4.30.17 SMALL GROUP STUDY GUIDE

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His death and resurrection are the heartbeat of the gospel message. This is our heartbeat every day, every moment. Refle
4.30.17 SMALL GROUP STUDY GUIDE

GRACE CHURCH OF GLENDORA THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING UNSTOPPABLE MESSAGE ACTS 2:22-24, 32-33, 36-38 04/30/2017

MAIN POINT Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and reigns as Lord. GETTING STARTED The resurrection changes everything. It is the beginning of the Gospel. This week we take a look at how the Gospel changes everything. 1. What often gets you sidetracked during the day?

2. Share a time when a goal of yours was sidetracked or abandoned. What happened, and how did you respond? When Harvard University was founded in 1636, the administration hired only Christian professors. The formation of Christian character was a top priority for students, and ministers were trained and equipped to share the gospel. Today, Harvard maintains a legacy of academic excellence, but has lost its original mission—a phenomenon often described as “mission drift.” The university lost sight of its original purpose. Unfortunately, mission drift happens in the church, as well. As we’ll see in Acts 2, there is a clear, unstoppable message that drives our mission. It’s up to us to stay the course.

DIGGING DEEPER HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ACTS 2:22-24.

3. How is this passage humbling to us as believers?

4. What can we learn from Peter’s approach to sharing the gospel?

Peter spoke of “God’s determined plan,” yet “lawless people” killed Him. In other words, God was in control, but the men involved were held responsible for their deeds. Peter stated these two truths together, unflinchingly and without apology. As for human responsibility, we can never grasp the meaning of the cross until we understand the depth of our sin and how it separates us from God. Along with the lawless men who crucified Jesus, we all are responsible for Jesus’ death. Once we see ourselves as sinners in need of salvation, we can understand why there had to be a cross—why the cross is vital to our message. But Jesus didn’t merely die; He rose again. If Jesus had sacrificed His life for us and then remained dead, He would be a poignant story about a martyr. But Jesus is a conqueror—He is the only person who ever lived, died, and returned to life, never to die again. His death and resurrection are the heartbeat of the gospel message. This is our heartbeat every day, every moment. Reflecting on the gospel daily changes who we are, what we do, and how we live every day. 1 of 3

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ACTS 2:32-33, 36. When the Romans called Caesar “kurios,” or “Lord,” they were using that term in the highest sense: to signify divinity. They were acknowledging the emperor as their god, since the title denoted absolute sovereignty. Peter used the term at the climax of his sermon in Acts 2:36 to describe the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ. Peter’s use of the word “Lord” is a majestic title, used to show God’s sovereignty and divine power. The word points to the Deity of Jesus; Peter was declaring Jesus is God.

5. What are the personal implications of recognizing Jesus as Lord?

HAVE A VOLUNTEER READ ACTS 2:37-38.

6. What is the attitude of those listening to Peter’s message in these two verses? What does Peter tell them to do?

7. Why does it take brokenness over our sin in order for us to turn to Jesus?

8. What is the difference between condemnation and conviction? Which of these two feelings were the listeners of Peter’s message probably experiencing?

9. As we share the gospel, how can we work toward the goal of conviction rather than condemnation?

APPLICATION 10. What are specific ways you can praise Jesus this week for being your Savior and Lord?

11. What are some practical steps you can take to approach Jesus as Lord in your life?

12. Who do you know who needs to hear the gospel? What steps can you take this week towards sharing Christ with them?

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PRAY Give Jesus your praise right now in prayer. Give Him all honor and invite Him to be Lord over your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you opportunities to put God first as Lord of your life this week.

COMMENTARY ACTS 2:22-24 2:22. During Jesus’ time on earth, His ministry was guaranteed by threefold evidence— miracles, wonders, and signs—precisely the marks of an apostle, which Paul identified in 2 Corinthians 12:12. Interestingly, first-century Jews didn’t deny Jesus’ miracles; that seems to be a theological characteristic of more modern times. Jesus’ mighty acts pointed to divine power behind His life and ministry, thereby certifying that He was the Messiah. 2:23. Frequently, the New Testament links predestination and free will, the two elements of a divine paradox. God handed over Jesus for crucifixion, but wicked men put Him to death. So often people ask, “Does God choose us for salvation, or do we choose to believe the gospel?” Human reason searches for philosophical solutions, but the only biblical answer is a simple yes. Somehow in God’s eternal plan, these two seemingly parallel roads come together. 2:24-28. Peter’s sermon progresses well; in typical New Testament form, he comes right to the point: resurrection. Verses 2535 in this chapter contain four evidences of the resurrection: David’s tomb, the witnesses, that very Day of Pentecost, and the ascension witnessed by the eleven disciples. God may have handed Jesus over for crucifixion, but He also raised Him from the dead. As strange as it might seem to the human mind, the Messiah’s death was God’s will. Thus Peter turns to Psalm 16:8-11. Surely readers of the Old Testament up to this point had applied Psalm 16 only to David. Peter, speaking through the Holy Spirit, now certified it as a messianic prophecy. He did not use the psalm to prove the resurrection, but to affirm the messiahship of Jesus. Peter didn’t bother to prove the resurrection at all—he just proclaimed it. ACTS 2:32-33 2:31-32. Not only did David understand Jesus’ coming, he also foretold His resurrection. Standing in the crowd that day were many local residents who were familiar with the events that had transpired in Jerusalem less than two months earlier. Just in case their memories had lapsed, Peter raised again the broad banner of those courageous early Christians: “we are all witnesses of the fact.” 2:33-36. Peter wanted to proclaim the whole gospel, so he could not stop at the crucifixion and resurrection. In these verses he moves on to the exaltation and the coming of the Holy Spirit, bringing his listeners right up to the moment. Another quote from the Psalms (110:1) surely must have stabbed their collective attention. The humble carpenter of Nazareth was not only the Messiah, but now He lives in heaven and has caused all the Pentecostal commotion that evoked this sermon in the first place. Showing an enormous confidence in his God and his message, Peter used a phrase appearing only here in the New Testament (“all Israel”) and hammered home his final point: “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ACTS 2:36-38 2:37. The combination of God’s Scripture and God’s Spirit working through God’s servant had the intended effect. From their initial question “What does this mean?” (2:12) the people now progressed to specific response—”Brothers, what shall we do?” Had some people listening to Peter that day also screamed for blood in Pilate’s hall? While the word “conviction” does not appear in our verse, this clearly reflects that heart attitude. The New Testament uses this word to describe the work of the Holy Spirit by which we see ourselves as we are in God’s sight. 2:38-39. Peter hesitated not a moment for the answer to their question, calling for repentance and baptism and offering forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The context shows “baptism” here refers to water, not the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit then became the seal of salvation.

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