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ICEBREAKER
There is a theme to this week’s lesson that flows through many of the stories found in this week’s chapters of. So to introduce that theme, for an icebreaker, an object lesson. And what you’ll need for this is two packages of un-popped microwave popcorn, a bowl, and a microwave. And you can start by holding up a packet and asking if anybody would like some popcorn. And more than likely, you’re going to get a lot of enthusiastic yes’s. So you say, “All right, let me get you some.” And you take the packet and rip it open. Inside you’re going to find a big, disgusting mess of oil, and kernels and salt. I’ve done object lesson before, and it looks really unappetizing. And you ask, “All right, who’s hungry?, Anyone interested?”. And I can guarantee you that nobody is going to want to eat it. And why not? The answer’s obvious. It’s not popped. It’s not ready. First, it needs to undergo a transformation. Only then, will it become what we want it to be. It’s got the potential there though.
This is sometimes like us. Sometimes we might manage to make a real mess out of our lives. Through poor decisions, pride, addictions, laziness, hatred, selfishness, or any other number of vices, we muddle things up to the point that we may look down at our lives and despair. The good news is, we don’t have to remain that way. The potential to transform our lives into something better is there. But we’re going to need some power. Not our power, but God’s power. (And at this moment, I point to the microwave). But God won’t do that without out permission. We have to make the conscious decision to place ourselves within his power. But when we do that (and here you place the other unopened packet into the microwave and turn it on), something miraculous can happen. With time, and patience, a transformation begins to take place. With God’s power, his grace, his mercy, his counsel, and his help (and as you’re talking eventually the popcorn should begin popping) we’ll become different. Better. Happier. Our lives will become what they can and should be. When the popcorn is done popping, you can pull it out and open the bag and pour it into the bowl. The smell will permeate the room and mouths will begin to water. You may even want to eat a little in front of them and say. Hmmm, this is much better than trying to eat it before the change. So if we ever get to the point where we notice our lives have become a bit of a spiritual mess, I hope we can remember this parable of the popcorn. We either need to be popped or eventually go bad.
And of course, at some point during the lesson, you may want to share some popcorn with the class.
TRANSITION
This week in Come Follow Me, we’re going to study some “Transformational Truths” by taking a look at the lives of a number of different individuals in Acts chapters 6-9. And we’ll start by looking closely at the characteristics of two very different people in the book of Acts. One of them was named Saul, and the other was named Paul. Let’s compare and contrast these two men. You could help your do this by having them work on the following secret phrase activity either on their own or with a partner. And we’ll start with Saul.
Saul:
CONSENTING (Acts 8:1) And Saul was ____________ unto [Stephen’s] death.
HAVOCK (Acts 8:3) He made _________ of the church.
PRISON (Acts 8:3) Haling men and women committed them to _________.
SLAUGHTER (Acts 9:1) And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and _____________ against the disciples of the Lord.
BOUND (Acts 9:2) He might bring them __________ unto Jerusalem.
EVIL (Acts 9:13) How much _______ he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem.
CONTRARY (Acts 26:9) Did “many things _____________ to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”
DEATH (Acts 26:10) When they [disciples] were put to _______, I gave my voice against them.
PERSECUTED (Acts 26:11) I ____________ them even unto strange cities.
Now I believe that paints a pretty clear picture of the kind of man that Saul is. He’s not just indifferent to the church, he actively fights against it. He’s really one of the great villains of the early Christian church. Breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the believers.
But let’s take a look at our other individual—Paul. What kind of a man was he? What was he like?
PREACHED (Acts 9:20) __________ Christ in the synagogues
CHOSEN (Acts 9:15) He is a _________ vessel unto (Jesus).
SUFFER (Acts 9:16) He must _________ great things for (Jesus’s) name’s sake.
BOLDLY (Acts 9:29) And he spake ________ in the name of Christ
FILLED (Acts 13:9) He was “_______ with the Holy Ghost”
MISSIONS (Bible Map 13) He served many __________.
So Paul is an amazing benefit to the early Christian church. One of the great heroes of the Church. Perhaps it’s greatest missionary. In fact, you could make the argument that without Paul, Christianity probably wouldn’t have survived in the ancient world. No Paul, no Christianity.
Now as you look at those two lists, it’s easy to see just how different these two men were from each other. Exact polar opposites. But then, as a teacher, I would ask my students, “Does anybody know what the connection was between these two men? Because they knew each other, rather well in fact. How?” And if they don’t already know this, you could send them to Acts 13:9 where their relationship is clearly spelled out. “Then Saul, (who also is called Paul). So the answer to our question is that they are the same person. Saul becomes Paul. Yet, truthfully, they really were two different people. Saul was transformed or converted. That’s one of the definitions of conversion. To change something into something else. And that’s exactly what happened in Paul’s life. Saul the Persecutor became Paul the Preacher. And I think that’s why there’s a name change there. Since Paul has become a new person, he gets a new name. Kind of like when Abram became Abraham after he made a covenant with God, Jacob became Israel, or kind of like when we receive a new name in the temple. After we make certain covenants or commitments to God, in a way, we are not the same person anymore, so we get a new name.
Therefore, what’s the principle? What’s a truth that Paul’s life can teach us? It’s the secret phrase:
TRUTH: PEOPLE CAN CHANGE!
If somebody as bad as Saul the Persecutor can go to somebody as good as Paul the Preacher, then anybody can change! And why do you think that’s an important truth for us to understand?
My thoughts? It’s important to know this truth because it brings hope! Either for yourself or people you love. People can change. Anybody has hope. They may look like a Saul right now, but keep your faith, there may be a Paul in there after all. If you had seen my grandma when she was a teenager, if you had seen my grandpa for the majority of his adult life, if you had met some of the people I taught on my mission, you may have been tempted to think that they were all spiritually hopeless. But they changed, and became some of the most Christlike people I’ve ever known. This truth may also become important for ourselves someday. There may come a day when we feel that we’ve gone too far down the wrong path. A day when we look down at our lives and all we see is that un-popped bag of popcorn mess and despair. We must remember Paul at those times! There is a way out! If HE could change, anybody can. Now Paul is an extreme example, but I think that God knew we needed stories like Paul’s and Alma the Younger’s in the scriptures so that we would know that even the worst of us, can not only change, but become great! We can become powerful instruments in God’s hands regardless of our past. Paul was perhaps the greatest missionary that ever lived. But look at how he started. If he can change, so can you, and so can anyone. You don’t have to remain the same. You can be transformed. You can be converted. Let’s dig a little deeper into that process now.
ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS
ICEBREAKER
And here, another quick icebreaker you could do. You can ask if there is anyone in your class who knows how to do a 180 either on a skateboard, a wakeboard, or a snowboard. Or if you have one, you might even consider bringing in a skateboard to your class and asking if someone could demonstrate if for you.
TRANSITION
Now, spiritually speaking, that’s what happened with Paul. He did a spiritual 180 and completely changed the direction of his life. But HOW did that take place?
SEARCH
Two possibilities here, as teachers. You could either read Acts 9:1-22 together or you could show the Bible Video that the church has made of this story. And I feel they did a really good job with it. I’ll provide with you a link. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2014-01-0013-the-road-to-damascus?lang=eng&alang=eng&collectionId=5ff93d7906724720bdd417f4f01db4cf) Sometimes it’s good to just allow your students to simply experience the scripture story first without a lot of extra instruction or activity. But have them read or watch with this one simple question in mind: How did Paul do a 180? What made it possible for him to change?
DISCUSSION
And then, after the reading or watching the video, allow your class to share their thoughts. If they need a little prodding, here are a few discussion questions you might consider asking:
Question #1: How do you imagine the tone of voice in Christ’s question in vs. 4?
Angry
Condemning
Loving
Pleading
Sad
Other
And there’s no right or wrong answer here because we don’t get tone of voice in the scriptures. But I feel that that voice must have been incredibly loving and tender. I don’t think any other kind of voice could have wrought such a mighty change in somebody like Saul’s heart. And I can’t imagine it being said any other way than with the utmost love and compassion. And no matter how hard I try, I don’t think I ever get the tone of that statement right. I wish I could. But I imagine it to go something like, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” There was just something in that voice that would change Paul’s heart forever. And Paul would change the world. Maybe there’s a message in that about change. It’s the same lesson that’s taught by the story of the woman taken in adultery. People are more likely to change through love than condemnation. We should keep that in mind when there are people in our lives that we want to help to change.
Question #2: What do you make of the phrase: “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks”? What truth do you feel that statement teaches?
And you could explain that a “prick” in this sense was a sharp stick or a “goad” that people in Saul’s day would use to move animals. And what would happen to an animal that decided to kick back against those sharp sticks? It would hurt them. It would do them no good. So why would the Lord say this? Two thoughts. Two possible interpretations. One way to look at it is that Christ is saying to Saul that it’s hard to fight against God. And when we fight against God, we are only hurting ourselves. This is true. On the other hand, I also like to think that perhaps Jesus is saying to Paul, Paul, this is against your true nature. This isn’t you! It’s hard to do these things when inside you are feeling this “pricking” sensation, like you know it isn’t right. You are resisting the Spirit that is inside you and your own eternal character. Stop doing this, stop resisting the Paul inside the Saul.
Question #3: What does Ananias teach us about working with people who are trying to change?
Ananias is a great character in his own right and has some important “Transformation Truths” to teach us as well. It’s hard for us sometimes to allow people to change. Ananias’s first reaction to the Lord’s instruction here is fairly understandable. It’s like he’s saying: You want me to go help who? Saul? Are you kidding me? I’ve heard of this man, how much evil he has done. You sure we’re talking about the same person here Lord. Saul of Tarsus? You want me to go lay hands on him, Lord, I’ll go lay my hands on him all right”. Perhaps for us it would be like God asking us to go give Osama Bin Laden a blessing. But to his credit, he doesn’t question it for very long. He accepts God’s will quickly and willingly. And I love his first words to Saul. What are they? Brother Saul. He’s already willing to accept Saul as his brother, and he blesses him and feeds him and strengthens him. Is there a truth in that?
We need to allow people to change, help them to change, and strengthen them in their efforts to change. Sometimes we struggle with this. We’re so used to seeing them in a certain light, that it’s hard for us to see them in any other and we try to keep the people around us in the labeled boxes we’ve placed them in. And if they try to get out, we metaphorically seek to shove them back in. But when we sense that somebody is trying to change, hopefully we won’t judge them, or refuse to remove the labels we’ve put on them. Hopefully we can be Ananias’s and see the new person within them and treat them as such—to see the “Brother Paul” in them, not the sinful Saul. And speaking of seeing people . . .
Question #4: How did God see Saul?
The Lord says in vs. 15 that Saul was “a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings and the children of Israel.” What does that teach us about God’s eyes? What did God see in Saul? God saw his potential. And I believe that that’s how He sees all of us! God sees the potential in a person not the problem. He envisions the delicious, popped popcorn and not the mess of kernels and oil in front of him. Now I think that it’s important to point out that Paul was not destined to be this chosen vessel, or this amazing missionary, like it was inevitable. Paul still had his agency in all of this. God gave him the message, which was more like a warning to him to stop persecuting his Church. But what were the first word’s out of Paul’s mouth on the road to Damascus? Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Paul was willing to listen at this point. He was willing to change. He was willing to give himself over to the power of God. That is what’s required to do a spiritual 180. You’ve got to put yourself into the microwave. Metaphorically speaking! I just realized how that sounds, but you know what I mean. And God will help us to do the rest. We don’t have to do it alone. He’ll send us Ananias’s. He can perform miracles for us. He can remove the scales from our eyes! And help us to see the light that were once blind to. God will help to completely change him. Now that got me thinking a little bit. Why would God choose a Saul to become a “chosen vessel”? Well, maybe he knew something about his nature. To me, it seems like Saul was an all or nothing kind of person. When he was a persecutor, he put his whole heart into it. He was going to be the best darn persecutor he could be. He was dedicated to the extreme. I mean he was willing to travel all the way to Damascus just to arrest these filthy Christians and bring them bound to stand trial for their blasphemy. But with a loving nudge on the Road to Damascus, God redirects all that dedication and zeal into the work of the ministry. And he is dedicated. No other apostle seems to match his efforts and sacrifice and willingness to preach. Paul is going to crisscross the ancient world, facing all kinds of suffering and persecution, just for the chance to share the gospel with more people. Also, I think that perhaps the Lord needed somebody like Saul who really understood what it was like to be on the other side, somebody who knew that change was possible. Sometimes the best person to help others to change, is somebody who has been changed themselves.
And one more quick thought on verse 16, when God says, “16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.” Maybe there is some poetic justice in choosing Saul. Saul had made a lot of people suffer for Christ’s name’s sake. And now, he was going to get to feel what it’s like to be on the receiving end of that persecution. God wasn’t saying, “Saul, I’m going choose you to be this great leader in my church, and amazing missionary, and you’re going to be famous, and you’ll become one of the most important figures in Christian history.” No, it’s, I’m going to call you to suffer great things for me. This is not going to be an easy change.
TRANSFORMATIONAL TRUTHS
People CAN change
People are more likely to change through love than condemnation
We should allow and help people to change-the Ananias principle
God sees the potential, not the problem
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Do you know anybody like Saul? Someone who did a spiritual 180 in their life? Maybe it’s you. What is their, or your “Road to Damascus” story? Please share.
CONCLUSION
And for me, I do know people who have made major changes in their life. And I believe that the Lord often sends people “Road to Damascus”-like experiences to give them an opportunity to change. It’s not just people like Paul who are the only ones who get that kind of help or opportunity. Now Paul’s Road to Damascus came in the form of a vision, but they can also come in the form of experiences, opportunities, or realizations. I know of a young man in my neighborhood growing up who was very much going down the wrong path in his life, when a nearly fatal motorcycle accident altered his perspective. He changed! And became a dedicated disciple of Christ. That was his “Road to Damascus”. I know of a young woman who met and fell in love with a certain young man, but she realized that if she wanted to marry that kind of a young man, that she needed to be a certain kind of young woman, and she changed. I know of a man who a death in his family became a type of “Road to Damascus” for him, and he changed. We never know when our “Road to Damascus” might come. And I hope, that when they do come, that we’ll be the type of people that are willing to ask Paul’s question, “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do.” And then do it, like he did, with zeal and undying dedication.
SIMON THE FISHERMAN to PETER THE ROCK
Now, to supplement this powerful principle of change, there’s another individual in these first chapters of Acts that illustrates the same truth here but with a slight nuance. And that person is Peter. Now I won’t spend as much time on this, but let me just walk you through this thought. Maybe some of your students can’t relate as well to Paul. Chances are, if you’re teaching them, they’re pretty darn good people. They don’t need complete spiritual overhauls like Paul did. In that case, maybe they could relate more to Peter. Now Peter was a very good man to begin with, he was never an enemy of Christ, but he did have some weaknesses and often demonstrated his failure to understand Christ. Well he changes too. He too undergoes a transformation. He goes from Simon the Fisherman to Peter the Rock.
And some examples of his “Simon the Fisherman” side:
Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. (Luke 5:8)
We’ve got the story of him sinking in the water on the Sea of Galilee as he attempts to walk to Jesus. “O thou of little faith. (Matt 14:28-32)
We’ve got Jesus rebuking him with a “Get thee behind me Satan” (Matt 16:21-24)
He falls asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus reprimands him with “Could you not watch with me one hour” (Matt 26:40-41)
He cuts off the ear of the officer in the garden (John 18:10-11)
We have the very well-known story of him denying Christ in Caiaphas palace (Luke 22:60-62)
And then Jesus has to remind him to not forget to go out and feed his sheep after the resurrection (John 21:15-17)
But then, here in the Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament we have “Peter the Rock”:
Acts 2:37-42 He converts thousands with his powerful testimony.
He heals the lame man in Acts 3:1-11
He testifies boldly to the Sanhedrin in Acts 4, like we discussed last week.
In this week’s chapters, he raises a woman named Tabitha from the dead in Acts 9:36-42
He’s going to be given the charge to take the gospel to the Gentiles through a magnificent dream in Acts 10:9-49
And then, we’re going to watch him lead the Church diligently throughout the rest of the New Testament
And ultimately, we know that he’s going to give his very life as a martyr from the prophecy Jesus makes in John 21:18-19
So maybe you can relate a little more to that idea. Yes, God can take a very bad man like Saul, and make him into an incredible leader like Paul. But he can also take a very good man like Peter, and make him into something greater as well! We don’t all need to be Paul’s and Alma the Younger’s. We can be Peter’s and Nephi’s as well. Remember, god sees the potential in all of us. We all need to change. As long as we’re willing to ask “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do” like Peter and Paul did, he can and will do glorious things with us.
NOTE
Now, because Paul and Peter are such pivotal players in the rest of the New Testament, I would be sure to focus my attention there this week. But if you have more time, then that theme of change can guide you through the other chapters this week as well. There are more Transformational Truths this week.
STEPHEN
So I wouldn’t spend much time in Acts 6 other than to summarize the fact that the apostles decide to choose 7 additional leaders to help bear the burden of administration in the church, and one of those selected leaders is a man named Stephen. And Stephen is such a powerful speaker and leader amongst the disciples, that he’s eventually arrested under false pretenses and brought before the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish council. Acts chapter 7 recounts the details of Stephen’s trial before the Jewish leaders. And allow me to just walk you through this for a minute. Stephen does something very ironic here in his discourse and I’m sure it was incredibly baffling to the Jewish leaders when he’s doing it. And when you do understand what he’s doing here, you get why the council is so angry with him at the end. The vast majority of Acts chapter 7 is Stephen giving them a lesson in Jewish history, from verses 1-50, starting at Abraham and going down through Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses. Now what’s ironic about that? What’s ironic about teaching the Jewish leaders about Jewish history? Well, they’re Jewish leaders! They know these things. I can just see them scratching their heads throughout all this and saying, “Why is he teaching us this, we have the Pentateuch memorized, we know our history”. It would be like, sitting the first presidency and the apostles down and saying, “All right, let me teach you about a man named Joseph Smith and how he restored the true Church of Christ in the latter-days.” But why is Stephen doing this? Let me point out a few verses to help you out.
As he talks about Moses, he says in vs. 25:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Then in verse :35
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
Then he reminds them of something Moses said in37
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
And then :39
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
So with each of these stories he’s giving them examples of people who had rejected the prophets of the past.
And I’m sure they’re still confused here until Stephen lowers the boom in verses 51-53
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Do you see what he’s just done? All this time, they thought he was referring to their fathers as Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses, because they believe that their fathers are Abraham, Jacob, and Moses, but Stephen is saying, no your fathers were the ones who rejected Abraham, and Jacob, and Moses. Do you see what he’s insinuating here? Because they reject the Savior and the prophets of their own day, Stephen is arguing that they would not have accepted the prophets of the past. He’s saying that if THEY had lived in Abraham’s or Jacob’s or Moses’s day, they would have rejected them. So their fathers, were the stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart. These people who viewed themselves as Moses’s disciples, Stephen is saying that they would have rejected Moses. Do you understand why they get so angry then? And I think that this is an important and helpful principle for us as well.
TRUTH
If I reject the prophets of my day, I would have rejected the prophets of the past. That’s how you know you would have acted back then. Now that’s the negative way of looking at it. But principles always come in twos. You can also flip this statement to see that the opposite is true as well. Have you ever wondered if you would have had the faith to cross the plains with the pioneers? Would you have had the faith to follow Jesus Christ when he taught the Sermon on the Mount? Would you have had the faith to stay true to Moses as you traveled to the promised land? Would you have been more of a Nephi or a Laman had you been with Lehi in the wilderness? And you might be tempted to say “Oh, I don’t know if I would” OR “I can’t imagine I would have had the faith to do that.” But you do! You do have a way of knowing, because:
If you follow and accept the prophet of your own day, you would have accepted the prophets of the past. So the only question to ask yourselves is “Do I believe in and follow the counsel of Russel M. Nelson?” And if you can answer that question with a “YES”, Then you would have followed Brigham Young across the plains, or Moses, or Lehi, or Jesus. It’s kind of nice to know that huh?
And what’s the connection with change in this chapter? What’s the Transformational Truth? Here is a group of people that refuse to change. They are given the opportunity. They are given a Road to Damascus type moment. Stephen has held up the mirror of the scriptures to help them see who they really are, and instead of changing, and having their hearts pricked by the Holy Ghost, like we talked about last time, their hearts are cut, and they resist the Holy Ghost.
So, the conclusion of our story:
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
They don’t like the truth coming out of his mouth, it hurts too much, so instead of listening to it, and changing like Paul did, they decide to silence the voice. Instead of asking “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” they “gnash on him with their teeth,” which means they yell at him. They “cry out with a loud voice,” they “stop their ears,” they “cast him out,” and they “stone” him to death. Refusing to change can lead us to do dreadful things.
MISSIONARY WORK
ICEBREAKER
One more story to take a look at in Acts chapter 8. So for an icebreaker, I might just show my students some of my favorite Missionary Memes from the Internet. As a teacher, I usually have displayed on my screen at the beginning of every class an inspirational quote, a Mormonad (if you know what those are) and a couple of funny church related memes or comics. And so I’ve collected these over the years, and these are some of my favorite missionary themed memes. So enjoy!
TRANSITION
Well Acts chapter 8 has a great missionary story that I believe can help all of us to be better missionaries. And in this chapter we encounter another person that was willing to change. In verses 26-40 we get to see a master missionary by the name of Phillip, work with a man he meets on the road one day. And these verses contain a lot of insights into becoming more effective missionaries.
SEARCH
So that’s our question: How is Philip a good example of being an effective missionary? And one way to teach this story is to play a round of “Principle Hunt” with your class.
With this activity, depending on the size of my class, I divide my students into teams of 2-6 players and give each team a small whiteboard to write their answers on. The goal is to be the first team to identify the true principle that a specified verse or phrase teaches us. The team member with the whiteboard writes their answer and holds it up. I’ll typically provide every team with a handout with all the principles on it, or I’ll display this slide on my screen for them. I also tell them that not every principle on this list is going to be used. Whichever team has the most points by the end, wins. And although games don’t always lend themselves to deep, meaningful discussions about principles. I find that this particular activity doesn’t tend to get too unruly, and I’d encourage you to have a short discussion about each principle or idea as you go so that the purpose of the activity hits the mark of really helping them to understand these missionary principles.
So here we go:
Phrase 1:
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went:
The answer is I. Go where the Lord wants you to go. If you do, you will find yourself at the right place and the right time. I might emphasize here President Nelson’s recent reminder that every worthy and able young man should serve a mission. When the Lord calls us to go somewhere, we should answer.
Phrase 2: Continuing verse 27
and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
The answer would be G. The gospel is for everyone, even the rich and powerful. This man had great authority and was employed by royalty. I think that sometimes it’s possible to overemphasize the fact that it’s the humble and the poor that typically respond to the gospel message, which is true, but we mustn’t forget that everyone deserves a chance to know and to be invited to follow Christ. Just because someone is rich or influential, doesn’t mean they will automatically reject your message.
Phrase 3
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him,
The answer is E. The Spirit will lead you to opportunities to share. Follow its promptings immediately and with enthusiasm. Being open and obedient to the promptings of the Spirit is absolutely critical in becoming an effective missionary.
Phrase 4
and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
And in the succeeding verses the man asks Philip his question. And he’s reading Isaiah and is confused by what he means. Go figure. Then jumping to verse 35
“Then Phillip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
The match is B. Understand the scriptures well enough yourself to be able to help those that don’t understand them. Reminds me what the Lord taught Hyrum Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 11:21
21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.
You have to have something yourself first before you can give it to somebody else.
Phrase 5
The next phrase is also from verse 35, but I like to highlight it on its own.
“Then Phillip opened his mouth”
The answer is L. You must be willing to open your mouth. If you do, the Spirit will fill it with the words to say.
Sometimes that’s all we need to do. We may fret and worry that when the moment comes, we won’t know what to say, but if we just demonstrate enough faith to open our mouths and begin speaking, the Spirit will inspire us and give us the words.
Phrase 6
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
The match is J. Help them to understand the importance of ordinances, especially baptism.
Phrase 7
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
The match is F. Missionary work brings joy. This verse tells us of the joy the Ethiopian man felt at his baptism, but certainly Phillip too was feeling that same joy. That seems to be the emotion that is most connected with missionary work in the scriptures: joy.
And then finally
Phrase 8
40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
The match is C. Missionary work is never “done”. Continue to be diligent in teaching even after success. We never want to just “rest on our laurels” when it comes to missionary work. Missionary work is a lifelong responsibility and pursuit. Just because we are released as full-time missionaries doesn’t mean that our charge to share the gospel is over. Just because we experience a success with someone doesn’t mean that we’ve done our part and now we can move on. Phillip kept preaching after this success, and so should we.
TRUTH
A. Teach the principle of repentance with love and understanding.
B. Understand the scriptures well enough yourself to be able to help those that don’t understand them.
C. Missionary work is never “done”. Continue to be diligent in teaching even after success.
D. We must qualify ourselves for missionary work through righteousness and obedience.
E. The Spirit will lead you to opportunities to share. Follow its promptings immediately and with enthusiasm.
F. Missionary work brings joy
G. The gospel is for everyone, even the rich and powerful.
H. You will face many challenges, but Christ can help you through them.
I. Go where the Lord wants you to go. If you do, you will find yourself at the right place and the right time.
J. Help them to understand the importance of ordinances, especially baptism.
K. Prayer has the power to invite the Spirit into your efforts.
L. You must be willing to open your mouth. If you do, the Spirit will fill it with the words to say.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
As they look back over that list of principles and truths of missionary work, ask the following question:
When have you seen the truth of one of these statements in your own efforts to share the gospel?
CONCLUSION
And one of my favorite principles from that list is the simple principle that missionary work=joy. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants 18:15 15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! Have you ever felt that joy before? There’s nothing quite like it. It’s so worth it. The joy of missionary work is worth any sacrifice, any discomfort, and any challenge. The Ethiopian man felt it. Philip felt it. And I hope that we all can feel it many times over in our lives.
