2a. The Birth of John the Baptist

This is taken from Luke 1:5-25; Luke 1:57-67
        During the rule of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zach-a-ri-as, he served in the priestly group of A-bi-jah.  His wife Elizabeth was a member of the family line of Aaron.  They both were righteous in God's eyes.  They obeyed the Lord's commandments and rules without failure to do what was required of them.  They didn't have anychildren and now they both were well along in years.
        Once when Zach-a-ri-as group was serving as priest before God, they drew lots, according to the custom of the priesthood. (Drawing lots is something like drawing names to see who would go first.)  Zach-a-ri-as was chosen to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incenses to the Lord.  While he was burning the incense all the other worshipers who was gathered outside of the was praying.
       While he was in the temple an angel of the Lord apperard to him.  The angel stood at the right side of the altar of incense.  When Zach-a-ri-as saw the angel he was surprised and terribly afraid.
         But the angel said to him, "Don't be afraid, Zach-a-ri-as your prayer has been heard.  Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you are to name him John.  Your son will bring you joy and gladness, and many will rejoice because of your son's birth.  For your son will be great in the sight of the Lord.  He is never to drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  He will bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God.  He will go on before the Lord, in the Spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the heart of the fathers to their children and the disobedient people to the wisdom of the righteous people to make the people ready and prepare them for the Lord."
        Zach-a-ri-as asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
        The angel answered, "I am Gabriel.  I stand in the immediate surrounding of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.  And now you will be silent and not be able to speak until the day the child is born, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at the proper time."
        Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zach-a-ri-as and wondering why he was staying so long in the temple.  When Zach-a-ri-as came out of the temple, he could not speak to the people.  Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them, but he remained unable to speak.
        When Zach-a-ri-as time of service was finished, he returned home.  After this his wife Elizabeth was with child and for five minths she stayed in private.  Elizabeth said, "The Lord has done this for me.  In these days the Lord has shown his favor and he has taken away my disgrace among the people."
        When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.  Elizabeth neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
        When the child was eight days old they came to circumcise him, and they were going to name the child after his father Zach-a-ri-as, but Elizabeth spoke up and said, "No!  He is to be called John."
        They said to Elizabeth, "There is no one among your relatives named John."
        Then they made sign to Zach-a-ri-as, to find out what he would like to name the child.  He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is John."  As soon as he wrote that his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to talk, praising God.  The neighbors were all filled with surprise, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things.  Everyone who heard this wondered about it.  They were asking, "What then is this child going to be?"  For the Lord's hand was with him.

2b. JOHN PREPARES THE WAY FOR JESUS

I am going to tell you a story  that is taken from Mark 1:1-8.  It is about John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus ministry.

     Here begins the good news about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.
In the book of the prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 40:3) God said:
          "Look I am sending my messenger before you,
           and he will prepare your way.
           He is a voice shouting in the wilderness.
           Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming!
           Make a straight road for him!"
     This messenger was John the Baptist.  He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
     People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John preach.  And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
     Now John clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.  His food was locusts and wild honey.
     John preached saying, "Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am.  He is so much greater that I am not even worthy to kneel down and untie his shoes.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

4. LYDIA AND THE PHILIPPIANS JAILER

 

Lesson 1    
Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus

This story is taken from Acts 16: 11-15



Paul and Silas traveled to Philippi, a major city of Macedonia, which was a Roman colony.  They stayed there several days.

On the Sabbath Day they went a little ways outside the city to a riverbank.  Where they believed the people met for prayer.  They sat down to talk with some of the women who had come together.  One of the women was named Lydia, she was a seller of expensive purple cloth.  She loved God and she worshiped Him.  As she listened to Paul and Silas talk, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying about Jesus as the truth and became a believer.  She was baptized along with some other members of her household.  Then she asked Paul and Silas to be her guest at her home.

·         Where did Paul and Silas travel to?

o    _____________________________

·         On the Sabbath Day why did Paul and Silas go outside the city to a riverbank?

o    _____________________________

·         Who was Lydia?

o    _____________________________

·         What did Lydia do when she accepted Jesus and became a believer?

o    _____________________________

Lesson 2     Paul Heals a Slave Girl

                                               This story is taken from Acts 16: 16-18

One day as Paul and Silas was going down to the place of prayer, they met a demon possessed slave girl.  She was a fortune teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.  She followed along behind Paul and Silas shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."

This went on day after day.  Then one day Paul got tired of it.  So, he turned and talked to the demon inside the girl.  He said, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!"  Instantly the demon left the girl.

Now, her masters' hope of getting richer were now completely gone.  They grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the city officials in the marketplace.  The girl masters' begin to shout, "The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!  They are teaching the people to do things that are against Roman customs!"

·        Who was the fortune teller that Paul and Silas met?

o   _________________________

·        What did the slave girl keep shouting as she followed along behind Paul and Silas?

o   _________________________

·        How quick did the demon leave the girl when Paul told it to?

o   _________________________

·        What did the slave girl masters do to Paul and Silas?

o   ________________________

Lesson 3      Paul and Silas in Prison

                                                  This story is taken from Acts 16: 22

Now a mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped of their clothing and beaten with wooden rods.  They were badly beaten.  Next they were thrown into prison.  The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.  So he took no chances, he put them in the inner dungeon and put their feet in the stocks.

·        What did the city officials do to Paul and Silas?

o   _____________________________

·        How did the jailer make sure Paul and Silas wouldn’t escape?

o   ______________________________

But Paul and Silas didn't complain, instead around midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang songs to God.  The other prisoners were listening to them.  Suddenly, there was a great earthquake!  The prison was shaken to its very foundations!  All the prison doors flew open!  The chains of every prisoner fell off!  The jailer, who had been asleep, woke up to see the prison doors wide open.  The jailer's first thought was, "The prisoners have escaped!"  So, the jailer drew his sword to kill himself.  But Paul saw what the jailer was fixing to do. So, Paul shouted real loud, "Don't do it!  We are all here!"

Fill in the blanks:

·        What did Paul and Silas do around midnight?

·        Suddenly there was a great _______________!

·        The prison was shaken to its very ______________!

·        All the prison doors flew _______________!

·        The chains of every prisoner __________ off!

·        The jailer drew his sword to ________ himself.

·        Paul ________ real loud, “Don’t do it!  We are all here!”

Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and he ran to the dungeon.  He fell down on the dungeon floor in front of Paul and Silas.  The jailer then brought them out of their cells and asked them, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?"  Then Paul and Silas told the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household."  Then Paul and Silas told the jailer and all of those who lived with the jailer about the Lord.  That same hour the jailer washed Paul and Silas wounds, and the jailer and his entire household were immediately baptized.  Then the jailer took Paul and Silas to his house and gave them a meal.  The jailer and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

·        Trembling with fear, the jailer called for ___________ and he ran to the ____________.

·        He fell down on the ________ floor in _________ of Paul and Silas.

·        What did the Jailer ask Paul and Silas?

o   _________________________________

·        What did Paul and Silas tell the jailer he must do in order to be saved?

o   _________________________________

·        What happen that same hour?

o   ________________________________

The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer to let Paul and Silas go free.  The jailer went and told Paul, "You and Silas are free to leave.  Go in peace."  But, Paul had other ideas, he told the jailer, "They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in jail.  We are Roman citizens.  So now they want us to leave with nobody knowing about it?  We certainly will not!  Let them come here to the jail and release us!"

When the police went back to the city officials and told them what Paul had said, they were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.  The city officials then went to the jail themselves and apologized to Paul and Silas.  They took them out of the jail and begged them to leave the city.  But Paul and Silas returned to Lydia home, then they met with the believers and gave them encouragement once more before leaving town.

So you see, even though Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were changed by Jesus and lived in a way that pleased him.

True or False

·        The next morning the city officials told the jailer to set Paul and Silas free.   __T  __ F

·        Paul and Silas left jail with no problems.  __T  __F

·        The city officials had to go to the jail and release Paul and Silas themselves.  __T  __F

·        Paul and Silas quit teaching about Jesus.  __T  __F

·        Paul and Silas went to Lydia home and talked to the believers again.  __T  __F