"What are we supposed to do with the information we are getting?"
"How am I to respond to what I have learned?"
"How should the lessons in Acts impact my life?"
So we are no longer hearing the Word of God for what He wants but rather how we can leverage it in our own lives. How should Acts impact your life? It should draw you closer to God just like all Scripture!
The materials however go on in the "reflect" section to trivialize the death of Christ by asking, "Have you ever had your world rocked?" It states that maybe the feeling of dread was preceded by a statement such as "We're letting you go" or "It isn't you, it's me." We are discussing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The pivotal moment in all of history! Where our sins were nailed to the cross and we were reconciled to God. Yet Downey takes this and reduces it to feeling dread because we lost a job? Or because someone is breaking up with us? Seriously? Just like the "prayer" section, where the guide leads people to pray that God show them how to trust Him better and where they may have had some doubts in their lives about God. Are you kidding me? The first lesson plan saves nearly two full pages to deal with Mary Magdalene, how she stayed with Jesus until the end and how she was smeared as a prostitute when Scripture does not bear that out. Not surprising from the Roman Catholic mystic Downey. Yet how do you have that time for Mary Magdalene and yet none for the central subject from these portions of Scripture?
Because they will not address sin.
Just like they skipped the creation account to avoid talking about it in the Bible miniseries, Downey's first lesson plan deals with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but stays focused on dealing with disappointment and other moronically trivial matters compared to what is really going on here. This is not the Gospel beloved pastors. This is not what you were called to. Mark Batterson is the teacher for this first lesson and the synopsis does not offer much more hope than the study guide did. None of the synopsis offer much hope that this is anything more than a cleverly marketed package of heresy and a ridiculous display of missing the point. Pastors, you have been given an awesome responsibility. Do not squander it on people you should not want to associate with, to have them take over the shepherding of the flock God entrusted to you, to teach them that the resurrection of Christ is all about dealing with life when it "rocks your world." I beg you. Do not allow yourself to be made merchandise of. You are the aroma of Christ, not a mere peddler of God's Word.
Reverend Anthony Wade - January 27, 2015
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