242 Community

Doing the Hard Thing...

2.42 Lesson Six

Short Description:
The journey in Christ at times requires us to choose the hard choice knowing from the
beginning it will have consequences.

Purpose:
The purpose of Lessons 6 is to illustrate and to remind students there is a cross we
must carry as a follower of Jesus.

Scripture: Luke 9:23 and Acts 25-26

ICEBREAKER:
Enjoy one of the following games from “Minute to Win It.” If you have the
capabilities, please record them and we will show them on Sunday morning...

Donʼt Blow It
Stack 5 full decks of cards on 5 soda or beer bottles, with a joker on the bottom of each
stack. The object of the game is to blow all of the cards off of the bottle except the last
card which is the joker. If you blow too hard, you blow the whole deck off. If you don't
blow hard enough, nothing happens. This game is appropriate for the older child and
adult. The player has 5 tries to achieve this challenge in 60 seconds.

Johnny Applestack
Stacking 5 red delicious apples in a tower fashion, called Johnny Apple Stack is another
game that is easy to duplicate at home. Using several red delicious apples, the
contestant must stack the apples end on end to create a tower that is 5 apples high.
The tower must remain standing for 3 seconds.

Engaging
Consequence is word that we use the true meaning over time. Ask the students the
following:
- What do you think of when you hear the word consequence?
- Based upon “their definitions”, what is the “greatest consequence” they have ever
experienced in life?
- If you knew their was a consequence for a choice you would make, would you go ahead and
follow through with the choice? (Here is the CATCH 22...they will say it depends upon the
circumstance, so we will do just that!)
- Would you go ahead and choose to take a trip to the store if you prematurely knew you
would have a wreck?
 - Dice it up...Would you go ahead and choose to go to the store if you knew you would
have a wreck, but in the wreck you would save the life of your friend. You would save
the life of your friend when he was rushed to the hospital from a concussion in the
wreck, revealed that he had an aneurism that was discovered just in time to save his
life.

Transition Statement: Tonight we are going to look at a time in the life of Paul in which
he made a powerful choice, although difficult was purposeful, in obeying Christ.

Challenging
Unpacking the message...
- Paul wrongly accused- Have someone read Acts 21: 27-29
- The reason he was wrongly accused...jealousy of the Jews. (Acts 21:21)
- Paul innocence was known by himself and others
- Paul knew he was innocence- (Acts 25:10)
- King Agrippa II knew he was innocent as well (Acts 26: 30-31)

Although he knew his innocence he made a statement that assured his lasting imprisonment>
- Have someone read Acts 25:11

A littile history...

“Appealing to Caesar” was to appeal to the highest court. Anyone held, either guilty or
innocent had the right/opportunity to appeal to Caesar and to place their fate in Caesar's
hands. “Appealing to Caesar” is equivalent to appealing to our Supreme Court in
America.

Outfitting
Ask your COMMUNITY the following question...
- If he and others knew he was innocent, why did he appeal to Caesar?
- Have someone read Acts 23: 1-11 focusing in on Acts 23:11.
- He appealed to Caesar out of obedience to Jesus. Although he was innocent
he decided to appeal to Caesar because appealing to Caesar would provide a
one way trip to ROME in where Jesus wanted him to testify.

Was it an easy appeal?

-Absolutely not, and why? Because the Caesar that he would have to appeal to was Nero.
Here is a look at Nero:

NERO
In the summer of 64, Rome suffered a terrible fire that burned for six days and seven
nights consuming almost three quarters of the city. The people accused the Emperor
Nero for the devastation claiming he set the fire for his own amusement. In order to
deflect these accusations and pacify the people, Nero laid blame for the fire on the
Christians. The emperor ordered the arrest of a few members of the sect who, under
torture, accused others until the entire Christian populace was implicated and
became fair game for retribution.

In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with
the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set
fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights

- As you can see, the Emperor Nero, in which Paul had to appeal to was not someone Paul,
being a follower of Christ. But Paul knowing that Nero was the “Caesar” he would appeal to,
he made the choice to be obedient to Christ and go to Rome to testify the name of Jesus.

Empowering
As you see, the appeal Paul made was very difficult. But he did this out of obedience to
Christ.
- Have someone in your Community read 1 Samuel 15:22.

What is your appeal to Caesar? How is God calling us to be obedient in our journey
with Him?
Spend sometime in dialogue with your COMMUNITY asking them what their appeal to
Caesar may be...(I have included some examples)

Our appeal to Caesar...

- For some this could be just living a life that looks more like Christ, proving that we are his disciples.
- For others it could be stepping away from a relationship that is impure or that is pulling you away
from what you want to do and what you are called to be.
- For others it could be getting rid of some gods in their life that have consumed them
- While yet for others it could mean standing up for those that are being wronged and making a
stand for those that do not have a voice.
- Still yet, it could be placing your popularity on the line for the purpose of sharing Jesus with a
person in your life that needs to hear about the PEACE you carry around with you!
- For one in your COMMUNITY it could surrendering their life to Jesus for the first time. Please
make this an option.
- Close by praying for one another in their personal “appeals to Caesar.”