ACTS 2:42-47 | FELLOWSHIP GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
PREPARATION
READ
ACTS 2:42-47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
EXAMINE
APPLY
PRAY
Close by praying for one another and your group in the coming year.
PREPARATION
- Prayer: Begin your time in prayer, asking God to open your hearts and minds to His Word.
- Opening Discussion: As a group, share about the most significant community you have experienced in your life. It could be a group of friends you grew up with, a sports team you were part of, your family, a group of neighbors, or a Fellowship Group.
- How did this community shape you as a person?
- What made this community so vibrant and life-giving?
- Snapshot: As we begin a new year of group life, we want to look to God’s Word and understand His vision for the Christian community. Specifically, we will look at Acts 2:42-47 and consider several priorities of a healthy Christian community: communion with God, community with one another, extending and receiving Christian care, and learning to live out our calling as witnesses to Christ and His Kingdom.
- Context:
- Jesus rose from the dead and spent 40 days with his disciples, preparing them to go and proclaim the gospel to all nations (Acts 1:1-5)
- Jesus commissioned his disciples, promised to send his Spirit, and ascended into heaven to be enthroned at the right hand of the Father as King of King (Acts 1:6-11).
- After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples, 120 in all, gathered in prayer, awaiting the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:12-26)
- Shortly after Jesus’ ascension, God sent his Spirit upon the disciples as they were praying. When this happened, Peter stood in the streets of Jerusalem and proclaimed the gospel, and on that day about 3,000 people believed in Christ and were baptized. This was the birth of the church (Acts 2:1-41).
- In our text today, Luke, the author of Acts, gives us a snapshot of the life of these earliest Christians (Acts 2:42-47).
READ
ACTS 2:42-47
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
EXAMINE
- In verses 42-47, Luke gives us a description of the earliest Christian community. As you begin, try to list as many things as you can see in the text that describes this ancient community.
- Among all the things Luke tells us about the early church, what stands out most about their life and priorities? Why?
- It has been said that the three values of modern American culture are: individualism, consumerism, and materialism. From Luke’s description, what would you say the values of the earliest Christians were?
APPLY
- Luke tells us that these believers were “devoted” to four key priorities.
- What does it mean to be devoted to something? Give examples.
- What cultural forces in Denver work against a deep devotion to Jesus and His Church?
- The four things these earliest believers were devoted to are: the apostle’s teaching (i.e., hearing God’s word together), the fellowship (i.e., living as the family of God), the breaking of bread (i.e., communing with one another and with Christ through the Lord’s Supper), and the prayers (i.e., worshiping God together).
- Which of these four areas is a strong point for your group? In which area do you need to grow?
- As a group, go through each of the four areas and ask: how will we devote ourselves to this thing in the coming year?
- It is clear from the text that the things they were “devoted” to were things that were done “together,” which means that these early believers were devoted to togetherness.
- What do you think devotion to togetherness looks like as a Fellowship Group?
- Would you describe your frequency of attendance and participation as a “devotion to togetherness”? Why or why not?
- What are common reasons you might miss a group gathering?
- In your opinion, what is a good reason for missing Fellowship Group, and what is a bad reason?
- How can you cultivate a devotion to togetherness without it feeling burdensome or legalistic?
- What are you most excited about in this coming year of Fellowship Group? What do you most need/desire?
PRAY
Close by praying for one another and your group in the coming year.