Hope For The Nations, Lesson 1, Fall 2007

  • Matthew 9:14-17
    • “It is death to have a wineskin without wine, but it is loss to have wine without a wineskin.” – Watchman Nee, 1939
  • Acts 13-15
    1. The Calling – Acts 13:1-4 – “they ministered to the Lord…the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (13:2)
    2. Initial Ministry – Acts 13:5-14:25 – “they preached the word of God,” “we declare to you glad tidings,” “the word of His grace,” “they were preaching the gospel there,” etc.   (13:5,32; 14:3,7)
    3. The Continuation/Strengthening of the Ministry – Acts 14:21-23 – “they returned…strengthening the souls of the disciples…they had appointed elders in every church,” (14:21-23)
    4. The Follow-Up Ministry – Acts 15:36-41 – “Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” (15:36)
  • An Examination of Hope College – “The Wines and Wineskins”
  • Principles For Us to Heed in the Ministry:
    • Content
      • We must disseminate and establish the teachings of the apostles’ initial ministry, then we can proceed with the continuation/strengthening
        • Foundations must be constructed before we can build on them (Heb. 5:11-6:3)
      • 1 Thessalonians 2:8 – We must impart our own lives along with our doctrine.  If we only teach doctrine, it will fail.
    • Methodology
      • John 4:1-42 – We offer living water and words of life to all who will receive these.  Then, they go back and share this light with the others they live amongst. 
      • Exodus 16:16-20 – We must NOT wait to spread what God gives us.  If we are not faithful to use what we have been given, we can be assured that it will spoil and rot.