Lesson 24 Spreading out to all peoples everywhere
Bible reference – Acts chapters 10 – 28.
Note: at the beginning of class you need to make a simple map using the
classroom. You could use the whole class floor area to mark out the coast
and the cities.
As you mark the cities ask some students to sit in them.
As the lesson moves on: Students seated will represent “not
Christians”; and students standing will represent “Christians”.
The last map printed at the back in the Good News Bible has most of the information you need. It is titled “Paul’s journey to Rome”. The lesson will
show how the Gospel spreads from Jerusalem (in the south-east of this map:
bottom right corner), all the way to Rome (in the north-west: top left corner).
Students will see this growth as more and more stand up across the map.
Mark only the following on your map (from right to left, anti-clockwise).
Copy only a basic outline of the coast. Write the names of the cities on paper,
or ask a student who can remember and say the place name to sit in each
city.
Jerusalem
Caesarea
Cyprus
Antioch in Syria
Tarsus – see GNB map titled “Paul’s first missionary journey”
Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe – see GNB map
titled “Paul’s second and third journeys”
Bithynia – see also this map
Philippi, Corinth – see back on the original GNB map
Rome
Spread the students between all the places marked on the map.
(1) At the start all students should be seated as “non Christians”.
They should be able to see ‘the map on the floor’, and read their Bibles.
Start telling the story at this point: Jesus’ first disciples were Jews.
And, to begin with, most of the new Christians were Jews in Jerusalem.
(2) A few students stand as “Christians” in Jerusalem.
The Holy Spirit came upon these disciples at Passover, when Jews living in
Jerusalem “ were joined by Jewish emigrants24 and sympathisers25 from every
country in the world, Acts 2 verse 5. Peter explained to everyone what was
happening. Have a student read Acts 2 verse 41, “Many people believed his
message and were baptized, and about 3,000 people were added to the
group that day”.
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25
Someone who leaves their country to live permanently in another.
Someone who supports something.
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(3) Many more students stand becoming “Christians” in Jerusalem.
Point out that there are no Christians anywhere else. (Of course, in reality
some travellers had gone to other places. But for the purpose of this lesson
we are looking at the major movements of God’s special people).
Jesus had told his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem first and then in
Judea, through Samaria, and to the whole world, Acts 1 verse 8. It was the
terrible persecution in Jerusalem that forced the new Christians to move to
other places. Have a student read Acts 8 verse 1, “That very day the church
in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the
apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria”.
God used persecution to help his special people obey his command!
(4) Most “Christians” standing in Jerusalem move – only a step or two –
outside the city. A few move to Cyprus. One goes to Tarsus.
God spoke to Cornelius, the Roman captain in Caesarea. God also told Peter
to go from where he was staying and meet Cornelius at Caesarea. Peter was
not sure about it. Cornelius was a Roman – a Gentile, not a Jew – and for
Peter it was difficult to visit. But Peter went with some friends.
When Peter arrived he told everyone in Cornelius’ house about Jesus. Have a
student read Acts 10 verse 44, “While he was still speaking, the Holy Spirit
came down on all those who were listening to his message”.
Have another student read what Peter said next. Acts 10 verse 47, “These
people have received the Holy Spirit, just as we also did. Can anyone, then,
stop them being baptized with water?”
God showed Peter that the racism, nationalism, and tribalism of the world is
broken down by real Christianity. God is above all of that! God turns it upside
down. Any person from any background can believe in the Lord Jesus and be
saved, showing it by baptism. That is the way to join God’s special people.
(5) Have a group of standing “Christians” move from Jerusalem to
Caesarea. As they arrive some people, already seated in Caesarea,
stand up to join them – becoming new “Christians”.
So the growing church included Jews and Gentiles. Have the student who
read Acts 8 verse 1 (see 4 above) read it again.
Have another student read Acts 11 verse 19, “Some of the believers who
were scattered by the persecution which took place when Stephen was killed
went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to
Jews”.
(6) Have another group of standing “Christians” leave Jerusalem and
journey 500 km to Antioch in Syria, (Modern day Antakya in Turkey).
Wherever they went Christians usually began by speaking to Jews – like
themselves – about Jesus. But in Antioch some whose homes were in Cyprus
started speaking to the Gentiles as well, Acts 11 verse 20.
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(7) Have most of the standing “Christians” in Cyprus move to Antioch in
Syria. They join the “Christians” from Jerusalem already there.
All the Christians kept sharing the Good News about the Lord Jesus.
Barnabas arrived from Jerusalem and Paul arrived from Tarsus to teach the
new believers. Have a student read Acts 11 verse 21, “The Lord’s power was
with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord”.
The new church gave money to help the believers suffering famine back in
Jerusalem. Like Jesus they cared for the poor. Perhaps that’s why they were
first called “Christians” in Antioch.
(8) Have Paul move from Tarsus to Antioch in Syria.
Have many “not Christians” in Antioch stand and become “Christians”.
As well as looking back to care for Christians in Jerusalem, the early church
kept looking forward to areas where people had not heard the Good News of
Jesus. God spoke to the church leaders in Antioch. He showed them towns
and cities to the north east of them where no-one had spoken about Jesus.
(Encourage students to see on the class map the “seated non-Christian”
areas, and “Christian areas” where at least some people are standing).
Have a student read Acts 13 verse 2, “While they were serving the Lord and
fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Paul, to
do the work to which I have called them”.
Paul and Barnabas with a small team left Antioch and journeyed through Cyprus. They went north as far as Antioch in Pisidia. They also went on to Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Have a student read Acts 14 verse 3, “The apostles
stayed there for a long time, speaking boldly about the Lord, who proved that
their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to perform
miracles and wonders”.
(9) Have a small team of standing “Christians” leave Antioch in Syria.
They travel via Cyprus to Antioch in Pisidia, then on to Iconium, Lystra
and Derbe. In every city that they visit, some seated “not Christians”
stand as joining the “Christians”.
God’s special people could not keep the Good News of Jesus to themselves. They had to give it away to other people. After all this travelling, Paul
and his team arrived back at Antioch in Syria. Have another student read Acts
14 verse 27, “When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered all the people of the
church together and told them about all that God had done with them and how
he had opened the way for the Gentiles to believe”.
(10) Have Paul’s team return to Antioch in Syria, leaving some standing
“Christians” everywhere they have been.
Now the church was a mixture of people with different racial and religious
backgrounds. Some problems came up between people. The Council of
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leaders back in Jerusalem were asked to rule on some issues – which they
did, Acts 15. They were very thoughtful about how everybody would
understand their decisions.
Paul and a new team were still looking forwards, to people who had never
heard the gospel. His old team went off to Cyprus from Antioch. Paul left and
journeyed towards Bithynia. Have a student read Acts 16 verse 7, “When they
reached the border of Mysia, they tried to go into the province of Bithynia, but
the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them”. The team obeyed what they believed
God was saying to them. They turned away to the west.
(11) Have Paul’s old team go to Cyprus. Have Paul’s new team move to
the edge of Bithynia, and then west (left) towards Philippi.
After a vision from God clearly calling them, Paul’s team arrived in Philippi
and later in Corinth. There were many challenges in these places, and other
places around them. There was opposition. There was public debate. There
were hardships and disasters. But everywhere the seed of the gospel of
Jesus Christ was planted, and churches were started. Some people became
believers. Have three students read Acts 16 verses 31-33, “They answered,
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your family”. Then
they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
At that very hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds;
and he and all his family were baptized at once”.
(12) Have Paul’s team arrive in Philippi. Have some of the seated “not
Christians” from the city, stand to join the “Christians”.
The team, with a few added to them, moved on to other cities including
Corinth. There was trouble almost everywhere they went. It was not easy
obeying God’s command to be witnesses everywhere. One night in Corinth
God encouraged Paul by speaking to him directly. Have three students read
Acts 18 verses 9-11, “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking and do not give
up, for I am with you. No one will be able to harm you, for many in this city are
my people”. So Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching the people
the word of God”.
(13) Have the team move on to Corinth. Have many of the seated “not
Christians” stand to join them.
Threats against the Christians, and especially against Paul, grew worse and
worse. Paul went back to Jerusalem to face organised opposition from the
Jewish religious leaders. It ended with him being arrested. He was sent all the
way to Rome. He was going to be tried by the most important court in the
world. A few Christian friends met up with him when he got to Rome. Although
Paul had never been there before, others had taken the Good News of Jesus.
Some citizens of Rome had become believers. Paul was kept a prisoner at
his own home waiting for his trial but he still served God. Have two students
read Acts 28 verses 30-31, “For two years Paul lived in a place he rented for
himself, and there he welcomed all who came to see him. He preached about
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the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, speaking with all
boldness and freedom”.
(14) Have Paul in Rome, standing with a small group of other
“Christians”. Slowly, in ones and twos, others stand to join them.
Encourage the students to look back over their ‘living’ map.
Ask, What do they notice? What can they remember of what you said?
(God the Holy Spirit).
(He told them to go into all the world, and they have!)
(By being baptized).
But those who did were glad to be among God’s special people!
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