Introduction: What motivates you to share the gospel? I used
to cross-examine myself about my motives for teaching and
preaching. Did I like to be the one standing in front? Did I
like people telling me I did a great job? Yes, that
motivated me. At the same time, I loved it when someone
would tell me that they came closer to God because of
something I taught. If we honestly look at the message of
the Bible, we see that God appeals to our self-interest.
Paying tithe results in more money (Malachi 3:10-12). Heaven
is filled with gold and precious gems (Revelation 21:18).
Until the moment Jesus left the disciples to return to
heaven, they thought they would be earthly rulers
(Acts 1:6). God understands our love of self, but wants us to
mature into a motivation of love for others (Mark 12:31).
Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and consider our
motivation and preparation for our gospel work!
I. Our Experience
A. Read Luke 24:1-3. What motivated those who wanted
to embalm Jesus’ body with spices? (Love for Jesus.
They cannot have thought this was a perfectly safe
thing to do. They were not motivated by self-love.)
B. Read Luke 24:4-5. Why did the angels ask this
question rather than simply announcing, “Jesus is
alive”? (The angels were teaching the women. The
woman had already discovered that Jesus was
missing. This created confusion (“they were
perplexed”). The angels wanted the women to
logically work out this problem.)
C. Read Luke 24:6-8. What is the foundation here for
the angels’ teaching? (Jesus’ words predicting the
future.)
D. Read Luke 24:9. This is pure mission – sharing the
good news of Jesus’ resurrection. What were the
building blocks for this statement? (First, the
women were motivated because of love for Jesus.
Next, the woman had questions they could not
answer. Third, the angels taught the women the
answers though logic and prophecy. They wanted the
women to conclude that it was true that Jesus was
alive. Last, the women were excited to share their
experience because it was something that others
would want to know.)
E. Read Luke 24:10-11. What does this teach us about
our engagement in mission? (Even good people might
reject our mission message.)
1. Are the disciples being insulting? (Yes, if
they explained their conclusion. This is the
opposite of an “idle tale.” The men should
have been at the tomb. They were the ones who
were idle.)
F. Read Luke 24:12. What does this say about Peter?
(He was not idle! He wanted to confirm this good
news.)
1. What is the point being made about the “linen
cloths?” (It suggests order, rather than a
robbery. Someone had put the cloths together.)
2. The text says that Peter “went home marveling
at what had happened.” What should Peter have
done instead? (Believed the women. This shows
that when we share the gospel, some will
reject us and some will want to think about it
some more.)
G. Consider an overarching question. How complicated
was it for the women to share? (They took the first
step based on love. Then heaven directed them for
the rest of their steps to witness. These steps
were based on their personal experience.)
H. Does love for self play a role in the mission of
the women? (In part. They had lost Jesus. They
wanted to feel better about this loss. Perhaps they
told the men their story because the angels
approached them first.)
II. God Gives Proof
A. Let’s skip down and read Luke 24:36. How would you
compare the disciples to the women? (Most of the
men are still talking!)
B. Read Luke 24:37. Why would they think they were
seeing a “spirit,” a ghost? (They were determined
to disbelieve the women. The verses we skipped over
recount Jesus revealing Himself to men. Those in
the room also disbelieved accounts by men.)
C. Read Luke 24:38. Jesus asks a great question. How
would you answer it?
D. Read Luke 24:39-43. How far does Jesus go to prove
He is not a spirit? (Jesus gives them absolute
evidence He is alive and not a spirit.)
1. What lesson does that teach us about mission?
(Jesus will leave no basis for doubt if you
are willing to accept Him.)
E. Read Luke 24:44-46. What other method does Jesus
use to convince the disciples? (He shows them how
the prophecies of the Bible support His crucifixion
and resurrection. He reminds them of what He
previously told them about the future.)
1. How would you use these tools to share the
gospel?
F. Read Luke 24:47-48. After these proofs, what does
Jesus ask the disciples to do? (Jesus asks them to
be witnesses.)
1. What, exactly, do you think Jesus is asking
them to do when He says they should witness?
(The easy part is simply to relate what they
have seen and heard from Jesus. I think Jesus
is also asking them to fit what they have seen
and heard into the prophecies about Him.)
2. How important is sharing forgiveness of sin in
Jesus’ name?
G. One of our topics is motivation for mission. What
does Jesus’ interaction with the disciples teach us
about motivation? (Jesus goes to great lengths to
motivate the disciples by proving He is alive.
Jesus will not leave us uncertain.)
H. Read Luke 24:49. Is having first-hand knowledge of
Jesus enough to be an effective witness?
(Apparently not. They need “power from on high.”)
III. Preparation
A. Read Acts 1:12-14. The text says that they were
praying “with one accord.” What has changed? (They
were far from being in accord when they heard that
Jesus was revealing Himself to some of them. Jesus
has now fixed that. They are agreed that He rose
from the dead, is in heaven, and they have a
mission to tell others.)
1. What do you think is the subject of their
prayers? (Go back to Luke 24:49 and read
Acts 1:8. I think they are praying for “power from
on high.” They are praying for the Holy
Spirit.)
2. Consider your church. How often do you get
together and seriously pray for the power of
the Holy Spirit?
3. How important was the Holy Spirit to their
mission? (Jesus told them in Luke 24:49 not to
start without it.)
B. Read Acts 2:1-2 and Acts 2:6. Do you think the
disciples had noise making as part of their plan?
C. Read Acts 2:3-5. Do you think the disciples
considered that Pentecost was a unique opportunity
to share the gospel?
1. Do you think the disciples thought they should
try to learn other languages? (I doubt any of
this reflected plans of the disciples. God
carried the entire burden.)
2. I’m a fellow who plans. I’ve never seen a
gospel outreach of my local church that was
not planned. Should we dispense with plans?
Should we just pray? (I planned to become a
lawyer. I planned to work for God. God has
blessed those plans. But I suspect my greatest
success is writing these Bible studies and
placing them on the Internet – which I never
planned. God arranged it.)
IV. Holy Spirit
A. Read Acts 2:16-18. When did the “last days” begin?
(At Pentecost.)
1. Are we living in the last days? (Yes.)
2. Should we expect the Holy Spirit will do with
us what it did with the disciples? (The Holy
Spirit, as we discussed, organized this event
and not the disciples. But the Holy Spirit is
promised to be with us today because we are
living in the last days.)
B. Friend, will you ask God to give you the motivation
and conviction for your mission work and send the
Holy Spirit to make your work a success? Why not do
that right now?
V. Next week: Mission to My Neighbor.
Copr. 2023, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail,
but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this
link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the
Holy Spirit as you study.
