Week 2, Acts 1:12 26 Hook

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1 Week 2, Acts 1:12 26 Hook Main point: Prayerful obedience unites God s people to accomplish His plans. Current Event: Before he was ever a prolific professional quarterback, Kurt Warner was a man who had to learn patience while seeking to develop his character and identity as an athlete and as a man. Whether it was playing backup for most of his college career or bouncing around various teams and leagues throughout his 20s, Warner never lost sight of the vision he had for his life and who he believed he was destined to become. He never lost his passion for football, even when he had to stock shelves at a grocery store waiting for a team to call. He stayed consistent, diligent and ready. He did this not only on the field, but also in his personal life. He fell in love with his wife, Brenda, and would later even adopt her two children. Finally, a break came in the late 90s with the St. Louis Rams, and Warner seized his opportunity. His come from nowhere success with the team catapulted him into NFL stardom-garnering championships with honors along the way. 1 What does Kurt Warner s story teach us about the importance of not losing hope? Is it sometimes difficult to lose perspective of the vision God has given us for our lives when the circumstances of life change or become difficult? 1

2 Week 2, Acts 1:12 26 Book Main point: Prayerful obedience unites God s people to accomplish His plans. Text Summary: Acts 1:12 26 Immediately after Jesus ascends, His disciples respond in obedience to His commands. They return to Jerusalem where they wait for God to send His Spirit. In this gathering, we see the first stones of God s Church laid upon the foundation of the risen Christ. Among His people is a unity of faith and action that become hallmarks of the Christian witness. As the first Christians gather in anticipation of God to act, they pursue His will to guide their present. The behavior and attitudes modeled in these verses demonstrate the eternal values of God s kingdom that He continues to nurture among His global Church even to this day. Acts 1:12 14 [Read] Sub-Point: God s people gather in unity of faith, purpose and prayer. Section Introduction Before we begin, it is important to note that the disciples follow Jesus instructions to return to Jerusalem and remain there in prayer until God bestows upon them the gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4 5). Elsewhere in the Bible, trouble takes immediate root among the people of God who decide to follow their own course of action or their own sense of timing. Recall the impulsive actions of King Saul (1 Samuel 13), or the weakened faith Abraham had in God s promises (Genesis 16). God does not look favorably upon those who place their own plans above His commands. He always remains gracious and able to bring about His purposes and turn rebellious moments into merciful opportunities to grow, provided we return to Him in repentance. Consider, though, how peaceful life is when the obedience of the disciples is replicated in us. Q: Before we study this passage any further, reflect on the three characteristics of God s people. Do you see them demonstrated in your current community of Christians? Q: Obedience is not always the natural course of our hearts. Can you share a time when you directed your own plans contrary to God s desires? How did He work in your waywardness? Verses In verses 12 14, we discern three important characteristics of God s people: They gather in unity of what they believe; they agree upon their common purpose; and they commit to praying together in faithful anticipation of what God promises to accomplish. All of this is done in obedience to the words of Jesus Christ, upon whom their new identity is built. In verse 13, the first characteristic of God s people we see is the shared beliefs that knit these people together. Throughout Jesus ministry, we saw crowds of varying levels of intimacy follow

3 Jesus around from town to town. Jesus had a close group of 12 disciples; He had a closer group of three (Peter, John and James); and He also taught larger crowds of people who didn t receive the same depth of training as others. In Jesus absence, however, these layers of discipleship did not disintegrate; rather, the shared experience of knowing Jesus, being taught by Him, and witnessing His Resurrection created a bond across a group of different genders and classes. The first glimpse of the Church displays unity in diversity, comprised of faithful believers in Jesus, from many walks of life, all of whom have agreed to walk in obedience to His commands and live in expectation of God to act again. Q: Has your current church experience caused you to promote different levels of believers within your community? How can you seek the unity in diversity that the early church honored? Verse 14 In verse 14, we also see that the early church, gathering in obedience to Jesus commands, is unified because of their shared purpose. Jesus has promised the indwelling of God s presence, and they gather to pray that this incredible promise would come true. Not only are they unified in their desire for the Spirit, but they are unified in their understanding that Christians pour their lives into prayer. Expectation is not accomplished by idle waiting; rather, we believe that prayer is an action we can begin ourselves, knowing that God honors our open hearts and begins to move in response to our faith-filled words. Lastly, they agree that God s course of action is the best one to act upon, shaping the rhythms of their lives according His plans and not their own. Q: What unites you with Christian friends? Is it favorite musicians? Favorite books? Movies? Sports teams? What kingdom-centered ideas or actions unite you with your brothers and sisters? Q: How can you encourage Christians in your life to seek God s purposes together when you sense your bond of unity begin to break down due to differences in preference or plans? Verse 14 Lastly, verse 14 affirms the prominence of prayer within the community of Christ s disciples. These moments in the first chapter of Acts set the tone for how God s people continue to live throughout the rest of the book. God advances His glorious plan of salvation through the faithful obedience, prayer and actions of His Church. Whether it is an anonymous group of believers (Acts 4:23 31) or a church-planting leader mentioned by name such as Peter (Acts 10:9 16), God s people base their actions upon the guidance they receive from God through purposeful times of prayer. We would do well to note that, even when numbers increase and miraculous signs are in abundance, the unified Church makes prayer a priority. Prayer is not a quick fix; it s a way of life.

4 Q: Where does prayer fit into your personal life? If that s not enough of a challenge, how big of a role does it play in your regular gatherings with other Christians? Section Summary These verses teach us to consider the essentials of being the Church. How do we find our unity? It is not in the obvious, outward adherence to similar tastes in worship styles or approaches to short-term mission trips. There is a deeper sense of unity that Jesus Christ built into the DNA of His Church. We must seek to be disciples who share one belief, one purpose, and a life of prayer. Acts 1:15 26 [Read] Sub-Point: God s people act in faith, trusting His guidance and His plan. Section Summary In verses 15 26, Luke shows how the Church relies upon God s guidance and acts in faith as He is leading them. Previously, we saw Jesus followers obey His instructions. They return to Jerusalem and wait for the pouring out of God s Spirit, a major event that has been anticipated since the prophets (Isaiah 44:3 and Joel 2:28 29). Before this comes to pass, however, the disciples are already faced with a challenging decision: How do they fill the place of Judas among the 11? Verses To begin, verses record Peter s leading the people s reliance upon God s written Word. He calls their attention to the guidance of two ancient passages of writings the Psalms, one of Israel s greatest sources of inspired wisdom, and prophecy. He quotes first from Psalm 69 to discern God s perspective on the consequences due an evil man. Judas has already committed suicide, as the parenthetical insertion recounts (Acts 1:18 19; see also Matthew 27:3 8), so he is no longer around to be disciplined as a member of the Jewish Christian community. Instead, Paul finds encouragement from the Psalm s promise that God will ultimately remove from the community of His people those who pursue evil and seek to do harm (seen explicitly in Revelation 21:7 8). In the immediate temporal fulfillment of this promise, there is now a vacant place among the apostles, and Peter senses the need to honor Jesus decision to build His Church upon the testimony of the 12 (Matthew 19:27 28). Psalm 109 provides additional guidance on how to continue preserving the health of a community when someone has committed an act of betrayal. Q: How might the prophecies that Peter quotes calm the remaining disciples? Q: How do you use Scripture to adjust your attitude?

5 Verses In verses 21 22, the disciples seek to make their decision based on the reliable facts of Jesus ministry. When considering the qualifications for Judas replacement, Peter advises them to select one who can testify to the truth of Jesus life, death and Resurrection. This would have to be a leader who witnessed the full scope of His ministry, from baptism to ascension. They do not look to physical characteristics as we are often tempted to do (1 Samuel 16:1 13). They do not first look to a list of accomplishments or ask others for their opinion. The most important qualification for Judas replacement is someone whose life can testify that Jesus lived and walked among them. As the early church waits for the indwelling of God s Spirit, their hearts are still sensitive to recognize that they must adhere to a truthful report of Jesus. This rubric continues to be a plumb line for the mission and ministry of all Christians as they continue to share the Gospel. Q: Why was Peter insistent that the replacement apostle be one who had been witness to the entirety of Jesus ministry? Q: If you were on the personnel committee to choose Judas replacement, what character qualities might you look for? Verses Finally, in verses 23 26, the first Christians take action. They are filled with faith that God has given them written wisdom and guarded their standards for decision-making. They have relied on prayer, discernment and truthfulness and now trust the results to God s will. The act of casting lots is not an unusual or superstitious behavior in the life of Jewish Christians. They do not have the Spirit inside of them yet, transforming their eyes and minds to see and think as Jesus does, and so they continue walking in the methods of faith that God has provided for them in the past. Israel often relied on what we might call chance, except that they attributed all resulting consequences to the power of God. By casting lots, they offer the selection of a new disciple to God s sovereign control of history. This doesn t necessarily mean we roll dice or flip a coin; rather, it teaches that the early church trusted in the method of decision-making God provided for them. Q: How should a Christian choose between two good options? What method of decision making do you use?

6 Week 2, Acts 1:12 26 Took Main point: Prayerful obedience unites God s people to accomplish His plans. Current Event: Chick-fil-A has become one of the most successful fast-food restaurant brands in America. Beyond the food s being amazing, again and again market researchers have found that people come back to Chick-Fil-A because of the service they receive from the staff at every restaurant. Go test this sometime: Ask for a refill on your drink or tell a staff member something wasn t just right about your order. They have been trained to fix it, and to do it with extreme courtesy. And after you thank them for resolving your issue, see if they say, My pleasure. 2 Chick-Fil-A trainers work hard to ensure all employees possess the same DNA of courtesy and kindness toward their patrons. For them, the food is not the only part of the Chick-Fil-A experience. Lesson Conclusion: It is easy to become preoccupied by material expressions of church. In an age when God has blessed us with prosperity and favor, freeing us to house thousands of unique gatherings of His people, we must return to the essential DNA of what makes us the Church. In Acts, God has yet to scatter His disciples into the world, where they will encounter every cultural preference known to man. This will happen we live in it today as we contextualize our Gospel proclamations and corporate gatherings. But before He sends them out, God instills in His Church a purpose and identity built on obedience, prayer, unity, wisdom, the written Word, and faith in His sovereignty. May these verses prompt us to refresh our own sense of purpose and identity! Challenges Seek unity Above all else, we must recognize that the Church is beloved by God as an earthly expression of His glory to the rest of the world. Our current social and cultural environments seek to tear apart the precious bonds of love that belief in Jesus builds among us. Refrain from the temptation to value differences and preferences above what we hold in common with all of our brothers and sisters. Dig into Paul s letters to see how God has beautiful plans to use us in harmony with one another. Our unity is our witness! Seek guidance Never hesitate to draw on the resources that God has granted us. Like the disciples, we have access to the Word and confidence in God s sovereignty. Today, we have even greater access to the mind of Christ because His Spirit dwells in us! Prayer should be our first tool in times of uncertainty and need! Don t read the Bible just for comfort, though it is certainly a great source of assurance. Ask God to make His will known to you through the pages of these ancient words they are also powered by His Spirit! 2

7 Act in faith Don t let the intellectual side of decision-making weigh you down. Yes, God asks that we treat our circumstances and resources with diligence and prudence. But we do not have full power to oversee a perfect course of action. Only God can do this. No list of pros and cons will ever accomplish something eternal on its own. Rather, our actions should be submitted to guidance from God s Word, His Spirit, and our community, and then we move forward in faith, without fear, trusting that He will bring His plans to pass.

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