How Not To Make A Name For Yourself
Acts 2:1-47
I. Icebreaker: What has been the biggest event in your life, that changed your walk with God?
II. In the sermon Pastor Dave emphasized the importance of believing in Jesus and being baptized from Acts chapter 2. He has instructed the Circle Groups to study what the early church looked like according to the end of Acts chapter 2 and to go deeper. In this study we will quickly review what happened in Acts chapter 2 and focus on the community of believers created after the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
III. The Baptism of the Holy on the day of Pentecost – Read Acts 2:1-13
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
1. Jesus had commanded the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why do you suppose God wanted the disciples to remain together, and in Jerusalem, until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit?
2. How does the text of Acts 2:4-13 describe the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
3. What was the effect of the Holy Spirit in the life of the new church, (Acts 2:42-47; 4:8,13)? What is the effect of the Holy Spirit in our lives (2 Tim 1:7)?
IV. Peter addresses the Crowd – Read Act 2:14- 40 (Optional)
In Jerusalem, Peter got up and addressed the crowd proclaiming that God sent Jesus and accredited Him with signs, wonders and miracles. Peter then proclaimed that the people, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death on the cross, but God raised Him from the dead. Now God has poured out the Holy Spirit and is calling them to repent and be baptized.
V. The Fellowship of the Believers – Read Acts 2:41-47
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Verses 41 through 47, describe the church as it ought to be: unified, effective and growing. The Disciples/Apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit, and preached to the crowds. The crowds were convicted of their sin, repented, submitted to the teaching of the Apostles, and were obedient to the command to be baptized.
The result of their devotion to God, and baptism of the Holy Spirit was being filled with a sense of awe, and love for their fellow believers. This resulted in the new church being held in high regard by all the people and more people were submitting themselves to God, by repenting and being baptized. “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (v. 47)
Be Baptized (v. 41)
4. Why should you be baptized? (Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:38, 41; Rom 6: 3-4)
5. Have you been obedient to the command to be baptized? If not, what is holding you back? Notice that baptism immediately follows belief and signifies belonging to the body of Christ.
Be Taught (v. 42)
6. Why do we need to be taught? And what teaching should we focus on? (Colossians 2:6-7; 2 Timothy 2:2; 3:16-17)
7. What does “teaching to observe all that I commanded you,” mean to you? (Matthew 28:18-20)
8. Are you currently learning and growing? How can we express “being devoted” to Biblical teaching/learning and growing spiritually?
Be in a Circle (Fellowship) (v. 42, 46)
Christian hospitality was a large feature of the early church. The people ate together and enjoyed fellowship with each other. Sun Grove has Circle groups for the purpose of having members connected to each other, enjoying close friendships and caring for each other.
9. What does this Circle do to develop fellowship and what can more can it do in this regard? (Hebrews 10:24-25)
10. What keeps us from extending Christian hospitality within and outside our Circle?
11. Are there people who you know, who are not involved in a Circle group, whom you can invite? What can your Circle group do to encourage you to invite these people?
Be a Worshiper (v. 47)
12. What is worship? What different ways we express God’s worth? In the church? In our lives? As a Circle?
13. What could we do to improve our personal worship experience?
Be Generous (v. 44-45)
14. The members of the church sold their possessions to provide for those in need. What keeps us from being generous with each other and those in need?
15. Why is it important to support the ministry of Sun Grove and other ministries around the world? (2 Cor 9:6,7)
VI. Summary – The Growth of the Church
The result of the Christians being unified, spirit-filled and generous was that the church was growing, with large numbers of people coming to faith in Christ, everyone having a sense of awe, and God was performing miracles through the Apostles. Worship, prayer, fellowship and teaching were all part of the worship experience of the church.