local church will not be in need of resources. Pray also that we will not be inward-looking, but share our resources with other like-minded churches that are in need.

3. The pastor’s responsibility is not only to preach God’s Word, but also to counsel believers. Pray that believers in our local church will respond positively to our pastor’s counselling, so that the overall health of the church will be good.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 19:8-20

Theme                            : The Power of the Word

1. The proclamation of the Word. Paul proclaimed the Gospel at Ephesus, and soon the Gospel spread throughout Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Recall that the Holy Spirit forbid Paul from going to Asia in Acts 17:6, but directed him to Macedonia instead. It was a matter of when (timing), rather than not.

2. The proof of the Word. God authenticated Paul’s message and ministry with accompanying signs and miracles. When the Sons of Sceva wanted to duplicate the miracles, they failed, despite using Jesus’ (and Paul’s) name, because they were not genuine believers.

3. The power of the Word. God’s Word, the Gospel, “continued to increase and prevail mightily.” There were many people in Ephesus who practiced magic arts, or sorcery, evident from the huge amount of money that the magic books were worth. Because of the power of the Word of God that prevailed in their hearts, the people who repented willingly parted with their former lives, even though there was huge financial loss.

Praying the Scripture

1. Many people complain that “God did not answer my prayer”. By that, they actually mean that God did not give them what they want. God always answers prayers, and in summary, it is either “Yes”, “No”, or “Wait”. Paul was forbidden to go to Asia earlier, but was directed there later to preach. God did not change His mind – it was a matter of timing. Pray that as we patiently wait upon God to direct us, we will be faithful to obey His clear command to proclaim the Gospel.

2. The episode of the Sons of Sceva shows that “in Jesus’ name” is not a magical formula that will result in miracles. Pray that we will be genuine followers of Christ, who obey His Word, rather than false believers who use His name in vain.

3. Pray that we are willing to give up our sins, even if it means financial loss, for the sake of the Gospel.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 18:1-18

Theme                            : Press On for God

1. Provision of God. Silas and Timothy were still in Berea when Paul went to Athens (Acts 17:15), later re-joining Paul at Corinth. Before Silas and Timothy joined Paul, he worked as a tentmaker to support himself, preaching only on the Sabbath. When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, they brought along financial support, so that Paul could be devoted “exclusively to preaching”. God provided Paul’s needs through the gift of other believers.

2. Proselytizing for God. When the Jews opposed Paul, he turned to the Gentiles and devoted himself to preach to them for a year and a half. Many Gentiles became believers as the result of Paul’s preaching. It is possible that Paul was afraid and discouraged by the opposition, which was why God spoke to him in a vision to encourage him to continue preaching to the Gentiles.

3. Protection of God. Even though the Jews “made a united attack on Paul”, God used the proconsul to protect Paul. Gallio wisely ruled that this was not a matter against Roman law, and threw the case out. The Jews vented their anger at Sosthenes, who later became a Christian (1 Cor. 1:1), but no harm was made to Paul.

Praying the Scripture

1. We should be willing to part with our physical possessions so that we can gain eternal rewards in heaven. Pray that we will give of our resources generously, so that our pastor can be devoted “exclusively to preaching” in order to build up believers in the church (including ourselves).

2. Even Paul was afraid and discouraged at times. Let us pray that we will trust in God and not be afraid to preach the Gospel to people around us.

3. If we obey His Word, we can be assured that Jesus Christ will be with us till the end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Praise and thank God for keeping His promises.

Scripture Reading        : Acts 17:16-34

Theme                            : God-Centered Gospel

1. Godless man-made gospel. Athens was the cultural centre of Greece, home to famous philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The author of Acts noted that the Athenians spent all their time talking about and listening to new ideas (17:21). The Athenians were very religious, but they did not know the true Gospel. They worshipped all kinds of idols created by themselves (17:6), even creating an altar “to an unknown god”, just in case they left out any god who might become angry with them.

2. God-centred Gospel preaching. Paul made known to them the one and only true God by preaching the Gospel to them. Paul did not just try to add another god to the pantheon of gods the Athenians were already worshipping. He denounced the idols as “image made by human design and skill” (17:29), and declared to them the need for repentance and the coming judgment.

3. God-centred Gospel living. Sincerity is not sufficient to please God. The Athenians were very sincere in their worship, even building an altar to an unknown god. However, Paul declared that this was “ignorance” which God overlooked. The important thing when one hears the Gospel is to repent. True repentance means turning away from sin and turning towards God, and it will be followed by a life of godliness.

 
Praying the Scripture

1. W. Tozer wrote, “Wrong ideas about God are not only the fountain from which the polluted waters of idolatry flow; they are themselves idolatrous. The idolater simply imagines things about God and acts as if they were true.” Worship, no matter how sincere, is idolatry as long as we are not clear on who is the God of the Bible. Pray that we will not be worshipping “an unknown god”, but strive to know Him by reading the Bible.

2. Some people think that they can add Jesus to their pantheon of gods. But according to Paul and the God-centered Gospel that he preached, there is only ONE God. Pray that we too will preach such a Gospel, and be ready to tell unbelievers the truth.

3. Pray that if we have genuinely repented from our sins, we will live godly lives that is “worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27), because God will “judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.” (Acts 17:31)

经文：使徒行传17:16-34

主题：以神为本的福音

Scripture Reading        : Acts 17:1-15

Theme                            : Expository Preaching & Expository Listening

1. Expository preaching of the Word. Paul preached from the Old Testament to the Jews, and explained to them what the Old Testament meant regarding the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. Expository preaching is not a new concept in recent church history. It was done in the Old Testament (Nehemiah 8:8), by Jesus in the synagogues, and also by Paul. However, preaching God’s Word clearly and accurately does not guarantee a positive response from the hearers. In fact, the Bible tells us that many people would not want to hear sound teaching (2 Tim 4:3-4). The Jews did not respond positively to Paul’s message, but stirred up a riot instead.

2. Expository listening of the Word. The Jews in Berea were “more noble than those in Thessalonica”. It is the preacher’s responsibility to preach expositorily, but the hearer’s are also responsible to hear expositorily. The Bereans “received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” The hearer’s responsibility is to have a teachable heart, so that he will hear God’s Word eagerly, having a genuine desire to want to know God’s Word. But he should not blindly accept whatever the preacher says – the hearer has the responsibility to study the rest of Scripture to ensure that what he heard does not contradict the rest of the Bible, and to obey the Word of God.

Praying the Scripture

1. God does not require the preacher to produce results by the number of people who likes to hear him preach. The requirement of God is that the preacher be faithful to preach His Word clearly and accurately, seeking to please God rather than humans. The Old Testament prophets (e.g. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel) were not popular amongst the people because they preached about God’s impending judgment, which the Jews did not like to hear. Paul was faithful not to change the content of the Gospel simply because the people did not like it. Pray that our pastor and elders will also faithfully preach God’s Word accurately and clearly.

2. The world judges the effectiveness of the sermons by the size of the congregation. Many so-called Christians even blame the preacher for the failure of the hearers to obey God’s Word. But it is the responsibility of the hearer, not the preacher, to be teachable and obey the Word of God. Let us pray that we will “receive the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

经文：使徒行传17:1-15

主题：释经讲道与释经听道