MISSION COMMUNITY QUESTIONS

QUICK REVIEW

Someone in the MC give a brief overview of the text and context of Acts 2

Was there anything from this Sunday’s Sermon on Acts 2 that challenged you, confused you, or encouraged you? What was the major takeaway for you?

Why is it important that Jesus was killed during the Passover and the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost? What does this ultimately say about God and his sovereignty?

DIGGING DEEPER

(Read the following from The Village Church on Acts 2)

"The Church was born in power, from the initial signs and wonders that accompanied the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, to the conversion of thousands upon hearing Peter’s call
to repentance, to the empowering of witnesses to take the gospel out from their newborn community. The Church began as a powerful people movement and continues to prevail over the gates of hell (Matt. 16:18) by the power of the Spirit.

Power is energy or force applied to an object in order to influence or control. Who else but the Spirit has the authority to exert that kind of power—certainly not us—in ourselves? Ours is not power as strength but more so as weakness—as surrendered servants, as witnesses. Christians witness or testify that Christ is who He says He is.

This Christian witness, empowered by the Spirit, fueled the early growth of the Church. While it began as an apostolic work, it was the faithful followers who multiplied disciples across communities. According to Kenneth S. Latourette’s A History of the Expansion of Christianity, historians believe “the chief agents in the expansion of Christianity appear not
to have been those who made it their profession...but men and women who carried on their livelihood in some purely secular manner and spoke of their faith to those they met in this natural fashion.”

Those who had their lives changed simply talked about it to others, as John matter-of-factly modeled: “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3).” While our lives—our actions or conduct—reveal our faithfulness, we also need to proclaim of whom we are faithful. Will Metzger comments in Tell the Truth:

To remain silent and let others interpret our actions is wrong...we must speak even when we don’t know much about the Bible. We must speak even when it is inconvenient. God is bigger than our sins, our ignorance, our pride. He will honor his word in our mouths.

To witness is to speak. Ours is the power to obey, to plant and to water (1 Cor. 3:6); the Spirit is the power to save—He blows where He will (John 3:8)."

Read Acts 2:1-13 and answer the following questions.

1. The coming of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by a show of power. In what ways are we so distracted by life that only grand displays of power capture our attention? Have we missed the Spirit’s moving by our inattention?

2. What were some of the “first fruits” of your salvation? Has this only grown as you have matured or has it weakened? Why or Why not?

Read Acts 2:14-41
3. Peter’s witness did not include his personal story of coming to faith. Why? What are the dangers of relying too heavily on our testimony rather than conveying truths about Christ? How do our encounters leave the other person knowing too much about us and not enough about God? What role does scripture play in proclamation?

4. In your own words explain Peter’s argument in vv 29-31. How did he connect the prophecy in vv 25-28 to his conclusion in v32?

5. Read Acts 2:42-47.
In what ways does this sound like Mission Church? In what ways does it not? How can we be more like what is described there?

6.  God “added to their number day by day” because of the sharing and caring exhibited by the group. How can we love others in a way that God would send disciples our way? In what ways can our groups be more open to receive those who God sends? Is there a desire among us to see movements of multiplication?

ACTIONS TO CONSIDER

In view of Acts 2 what are 3 actions we should consider both personally and as a church?