[To see an organizational outline of these lessons, click here]

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN CHRIST'S CHURCH

We learn from Mark 16:15 that the Lord’s disciples (apostles) were to go into ______   _______    _______________ to proclaim God’s GOOD NEWS, and these men were to be WITNESSES (see Acts 1:8), not only in Jerusalem and in Judaea and in Samaria, but where else? __________________________________________________ In Acts 13:47 we find that the message of SALVATION would shine forth "unto ______   E_______    _____    _____    ___________."   In fact "all men ___________________" (Acts 17:30) are invited to become members of God’s assembly, even those that are  A______     O______ (Acts 2:39). The reason LOCATION makes no difference is found in Acts 17:26-27. It makes no difference where a man lives on the face of the earth because GOD IS ________________________________________________________________(v.27).
 

NATIONALITY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IN CHRIST'S CHURCH

1) The disciples were told to teach (make disciples of) _____     ____________ (Matthew 28:19).

2) The disciples were to preach among  _______    _____________ (Luke 24:47).

3) God is not a R_________________    ____    P____________ but in ______________    ____________ the person who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him (Acts 10:34-35).

NOTE:  The expression "respecter of persons" comes from a Greek word which means "to receive (someone’s) face." In other words, it means to act differently towards a person because of his FACE or his OUTWARD APPEARANCE or his EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES (situations that people are in and that they cannot change). If I am a respecter of persons then this means that I make a difference in the way I treat a person because of outward things (things that are not really the most important).  I might look down on someone because of the way he looks, the way he dresses, the color of his skin, the country he is from; his family background, his religious background, how rich he is, how popular or famous he is, how powerful he is, and so forth.

Read James 2:1-9.   According to the illustration that James gives in verses 2-3, how were these people respecters of persons?   Is it possible for us to do the same thing in our local assembly as visitors come to the services? How (in what ways) might we do this? How might we do this at school?   How can we teach ourselves not to do this?

Notice what God thinks about those who are respecters of persons in James 2:9:  "But if ye have _______________    ____     ________________ , ye commit __________, and are convinced (convicted) of the LAW (see in the law Leviticus 19:15 and Deuteronomy 1:17) as transgressors."

One of the reasons we know God is not a respecter of persons is found in 1 Samuel 16:7:   "But the LORD, said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance (his outward appearance), or on the height of his stature (how tall and powerful he seems to be from man’s point of view), because I have refused him; for the LORD seeth not as man seeth." According to this verse, how does man see? ______________________________________________________________________ How does God see?   ______________________________________________________________ Therefore, is God a respecter of persons? ______ Were the Corinthian believers that Paul wrote to seeing things the right way (see 2 Corinthians 10:7)? _______ Because God is not a RESPECTER OF PERSONS, nationality makes no difference (Acts 10:34-35).

4) The gospel message is made known to  ______     _____________ (Romans 16:26; compare Romans 1:5). God's gospel (good news) goes to all nations--THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE!  God has good news, not just for a select few, but for everyone!

Go to the Next Lesson--Lesson 9