Sermon Overview & Discussion Questions: "Worth Dying For"

Sermon Summary:
After leaving Ptolemais, Paul and a group of disciples go to Jerusalem to deliver an offering to the Jewish Christians from their Gentile brothers. Once there, James and the elders expressed concerns about Paul’s coming, namely that his arrival will create problems for the Jewish Christians who still value the Law, and asked Paul to undergo purification with and publicly support four Jewish Christian men. Paul did so, first to please the Lord, but also out of love for the church and to preserve the unity of the church.

Discussion Questions:
1. James thought Paul’s arrival would unsettle the Jewish Christians who still held to Moses and Jewish customs (verses 20-22). Why didn’t Paul tell them to forsake them?

2. Paul risked death to serve the church that Jesus purchased with his own blood. What can you put to death to protect and promote church unity?

3. Paul participated in the purification in order to serve those in the Jerusalem church. How does considering the people in our church inform or affect you as you serve?

4. C.J. reminded us that if we love Jesus, we will love what Jesus loves. How does loving and protecting the church look in various seasons of life (limited capacity, difficult trials, etc.)?