Week 4 - Trust in God!

Week 3 - Let Go and Let God!

Week 1 and 2 in Amharic

David a man after God's Heart: Week 1

I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own hear. He will do everything I want him to do. Acts 13:22

Lesson 1

The anointed Shepherd

Now the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” “Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”

So Samuel did as the LORD instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”

“Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!” but the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the Lord has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.

And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

So David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16: 1-13

Keynotes:

1.      The people that God chooses, and the ones he shows his power through are not the ones who are deemed worthy in the eyes of people

2.      When God anoints people he looks at the heart and not the façade

Discussion Questions:

1.      In the beginning of the reading what were God’s instructions to Samuel? What do you think he said what he said?

2.      Why did God reject Saul’s Kingdom?

/1Sam 15: 23-23/

3.      What was Samuel’s response to God’s instructions?

What do you notice about God’s instructions?

4.      How did the people greet Samuel when he arrived in Bethlehem? What was the first thing he did when he go to Bethelhem?

What did he do for Jesse’s family when he invited them to the sacrifice?

5.      Why do you think Samuel assumed that Eliab was God’s chosen one?

  Why do you think God’s choice is different from man’s?

6.      David was anointed because God rejected Saul. What does that say about David’s character?

What were the fruits of the anointing?

How did the “spirit” that he received that day help him for the rest of his days?

Life Application:

           Has seeing what God did in David’s life help you lean on God even more?

           What kind of people does God choose?

We saw that the anointing on David’s life helped him accomplish his calling. After seeing this how        much more do you want the Lord’s anointing to accomplish your calling as well? 

**The lesson is translated from an Amahric bible study guide

Summary of Acts Chapter 1-7

We studied the book of Acts for almost a year, and it is extremely hard to summarize…we shouldn’t have waited until the end….but here are a few of the highlights….

Introduction

A historical account of the early church, Acts is a clear continuation of the Gospel of Luke. Even though most of the chapters are written in the third person, sometimes the author (whom we assume is Luke) sometimes slips into the plural, indicating that he was present during some of these events.

The book of Acts starts with the great commission: Jesus charges the 11 apostles to spread the gospel in Jerusalem, then Samaria and Judea, and finally until the ends of the world.

 With Peter leading the small congregation of the faithful (120 believers), they were gathered together for Pentecost, a religious holiday celebrating the grain harvest. It was then that the Holy Spirit descends upon them, and as a result they begin to speak in different tongues.

Jesus had instructed them not to leave Jerusalem until they had received POWER, aka the Holy Spirit. When the spirit came onto Peter he was able to stand before thousands and testify about Jesus: his life, his crucifixion, and resurrection. Peter gave scriptural proof that Jesus is the Messiah, the savior whom God promises in Old Testament, the one who would save the Jews from their adversity. In response 3000 people were added onto the Kingdom of God.

Key note: the Holy Spirit is power that has been given to us. With Him all things are possible! Peter was unable to stand up to a few people (he denied Jesus three times before sunrise), however, when the Spirit of the Lord was upon him he was able to testify before thousands, and be fruitful.

Chapter 3

 Peter and John are going to the temple to pray, and heal a crippled beggar who had been so since birth.

Key notes: The word says that people put him out by the gates of Beautiful so that he can beg those going into the temple courts for money. When he came to the gates he never imagined that he would be healed. When he was though, he went into the temple courts walking and jumping, Praising God.  

1.   God’s healing of anything (including mistakes and regrets) may come when we least expect it. When it does those it completely changes the direction of our life, and there is no remnant. The beggar’s legs were fully restored! God’s healing is complete!!

2.   Miracles are for His Glory…the only acceptable reaction is giving him Praise. Miracles should minister to people showing them the goodness of God.

3.   God is in the business of complete restoration that transforms lives. The beggar will no longer beg, his whole life has changed because of that single encounter. ie. A personal encounter changes/shift our whole perspective…

Chapter 4 and 5

If there is anyone out there who doubts that there is only ONE way to Christ this is the chapter for you!

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

We know that one can go to the Father, except through him.

Also, in this chapter we see that: Peter and John are brought before the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law, because thousands believed because of the beggar’s healing. They warned not to preach in the name of Jesus Christ! Yet through the power that they continue to receive from the Holy Spirit, they continue to spread the word of God, helping many understand and believe the truth.

Key Note: The Holy Spirit helps Peter witness fearlessly. We need the Holy Spirit to not only live in peace (the opposite of fear is peace) but also be fruitful (When Peter spoke the Holy Spirit worked in peoples’ hearts helping them believe).

As the book progresses, we witness that Peter is freed from jail by an angel (5:8), he is warned again by the Sanhedrin to stop speaking in the name of Jesus Christ because many kept believing... The Jewish court were so worried about the spread of the Word that they decided to execute the Apostles (5:36)…but a Pharisee named Gamaliel intercedes on their behalf convincing the court to let them go…"Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (5:38-40)so instead they were flogged:

“The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the messiah.” Acts 5:41

Key note:

1. Would you consider it an honor if you were persecuted in the name of Jesus Christ? Would you even stand up for Him in all situations? Are you a witness in your school, work or home?
2. Gamaliel's observations can be applicable to every area: sometimes, things come up and we are unsure of whether it is from God or not....it is good to be patient, because time will always help us discern what is from God and what isn't. Patience is very important!

Also in Chapter 5 we also see that the life of the early church which was centered around fellowship, brotherhood, common ownership and sharing. The sad story of Ananias and Sapphira who sold a piece of property was also highlighted in there. Of what they had sold, they kept back part of the money for themselves, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. In keeping part of the money they tired to deceive the Apostles but in actuality they were deceiving the Holy Spirit...

Key note:

1.   Lying to the Holy Spirit: you can never cheat or out smart God, he is all knowing and sees everything

2.   God looks at the heart: what they did was honorable (to sell their belonging and give it to God) however, their intentions weren’t so noble (5:3) Peter says to Ananias “how is it that Satan has so filled your heart?” God is after matters of the heart....Check your motive!

Chapter 6 and 7

In these chapters we see the first signs of church division, and two groups emerge. One group is the Greek Christians who were born Jewish but who have a Greek background. The other group is the Hebrews, the Christians who, like the apostles, were born into Jewish backgrounds. The Greeks felt discriminated against, so in response, the community of disciples elected seven leaders to account for the needs of the Greeks. Foremost among these leaders was Stephen. A controversy ensues between Stephen and some Jews, who accused him of heresy before the Sanhedrin. Stephen’s accusers testifyed that he never stops saying things against the holy place and the law (7:13). In front of the Sanhedrin, Stephen delivers a long speech detailing the history of Jewish leadership in the Bible, concluding with a damning accusation (7:48–51) The accusation enraged the Jews so much they gets him stoned him to death.

Key note: In our opinion Stephan’s death was unfair. The bible says that he was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also it says that he was full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people… in our minds, during that time, a man such as Stephan was key in advancing the kingdom of God, however God had a different idea. Stephan’s dramatic death was the door opener for the rise of another great Apostle, Paul.

We may not understand why some things happen: but, we know that all things come together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Don’t try to understand every details of why things are the way they are, or why something happened the way it do/did. We can’t know everything! However, we rest assured that our God in heaven knows all, sees all, and there are no miscalculations or mistakes on his part. Trust God and always remember he NEVER makes a mistake!

Coming soon…..Chapters 8 - 28