Always Be Ready
Discipleship Questions for
Sunday April 27, 2008
Scripture Readings:
First Reading: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Psalm Reading: Psalm: 66
Second Reading: 1Peter 3:15-18
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Acts 8:5
Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Psa. 66:1
Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name.” Selah
Psa. 66:5
Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf!
6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.
7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him. Selah
Psa. 66:8
Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;
9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.
10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.
11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.
Psa. 66:13
I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats. Selah
Psa. 66:16
Come and listen, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
19 but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!
1Pet. 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will obey what I command.16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Discipleship Questions:
1. Let’s focus our attention on St. Peters first letter i.e., 1Peter 3:15-18. In these verses St. Peter tells us how Christian should behave. Let me ask you a few questions: How public is your faith? If you were tried as a Christian would there be enough evidence for you to be convicted? When was the last time someone asked you why you acted the way you did? How “public” are you expressing your faith?
2. Look with me please at verse 15. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. What is St. Peter telling us about Christian behavior?
3. If you were to take this exhortation seriously how different would your public expression of your faith be?
4. Please reflect upon the following: Could you imagine praying in the employee cafeteria – publically?
· Could you imagine asking a colleague how they were doing spiritually?
· Is this asking too much?
What does it mean to “be ready to tell anyone who asks why you’re living the way you are?
5. OK let’s turn to verse 16 through 18:
16 Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath. 17 It’s better to suffer for doing good, if that’s what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. 18 That’s what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others’ sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God.
Now what does that look like?
How do you and I live before the world with a clear conscience? So that when people throw mud at us – none of it will stick?
There’s a very wonderful truth hiding here for anyone to pick up who wants it.
6. How honest are you to yourself? How honest are you to our resurrected Lord? Really reflect upon that question for it will tell you how serious you are about living out your faith.