Sermon Based Small Group Lessons
Our American Idols:
Fame
Dr. Les Hughes
October 12, 2008
Acts 12, 14
Opening Question
(New
groups: Share your name before
answering the question.)
Who is your
favorite celebrity or famous person?
Would you enjoy being them for a month?
Focus Passage
1 It was about this
time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to
persecute them. 2He had
James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he
proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened
Bread. 4 After arresting
him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of
four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the
Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the
church was earnestly praying to God for him.
6The night before Herod was to bring him to
trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and
sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7Suddenly
an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on
the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains
fell off Peter's wrists.
19 After Herod had a thorough search
made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered
that they be executed. Then Herod
went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an
audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus,
a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they
depended on the king's country for their food supply.
21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing
his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the
people. 22 They shouted,
"This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise
to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and
died.
24 But the word of God continued to
increase and spread.
8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame
from birth and had never walked. 9
He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw
that he had faith to be healed 10 and
called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At
that, the man jumped up and began to walk.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had
done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language,
"The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they
called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just
outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and
the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and
Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd,
shouting: 15 "Men, why
are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you
good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God,
who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 16 In the past, he let all nations go their own
way. 17 Yet he has not left
himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven
and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your
hearts with joy." 18 Even
with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to
them.
Outline of Sermon (The
Life Changing Lessons)
This is for the
leader’s use. You don’t
have to read through these for the group.
Life-Changing
Lessons:
1. It’s
natural to follow others who we believe are especially gifted, talented,
attractive,
or intelligent.
2. Famous people are still only flesh and
blood.
3. God measures my life not on my
notoriety, but on what I do with what He gave me.
4. Fame on earth is temporary. A place in heaven is forever.
Digging for Truth
1. A media executive
is quoted as saying, “We don’t influence 14-year olds, we own them.”
Is it true? What are your
thoughts about this quote?
2. Some psychologists
believe that the need to be led is in our DNA. It is actually placed there by God. We get in trouble when we place someone
there other than God. What makes
people likely to place other humans in this place of respect?
3. What types of people are we most
compelled by, attractive, intelligent, gifted or talented people? At what point is it wrong to admire
these people?
4. Hebrews 9:27 says, “…man is destined to die
once, and after that to face judgment.” What does that tell us about their
status?
5.
We know that God wants us to have a good reputation and respect among
men. At what point is seeking that
wrong before God? (consider at motives & obedience)
6.
On a scale of 1-10, how important is other’s public perception of
you?
7.
Romans 12:3 warns us not to think more highly of ourselves than we
ought. What does it do to our
relationship with others and God when this is true? How can we keep a right perspective?
8.
In what area are you most likely to consider others too highly?
People in your field of work?
Sports
figures?
Hollywood
stars?
Politicians?
9.
What’s really important is that God knows who we are and that our
name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. A lot of humility is required to come to
God. How do believers lose that
humility? (being
prideful of a good life, knowing God’s word better than others, etc.)
10.
Lesson 4 teaches us the importance of keeping an internal perspective. What can we do and what are you doing to
maintain that right perspective?
(Consider regularly reading God’s word to keep His perspective on
life.)
Closing Thought
What has God called me to change as a result of today’s
sermon and discussion?