1. Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2015 Adult Bible Study Guide Jul Aug Sep 2015 powerpoint presentation designed by claro ruiz vicente http://clarovicente.weebly.com

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4. Biblical Missionaries Our Goal We will look at mission first and foremost as God’s means for commu- nicating the gospel. Mission is a core part of God’s sovereign activity in the process of redeeming humanity. We will study how God’s eternal purpose has been accomplished in the lives of individuals in the Bible whom He has used to be missionaries to the lost.

5. Biblical Missionaries Contents 1 The Missionary Nature of God 2 Abraham: The First Missionary 3 The Unlikely Missionary 4 The Jonah Saga 5 Exiles as Missionaries 6 Esther and Mordecai 7 Jesus: The Master of Missions 8 Cross-Cultural Missions 9 Peter and the Gentiles 10 Philip as Missionary 11 Paul: Background and Call 12 Paul: Mission and Message 13 Must the Whole World Hear?

6. Biblical Missionaries Lesson 9, August 29 Biblical Missionaries Lesson 9, August 29 Peter and the Gentiles

7. Key Text Acts 2:38:39 NKJV “ Then Peter said the them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God call.”

8. Peter and the Gentiles Quick Look 1. Pentecostal Sermon (Acts 2:37, 38) 2. Crucial Conversion (Acts 10:44, 45) 3. Critical Decision (Acts 15:13-19)

9. Peter and the Gentiles Initial Words Peter was the first apostle to proclaim salvation to the Gentiles. He continued to provide leadership in the church for a number of years after its foundation, even after Paul became the missionary to the Gentiles par excellence. Peter, with Paul, helped the early church understand the universality of the Great Commission.

10. Acts 2:37, 38 NKJV “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter..., ‘What shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ ” Peter and the Gentiles 1. Pentecostal Sermon

11. By Peter The Great Commission found its first fulfillment on the Day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit had as its aim the evangelization of the world. Peter’s sermon contained a few main points that remain relevant even today:

12. 1. Pentecostal Sermon By Peter First, Old Testament prophecies and promises are fulfilled in Christ (Acts 2:17–21), a truth revealed through the powerful works and signs accompanying His ministry, as well as through His death and resurrection (vss. 22–24).

13. 1. Pentecostal Sermon By Peter Second, Jesus was exalted, placed at God’s right hand, and is now Christ (the Messiah) and Lord of all (vss. 33–36). In Him, all who repent and are baptized will receive forgiveness for sins (vss. 38, 39). Here we see the active and vocal disciple Peter standing up for his belief in Jesus.

14. Peter and the Gentiles 2. Crucial Conversion Acts 10:44, 45 NKJV “While Peter was still speaking... the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.”

15. 2. Crucial Conversion Of Cornelius “Believing in God as the Creator of heaven and earth, Cornelius revered Him, acknowledged His authority, and sought His counsel in all the affairs of life.... He had erected the altar of God in his home, for he dared not attempt to carry out his plans or to bear his responsibilities without the help of God.” —The Acts of the Apostles 133.

16. 2. Crucial Conversion Of Cornelius When he finally met Peter, Cornelius bowed down and worshiped him, an act that must have appalled Peter. This Gentile, favored of God, a devout man, still had a lot of truth to learn, even at the most basic level; no doubt, though, he was about to learn it.

17. 2. Crucial Conversion Of Cornelius Though an angel appeared to him, the angel didn’t preach the gospel to him. Instead, the angel opened the way for Cornelius to meet Peter, who then told him about Jesus (see Acts 10:34–44). We can see here an example of how the Lord uses humans as His messengers to the world.

18. 2. Crucial Conversion Of Cornelius “ ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.’ ” Peter’s experience with Cornelius helped him to see clearly the error of his ways and helped him to get a better picture of what God intended to do with the gospel message.

19. Peter and the Gentiles 3. Critical Decision Acts 15:13-19 NKJV “James answered saying, ‘...Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.... Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God....”

20. 3. Critical Decision Peter’s Vision Tanning and tanners were repulsive to the Jews since they handled dead bodies. Peter’s stay with a tanner indicated that already, before his vision, he realized that some of his previous attitudes were at cross- purposes with the gospel. All people, represented by “all kinds of…animals” in Peter’s vision, are God’s children.

21. Early success of the mission to the Gentiles raised some crucial questions regarding what requirements should be expected of Gentile converts. Jewish Christians, with their high regard for the requirements of the Old Testament laws and rituals, assumed that Gentile converts would accept and obey these laws and rituals. 3. Critical Decision Of the Jerusalem Council

22. 3. Critical Decision Of the Jerusalem Council The main focus was circumcision. The decree of the council (vss. 23–29) provided a common platform where Jewish and Gentile Christians could coexist in fellowship. Jewish core values were respected, but Gentiles were allowed to avoid circumcision. The council’s decision was both practical and theological.

23. 3. Critical Decision Of the Jerusalem Council It set a pattern for the church to deal with issues and problems before they became too divisive. Experienced missionaries learn to identify core Christian belief issues and keep the focus on them as opposed to getting bogged down with things that are not essential to the faith.

24. Peter and the Gentiles Final Words “Peter...witnessed the Holy Spirit taking possession of his hearers.... The same light and glory that was reflected upon the circumcised Jews shone also upon the faces of the uncircumcised Gentiles. This was God’s warning that Peter was not to regard one as inferior to the other, for the blood of Christ could cleanse from all uncleanness....” —The Acts of the Apostles 193, 194.