SermonStudio

This set of four scenes is especially suitable to accompany a series of sermons or studies on the early church. The scenes carefully follow the scripture text while making the struggles of the early church, and particularly those of the apostle Paul, come alive. This drama is very useful for teaching profound Biblical truths, as God's plan for his church powerfully unfolds. These scenes can easily be produced on consecutive Sundays or used individually as stand-alone dramas.

Scene I
Transformed
(Acts 13:1-3)

Setting: Evening in Antioch

Characters:
PAUL: Strong, forceful with an underlying depth of humbleness
BARNABAS: Strong and unshakable, companion to Paul

Costumes: Biblical dress, leave characters bare-headed

Props: Two boxes of different heights, characters may also be staged walking

Scene: Barnabas is sitting, Paul is standing looking at the sky

* * *

PAUL: (Has a feeling of serenity about him; sighs) There is something about evening, Barnabas, that always ministers to my soul -- the stars, the vastness of space my mind cannot conceive. Every time, it happens. I peer into the heavens, and I become aware of how vast and incomprehensible my God really is.

Like tonight. (Gestures toward the heavens) He made all of this. With one command, Barnabas, he stretched the heavens from infinity to infinity. It's never-ending. It goes on for miles and miles into all eternity. And he simply spoke it into being. That's it! A few simple words, and it WAS!

BARNABAS: (Waits before he speaks) Ah, my brother, Paul, you are so right. Our God is more than any one person can comprehend. And I often wonder, why it is I who has been chosen with the message he has to give the world. The heavens are wonderful, but God's plan of salvation for all people -- God himself living in us, making us like him. Now that's something to ponder.

PAUL: (Sits down) And I do ponder. Talk about a world-shaking message. Barnabas, if I had not met "The Christ" on the Damascus road -- it took a powerful flash of light and days of blindness to get my attention -- I would still be in my traditional furor, fighting the very thing that now gives me life.

But I was chosen to bear his name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel. He chose me -- Saul of Tarsus, the greatest persecutor of the church that you will ever see. There was no Jew more devout than I. And, he chose me. Barnabas, he chose me. Without Christ, I am nothing. I would have always been nothing.

BARNABAS: And now the church has asked us to go forth. What do you think?

PAUL: (Moves about) What can I think, dear Barnabas. Antioch these past months has been more wonderful than I could ever dream. The revelations of God have come so full and so fast, I hardly have time to sleep. I do not care to sleep. Miracles abound -- oh, the hunger and thirst for God. Personally, I hate to leave it.

BARNABAS: Were you surprised this morning when the Holy Spirit spoke, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"?

PAUL: No, I think not. When a body of believers fasts and prays and ministers to the Lord, one can expect almost anything to happen. (Pauses) And tomorrow we head for Seleucia and then on to Cyprus. Are you as fond of sailing as I am?

BARNABAS: (Smiles) I thought you hated ships?

PAUL: Not the ship, just the time it takes to get somewhere. But ... the direction of God is clear. So, unless you have a better idea, the ship it is.

BARNABAS: (Sighs) If God can take two devout Jews, steeped in the Laws of Moses, and totally turn their lives around by the good news of Jesus Christ -- a ship voyage should be of little significance.

Paul, do you realize that God, himself, dwells within us? The very person of God! I stand before the throne of heaven covered with the blood of Jesus Christ who paid the price for my unworthiness. (Becomes excited) I'm clean; I'm spotless; I'm an heir to the only God! No wonder you and I are ready to scream to the world the good news. That's not good news. That's earth-shattering news!

PAUL: And I am humbled. The outcome of all eternity rests on this simple truth, God in us. And he's entrusted this message to men, like you and me. God is real. And this message is real. It is burning like a fire within my very soul. I cannot go back. Barnabas, I must go wherever he leads. Compared to Jesus Christ, the world is nothing.

BARNABAS: And I, too.

PAUL: (Places hand on Barnabas' shoulder) Then we depart in the morning.

Scene II
The Amazing Move Of God
(Acts 13:4-12, NIV)

Setting: Open stage. This is to be done in narration as though the Apostle Paul is giving a travel log

Character:
PAUL: Same character as Scene I

Costume: Biblical dress

Props: None

* * *

(Paul may sit or stand, depending on preference and usability of space)

PAUL: (Relaxed) Barnabas and I departed from Antioch shortly after the message from the Holy Spirit was brought forth. The brethren there laid their hands upon us and, with prayers and blessings, sent us on our way.

We traveled to Seleucia, then sailed from there to Cyprus. The trip was uneventful, and gave Barnabas and me time, again, to reflect upon the goodness of our God and the message He had called us to proclaim.

When we arrived in Salamis we spent some time preaching the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, also joined us. It was a great blessing to me to see John's excitement for the things of God.

Over the weeks, we traveled through the whole of the island until we came to Paphos. I really must tell you about Paphos.

The proconsul of the city, Sergius Paulus, a very intelligent and powerful man I might add, sent for Barnabas and me because he was interested in the message of God which we were preaching.

However, we quickly discerned that a Jewish sorcerer, and false prophet -- his name was Bar-Jesus -- had other plans. An attendant of the proconsul, he had no intentions of allowing such an important man to see the truth of God. You see, his influence as a sorcerer would be gone.

The Holy Spirit finally got tired of this false prophet's attempts at turning the proconsul from the faith. By the Spirit's leading, I simply looked at Elymas -- that's what his name means and said (Dramatically), "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."

It happened just as the Holy Spirit proclaimed. Elymas became blind and was led off by friends. The proconsul, totally amazed at the power of God, believed in our message.

And there you have it. Barnabas and I have remained faithful to the call of Christ. Do we have doubts? Yes! But the realization of what God has done within our lives, the conviction that the message we carry is God's very own heartbeat, keeps us going. We can do nothing else. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Scene III
Count It All Joy
(Acts 14:1-20)

Setting: Walking in Lystra

Characters:
PAUL: Same as Scene I
BARNABAS: Same as Scene I

Costumes: Same as Scene I

Props: None

Scene: Both characters are walking. This can be staged down a church aisle to front of sactuary

* * *

BARNABAS: Well, Paul, has it been worth it?

PAUL: Worth it, you ask?

BARNABAS: Yes, worth it. Has the call to go forth been worth it? You were nearly stoned to death a few days ago. Boy, that was an angry mob.

PAUL: (Laughs and puts hand on Barnabas's shoulder) Barnabas, I'd say your observation skills are still intact. Did you see the size of some of those boulders? But, you'll notice, (Hold arms out) I am perfectly fine.

BARNABAS: And I praise God for that. Since the brethren in Antioch laid hands on the two of us and sent us out to preach the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, it's amazing what we've faced: angry crowds, opposition from men and women in high authority, kicked out of town. (Characters stop walking when they reach front center stage)

PAUL: And every time we've been persecuted, we've felt joy. Never forget that. Amazing, isn't it? Every time we've been buffeted, the Holy Spirit filled us to overflowing with his indescribable presence. It's a feeling of being so alive ... peace ... blessing -- I can't even describe it. Was it worth it? Yes! A thousand times, yes!

BARNABAS: We've been in Perga, Pisidan, Antioch, Iconium, and now Lystra. Though I think God could have gotten the message to go to Lystra across to us a bit easier than a plot to stone us.

PAUL: The choice was theirs, dear brother, the choice was theirs. I'm just glad their plot was discovered. One stoning is enough for me.

BARNABAS: What did you think about today?

PAUL: It got a little rocky for a while, though I must admit when I spotted that crippled man in the street and saw that he had faith to be healed, I never thought it would turn the city into an absolute uproar.

BARNABAS: (Laughing) You walk out in the middle of the street and call out, "Stand up on your feet!" and this man, lame since birth, begins jumping and leaping, and you didn't think that would create an uproar? How many uproars has the Holy Spirit caused? I'd say PLENTY!

PAUL: You're right, Barnabas, but you'll have to admit, no one's ever wanted to make us gods before. You, Zeus? Me, Hermes? A man of God, I am. A god, I'm not. I'll be honest. I was quite shaken. Without God, I am nothing!

BARNABAS: And I. If people only knew that the God Of All came to seek and to save those who were lost.

PAUL: Now it's on to Derbe. What do you think we'll find there?

BARNABAS: Actually, it makes little difference. I guarantee, with the Holy Spirit, there's never a dull moment. I'm just along for the ride, being obedient to a Heavenly Father whom I worship with all my heart. It's as simple as that.

PAUL: And me. I can't tell you what watching people receive the same life of God that you and I experience does for me. To disappoint the Holy Spirit and not heed the call would be more than I could bear. To Derbe.

Scene IV
When God Sets The Course
(Acts 15:1-31)

Setting: The evening before the Jewish council in Jerusalem when Paul and Barnabas must defend their stand concerning Gentile Christians and allowing them to remain uncircumcised

Characters:
PAUL: Same as Scenes I-III
PETER: An apostle of Christ, committed to spreading the gospel

Costumes: Biblical dress, bare-headed

Props: Crude box on which to sit

Scene: A rooftop where the two men can be alone. It is obvious both men have a deep respect and love for one another. It is evening and the two men are relaxing after a lengthy day

* * *

PETER: (Sitting on box) It's so good to see you again, Paul.

PAUL: (Stands gazing into the nighttime sky) And you, Peter.

PETER: Do you need anything? The long trip back here to Jerusalem is never an easy one. More water for your feet ... perhaps a bed. Did you get enough to eat?

PAUL: (Laughs and pats his belly) Peter, you have been too kind. I had forgotten how good the cooks are in Jerusalem. And in a short while ... yes ... yes, a bed. But for now, I am wonderful! As for the trip, it gave Barnabas and me a chance to see many of the faithful brethren God has sprinkled in Phoenicia and Samaria. Oh, Peter, they have such a zest for the gospel of Jesus Christ even I am almost jealous. God is doing a good work, a good work.

PETER: I noticed Barnabas was quite preoccupied at supper tonight. Is he all right? I noticed he slipped out before the meal was over.

PAUL: I assure you, he is fine. A more faithful man of God I have not met. The Lord placed an urgency on his heart several days ago. He has relatives he wishes to see. (Pauses) Oh, Peter, how I love the nighttime sky ... the stars ... everything seems so vast. And you and I have a God who made it all ... and he has chosen to live in the hearts of his people. It's almost too great a mystery to explain. Yet, I know it's true. (Excitedly) I have seen people absolutely transformed by the Christ whom we love and serve. Transformed never to be the same again. I never fail to marvel and to praise his glorious name.

PETER: (Rises. Speaks directly to PAUL) And I, Paul ... and I. I, a fisherman, you, a learned scholar, speaking a common language, feeling a bond closer than a brother, giving up all for a message that is so revolutionary -- ten years ago I would have called myself mad. (Sighs and shakes head) Even the church doesn't always understand. Paul, I'm sorry we had to call you back to Jerusalem.

PAUL: (Puts hand on Peter's shoulder) Ah, Peter, it's probably for the good. Change is difficult. You and I know only too well. It's hard to put away traditions, to expand one's thinking to encompass all of God. But change we must.

(Begins to explain his stand in earnest) We were told by the prophets in Deuteronomy that the Lord our God would circumcise our hearts and the hearts of our descendants, to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul in order that we may live. Peter, that time has come. Outward circumcision is of value only if one practices the Law perfectly. But you and I know the Law is our taskmaster. Its burdens are impossible to bear.

Ah, Peter, that's where our Savior, the One you and I have given up everything to serve, comes in. He had to die that we could become new creatures, circumcised of the heart, forgiven and righteous before an Almighty God. I cannot go back to my Christian brethren and saddle them with a tradition of outward circumcision that Christ's death has erased.

PETER: (Earnestly) I understand, Paul, but you must also realize these brethren who have voiced concern have not seen what you have seen. They only know what tradition has taught them. Even so, they have embraced a Living Lord. They have gone far from their Jewish traditions which still searches for a Messiah.

PAUL: (With frustration) And I thank God for that. Yet, Peter, they have not gone far enough. And they have the authority to reject everything that has been revealed to us through Jesus Christ. I tell you now, as much as I love you, if tomorrow the council does not understand, I will continue the direction my God has called me to follow. I have no recourse.

PETER: (With assurance) Paul, I have faith in these men. Tomorrow, present your case. I will stand by and plead your cause. Our mission is to get out the good news of Jesus Christ. We must not trouble our new Gentile brethren with unnecessary ritual. I, Peter, stand by you. Paul, my wonderful brother, I'm glad you have come.

PAUL: (Embraces PETER) Peter, you are my dearest friend. I admire your compassion for Christ like no other. You understand when I say from this calling I cannot waver.

PETER: (With feeling) Yes, yes, I do. It's a message burned so deep, a path so clear, there is no compromise.

PAUL: There is no compromise. The cause of Jesus Christ must prevail. Tomorrow, I present my case.

PETER: And the church of Jesus Christ will prevail.

PAUL: (Slowly, with meaning) And the church of Jesus Christ will prevail.