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Southside Church of Christ, Lexington, KY
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Sunday Nov 19, 2023
Sunday Nov 19, 2023
Acts 16:35-40
35 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." 36 The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace. 37 But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." 38 The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39 They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40 After Paul and Silas came out of prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.
FROM THE LESSON
"Civis Romanus Sum" - I am a Roman citizen. In the Roman Empire, these three Latin words carried with them the weight of all the legal rights and social privileges of a Roman citizen. All anyone had to do was declare this statement and safety was said to be guaranteed to you.
But we are citizens of heaven - "Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your life after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior." (Philippians 3:17-20 NLT)
Rights and privileges - as citizens of heaven, we too have been given rights and privileges. We have been given the right to become children of God and we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ, even in our suffering.
"Civis Romanus Sum" - I am a Roman citizen. In the Roman Empire, these three Latin words carried with them the weight of all the legal rights and social privileges of a Roman citizen. All anyone had to do was declare this statement and safety was said to be guaranteed to you.
But we are citizens of heaven - "Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your life after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior." (Philippians 3:17-20 NLT)
Rights and privileges - as citizens of heaven, we too have been given rights and privileges. We have been given the right to become children of God and we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ, even in our suffering.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Ice breaker: can you think of an example from your life when you have tried to live as a citizen of two worlds so to speak? I shared a personal example of being a fan of both Georgia football AND Kentucky basketball.
2. Prior to the lesson today, how have you thought about both being a citizen of earth AND a citizen of heaven?
3. Read again Philippians 3:17-20. What insight does Paul give in these verses about being a citizen of heaven?
4 Philippi was a Roman colony. The desire of a Roman citizen in a place like Philippi was to bring Rome to Philippi. The task was to establish a Roman community there in Philippi. How does knowing this context help shape your understanding of what it means to be a citizen of heaven?
5 We have been given the right to become children of God and we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ? What does it mean to you to have been given these rights and privileges as a citizen of heaven?
6 Practically speaking, what does it mean for us as a church to live as citizens of heaven in this place?
1. Ice breaker: can you think of an example from your life when you have tried to live as a citizen of two worlds so to speak? I shared a personal example of being a fan of both Georgia football AND Kentucky basketball.
2. Prior to the lesson today, how have you thought about both being a citizen of earth AND a citizen of heaven?
3. Read again Philippians 3:17-20. What insight does Paul give in these verses about being a citizen of heaven?
4 Philippi was a Roman colony. The desire of a Roman citizen in a place like Philippi was to bring Rome to Philippi. The task was to establish a Roman community there in Philippi. How does knowing this context help shape your understanding of what it means to be a citizen of heaven?
5 We have been given the right to become children of God and we have been given the privilege of trusting in Christ? What does it mean to you to have been given these rights and privileges as a citizen of heaven?
6 Practically speaking, what does it mean for us as a church to live as citizens of heaven in this place?
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