Sermons

    The Early Church Snapshot – Acts 5:12-16 – 4/19/24

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      SERMON SERIES: We’re currently in a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we get to see a snapshot into the early church. 

      12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico.13 None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

      If we want to accomplish something, it’s often helpful to get a picture of what it looks like to accomplish that thing successfully. In this part of God’s Word, we see a snapshot of what the church looked like! By taking a look at it, we can learn that…

      A thriving believer:

      1. Lives with an expectation of God moving

      Acts 5:12, Ps. 27:14, Rom. 8:25, 15;13, James 1:6-7, Is. 40:30-31

      2. Regularly meets with other believers

      Acts 5:12, 2:46-47, Heb. 10:24-25, 1 Thess. 5:11

      3. Is focused on unifying the church

      Acts 5:12, 2:46, 1 Pet. 3:8, Phil. 1:27, 1 Cor. 1:10, 1 Cor. 13:11

      4. Is held in high esteem

      Acts 5:13, 1 Tim. 3:7, 2 Cor. 5:20, 8:21, Col. 4:5, Titus 2:8

      5. Shares their faith

      Acts 5:14-16, Matt. 4:19, 28:19-20, Rom. 10:14, 2 Tim. 4:2

      6. Prioritizes God’s glory and Kingdom

      Acts 5:15-16, Matt. 6:33, Col. 3:2, Heb. 13:5

      7. Sees people how God sees people

      Acts 5:16, James 2:1-9, 2 Pet. 3:9, Eph. 6:12

      Reflecting on God’s Word

      Getting Started

      • Take some time to read over Acts 5:12-16 and pray. 
      • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
      • As you think about this sermon series through the book of Acts, what observation do you have? 

      Diving In 

      1. Think about the expectations of what God would do that these believers had. Do you have those same expectations of God moving in similar ways? Why or why not? How would it change your life if you did?
      1. This group of believers were highly unified. What can you personally do to better unify the church? 
      1. These early believers clearly prioritized God’s glory and His Kingdom. How can you better prioritize building God’s Kingdom?

      Applying the Scripture

      What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

      • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
      • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
      • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

      Small Group Guide:

      Open with prayer.

      Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

      If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.

      Prayer Time:

      Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

      Staying Missional:

      Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

      Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
      What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
      How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
      How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
      Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

      What’s next?

      Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?