Contending for the faith against its common opponents.
This term we’re journeying through 5 chapters of Acts (Acts 3-8:8), looking at the 5 opponents that come against the church – attempting to disrupt or destroy its progress.
The discussions below are designed to help us to think about how we can continue to stand firm in the face of these ongoing opponents.
RECAP
Ask people, who are willing, to share their stories on when they were baptised and what stands out to them as significant about that moment in their lives.
Read Acts 2:37-41.
What connects baptism and repentance? Why is baptism a visible sign of repentance?
What are we ‘leaving behind’ when we are baptised?
Read Romans 6:1-4.
INTRODUCTION: There are different opinions about whether this is talking about literal water baptism or ‘being immersed into Jesus’ through faith. Whatever way you interpret it, there is a very close connection between being baptised in water and the death and resurrection of Jesus.
QUESTION: What impact is this meant to have on a believer’s day-to-day life? How might recalling and thinking about our water baptisms help us to live a Godly life this week?
INTRODUCTION QUESTIONS
The first comment about the early church tells us that they ‘devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching’ Acts 2:42
Why do you think a devotion to teaching is held in such high importance?
According to other parts of the Bible (e.g. Romans 12:2), what is ‘wrong’ with our thinking that requires ‘teaching’?
Helpful guide (from Louis Berkhof’s Systematic Theology):
The apostles had the special task of laying the foundation for the Church of all ages. It is only through their word that believers of all following ages have communion with Jesus Christ. Hence they are the apostles of the Church in the present day as well as they were the apostles of the primitive Church.
Special ‘qualifications’ of the Apostles:
(a) received their commission directly from God or from Jesus Christ, Mark 3:14; Luke 6:13; Gal. 1:1
(b) were witnesses of the life of Christ and especially of His resurrection, John 15:27; Acts 1:21, 22; 1 Cor. 9:1
(c) were conscious of being inspired by the Spirit of God in all their teaching, both oral and written, Acts 15:28; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:8; 1 John 5:9-12
(d) had the power to perform miracles and used this on several occasions to ratify their message, 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4
(e) were richly blessed in their work as a sign of the divine approval of their labours, 1 Cor. 9:1-2; 2 Cor. 3:2-3; Gal. 2:8.
What is so special about the Apostles’ teaching compared to anyone else’s?
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
What are some BIG GOALS of learning from the Bible?
What has and hasn’t worked for you, to learn from the Bible?
What role do you see yourself playing in helping others learn from the Bible?
‘Icebreaker’ question – how have you benefited from Christian fellowship in your lifetime?
FELLOWSHIP
The Greek word translated as “fellowship” in v42 is “koinōnia”. In different contexts it means sharing / association / having something in common / joint participation / connection / communion.
Read Acts 2v41-47 – what activities did the early church devote themselves to and how do these reflect something of their “fellowship”?
Draw a table with two columns (Similarities / Differences) and create a list: What are some similarities and differences between the fellowship a believer has with God and other believers?
In what ways is Christian fellowship important to our growth and discipleship? If it helps, create a list of things that you can gain and grow in that are not possible if you live as a Christian without fellowship.
Read John 15v9-14. What sacrifices did Jesus make to bring us into fellowship with Him? What personal sacrifices might some of us need to make to commit to help the fellowship at Westminster Chapel thrive and flourish?
APPLICATION
What are some practical ways we can show grace, kindness and forgiveness in our church life?
What challenges / obstacles do we face at Westminster Chapel to enjoying true fellowship with one another?
Why is it important to be authentic with one another and how can we wisely and realistically cultivate deeper connections with one another?
How can your Life Group use the spiritual gifts of its members to enhance the fellowship in Westminster Chapel?
‘Icebreaker’ question: what are 2 worship/praise songs that have been very significant in your life, and why?
Read Hebrews 2:10-13. It speaks about our ‘big brother’ (Jesus), reuniting us with our Father in heaven. It also says that He sings praise/hymns to God alongside us.
Now read Zephaniah 3:17.
What inspires you about the thought of Jesus singing praise to His Father and God singing with joy over His people?
When we invite people to b
The Bible contains over four hundred references to singing and fifty direct commands to sing. The longest book of the Bible, the Psalms, is a book of songs. And in the New Testament we’re commanded not once, but twice, to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another when we meet (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).
Why does God so often tell us not simply to thank Him, pray to Him and preach about Him, but also to sing His praises when we meet?
On the eve of his crucifixion, Jesus sang hymns with his disciples (e.g., Matthew 26:30). And Ephesians 5 tells us that one effect of being “filled with the Spirit” is “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (verses 18–19).
It seems that the more we become like Jesus, more full of the Spirit, the more likely we are to sing praise to God. Does this make sense to you? Have you experienced a similar growth in enthusiasm for it?
What benefit does our collective singing have on one another’s growth in Godliness and knowledge of Jesus?
Does anyone in the group have an interest to be involved with the praise bands at Chapel? If you do, email .
In this Life Group meeting, we would strongly encourage you to find an opportunity to break bread (take communion) together.
(It is important to use bread and wine or grape juice. The symbolism is significant and shouldn’t be replaced.)
INFO: On Sunday, Guy spoke about ‘the breaking of bread’ from Acts 2:42. This practice is also known as ‘the eucharist’, ‘communion’ and ‘The Lord’s Supper’. It is one of two ‘sacraments’ that we do as a church (the first is baptism).
Read Mark 14:12-31. Jesus is introducing a new ‘family meal’ for His followers to continue in the New Covenant.
What is the significance of connecting the breaking of bread with the Passover celebration?
In Mark 14:14 Jesus says, ‘Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’
Jesus was often a guest at meals. But here He is clearly ‘hosting’ the meal. It is right to believe that whenever we join in with the Lord’s Supper, He is the host, by His Spirit.
How does/should that affect our posture and attitude when we participate together?
How should that affect the way we view the other ‘guests’ at the meal with us?
The breaking of bread (verses 22-25) occurs in between a passage about Judas betraying Jesus and another about Peter denying Jesus.
Jesus clearly knew that His disciples would mistreat Him in a variety of ways. And yet He still offers them ‘His body and blood’, only hours before being abandoned and executed.
How is the breaking of bread a constant reminder of the grace of God? Why is it so important to devote ourselves to it regularly? And how can we prevent it simply becoming an empty religious ritual?
In verses 22 and 23 Jesus ‘gives thanks’ before offering His disciples a physical prediction of His own suffering and pain. He was able to praise and glorify God, even in the hardest moment of His life.
Why can communion help us to continually praise God, even when we’re going through extremely difficult seasons in life? Have you ever experienced that personally?
SIGNS & WONDERS
This week we’re looking at the verse: Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.
First of all it is helpful to see that the signs and wonders were closely connected to the Apostles. Can you think of examples of ‘signs and wonders’ in the book of Acts that Luke might be thinking of?
One definition you could give is: ‘a sign is a miracle that makes someone wander about God’s Kingdom.’ What’s so significant about the fact that nearly all of the mentioned miracles are healings and deliverances. What does that tell us about God’s Kingdom?
WHY NOT?
On Sunday we considered why churches today might not see many signs and wonders.
One of the reasons is that we are not ‘Apostles’ who were establishing the foundations of the worldwide Church.
Other reasons might include:
What is your response to these reasons? Which of them resonate more than others? Which challenges you personally the most?
*Craig Keener on seeing signs and wonders worldwide:
God may act anywhere, and some of the experiences reported in this book happen in mainstream US settings. Nevertheless, we learn about these experiences most often on the cutting edge of evangelism, where Jesus’s message is breaking fresh ground. That is the way it was in the biblical Gospels and book of Acts too. Biola University’s I. P. Moreland points out that up to 70 percent of the rapid evangelical growth in the past few decades has been due to “signs”-the sorts of divine acts that get people’s attention for the message about Christ.
INSPIRATION
Heidi Baker once said this in an interview, in response to this question: What words of advice and caution would you give to a minister or church that desires to see God do miracles in their community?
Let your life be grounded in God. Go out of your way for one person every day; let it be part of your lifestyle. Pray for the sick every day. Learn how to pour out compassion. Our job is to love. Love comes from the Father’s lavish love poured out on us. He is the one that heals. If we have shown compassion and love which we ourselves have received from God, then we have done God’s will whether they are healed or not. Hearing God’s heart for the person and knowing what He wants to do is the answer. I hug lots of people every Sunday, people in wheelchairs who don’t get out of them. As many blind as we see healed, we also have homes for the blind who aren’t healed. We have cottage industries for the blind. It’s all about God and giving His love to others. Love accomplishes God’s will even if a supernatural miracle doesn’t happen. The biggest miracle is love.
What inspires you about this attitude?
PRAYER
It would be good to name areas and opportunities to seek God’s kingdom in your day-to-day lives. Go round the group and create a list of places or people where we’d like to see breakthrough, and then devote time to praying for these.
(try to follow up next week to hear if there are any testimonies of change)
Below are some helpful resources from us and other churches for when you are leading a discussion or hosting a group.
These guidelines might be helpful if you feel that your group conversations need some ‘ground rules’. These are not meant to be heavy, but to enable better discussions by helping to clarify group expectations. We suggest reading them out loud in advance of a conversation.
